9 C.F.R. § 11.1

Current through October 31, 2024
Section 11.1 - [Effective 2/1/2025] Definitions

For the purpose of this part, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them in this section. The singular form shall also impart the plural.

Act means the Horse Protection Act of 1970 (Pub. L. 91-540) as amended by the Horse Protection Act Amendments of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-360), 15 U.S.C. 1821 et seq., and any legislation amendatory thereof.

Action device means any boot, collar, chain, roller, beads, bangles, or other device which encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse in such a manner that it can either rotate around the leg, or slide up and down the leg so as to cause friction, or which can strike the hoof, coronet band or fetlock joint.

Administrator means the Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or any person authorized to act for the Administrator. Mail for the Administrator should be sent to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Care/Horse Protection, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building B, Mailstop 3W11, Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117. Electronic mail for the Administrator should be sent to horseprotection@usda.gov.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) means the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.

APHIS representative means any employee or official of APHIS.

Custodian means any adult person, age 18 or older, who has control of and presents a horse for inspection at any horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale, or horse auction. The custodian must be able to provide information about the horse that is required by this part.

Day(s) means business days, i.e., days other than weekends and Federal holidays.

Department means the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Event manager means the person who has been delegated primary authority by a sponsoring organization for managing a horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale, or horse auction.

Exhibitor means:

(1) Any person who enters any horse, any person who allows his or her horse to be entered, or any person who directs or allows any horse in his or her custody or under his or her direction, control, or supervision to be entered in any horse show or horse exhibition;
(2) Any person who shows or exhibits any horse, any person who allows his or her horse to be shown or exhibited, or any person who directs or allows any horse in his or her custody or under his or her direction, control, or supervision to be shown or exhibited in any horse show or horse exhibition;
(3) Any person who enters or presents any horse for sale or auction, any person who allows his or her horse to be entered or presented for sale or auction, or any person who allows any horse in his or her custody or under his or her direction, control, or supervision to be entered or presented for sale or auction in any horse sale or auction; or
(4) Any person who sells or auctions any horse, any person who allows his or her horse to be sold or auctioned, or any person who directs or allows any horse in his or her custody or under his or her direction, control, or supervision to be sold or auctioned.

Horse means any member of the species Equus caballus.

Horse exhibition means a public display of any horses, singly or in groups, but not in competition. The term does not include events where speed is the prime factor, rodeo events, parades, or trail rides.

Horse Protection Inspector (HPI) means a person meeting the qualifications in § 11.19 whom the Administrator has authorized as an HPI and who may be appointed by management or a representative of management of any horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale or horse auction under section 4 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 1823 ) to detect or diagnose horses which are sore or to otherwise inspect horses and any records pertaining to such horses for the purposes of detecting or diagnosing soring. HPIs are not employees of APHIS.

Horse sale or horse auction means any event, public or private, at which horses are sold or auctioned, regardless of whether or not said horses are exhibited prior to or during the sale or auction.

Horse show means a public display of any horses, in competition, except events where speed is the prime factor, rodeo events, parades, or trail rides.

Inspection means any visual, physical, and diagnostic means approved by APHIS to determine compliance with the Act and regulations. Such inspection may include, but is not limited to, visual examination of a horse and review of records, physical examination of a horse, including touching, rubbing, palpating, and observation of vital signs, and the use of any diagnostic device or instrument, and may require the removal of any shoe or any other equipment, substance, or paraphernalia from the horse when deemed necessary by the professional conducting such inspection.

Local area means an area within a 10-mile radius of the horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale, or horse auction.

Management means any person or persons who organize, exercise control over, or administer or are responsible for organizing, directing, or administering any horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale or horse auction and specifically includes, but is not limited to, the sponsoring organization and event manager.

Participate means engaging in any activity, either directly or through an agent, beyond that of a spectator in connection with a horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale, or horse auction, and includes, without limitation, transporting, or arranging for the transportation of, horses to or from equine events, personally giving instructions to exhibitors, being present in the warm-up or inspection areas or in any area where spectators are not allowed, and financing the participation of others in equine events.

Person means any individual, corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, organization, joint stock company, State or local government agency, or other legal entity.

Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or anyone who has heretofore or may hereafter be delegated authority to act in his or her stead.

Sore when used to describe a horse means:

(1) An irritating or blistering agent has been applied, internally or externally, by a person to any limb of a horse;
(2) Any burn, cut, or laceration has been inflicted by a person on any limb of a horse;
(3) Any tack, nail, screw, or chemical agent has been injected by a person into or used on any limb of a horse; or
(4) Any other substance or device has been used by a person on any limb of a horse or a person has engaged in a practice involving a horse, and, as a result of such application, infliction, injection, use, or practice, such horse suffers, or can reasonably be expected to suffer, physical pain or distress, inflammation, or lameness when walking, trotting, or otherwise moving, except that such term does not include such an application, infliction, injection, use, or practice in connection with the therapeutic treatment of a horse by or under the supervision of a person licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State in which such treatment was given.

Sponsoring organization means any person or entity whose direction supports and who assumes responsibility for a horse show, horse exhibition, horse sale, or horse auction that has, is, or will be conducted.

State means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Therapeutic treatment means relating to the treatment of disease, injury, or disorder by or under the supervision of a person licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State in which such treatment was prescribed.

9 C.F.R. §11.1

44 FR 1561, Jan. 5, 1979, as amended at 53 FR 14782, Apr. 26, 1988; 53 FR 28372, July 28, 1988; 56 FR 13749, Apr. 4, 1991; 59 FR 67612, Dec. 30, 1994; 63 FR 62927, Nov. 10, 1998
89 FR 39244 , 2/1/2025