What Horse Show Organizers Should Know about the Horse Protection Act Revisions – Effective February 1, 2025

Source:  American Horse Council Bulletin – 10/7/24

Revisions to the Horse Protection Act Effective February 1, 2025.

The American Horse Council (AHC) is releasing this advisory to inform members of important changes to the Horse Protection Act (HPA). AHC asks that all members share this advisory with their competition organizers.

The HPA has always applied to all equine breeds and disciplines to protect against abusive practices and promote humane care. Past enforcement of the HPA has focused on elimination of soring within the gaited breeds. Newly updated HPA regulations will now focus on all shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions. This means that event participants and managers should be fully prepared for USDA targeted and random inspections, underscoring the importance of compliance with the new regulations and the potential impact on their operations.

The new regulations will bring significant changes to standard practices for show managers and competitors. We recognize these updated requirements may seem confusing and complex. The AHC is committed to helping industry comprehend and adjust to the new protocols.

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AHC and other industry stakeholders have engaged in numerous meetings with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) to obtain clarifications, details, and instructional documents to help ensure a smooth implementation and compliance with the regulations.

APHIS provided the following overview. Please note that this is a preliminary summary, and more detailed information, including specific guidance and implementation details, will be provided in subsequent communications. We are aware that certain provisions may require further clarification. If you have questions, please contact USDA at horseprotection@usda.gov and us at info@horsecouncil.org with the subject line “HPA Question”. This will ensure AHC stays informed and can follow-up on questions/answers.

• All event management (regardless of breed or discipline) is required to provide notice to APHIS at least 30 days prior to holding an event. See Section 16 for a discussion of reporting and record keeping requirements. Currently, information on the format and submission process is unavailable.
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• The Act covers horse shows, horse exhibitions, or horse sales or auctions. “Horse exhibition” means a public display of any horses, donkeys, and/or mules singly or in groups, but not in competition, except events where speed is the prime factor, rodeo events, parades, or trail rides. Similarly, “horse show” means public display of any horses, donkeys, and/or mules in competition except where speed is the prime factor, rodeo events, parades, or trail rides. State fairs and 4-H events would fall under the definition of “horse show”. Regarding speed, as its stated, it must be the primary factor in the event (i.e. not just one of the factors).
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• Managers and owners should generally anticipate, that if a covered event is selected for inspection, that inspectors will walk the show grounds, check on horses on trailers and in stalls, observe horses while being shown/exhibited in the ring, and inspect horses and any action devices (including boots and collars) pre- and post-show, as well as anything else the inspector may deem appropriate for determining compliance with the Horse Protection Act and its regulations. In addition to visual inspections, additional procedures may include swabbing horses’ skin for prohibited substances, iris scanning for identification, digital radiography of the legs, thermography, ultrasound, and blood sampling.
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• While some tack, like saddles, are allowed during the inspection process, the inspector may request them to be removed. Tail braces and action devices, including protective boots, tape around the pasterns, tongue ties, and blinders must be removed. There might be instances when inspectors will require all tack and devices be removed to look for banned stewarding devices.
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• Event management should be prepared to provide inspection space. The needs are detailed in section 10, “Inspection space and facility requirements.”

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Horse Protection Act Background

The Horse Protection Act (HPA) went into law in the 1970’s to authorize the USDA- APHIS to ensure the health and well-being of US horses by eliminating the practice of soring. Over the years these regulations have been revised and updated based on new scientific data, and industry feedback regarding methodologies for inspection/detection.

The revised HPA regulations, slated to go into effect February 1, 2025, are based on recent findings from the National Academy of Sciences, and input from organizations like American Association of Equine Practitioners and industry stakeholders. Below is a link to materials and notes developed by USDA- APHIS.

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Current Materials:

• Horse Protection Act: Brochure

This brochure on provides general information on the Horse Protection Act and soring.

• APHIS Horse Protection Act Website

Specifically, please refer to the videos showing our inspection process (example 1 and example 2), including use of diagnostic technology (example 3).

• Horse Protection Inspectors: Frequently Asked Questions

  This factsheet answers frequently asked questions about the new Horse Protection Inspector role.

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APHIS added two tech notes to their Horse Protection Act webpage that address Event Management under the updated Horse Protection Act regulations. The tech notes can be found under the “Event Manager Responsibilities (Effective February 1, 2025)” menu item. The two tech notes can be directly accessed by using the following links:
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The Horse Protection Act: What Horse Show, Exhibition, Sale, and Auction Managers Need to Know

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The Horse Protection Act: Records and Reporting Requirements for Horse Show, Exhibition, Sale, and Auction Managers