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 horse's 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 [email protected].

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/