If there’s one group of sports enthusiasts known for treating their animals like family, it’s equestrians. For these fans, their four-legged companions are more than just partners—they’re extensions of their own families. There’s no question that they would go to great lengths to ensure the safety and well-being of their horses. However, recent incidents have raised concerns about equine welfare, including allegations of mistreatment involving decorated British Olympic equestrian Charlotte Dujardin.

Keeping this in mind, the US Equestrian has proposed numerous changes for the well-being of the horses. The president of the federation, Thomas FX O’Mara, highlighted three points in a signed letter addressed to the USEF Board of Directors. These points will be discussed during their meeting in January 2025 and, if approved, could take effect by April.

The first proposed change is the revision to the “G414 Prohibited Practices.” This amendment introduces new substances to the list of banned items prohibited in licensed competitions to prioritize horse safety. The additions include injectable ACTH, injectable adenosine, injectable formaldehyde, injectable magnesium sulfate, injectable oxytocin, injectable pentobarbital, injectable thiamine, and liquid nitrogen. If the rule is approved, competitors found with these substances could face significant penalties.

The second proposed change addresses the use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, a common treatment for tissue and bone injuries in horses. While effective, the procedure can pose significant risks to the horse’s well-being. Under the new rule, only licensed veterinarians will be permitted to perform this therapy, ensuring the highest level of safety for the animals.

The use of the therapy will also have to be reported through the Equine Drugs and Medical Report form. The therapy can also not be carried out on the horse 72 hours before competing or 12 hours after competing. Thus, this is a major step to horse safety.

The third change that the US Equestrian has highlighted is the revision of the use of whipping in competitions. The competitor must do the act in the spirit of competing and not to cause harm to the horse. This will stop unethical harming of the animals. Thus, the rule changes proposed will really help improve the well-being of horses and must hopefully be passed. It also reflects a revolution in the safety of horses in equestrian, which kicked off last month with a list of new changes.

Previous changes made in Equestrian for the safety of horses

Following several instances of horses being mistreated during the Olympics, the US Equestrian Federation took decisive action by releasing the Paulick Report, which outlined significant measures aimed at preserving the integrity of the sport. Among these were amendments to the GR838 rule, designed to address and mitigate the growing concerns over cruelty toward equines.

The first change they made was to the phrase of injustice caused to the animals. Instead of using “cruelty and abuse to the horse,” the federation would now use the term “unethical treatment of horses.”. This helps the federation get much stronger control over the guardian rights of the horses.  The second change is made to facilitate the working of the first one, stating that the unethical treatment of the horse rule is applicable in every competition licensed by USEF. Thus, these rules are made to benefit the horses and are set to be applicable in December. Hopefully, it will curb the issues that the horses are facing.