This article https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/opinion-usef-must-do-better-in-fighting-horse-abuse/
resulted in this response by USEF https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/usef-calls-equestrian-community-to-unite-as-guardians-of-the-horse-and-horse-sport/
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Oh good. More town halls. That’ll solve the problem.
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USEF’s response seemingly verged on blaming their members to me, and I didn’t see any response to the author’s mention of the USEF fee for filing an official complaint (though I may have just missed it.)
Their penalty assessed to the woman who purposely spurred her horse on its pastern and coronary band? “Censured” and fined $2,000.
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I mean shit, USEF still allows Andy Kocher on show grounds; based on his own photos he clearly still has students, they’re just registered as professionals.
This is an org that masquerades as giving shit but chooses to not have any teeth.
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How is it that horse abuse and sneaking into the Thermal VIP and getting obnoxious when caught each receive a one-month suspension and fines that aren’t all that different ($2500 vs $1500)? Really USEF?!?
Spring issue of USEF Magazine. Couldn’t find a suspensions page online. Maybe the magazine is online? Here’s a link: https://issuu.com/equestrian/docs/spring_2025_draft It’s pages 80-81 of the physical magazine, but the online page count is one or two higher.
Originally posted on another thread. Has anyone else started reading the book “Off Course” that was just written and released about the USEF? (link goes directly to my post)
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Have you actually seen him at USEF shows? If you see him on any USEF showgrounds, report it to the show management, he is not allowed to be there.
Excerpt from the lengthy FEI tribunal:
“a ten-year suspension starting from the date of notification of this
Decision. The provisional suspension served by the Respondent since
28 October 2020 shall be credited against this period of suspension
which will therefore come to an end on 27 October 2030. Pursuant to
Article 164.7 of the FEI General Regulations, as from notification of this
Decision the Respondent is barred for the period of his suspension
from participating in or attending, in any capacity, including as a
spectator, any Competition or Event that is authorised or organised by
the FEI or any National Federation.”
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My understand is that applies only to FEI competitions, not USEF/USHJA competitions (I could totally be wrong!). He was attending, on the grounds, HITS Culpeper
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You are wrong. “Any National Federation” includes USEF. They are our National Federation.
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Thanks for clarifying!
And warning cards. Those will help. Maybe they’ll even be a sprightly cautionary yellow. 
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People will pin them up like awards 
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No mention of the fee to appeal, no mention of how they plan to address the red tape and/ or react to known issues quicker (which was one of my big takeaways from the opinion piece). Also no addressing how they will make reporting easier, provide more protection against retaliation, but they did mention that video isn’t evidence enough (while also mentioning that if you see something be sure to video it for any report you make….) which seemed to be addressing the EB incident that I am admittedly not familiar with.
Hair testing is new to me - isn’t that considered less reliable than blood?
Is it bad that I’m impressed they responded at all? There was no response to the Diane Langer piece (that I’m aware of) or other similar articles.
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There is some farm that he is hosting schooling shows at. Do they like have no idea what he’s done?! It’s not even about the electric spurs, It goes much deeper than that. It’s disgusting and I want call those people out.
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The USEF release was not in response to the opinion piece in the Chronicle. They just came out the same day.
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Suspending someone for (ooo!) “sneaking” into the VIP tent? FFS. The whole thing is corrupt. As is the fact that half of the “notices” are boilerplate, and bury the lede.
I have zero confidence that USEF has any inclination to actually move the needle on horse abuse.
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Well, the VIP tent cheater did sneak into the VIP area (read expensive) again on the second day, after running from the authorities when they were busted on the first day. Weird as hell behavior for a Dressage “professional”, who is on the board the Oregon Dressage Society.
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In the discussion under this article on the Chronicle’s FB page, there is a lot of talk about the use of pentobarbital for quieting. Since it’s a controlled substance, how would this not result in criminal charges if someone is found to be in possession? And there’s some dispute about whether USEF is including this substance in drug screening.
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Then do it. That’s what it will take. People speaking up
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Using my alt for…reasons. I’ve tried. I reported activity with him to USEF around sales consignment and clinics, they basically said there is nothing they can do because it is not at a USEF-sanctioned activity. Pertinent portions of their response to me when I raised it end of 2024/early 2025:
[A] non-suspended person could consign a horse that is owned by a suspended person. The caveat would be that the new owner of the horse, will have to complete a suspension relief process, if they wish to have the horse participate in USEF licensed competitions while the previous owner is suspended. The USEF will not transfer ownership of the horse while the owner is suspended unless suspension relief is granted. The suspension relief process requires proof of a bonified transaction, including proof of payment, and it must be demonstrated that the new owner is not buying the horse to circumvent the suspension.
…When answering your question, I am assuming that the clinic is not a USEF sponsored clinic, because if it is a USEF sponsored clinic, then the suspended individual would not be permitted to participate while under suspension. If the clinic is being held outside of USEF, then it is possible that a clinic could take place during the suspension. There are a lot more details that need to be known to answer this for certain. […I]t may matter why the individual is on suspension, and if there were restrictions placed on the person.
Is “bonified” really a word? I thought it was bona fide, from Latin? Otherwise it sounds like something is being turned to bone, lol.
The sneaking into the VIP tent is kind of hilarious and it’s crazy that it’s being addressed as if it’s on the same level as horse abuse. Sure, it’s annoying when a select few professionals seem to believe that they’re special and don’t have to follow the same standard rules as the rest of us peons, but sneaking into the VIP tent is also a very trivial thing and doesn’t warrant more than a slap on the wrist.
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