From beginner to Olympic athlete, we all share a love for horses that draws us to equestrian sport. At US Equestrian (USEF), we believe that creating a safe environment for us all to enjoy our love for horses is essential. Since 2013, USEF has had policies in place to protect minor athletes from abuse and bullying and all athletes from harassment. These policies are contained in the USEF Safe Sport Policy.

In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that created new requirements for protecting minor athletes within amateur sports organizations. These requirements include a duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, to law enforcement or another organization designated by the Department of Justice and a duty for organizations to provide child abuse prevention training for adult members in regular contact with minor athletes. Beginning January 1, 2019, USEF required all US Equestrian members 18 years old and older with a Competing Membership are required to complete the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s SafeSport Training.

In April 2019, the USEF Board of Directors adopted policies to provide further protections for our members, called the USEF Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP).

The USEF Safe Sport Policy is the foundation of our Safe Sport Program and focuses on recognizing, reducing, and responding to abuse in sport.  The USEF Safe Sport Policy can be found here.

The USEF Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) are part of a congressional mandate that USEF and other amateur sports organizations and governing bodies implement policies and procedures that limit one-on-one interactions between minor athletes and adults who are not their parent/legal guardian. We designed these policies to work for equestrian sport, but they are based on the uniform policies developed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

These proactive prevention and training policies to provide guidance to USEF members on how to maintain safe and mutually beneficial interactions between adults and minors both at home and while at USEF-sanctioned events and activities. The MAAPP includes Policies for electronic communications, transportation, lodging, meetings and individual training sessions, manual therapy and therapeutic and recovery modalities, and locker rooms and changing areas.

USEF recognizes one-on-one interaction with trusted adults is not only healthy and valuable for a child but necessary to the coach/trainer and athlete relationship. USEF’s policies aim to balance this fact with the need to protect children in our sport. USEF understands the majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated in isolated, one-on-one situations, and by reducing such interactions between children and adults, these policies seek to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse.

These Policies apply to any contact between an Adult Participant and minor athletes. An Adult Participant is any adult (18 years of age or older) who is:

• • a USEF Senior Active member;
  • an employee or board member of USEF;
  •  
  • Within the governance or disciplinary jurisdiction of USEF;
  • Authorized, approved, or appointed by USEF or its Recognized Affiliates to have regular contact with or authority over minor athletes e.g. volunteers, medical staff, chaperones, monitors, contract personnel such as Chefs d’Equipe/Technical Advisors or Team Vets, bus/van drivers, officials, adult athletes, staff, board members.

These policies are proactive and intended to prevent abuse. Thus, USEF recommends following these policies at all times. However, the Policies are only required for any contact (including communications, interactions, or activities) between an Adult Participant and any Minor Athlete(s) that is related to participation in sport. For example, interactions at your home barn, travel to and from competitions, hotel or air bnb stays at competitions, and team meals.

Reports of policy violations are resolved through the same process as USEF rule violations. It should be noted that these are proactive policies. As such, USEF seeks to educate when appropriate and discipline only when necessary.

USEF is responsible for enforcing these proactive policies and will do so in the same manner we enforce all rules. USEF expects the equestrian community will safeguard these standards and report non-compliance of these policies.

Competition organizers and officials are expected to enforce the USEF MAAPP when they are aware of non-compliance and the behavior can be immediately corrected. For specific questions, please contact Sarah Gilbert, USEF’s Safe Sport Senior Program Manager, at [email protected] or 859.225.6915.

Yes. All amateur sports organizations participating in interstate or international athletic competition and whose membership includes any adult who is in regular contact with minor athletes is required by federal law to implement policies and procedures that limit one-on-one interactions between minor athletes and adults who are not their parent/legal guardian. Therefore, if USEF Affiliates do not adopt the USEF MAAP policies, they must implement their own policies.