A woman hired a trainer to tame and train a wild, “unhandled” mustang she adopted through the Bureau of Land Management. Dissatisfied with the horse’s condition after 4 months, she moved the horse to another barn and sued the trainer for $6,000, alleging the trainer had committed “animal cruelty.”

A New York court refused to dismiss the personal injury lawsuit of a rider who claimed a dude ranch employee torqued her knee while helping her mount the horse she was given to ride.  

The lawsuit was initiated by an experienced horseback rider who participated in advanced riding at defendant’s dude ranch for two days.

A federal appellate court recently dismissed a challenge to SafeSport that was brought  by three trainers who had been sanctioned by SafeSport for violating its code of conduct.  The trainers filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Center for Safesport (“SafeSport”), the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (“USOC”) and the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. (“USEF”).

The Virginia trial court dismissed an injured rider’s personal injury lawsuit against a stable on the basis of a pre-injury liability release signed by the rider. Relying on the signed release and Virginia’s Equine Activity Liability Act (“EALA”), the trial court concluded the rider could not sue. The rider appealed.

Renown Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, Todd Pletcher, recently appealed a $1,000 fine and 10-day suspension that was imposed on him by the New York Gaming Commission (“New York Racing”) after a horse he trained tested positive for Meloxicam after finishing in second place in a race held at the Saratoga Racecourse.

A New Jersey racehorse trainer unsuccessfully appealed stiff penalties imposed by the New Jersey Racing Commission after a post-race urine sample taken from a horse he trained tested positive for three banned substances: Oxycodone, an opioid used to treat pain; Carisoprodol, a medication used to treat musculoskeletal pain; and Meprobamate, a medication used to treat anxiety and insomnia.