Amendment to the Horse Protection Act Requires ALL Shows, Exhibitions and Sales to Register, Inspect & Report

Effective February 1, 2025, changes to the Horse Protection Act (HPA) will go into effect for all horse shows, exhibitions and sales. Event management will be required to register 30 days prior to the event with the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which is the inspection division of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). At the time of registration with APHIS, event management may elect to hire, or decline to hire, an approved inspector. Event management will then have additional reporting requirements two weeks before the event, and after its conclusion. According to the regulations, other information may be required, such as a copy of the prize list and entry information. Event management will also assume a level of liability based on the inspection path chosen, as well as being required to enforce the USDA HPA Disqualification List, which currently includes 24 individuals.

This HPA amendment also defines new toe and heel restrictions based on the length of the horse’s natural hoof. These regulations will be in effect for ALL horse shows, exhibitions and sales in the US, regardless of breed or discipline. This also applies to any equestrian Olympic events held in the USA, where horses from all countries will be subject to APHIS inspections. The only equine events that these regulations do not apply to are timed events, such as racing and rodeo competitions.

This excerpt is from the Federal Register section 11.6.11 & 12

Prohibitions concerning exhibitors:

(11) Artificial extension of the toe length, whether accomplished with pads, acrylics, or any other material or combinations thereof, that exceeds 50 percent of the natural hoof length, as measured from the coronet band, at the center of the front pastern along the front of the hoof wall, to the distal portion of the hoof wall at the tip of the toe. The artificial extension shall be measured from the distal portion of the hoof wall at the tip of the toe at a 90-degree angle to the proximal (foot/hoof) surface of the shoe.

(12) Toe length that does not exceed the height of the heel by 1 inch or more. The length of the toe shall be measured from the coronet band, at the center of the front pastern along the front of the hoof wall to the ground. The heel shall be measured from the coronet band, at the most lateral portion of the pastern, at a 90-degree angle to the ground, not including normal caulks at the rear of a horseshoe that do not exceed 3/4 inch in length. That portion of caulk at the rear of a horseshoe in excess of 3/4 of an inch shall be added to the height of the heel in determining the heel/toe ratio.

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Equine Sports Council (ESC) has been closely monitoring these upcoming regulations. All horse shows sanctioned by ESC will be provided with instructions, key documents for USDA submissions, reporting timelines, and USDA Disqualification lists. For more information, you may contact us at 1-855-Equine1 or INFO@EquineSportsCouncil.org.

More information can be found by visiting the following
Federal Register of Horse Protection Act Amendment Effective February 1, 2025
USDA HPA FAQ