In a letter to membership, U.S. Equestrian Federation President Murray Kessler and CEO William Moroney announced changes to the SafeSport training as well as a new policy on May 22.

For anyone who takes SafeSport training after April 15, the U.S. Center for SafeSport now provides a single module for the training that encompasses what was previously offered in three separate modules. The three modules caused some confusion for members who thought they had completed the training but actually had one or two modules to finish, and the new consolidated version should mitigate that confusion. Please note, if you began the U.S. Center for SafeSport Training prior to April 15, you will still need to complete the three training modules.

On April 29, the USEF Board of Directors approved updates to the USEF Safe Sport Policy and adopted new policies to provide further protections for members, called the USEF Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention policies. View the updated USEF Safe Sport Policy (Includes MAAP Policy)

Starting June 1, the MAAP policies will go into effect. The new MAAP policies are part of a congressional requirement mandating USEF, as well as other amateur sports organizations and governing bodies, to implement policies and procedures that limit one-on-one interactions between minor athletes and adults who are not their parent/legal guardian. USEF designed these policies to work for equestrian sport and urges members to recognize that they are based on the uniform policies developed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport that will further protect minor athletes. Under federal law, if USEF Affiliates do not adopt the USEF MAAP policies, they must implement their own policies.

Kessler and Moroney stressed that these policies, which affect one-on-one meetings/training, social media, electronic communications (such as text messages and e-mail), travel, and more, will change the way adults and minors in equestrian sport currently interact. They have provided examples to explain the policies. These policies are designed to protect minors and adults, and other sports governing bodies across the country are enacting similar measures. View the new MAAP policies and MAAP policy FAQ.