The first of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Town Hall Meetings series was hosted by Equestrian Sport Productions at their FTI Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds in Wellington, Fla., on March 27. Federation representatives joined prominent industry owners, trainers, and veterinarians to discuss topical issues contributing to unprecedented public scrutiny relating to medication and treatment of performance horses. Media articles have brought focus to both therapeutic techniques and medication practices in racing, and more recently this focus has raised a number of questions about medication use in the show arena. Video of the first USEF Town Hall Meeting can be seen  online.

Member input received since the announcement of this USEF Town Hall Meetings series has called for additional forums to be scheduled in Texas and the Midwest. The USEF is currently exploring appropriate times and locations for additional meetings to be scheduled. These public forums are open to all USEF members and participation from every breed and discipline is strongly encouraged.

"Over-medicating show horses is a clear and present threat to the industry. It is going to take involvement from the entire equestrian community to get this just right," says USEF Chief Executive Officer John Long