Reprinted from American Horse Council
To date Congress has failed to pass any of the annual appropriation bills that fund government agencies and projects for the 2014 fiscal year (October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014). Congress has also failed to come to an agreement regarding a Continuing Resolution that would continue to fund the government past the end of the current fiscal year, which ends tonight at midnight. If an agreement is not reached by that time non-essential government operations, many that impact the horse industry and equestrians, could cease. Should a shutdown occur, it could impact the U.S Department of Agriculture's response to disease outbreaks, procedures for the import and export of horses, recreation on federal land, and temporary worker programs. At this time, government agencies are still working on their shutdown plans and determining essential and non-essential operations.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
One of the corner stones of the U.S. horse industry includes the movement of horses both internationally and domestically. The horse industry relies on USDA to maintain and operate import, export and quarantine facilities for horses traveling in and out of the U.S. At this time, border inspection is deemed essential and will have no lapse in service. Import, Export and Quarantine Facilities are run on a user fee basis and will continue to operate as usual.
Testing at the National Veterinary Service Lab in Ames, Iowa will be suspended. However, tests which are pending during the shut down will be finished. All incoming tests will be suitably stored by USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service staff and processed at a later date. In case of a disease outbreak, high priority tests will be done on a case-by-case basis.
USDA is also responsible for the enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA), and the slaughter horse transport program regulations. It is likely a shutdown will impact these programs.
Recreation
Many equestrians are dependant on federal land for recreational opportunities. In the event of a government shutdown, the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management will close and secure park, refuge and visitor facilities on public lands. National Forest recreation sites across the U.S., which require a government employee to stay open, would also be closed to the public.
Temporary Worker Programs and Visas
The horse industry relies on semi-skilled and entry-level foreign workers provided by the H-2A temporary agricultural worker and H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker programs for many of the employment needs of the horse industry. A government shutdown would halt the processing of applications for both the H-2A and H-2B programs and delay or prevent many employers in the horse industry from obtaining workers when they are needed. Visas for foreign competitors at U.S. equine events could also be delayed.
What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.
Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.
As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
There is so much more to proper grooming than keeping your horse picture-perfect for the horse inspection. Good grooming practices are critical to proper horse management, no matter if you are planning for your next FEI appearance or your Starter level debut. To help you maximize your knowledge of grooming practices, we opened up the opportunity for USEA members to submit any questions they might have on our Instagram and Facebook stories. In this week's episode, Host Nicole Brown sits down with three of the highest-regarded grooms in this industry, Max Corcoran, Emma Ford, and Stephanie Simpson, and asks them all of your questions and more to help you perfect the art of grooming.