Amid celebrations and Horse of the Year awards, horsemen discuss serious issues in Cincinnati.

The night of the Pegasus Awards dinner U.S. Equestrian Federation CEO John Long was in the right place at the right time. When a fellow diner accidentally ignited a small fire at his table with a candle, Long immediately went into action.

“John dumped his water glass on the fire and put it out. Just like he put out fires on the budget all week,” joked Andrew Ellis, the chairman of the USEF Safety Committee, during the final USEF Board of Directors meeting. “John gets the USEF Safety Award.”

Indeed, Long, USEF President David O’Connor, the USEF Budget And Finance Committee and the Board worked hard to develop a realistic 2009 budget in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jan. 14-18, in this challenging economic climate.

While the 2009 budget already had been pruned before its presentation at the meeting, it would need more trimming before the board passed the document. As part of the agreement, the budget will be reviewed monthly by the board of directors to make sure spending stays on track.

It was not easy to arrive at the final $25.3 million total, which calls for a $2.15 million contribution for High Performance needs from the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation and some sacrifice from Federation employees. Raises will be put on hold, travel and office expenses are being cut and empty staff positions will not be filled.

“This will actually be a helpful exercise,” Long contended. “It will be painful in some ways, but when you run your business through a recessionary time, you find new ways of doing things. You slay some of the sacred cows, you become more efficient, and you question things that maybe had never been questioned. You become better, so when you get out on the other side, you actually are running a better organization.”

He added, however, that services are not on the chopping block and will remain intact. The organization is experiencing its first growth slowdown, and like so many entities, saw its investment portfolio hit hard last year, to the tune of nearly $1 million in unrealized losses. A decrease in competition entries also hurt, as did a decline in sponsorship and a downturn in advertising for Equestrian magazine, part of the publishing industry’s broad-based malaise.

In addition, the costs of the June Safety Summit, organized quickly after a series of eventing tragedies, affected the bottom line. As a result, expenses exceeded the budget for 2008 by 1.9 percent, raising a red flag for directors as they reviewed the 2009 spending plan.

Director Alan Balch, who served as president of USEF’s predecessor, USA Equestrian, sounded the alarm at the first board meeting, suggesting further detailed discussion of the budget. A closed-door session and several conferences yielded the final plan, which shows a $500,000 surplus as a backstop in case membership does not reach 2008 levels.

Only time will tell, however, if revenue projections are realistic in the face of uncertainty about how long the world-wide financial turbulence will continue.

Return To Play

Safety was on the minds of many people at the USEF Annual Meeting, most especially those who have been hard at work developing a “Return To Play” rule. Such a rule requires riders who are concussed or become unconscious while schooling or competing at a show to receive permission from a licensed medical professional to return to competition. This is not currently in the USEF Rulebook.

“Most other sports have this rule, and equestrian sport should too,” said Ellis, a proponent of the rule who worked in concert with Malcolm Hook and Leigh Anne Claywell through six drafts.

During the final BOD meeting, substantial time was spent tweaking the rule change proposal, but when prompted by an impatient board member to “not do committee work at the board meeting,” O’Connor responded.

“This is a very important concept. Many people have worked hard on this, and we’re close [to reaching an agreement],” he stated. “In the absence [of this rule], there’s no process in place. We need something like this now.”

In the end, the BOD voted the new rule, GR1316, into the books with five members abstaining. All breeds and disciplines will now follow this rule.

In a nutshell, if a rider is knocked unconscious or suffers a concussion at a competition, he will need to provide the USEF with a written note from a licensed medical professional stating he is fit to return to USEF-licensed competition.

The competition TD or steward is also required to complete an accident report, and the rider will be placed on the Federation Medical Suspension List. The rider will be removed from the list after he submits a signed release.

Another element of safety was added to competitions with GR1211, which establishes a safety coordinator for all USEF-licensed competitions. Most breeds and disciplines disapproved of the first draft at their affiliate meetings, but after Ellis and the USEF Safety Committee reworked the rule it received the nod from the USEF Board.

The safety coordinator oversees the establishment and coordination of medical and veterinary services.

Ellis also reported in the Safety Committee meeting that after the current ASTM/SEI helmet rule was added across the board for hunter/jumper riders four years ago, there have been no fatalities due to head injuries. “Knock on wood, that’s something we should be proud of,” he said.

Safety Committee members also discussed ongoing projects, wish-list items and new business including:

•    A subcommittee was named to revisit the helmet standards and consider adding other standards—such as those used in Europe—to the ASTM/SEI standard currently utilized.

•    Adding a second required medical staff person to the show grounds has received mixed reviews due, in part, to the economic climate. “But having a second pair of hands for CPR to stabilize the patient is important,” noted Ellis.

•    Adding catastrophic medical insurance coverage at the Federation level was one topic proposed by Darren Chiacchia, an event rider who suffered serious injuries and more than $800,000 in medical bills last year.

•    Drug-testing athletes, which was deemed an important issue, but a massive undertaking, was tabled for further discussion after also being addressed by Chiacchia.

Horse Welfare On Target

In the Veterinary Committee meeting, horse welfare topped the agenda, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs taking centerstage.

Chairman Kent Allen, DVM, repeatedly noted that he didn’t want his committee to propose a rule change yet, but data gathered and published papers now support the belief that multiple NSAID use is not in the best interest of the horse. Consequently, the USEF rule that allows two NSAIDs to be used concurrently needs to be addressed again.

“It’s a controversial subject,” Allen noted. “But no other organization allows two NSAIDs, and no manufacturer recommends two NSAIDs. We [the USEF] are alone in this issue.”

With an array of other tools for tackling osteoarthritis in horses, such as corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, Legend, oral nutraceuticals, IRAP, etc., veterinarians have a variety of approaches for a complete treatment.

Studies have found that horses exposed to multiple NSAIDs and extensive NSAID use can suffer from NSAID toxicity with symptoms such as colitis, ulcers and kidney failure. Allen also noted that no other species is medicated this way, including humans, whose medication labels warn them not to use more than one NSAID at a time.

“We wouldn’t dare take Advil and naproxen together for fear of what it would do to our kidneys and guts,” he said.

In the past, opponents to the one NSAID rule noted that they needed two NSAIDs to get their veteran horses comfortably to the ring and fought vehemently to have two NSAIDs to do so.

Allen hopes an educational movement will help to smooth the transition because he believes that many people do not use the proper dosages of medication and use too little to be effective.

“This rule was never designed for people to get the maximum analgesic to get in the ring and get the horse around,” explained Allen. “This was to provide some analgesia for old schoolmasters. Effectively used and with education, a single NSAID is another tool in the toolbox.”

Allen concluded that he hopes the committee can formulate a rule change by next year’s USEF meeting so it can be voted on in 2010 for an effective date of 2011.

“Ten years ago this committee, under Rick Mitchell, recommended one NSAID,” said Allen. “It’s time. I’m asking you [committee members] to have the courage and conviction to say this same thing to your clients and trainers even if they disagree with us,” he said.

Other welfare initiatives included:

•    USHJA Horse Welfare Chairman Glena Wirtanen spent more than four years working and reworking horse welfare rules. First, she began with a hunter/jumper version, then was asked to expand it as a general rule, and finally it evolved hunter specific. Her dedication was rewarded when the Board passed HU102 Horse Welfare, which defines horse welfare guidelines for hunters that are specific to the needs of the division.
       
“I’m excited that it passed. I think it’s a good rule and I’m ecstatic,” she said.

•    For welfare of humans and horses, a presidential modification, which will take effect immediately, prohibits riders from trotting or cantering into the ring in a handy hunter class. Riders must now walk through the in-gate.

Eventing Adjusts Jumping Efforts And Distances

The USEF Eventing Committee hammered out new guidelines adjusting the number of jumping efforts in conjunction with distances on cross-country courses at all levels except beginner novice.

These changes should ease the pressure on riders who think they have to chase the clock and wind up getting into trouble. The guidelines are now in line with the new Fédération Equestre Internationale mandate of no more than one jumping effort per 100 meters at the lower levels, and 110 meters/effort for a CIC at intermediate and advanced.

“We needed to get those standards into our rules so we’re not allowing an excessive number of jumping efforts within a given distance,” said Malcolm Hook, chairman of the USEF Eventing Committee and a member of the U.S. Eventing Association Board of Governors.

Previously, he said, the rule simply listed a range of jumping efforts and distances. “There was nothing in there that [said] there had to be a relationship between those numbers. You can’t take the shortest distance and pack in the most number of jumping efforts,” Hook explained.

Novice has been changed to 16 to 20 efforts in 1,600 to 2,200 meters, an increase of 200 meters; training, 20 to 24 at 2,000 to 2,600 and preliminary 22 to 30 at 2,400 to 3,300. Intermediate is 26 to 34 efforts at 2,600 to 3,600 meters, while advanced is 32 to 40 at 3,200 to 4,400 meters.

In most cases, the bottom limit was not changed, because some organizers have limited space with which to work and can’t go beyond the minimum, Hook noted.

Looking Ahead With David O’Connor

Even in a difficult economy, U.S. Equestrian Federation President David O’Connor is taking his usual proactive approach, going boldly forward just as he used to do on cross-country courses in his days as an eventing star.

“It’s very important not to pull the plug and just hide under the rug,” he explained in an interview, discussing why he is such a believer in ongoing marketing initiatives that were the subject of scrutiny at the annual meeting.

Despite the need for belt-tightening under current conditions, he hasn’t changed his stance on the USEF as the go-to organization in the horse world, and feels the need to continue broadening the Federation’s base.

That’s particularly important in view of the fact that membership renewals overall were off at the beginning of the year, with the thought that some people may be postponing joining until they are ready to show later in the season.

“I don’t believe the competing membership is going to go down,” O’Connor said, however. “My personal belief is that people still have their horse, truck, whatever, but the big thing is they are going to compete less. I think entry numbers are going to go down, but I don’t think the membership numbers will go down.”

At least that’s his thought in terms of full memberships. He’s not sure what will happen with the new $35 non-competing membership.

“About one-third of the members we have in the Federation actually don’t compete every year. It will be interesting to see the non-competing side, if the 25,000 people in that take a year off, and I don’t really have a feel for that.”

As a precaution in consideration of falling numbers, he noted, $1 million was cut out of the original budget, and further adjustments were made during the annual meeting.

Although there were questions about the cost of marketing initiatives, O’Connor emphasized, “It’s important to still invest in outreach programs. The On The Road Program is the visible side of the USEF that has to maintain its investment, especially up to 2010 [and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games].”

And, he added, “The ability for the USEF to have a brand that’s out there after 2010 is very important. I don’t think we’ll go to as many places, but it’s not going to be stored in the closet. The outreach programs are creating interest in us as a brand out there. I think it would be a mistake to slash it.”

At the same time, he noted, “We have to be pragmatic. If we were going to go to 75 places, maybe we’ll only go to 60. But I still see that as the secure future for the Federation.”

O’Connor was enthusiastic about greater interaction between the FEI disciplines and the national affiliates and an outreach to non-member breeds that was discussed during the meeting.

“I do believe from an economic sense by having that broad-based look, you can weather storms like this better than if you target a smaller group. That’s a core belief of mine.”

On other topics:

•    A rule proposal to regulate dual agency in horse sales stimulated conversation but is unlikely ever to be part of the rulebook. O’Connor said it isn’t the USEF’s role to be a prosecuting agency. Rather, the Federation will take an educational approach for its members, starting to put model contracts on the website for downloading and listing questions that should be asked when involved in a sale “that give you a lot more legal rights” to pursue a sale gone wrong in court.
       
“Lack of disclosure is a true issue in horse sports. Giving our members the avenues to know what to do if they’re wronged is as far as we can go right now,” he said.

•    Show standards are an important tool for the welfare of the horse, but he thinks that has to be driven by the affiliates, because “they’re the technical group out there.”

•    While there have been calls to abolish the mileage rule, O’Connor observed, “Mileage is one of the tools tasked with governing the sport. I think we have it right in that someone can apply for exceptions, but I don’t think it will ever go away.”