HPA 2025: Pending USDA Decision to Delay or Send Back to Public Comment
Through an Executive Order by President Trump, the horse industry could be granted a reprieve by USDA/APHIS regarding the Horse Protection Act (HPA) regulations scheduled to take effect February 1st.
Through this Executive Order, President Trump allows agencies, including USDA, to postpone new rules already published in the Federal Register, and possibly return them to Public Comment for revisions. It is our hope that due to the pushback by the equine industry and our advocates in Washington, this rule will be sent back to Public Comment. ESC is monitoring USDA’s response and is working closely with the American Horse Council, our Washington connections, and other equine organizations.
The real work begins now to make sure that the revised HPA never gets implemented to the horse industry at large with no history of intentional soring. Please join thousands of others and sign our petition.
This is the section of the Executive Order that applies:
WhiteHouse.gov
(3) ᴄᴏɴꜱɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀʙʟᴇ ʟᴀᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪʙᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴀɢʀᴀᴘʜ 1, ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀ ᴘᴏꜱᴛᴘᴏɴɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ 60 ᴅᴀʏꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀᴀɴᴅᴜᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴇᴅᴇʀᴀʟ ʀᴇɢɪꜱᴛᴇʀ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴍᴀɴɴᴇʀ ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ᴇꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛ, ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡɪɴɢ ᴀɴʏ Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, ʟᴀᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏʟɪᴄʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇ. ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ 60-ᴅᴀʏ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴘʀɪᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴꜱɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀʙʟᴇ ʟᴀᴡ, ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀ ᴏᴘᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛᴇᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, ʟᴀᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏʟɪᴄʏ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ᴘᴏꜱᴛᴘᴏɴᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀᴀɴᴅᴜᴍ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀ ʀᴇᴇᴠᴀʟᴜᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴘᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ. ᴀꜱ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴘʀɪᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴꜱɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀʙʟᴇ ʟᴀᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɴᴇᴄᴇꜱꜱᴀʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ, ʟᴀᴡ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏʟɪᴄʏ, ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀ ꜰᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴇʟᴀʏɪɴɢ, ᴏʀ ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ, ᴘʀᴏᴘᴏꜱᴇᴅ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ꜰᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅᴇʟᴀʏɪɴɢ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ 60-ᴅᴀʏ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ.
