HOW IT WORKS
USEF Rule Changes Explained
by Natalie Voss
US Equestrian has added a rule allowing the collection of hair samples as part of its drug testing program.
48 WINTER ISSUE 2025
In the summer and autumn of 2025, US Equestrian staff traveled to horse shows around the country for a series of horse welfare town halls, soliciting feedback from riders, trainers, officials, and parents about possible rule changes to improve the well-being of our equine partners. If you attended one of these in-person or virtual events, you may have wondered — how and when do these ideas hit the rulebook? The USEF rulebook is lengthy, and the reason the Federation has so many rules is that it is the umbrella organization for 29 breeds and disciplines, all with unique needs and considerations. US Equestrian maintains both general rule chapters and a series of discipline- and breed-specific chapters in its rulebook. The former deals with definitions and regulations that apply across all disciplines and breeds, while the latter are specific to their breed or sport. Each chapter has its own two-letter abbreviation, which is the code at the front of each rule to designate whether it’s a general rule (GR) or comes from a breed or discipline chapter. Rule changes can be proposed by USEF senior staff, committee members, Recognized Affiliate Associations, or USEF members who have been members for at least five consecutive years.
There are a few different types of rule changes that USEF processes. Most rule changes are standard rule changes, whose approval process is described in this article. Other types of rule changes you may see mentioned include: • FEI rule change proposals for international discipline rules, which are handled separately from standard rule changes and may be expedited to coordinate timing with the international group. • Extraordinary rule changes, which are those that deal with safety, fairness, or welfare and which will cause severe hardship or unfairness to USEF, members, horses, competitions, or Recognized Affiliate Associations if not passed on an expedited basis. • Rule clarifications, which are used in situations where rule language isn’t changing meaning, but the existing rule has confusing language or incorrect phrasing that needs to be updated. These are approved by the legislative committee and the USEF General Counsel. The process a proposed standard rule change undergoes from the first time it’s filed to entering the rulebook can take about 10 months.
PHOTO: PHOTO: DEVYN DEVYN TRETHEWEY/US TRETHEWEY/ EQUESTRIAN US EQUESTRIAN
Rule changes can be proposed by USEF senior staff, committee members, Recognized Affiliate Associations, or USEF members who have been members for at least five consecutive years.