The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is further postponing the effective date of the Horse Protection Act final rule to Feb. 1, 2026. APHIS is also taking public comment on the delay.
On Jan. 24, 2025, APHIS announced it was postponing the effective date of the rule for 60 days from Feb. 1, 2025, to April 2, 2025, with the exception of the section authorizing the training of horse inspectors, which previously went into effect on June 7, 2024.
APHIS will further postpone the effective date for the rule, other than the training section, to Feb. 1, 2026. Additionally, APHIS is requesting public comments on whether the Agency should further extend the length of this postponement and is also soliciting additional information to help inform a decision on the appropriate length of the postponement.
The docket is currently on public inspection and is available for comment at the following address: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/APHIS-2022-0004. The comment period will close on May 20, 2025.
On March 14, 2025, APHIS shared an information update to stakeholders for the upcoming horse show season in light of a recent court decision impacting the new rule.
The HPA is a Federal law that prohibits sored horses from participating in shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions. The HPA also prohibits the transportation of sored horses to or from any of these events.
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