Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Animal Care 4700 River Road Riverdale , MD 20737
February 6 , 2018
Dear Management of Horse Shows , Exhibitions , Sales , and Auctions ( Management ), Horse Industry Organizations and Associations ( HIOs ), Designated Qualified Persons ( DQPs ); and Owners , Trainers , Exhibitors , Custodians , and Farriers of Horses Engaged in Horse Protection Act ( HPA ) Covered Activities :
I hope this message finds you well and looking forward to the new horse show season . I would like to provide you with a progress report on our efforts to : Continue building alignment in inspection findings by U . S . Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) and DQPs licensed by USDA-certified HIOs ; mitigate noncompliance with the HPA equipment prohibitions ; and strengthen our working relationship with you and HPA enforcement .
Under the HPA , Management is entrusted with ensuring sore horses do not unfairly compete alongside horses that are not sore . USDA and DQPs licensed by HIOs with USDA-certified programs assist Management by detecting sore horses using consistent inspection techniques and notifying management of inspection findings . To support these shared responsibilities , on February 3 , 2018 , USDA hosted joint training with DQPs and together we reviewed and discussed our updated inspection guidance , participated in handson inspection exercises , and discussed performance expectations . When USDA attends a HPA-covered event this year , we intend to observe DQP performance and inspect horses for HPA compliance . USDA will not select a horse for inspection if a DQP has inspected the horse , detected a specific HPA noncompliance , and management disqualifies the horse from participating in the event . USDA will continue to select a sampling of horses that DQPs have identified as “ unsatisfactory ” without specifically identifying an HPA noncompliance , and to assess the consistency of USDA and DQP inspection findings .
With respect to HIO and DQP performance , in my last letter , I stressed I should not see any differences in the thoroughness of DQP inspections when USDA is or is not present at an event . Despite this , the FY 2017 HIO Inspection Data reveals that all but one HIO affiliating both padded and flat shod classes detected zero or very few HPA noncompliances when USDA was not present at the event , while detecting HPA noncompliance when USDA was present . Our focus this year is to close this performance gap . To do this , USDA will :
1 . Focus its resources on attending events affiliated with HIOs that detected zero or very few HPA noncompliances when inspecting padded and flat shod classes when USDA was not present .
2 . Select additional horses for inspection when attending events with DQPs whose performance varies depending on whether or not USDA is present to better understand the true rate of noncompliance at these events and assess future performance .
3 . Refer back to the DQP any horse for which USDA detects a HPA noncompliance to provide a platform for continued learning and discussion between USDA and DQPs .
We believe this focus will support thorough and consistent inspections at all HPA-covered events , which , in turn , will bring all of us one step closer to achieving the HPA ’ s dual purposes of ending soring and promoting fair competition .
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