American Horse Council

12/02/2025

American Horse Council Announces Future Leaders Professional Development Scholarships

Beginning in 2025, the American Horse Council (AHC) Foundation will offer five (5) “Future Leaders Professional Development” Scholarships to cover the cost of conference registration for Agriculture/ Equine college students wishing to attend the AHC Annual Conference in Washington DC.

Applications will be accepted beginning March 1, 2025, and recipients will be announced no later than April 1, 2025.

For more information: https://horsecouncil.org/project/american-horse-council-announces-future-leaders-professional-development-scholarships/

06/02/2025

We get personal and sit down with our spouses to uncover the joys and challenges of marrying into the equestrian world. From late-night barn emergencies to weekend horse shows, they share the ups and downs about adjusting to life with a partner who lives and breathes horses.

Our legislative update includes a special update on the Horse Protection Act. Listen in as Julie and Emily discuss the regulation updates, where the rule stands, and how it may impact the industry. *It’s important to note that since we recorded this segment, the President has signed an Executive Order that has paused all regulations yet to be enacted (including the Horse Protection Act) until a full review has been conducted. Currently, enforcement of the new HPA Rule is delayed for 60 days*. Listen in…

Listen in! https://horsecouncil.org/getting-hitched-to-horse-people-and-update-on-the-horse-protection-act-for-february-4-2025/

29/01/2025

AHC on the Lookout: 👓

The American Horse Council actively monitors state and local legislative measures that impact the equine industry, but we can't be everywhere at once. See something critical going on in your area that you think we should be aware of? Let us know!

https://horsecouncil.org/report-state-and-local-equine-legislation-regulations/

24/01/2025

🛑Friday 01.24.2025 USDA announces HPA Final Rule Postponement

Washington,D.C. – The American Horse Council (AHC) provides the following announcement issued by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) regarding a 60-day delay for the implementation of the Horse Protection Act’s Final Rule.

Read more now: https://horsecouncil.org/project/usda-announces-hpa-final-rule-postponement/

24/01/2025

Informative webinar on farm safety for those equestrians who have young children frequenting their facilities.

Join Dr. Salah Issa, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois, and Jana Davidson, Program Manager at Progressive Agriculture Safety Days, for an important discussion on farm safety for young people.

Key topics covered:
• Why youth are uniquely vulnerable to farm hazards
• Top injury statistics for youth in agriculture
• Case study on grain entrapment risks
• Effective ways to train young workers and ensure safe behaviors
• Child labor laws and resources for farm safety

Learn about the risks facing youth on farms, but also the many benefits of growing up in agriculture. The speakers provide practical tips and resources to help keep the next generation of farmers safe.

Presented by farmdoc and University of Illinois Extension

https://youtu.be/PPy0WezALPo?si=_m6x2jaMpcSrh598

Join Dr. Salah Issa, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois, and Jana Davidson, Program Manager at Progressive Agricultur...

20/01/2025

🌟 Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a champion of equality, justice, and unity. His words remind us to work together toward a better future where all are treated with dignity and respect.

As horse owners and enthusiasts, we know the power of community, collaboration, and having a shared purpose—values Dr. King exemplified. Let’s reflect on his dream and carry his vision forward in our lives and the equestrian community.

Check out the American Horse Council's DEI initiatives here: https://horsecouncil.org/dei-diversity-equity-inclusion/

11/01/2025

What’s New with the Old Guard

The American Horse Council (AHC) kicks off the new year with a webinar on the inspiring story of an equine program that is steeped in honor and history.

Julie Broadway, President of the AHC, introduces “What’s New with the Old Guard” as she and Emily Stearns, AHC’s Health, Welfare, and Regulatory Affairs Liaison, interview the Army personnel responsible for the horses that serve the Old Guard’s Caisson Detachment.

The Old Guard is the Army’s oldest active-duty infantry regiment, responsible for a variety of ceremonial duties often involving horses. The Old Guard’s horses are iconic symbols of the vital role horses continue to play in American ceremonial and cultural events.

AHC President Julie Broadway said, “It is bittersweet but fitting to release this webinar on the week when our nation pauses to recognize and honor former President Jimmy Carter.” Broadway explained that President Carter’s remains will be moved to the U.S. Capitol by “The Old Guard” Caisson’s Detachment’s horse-drawn wagon and accompanied by a riderless, caparisoned horse. The caparisoned horse is led wearing an empty saddle with the rider’s boots reversed in the stirrups, indicating the warrior will never ride again.

The inclusion of the caisson es**rt in the state funeral of President Carter is welcome news as it shows that the serious health and welfare problems plaguing the Old Guard’s horses are being resolved. The webinar explains the intensive rehabilitation and training programs undertaken by the Army to improve and maintain the highest standards of equine care.

The hosts and guests delve into the reasons behind the decline in the horses’ living conditions over the years and highlight how the equine community swiftly stepped in to provide assistance. “Members of the AHC offered help in terms of training, veterinarian care, horse procurement, and other expertise. The Army responded with sincerity and began engaging in proactive steps to improve husbandry practices and saddlery upgrades,” observed Broadway.

Broadway concludes, “The Army is close to fully restoring the solemn and historic tradition of providing military honors to those who have served our country, and we are so very proud of our AHC members who literally took the reins to guide the Old Guard through a period of positive change.”

Read more and listen to the podcast: https://horsecouncil.org/project/whats-new-with-the-old-guard/

10/01/2025

The American Horse Council formally requests USDA delay new HPA Regulations.

Please read this important statement from the American Horse Council on the Horse Protection Act (HPA).

Read here: https://horsecouncil.org/urgent-ahc-special-bulletin-hpa-statement/

08/01/2025

Locations updated 01.10.2025

🔥🚒The ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, including the Palisades Fire, have led to mandatory evacuations and the displacement of numerous large animals.

How You Can Help:

➡️Provide Shelter: If you have facilities like barns or pastures, consider offering temporary refuge for evacuated animals.

➡️Volunteer: Assist with animal transportation or care at designated shelters.

➡️Donate Supplies: Items such as hay, feed, water buckets, and medical supplies are in high demand. Donate through your local rescues, sanctuaries, staging areas, and designated LA Sheltering locations.

Current Large Animal Sheltering Locations:

📍Lancaster Animal Care Center 5210 W Ave I, Lancaster, CA 93536
📍Antelope Valley Fair 2551 W Avenue H, Lancaster, CA 93536
📍Industry Hills Expo 16200 Temple Ave, City of Industry, CA 91744
Capacity for 200 horses; not staffed by DACC
📍Pomona Fairplex 1101 W Mckinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
Receiving horses only

Important Resources:

➡️Palisades Fire updates: LAFD.org/alerts

➡️LA County Emergency Information: lacounty.gov/emergency

➡️Animal Care and Control Updates: animalcare.lacounty.gov

➡️Emergency Preparedness for Pets: ready.lacounty.gov/pet-disaster-supply-kits/

Stay Informed:

Follow and on Twitter for real-time updates.

07/01/2025

The American Horse Council invites members of the equestrian community to speak at the 2025 AHC Conference, which will be held June 22-25, 2025, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. The AHC Conference provides a unique platform for experts to share information, ideas, and insights with attendees, which includes both members and nonmembers, AHC and equine association/organization leaders, industry professionals, suppliers/manufacturers, and stakeholders.

The theme for 2025 is "Harness the Power of Collaboration for Greater Achievement," which highlights the power of teamwork, collaboration, and consensus to create success. It emphasizes that when individuals, teams, or organizations come together, their combined efforts yield something far greater than the sum of their individual contributions. “We invite all kinds of experts within the horse industry, or those with interesting or important horse-related topics, to speak at the AHC Conference,” said Julie Broadway, AHC President. “We always strive to provide a wide variety of topics from knowledgeable sources. In the past, speakers have covered a range of topics, from science and research to technology innovation, membership and development, etc. Consistent with our theme, we encourage speakers who have bridged disciplines, sectors, and industries to apply."

The AHC Conference is the premier educational conference provided by AHC, where attendees of all ages come together to learn, network, and share ideas to grow the horse industry. Individuals with expertise, passion, and a desire to share knowledge are encouraged to submit workshop abstracts. Presentations can be 45 minutes.

Abstracts for workshops should be submitted to [email protected] no later than January 15, 2025, and should include a workshop title and a short (100 words or fewer) description of the workshop, including the key takeaways the audience will get along with a copy of the presenter's CV/resume.

For more information: https://horsecouncil.org/project/american-horse-council-request-for-conference-speakers/

The theme for 2025 is "Harness the Power of Collaboration for Greater Achievement" which highlights the power of teamwork, collaboration and consensus to create success. It emphasizes that when individuals, teams, or organizations come together their combined efforts yield something far greater than...

25/12/2024

The end of the year brings no greater joy than the opportunity to express how grateful we are for our members, supporters, and partners. Happy Holidays to all of you, and may your new year be filled with happiness and success.

With much joy,

The AHC & UHC Leadership & Staff

24/12/2024

Sharing from

BREAKING: The EXPLORE Act has passed the U.S. Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law! Thanks to the leadership of Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY), Congressmen Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and ORR members across the country, Congress has achieved a groundbreaking bipartisan achievement that cements the $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation industry as a cornerstone of America’s economy and a necessity to quality of life for all Americans.

“Today’s passage of the EXPLORE Act will supercharge the outdoor recreation industry and is a victory for our economy, our communities, our quality of life, and our shared connection to the outdoors," said Jessica (Wahl) Turner, President of . "By advancing this transformative legislation, Congress has shown its commitment to ensuring every American has access to world-class outdoor experiences, from our backyard to the backcountry, while supporting the businesses, workers, and communities who make those experiences possible."

Read more here: https://recreationroundtable.org/news/entire-outdoor-recreation-industry-celebrates-the-monumental-passage-of-the-explore-act/?trk=public_post_comment-text

13/12/2024

Happy National Horse Day! 🐴

Today, we celebrate the incredible contributions horses have made to our history, culture, and economy. Did you know that horses contribute approximately $177 billion to the U.S. economy?

As the holiday season approaches, it's the perfect time to think about gifts for the equestrians and horses in our lives. The American Horse Council recently shared a podcast episode featuring unique gift ideas, including books, riding gear, and even experiences like tours of equine sanctuaries.

What's on your holiday wish list this year? Let us know, in the comments below! 🎁

Listen to the podcast now: https://horsecouncil.org/holiday-gifting-for-horses-and-humans-for-december-3-2024/

11/12/2024

☎️Alert: USDA-APHIS Issues Urgent Warning on Equine Health Risk

On November 22, 2024, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Mexico notified the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of a positive detection of New World screwworm in Mexico.

What to look for:
➡️Check your pets and livestock for draining or enlarging wounds, and signs of discomfort such as irritated behavior and headshaking.
➡️Also look for screwworm larvae (maggots) or eggs. Screwworm eggs are creamy and white and are deposited on near the edges of superficial wounds.
➡️This pest can infest a wide variety of wounds, from tick bites to cuts and dehorning or branding wounds.
➡️Infestations are very common in the navels of newborn animals, nasal or eye openings, and genitalia.

Read more here: https://horsecouncil.org/project/are-we-screwed-alert-usda-aphis-issues-urgent-warning-on-equine-health-risk/

05/12/2024

Important announcement regarding the Horse Protection Act Final Rule:

Read more: https://horsecouncil.org/project/usda-aphis-to-host-virtual-webinar-on-horse-protection-final-rule-dec-13th-630pm-et/

04/12/2024

Equestrians share the best ways to share Colorado's trails with cyclists and horses.

If you’re lucky enough to see a horse strutting along on the trails, count yourself lucky – it’s a real show stopper.

Equestrians have the right-of-way on Colorado’s multi-use trails, but a tense interaction recently on a portion of the Cherry Creek Trail in Parker highlights some confusion about how cyclists should approach and yield to horses and their riders.

Read more:

Equestrians have the right-of-way on Colorado’s multi-use trails, but a tense interaction on a portion of the Cherry Creek Trail highlights some confusion among how cyclists should approach horses.

27/11/2024

Before you head off to spend time with family this Thanksgiving, we at the American Horse Council just wanted to let you know how thankful we are to have you as members and partners.

It’s working with people like you that makes our job so rewarding and is just the whipped cream on top of the pumpkin pie!

From us to you and yours, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Julie, Brigid, Emily, Ashley, Kelsey, Andrea and the AHC Board of Trustees

21/11/2024

☃️ American Horse Council’s December podcast on “The best holiday gift ideas for horse lovers!”🎁

The holidays are fast approaching and you’re thinking- “OMG, I need to find the perfect gift for my horse-loving family or friend – where do I start?”

The American Horse Council is here to help you sort this out! AHC’s monthly podcast on Horse in the Morning Radio Network for December 2024 will feature three outstanding guests to talk about gift-giving ideas for all budgets and interests.

AHC President Julie Bradway and Co-Host AHC Staffer, Emily Stearns, will chat with Martha Cook of Trafalgar Square Books, Amanda Bodkin of SmartPak, and John Nicholson of Old Friends Farm about all kinds of amazing gifts for the horse lover. Ideas that are novel, unique, customizable, educational, or heartwarming – we have many suggestions!

Join us starting December 3rd on HITM to hear things in all price ranges that will please and delight the gift receiver.