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Pre-Season Checklist: Renew Your Membership and Record Your Horse

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Feb 28, 2017, 11:13 AM

Spring show season is right around the corner! Here are two easy steps to take now to prevent headaches and heartaches when you get to a show: renew your US Equestrian (USEF) membership and make sure your horse is recorded. This quick-reference guide gets you covered today.

Renew or Join at www.USequestrian.org

To renew your membership (or to join for the first time), simply click here. Joining or renewing at least a week before a show saves time and paperwork when you arrive at a competition. Joining as a competing member also makes good financial sense if you plan to show more than once this year.

Why to Record Your Horse—and Record Early!

Would you like a shot at national and regional/zone year-end awards in more than 150 recognized divisions? Does your child have dreams of competing at USEF Pony Finals? Do you hope to compete in USEF/USDF qualifying classes to earn your spot at dressage championships? Then you’ll need to record your horse with US Equestrian. Your horse’s show results only count from the date he is recorded, so get your recording in before your first show of the season! Do it online to save time and hassle.

Doesn’t My USHJA Registration Cover My Horse for USEF Points?

No—a US Equestrian recording is not the same as a United States Hunter Jumper Association registration, which is a one-time registration that the USHJA requires for horses competing in certain shows and classes (for more about that, see the USHJA’s Horse Registration page). If your horse is a hunter jumper competitor, you’ll need a USEF recording in addition to your USHJA registration in order for your show points to count toward US Equestrian’s year-end awards, US Pony Finals, etc.

It’s easy to record your horse with US Equestrian! Here’s how:

What You’ll Need

  • If you’re applying online for your horse recording, you’ll need a current US Equestrian membership. To renew or join, click here.
  • Your US Equestrian member ID. If you don’t know your member ID, do not open a new account. Simply call Customer Care at 859-258-2472, and they can retrieve your ID number.

How to Record a Horse

  • Log in to www.USequestrian.org.
  • Click the My USEF button in the upper right-hand corner of the black banner across the top of the home page. This will take you to your Member Dashboard.
  • Under Horse Options, click the tile labeled Add New Horse.
  • A new window will open, asking if you or your horse will compete at a USEF competition within the week. If you click yes, this will allow your horse’s competition points to count at shows that take place before you receive your recording card in the mail.
  • Choose either an annual recording or a lifetime recording. Choosing Horse ID only assigns your horse an identification number but does not record his competition points.
  • Fill out the information under New Horse Information. Not all information on the form is required, but these parts are required: recording category (horse ID only, annual, or lifetime), horse name, color, foaling date, sex, breed, sire (or type “unknown”), dam (or type “unknown”), dam’s sire (or type “unknown”), and the current owner’s email address.
  • If your horse also needs a USHJA registration, click the box located near the bottom of the page under Additional Registration. 

Not Sure If Your Horse Is Already Recorded? Check His Status Online.

If you think your horse might already be recorded, you can check his status online at www.USequestrian.org. You’ll need to be a current US Equestrian member and have your member ID in order to log in.

  • On the home page, select Compete from the menu across the top of the page.
  • From the drop-down menu that appears, select Search Horses. The search page provides several ways to search for your horse, including by his name. Click the Search button at the bottom of the page.
  • If your horse is recorded, under the heading Member/FEI Status you’ll see a “life” or “annual” notation, as well as an effective date; annual US Equestrian horse recordings expire on Nov. 30 each year. If your horse has a Horse ID number but is not recorded, you’ll see the words “Inactive Horse ID” instead. In order for his competition points to count, you will need to purchase an annual or lifetime recording.

Remember, just because your horse has a horse ID number, it doesn’t necessarily mean that his recording is effective for the current year. Look for the word “effective” to be sure his recording is active.

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