United States Eventing Association

Equally as important as staying brushed up on your knowledge of the USEF Rules for Eventing, it is also important to stay up to date on any rule changes coming through the pipeline. In this month's edition of Rule Refresher, we are outlining the six extraordinary rule changes that will be going into effect on April 1, 2025. For more detailed information on these extraordinary rule changes, please refer to this document provided by USEF.

As you sit down to map out your 2025 eventing season, it's important to consider your current qualifications and what qualifications you will need to meet in order to see your plans through! Now is a great time to refresh your knowledge on the USEF Rules for Eventing. Here are some rules you might want to brush up on!

Bringing your future eventing prospect with you to a horse trial as a non-compete can be a wonderful educational opportunity for horses not used to the hustle and bustle of the show grounds. However, horses must be registered with the show office as a "non-compete" horse in order to be allowed on grounds. Bringing horses to an event to school, to provide lessons, or to campaign for sale is strictly prohibited.

You’ve made it to your event, your trailer is unloaded, your tack room is set, and your horse is settled—time for a little bit of schooling the day before the competition begins! Did you know there are rules around schooling under section EV111 of the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Rules for Eventing? Brush up on your knowledge before your next event to make sure that you are compliant before your next competition!

To chip or not to chip? That won’t exactly be the question anymore as of Dec. 1, 2025. In order to help prepare USEA members for this upcoming rule change, which was approved in December of 2023 by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), we have dedicated this edition of Rule Refresher to the topic of microchips.

With the Starter level now fully endorsed by the USEA, many competitors are taking advantage of competing at this level in hopes of accruing year-end points on the USEA leaderboard and securing their qualifications for the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. For those who are new to competing with the USEA or new to the Starter level, we thought it would be beneficial to dedicate this month’s edition of Rule Refresher to all things Starter related!

Sometimes things don't go according to plan while competing, and you and your horse may have to drop down a level and re-qualify for the level you wish to be competing at. The USEF Rules for Eventing outlines loss of qualifications for horses and athletes to make sure you know what you need to do to move back up safely.

There is no better feeling than galloping through your cross-country course feeling like you are hitting every distance right out of stride and making easy work of the time... and then you see a few jumps in close proximity to one another and think to yourself, "Wait, which jump is mine?" Knowing the different flags you might encounter on cross-country and what they mean is critical to your success in this phase of eventing. Thankfully, these flags are clearly outlined in the USEF Rules for Eventing, and we have included the applicable excerpt to help you better understand.

The cross-country phase is what makes eventing stand out among equestrian sports. There’s an adrenaline rush riders experience when out on cross-country that is unmatched in eventing’s other phases. The cross-country course also gives each show and venue its unique flavor. Nonetheless, while each course may be different, the rule below from the USEF Rules for Eventing governs what riders and horses can expect to see during the cross-country phase of an event.

Show jumping: some eventers love it and others stress out about memorizing their course more than they do their dressage test. Running through courses at home regularly in your lessons can definitely help with perfecting the strides between lines or helping boost your memory on what jump comes next, but assistance during your round at a competition is strictly prohibited. What does that mean truly for you as the athlete? We've outlined the rule below from the USEF Rules for Eventing that addresses unauthorized assistance in show jumping to help you better understand what help you can and cannot receive while in the ring.