It is free. I think people were saying that some parents are too busy to spend the time to take Safe Sport training.
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I think junior members 14 and up should have SS training. They could benefit, in life, quite a bit
I believe it is available to them. I think it is divided into age-appropriate sections. But if it’s not a requirement, I don’t know how many of them actually get the SS training.
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At least one swim parent (it appears that there are other sports also) must be a member which requires Safe Sport training, in order to sign the waivers necessary to compete. Our entry forms include the same waiver to hold harmless the organization. We have the added issue of a living, breathing partner that is subject to drug testing so the person of legal age that has control of the horse must sign, and that person would be the parent of a minor rider to sign for both.
It is interesting that USEF has dodged this one for several years when it is required in the other sports.
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Yes, it is interesting to see the pushback on USEF’s requirement that the adult who signs as trainer for a minor be a member of USEF.
As I’ve said in previous posts on this thread, I don’t see that as unreasonable.
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I don’t think compelling a parent to be involved is unreasonable. Apparently because one person who thinks this requirement is onerous is famous, we must all think it is unreasonable. There has to be a way forward… I think this is a good move, and one that is echoed in other sports and settings.
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I’ve lost track. Who is the famous person in question?
The person who I was chastised for questioning.
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No - I’m no one, and I think that adding Yet Another Fee to an experience which seems to have no end of them is just another way USEF (and/or USHJA) is pricing folks out of the sport.
Should parents of minors in the sport know about (and be offered) the Safe Sport training? Sure. Knowledge is Good. But requiring a membership in an organization that, frankly, does little for non-elites, is not going to win anyone over. Horse showing is too damned expensive already.
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I don’t like any extra fees added on to horse showing but how do you propose enforcing the rules of the organization against the person who has care, custody, and control of our partner athletes when that person is not a member of the organization? SafeSport aside, if the person signing as the trainer is a non member, for whatever reason, then there’s a problem that needs to be fixed. Some trainers were already using this loophole by having grooms or other non members sign and thus avoiding culpability for a D&M violation.
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Hmmm, I thought that the horse(s) under ownership of the banned person were also on the list? Meaning if Trainer G was suspended for doping owner 1’s horse, owner 1 could take her toys and go to another trainer with her horse and show during the suspension period.
But aside from that, after all the dire warnings about this being The End of all people showing infrequently, please help me understand, based on the following info asserted above:
A USEF membership costs $80 for unlimited showing over the course of 12 consecutive months
2x show passes are 45x2=$90
If the show pass number is correct, I think we can safely say that the people who have a concern about spending all this extra money have much larger problems to deal with when it comes to financial matters. 
But let’s say the show pass is $30, so we’re talking $60. Do I understand correctly that the thread drama is effectively over $20? And add to it parents will be required to have take safe sport training, which they may not want to sit down and do… But I think we can safely say that the people who most need to understand safe sport are the parents of the children who are at risk. Honestly I cannot even see why that is a debate.
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I think that the “famous person” erinmeri was referring to is CBoylen, not paw
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It’s death by a thousand paper cuts. Eventually people get sick of it. When members feel like they are being nickel & dimed nonstop by horse shows, by USEF, by other orgs, etc, eventually some will throw up their hands and just decide to get out of horses because they’re tired of the dozens of “no big deal what’s another 80 bucks” fees.
ETA: I am somebody that wholeheartedly supports Safe Sport and has no problem whatsoever doing training. The endless fees make me weary, though.
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When we taught the barn kids to play poker, we used horse show nomination fees as an analogy for the ante. Things escalated from there as people threw in chips to bid while making comments like “here’s the office fee” or “I’m doing the classic” or “let’s get lunch at the show.” Finally, someone dumped all their remaining chips on the board and announced that she was going to Thermal for the full circuit.
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There’s an alternative here if the parent doesn’t want to join USEF. Don’t have the parent sign as “trainer.” Have someone who is already a member sign as “trainer.” That may mean boarding the horse for some length of time pre-show so that whoever is signing feels comfortable the horse won’t test positive or cause some other issue-- but it’s not like anyone is being forced to join USEF. So many options here. Join. Don’t go to USEF shows. Go to USEF shows but have someone else sign the entry blank. Each option has plusses/minuses but this is a reality of life. Rules change and sometimes that impacts the way you do things.
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@vxf111, that’s a pretty creative option, but I don’t think it works all that well. As an amateur, I can’t sign as trainer for some junior rider that I happen to know.
The sad thing here: this requirement is not to get all parents to take Safesport training. That’s a great idea, but this requirement is not for all parents of minors competing - it’s only for those parents who are signing as trainer. What’s really behind this new rule? It’s about a gap in the current Drugs and Medication rule enforcement. If the horse tests positive, remember that the trainer is held responsible.
I guess that as a junior, if my mom signed, and then my horse tested positive, my mom is sanctioned/fined/etc. Can I then continue to compete, maybe on another horse, and get my dad to sign?
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I’m not trying to be clever here. I am literally saying have the actual trainer have care custody and control of the horse so the actual trainer can sign as trainer on the entry blank. I’m not suggesting finding some random person to sign. I’m suggesting that if you want your trainer to take responsibility for your horse at the show then you should not object to boarding it with your trainer for a period of time so your trainer does feel comfortable taking responsibility
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I feel this. It’s probably the most measured answer I have seen. I do understand, however, that ensuring parental compliance with SS, etc, likely carries at least some administrative cost… and $80 doesn’t seem unreasonable. As someone who can’t currently show due to finances, and when I do, won’t be able to show much… I do understand the endless fees issue.
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For what it’s worth I agree that safe sport is not the driving reason why this rule was put in place. The driving reason why this rule was put in place is because there are medication issues with horses. I merely wanted to point out that what was being lost in the discussion with that there is an added benefit to encouraging some parents to become members. It means those members are subject to the safe sport rules and in my opinion the more people who are aware of any subject to those rules the better.
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I can’t remember when the rule changed, but it did. If you look at GR404 in the rulebook, it is clear that the Trainer is responsible for the horse, but Riders, Owners, Handlers, Grooms and Support Personnel, including Veterinarians, may also be held responsible.
So you can’t evade responsibility by having someone else sign the entry anymore.
