news

From the Desk of the President and the Executive Director 

Like our sister equine organizations, the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association (ASHBA) has been working with the American Horse Council (AHC) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) in an effort to comply with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised Horse Protection Act (HPA) guidelines, which go into effect on February 1, 2025. In addition, ASHBA has met directly with the leadership of USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) and has a follow-up meeting scheduled for next month.

The new HPA guidelines require competition management to notify APHIS of all equine events occurring in the United States. Knowing this to be burdensome for competition organizers, USEF has agreed to automatically send a monthly report to APHIS of all USEF and USEF Lite licensed competitions. ASHBA will do the same for all approved ASHBA Star Shows.

In accordance with the HPA, APHIS can inspect any horse show for compliance with the soring rule. We recognize that because these inspections do not typically occur at American Saddlebred shows, and many may not be familiar with this law and the requirements for compliance. We encourage everyone who encounters an inspector to do so with respect and cooperation. The inspections are designed to protect our breed and the sport’s integrity.

ASHBA has been working tirelessly, in collaboration with the AHC and USEF, and directly with the USDA and APHIS, to help answer questions and provide support to our members and shows. If you have a question about the new HPA guidelines please contact us at competitions@saddlebred.com.

For a complete list of the rule changes visit: https://www.usef.org/compete/resources-forms/rules-regulations/rule-changes

Sincerely,                                   

Allen Bosworth

President

American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association

David Mount

Executive Director

American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association

-- via ASHBA