The U.S. Department of Agriculture will not make anticipated regulatory changes to the Horse Protection Act this year, the U.S. Equestrian Federation informed members on Thursday.
The changes, which in late January were pushed back from taking effect Feb. 1 to April 2, will now not be implemented at all this show season, and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is “considering its next steps,” APHIS Deputy Administrator Sarah Helming announced in a recent open letter.
“[A]s many of you know, USDA temporarily postponed the effective date of certain provisions of its final rule to amend the Horse Protection Act (HPA) regulations until April 2, 2025, and a federal court subsequently vacated several of those provisions, including the prohibition on all action devices, the banning of all substances, and the dermatologic conditions indicative of soring provision,” she wrote. “Accordingly, at this time, there will be no regulatory changes between last show season and the upcoming show season. We are considering our next steps, including an additional postponement, and we expect to solicit additional stakeholder input.”
The decision includes a stay on enforcing a new requirement that was to take effect April 2 mandating that competition managers register and report any competition covered under the act to APHIS. This means such notification will not be required.
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The Horse Protection Act is a federal law instituted in 1970 that prohibits sored horses from participating in shows, exhibitions and sales. The law also prohibits transportation of sored horses to and from these events. All horses are included at all covered events. Events where speed is the primary factor, rodeo events, parades and trail rides are excluded.
Additionally, the USDA announced that Dr. Emily Robertson will lead USDA’s Horse Protection program for the 2025 season.
USEF continues to monitor the situation and will provide further updates as they become available. Specific questions about the HPA should be directed to USDA staff at horseprotection@usda.gov. If questions are not being adequately addressed, USEF asks members to email HPA@usef.org and the federation will try to assist.
