Tag Archives: USEF Town Hall Meetings

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New Forum Format Announced for USEF Town Hall Meetings

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Welfare of the Horse in the 21st Century; Meeting the Needs of the Performance Horse in a Changing Environment

In the face of overwhelming response from its membership and requests to host USEF Town Hall Meetings in many cities around the U.S., Federation staff and leadership have opted to host a Town Hall Meeting to be broadcast LIVE on USEFNetwork.com on Monday, June 3 at 6:00 p.m. ET. This interactive broadcast will replace the previously scheduled meetings and provide greater access to more people across all breeds and disciplines nationwide. “This innovative use of technology presents a unique opportunity to share opinions and experiences from every corner of the Federation,” remarks USEF President Chrystine Tauber.

A panel of USEF representatives, prominent industry owners, trainers, and veterinarians will gather in Lexington, KY, to take questions and suggestions throughout the webcast from a live audience as well as from equestrians tuned into the webcast. Members anywhere in the country will be able to view the webcast at USEFNetwork.com LIVE on Monday, June 3 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

For those unavailable to participate live, the broadcast will be made available free of charge to view on demand on USEFNetwork.com as early as June 4, 2013.

The Town Hall Meeting webcast on USEFNetwork.com is open to all USEF equestrians and participation from every breed and discipline is strongly encouraged. “Inappropriate medication of horses in competition is a clear and present threat to the industry. It is going to take involvement from the entire equestrian community to get this just right,” says John Long, USEF Chief Executive Officer, who continued, “This national broadcast will allow us to engage a greater number of concerned members with a consistent message.”

The USEF Town Hall discussion topics will include:

  • USEF leadership speaking to the industry-wide focus on welfare of the horse today
  • Overview of USEF and FEI medication rules
  • An overview of proposed Catastrophic Incident Protocol for USEF Competitions – which will include plans for death, collapse, and disease report mechanisms and processes.
  • The introduction of proposed additions to horse welfare rules described as Prohibited Practices – which include competition day injection rules, veterinarian membership requirements, review of training and preparation practices, and more.
  • Owner-trainer-veterinarian relationship and responsibilities – discussion regarding means to greater accountability for horses’ welfare and well-being.
  • Regulatory Reform resulting in increased testing and more stringent penalties for rule infractions.
  • Next Steps – Call for industry reform

Please save the date on your calendar and plan to participate in this all-important discussion. You may e-mail response to the topics outlined above to horsewelfare@usef.org.

Meeting materials will be distributed prior to the nation-wide broadcast and also posted on the USEFNetwork Town Hall pages at: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEFTownHallMeetings/.

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Updated Information Regarding USEF Town Hall Meetings

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Welfare of the Horse in the 21st Century; Meeting the Needs of the Performance Horse in a Changing Environment

Lexington, KY – The first of the USEF Town Hall Meetings series was hosted by Equestrian Sport Productions at their FTI Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds on March 27, 2013. Federation representatives joined prominent industry owners, trainers, and veterinarians to discuss topical issues contributing to unprecedented public scrutiny relating to medication and treatment of performance horses. Media articles have brought focus to both therapeutic techniques and medication practices in racing, and more recently this focus has raised a number of questions about medication use in the show arena.  Video of the first USEF Town Hall Meeting can be seen at http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEFTownHallMeetings/.

Member input received since the announcement of this USEF Town Hall Meetings series has called for additional forums to be scheduled in Texas and the Midwest.  The USEF is currently exploring appropriate times and locations for additional meetings to be scheduled.

These public forums are open to all USEF members and participation from every breed and discipline is strongly encouraged.  “Over-medicating show horses is a clear and present threat to the industry. It is going to take involvement from the entire equestrian community to get this just right,” says John Long, USEF Chief Executive Officer.

Dates are confirmed for the originally scheduled USEF Town Hall Meetings:

  • May 1 – 5:00 PM – Lexington, VA – Virginia Horse Center VIP Area
  • May 15 – 5:00 PM – Salem, NY – Old Salem Farm Special Events Tent next to GP Ring
  • May 16 – 5:00 PM – Lexington, KY – Kentucky Horse Park, location TBD
  • June 7 – 5:00 PM – San Juan, CA – Blenheim Equisports VIP Tent
  • June 14 – 5:00 PM – Parker, CO – Colorado Horse Park, location TBD
  • July 25 – 5:00 PM – Bend, OR – High Desert Classics Patron’s Tent

All times listed are local.

USEF Town Hall discussion topics will include:

  • USEF leadership speaking to the industry-wide focus on welfare of the horse today
  • Introduction and review of the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ guidelines for treating performance horses with discussion of USEF enhancements leading to the adoption of the guidelines as industry standards
  • Overview of USEF and FEI medication rules
  • Regulatory and enforcement issues
  • Owner-trainer-veterinarian relationship and responsibility
  • Next Steps – Call for industry reform

All USEF stakeholders are invited to attend these sessions in person. The USEF is also seeking input from interested parties who might not be able to attend. Response to the topics outlined above should be sent to horsewelfare@usef.org. All input will be compiled and presented to the Town Hall forums.

For more information on the USEF Town Hall Meetings series, visit http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEFTownHallMeetings/.