AERC Motions and Polices are discussed and approved by the AERC Board of Directors.
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AERC Motions and Polices are discussed and approved by the AERC Board of Directors.
| 7/2026, Motion out of the Veterinary Committee: Limit the time period to 15 days for the Person Responsible to request drug testing of the “B” sample. Policy change: the current AERC Drug Testing Policy to (changes in italic): The procedures for reviewing positive tests by the independent laboratory and filing protests are described in Rule 13 and the procedures for handling protests are described in Rule 14. Additionally, when the AERC Executive Director submits any laboratory report to the Veterinary Committee and the Legal Committee for their initial review under Rule 13, the Executive Director shall not include the name of the horse tested or its rider. Also, once a protest has been filed, the Protest and Grievance Committee shall electronically communicate with the protested party following the filing of a protest for violation of Rule 13 that shall give notice to the protested party of the right to a confirmatory analysis of the “B” sample at that party’s cost. The protested party shall have 15 days from the date of notification to file a written request to the AERC office for confirmatory analysis of the “B” sample. The request can be submitted in writing or electronically but in either case must be received by the AERC office within the 15 day period.
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| 7/2026, Motion out of the Protest & Grievance Committee
1) 14.1 Introduction. Any AERC member, other than a single event member as defined in the AERC Bylaws, may bring a protest with the AERC Protest and Grievance Committee alleging violation of AERC Rules by anyone participating in any manner at an AERC sanctioned ride, including, but not limited to, a rider, equine owner, crew member, control judge, treatment veterinarian, ride manager or other ride management personnel. Anyone contemplating a protest must first attempt to resolve his or her complaint informally by discussing the alleged violation with the person committing the violation and/or the ride manager. In all cases, and in order to provide an additional opportunity to facilitate the resolution of a complaint, a regional director or a director-at-large from the region involved must be notified in writing of the intention to file a protest at least five (5) days prior to the filing of the protest. All filings, submissions and other communications relating to the protest shall be in writing and transmitted electronically (email) unless requested otherwise by any of the involved parties, in which case communication shall be by certified mail, return receipt requested. In all cases falling within Rule 14 the filing date is determined by the date a filing is received by the intended recipient whether it be the AERC office or the Chair of the Protest & Grievance Committee. 2) 14.4.1 The ruling of the Protest & Grievance Committee will be in effect as of the date of the Committee’s decision and will remain so throughout the appeal process if an appeal is filed. Upon appeal, the Board of Directors may uphold, reverse or modify the Protest & Grievance Committee’s ruling. 3) 14.5.1 Initiation of Appeal. The protestor or respondent may appeal the decision of the Protest and Grievance Committee to the AERC Board of Directors by filing (either by electronic transmission or by certified mail, return receipt requested) with the AERC office a notice of appeal within 30 15 days after the date of electronic transmission or mailing of the written decision by the Chair of the Committee. 4) 14.5.2 Submittals to the Board. Upon receipt of a valid notice of appeal, the AERC office shall serve the protestor, respondent and the Chair of the Protest and Grievance Committee either by electronic transmission (preferred) or by certified mail, return receipt requested, with a copy of the notice of appeal and the written statement of the grounds for appeal. Any party to the protest who chooses to oppose the appeal may file with the AERC office a statement of opposition to the appeal within 30 15 days following the date of delivery of the electronic transmission or within 30 15 days of mailing of the copy of the notice of appeal by the AERC office. After the time to file a statement of opposition to the appeal has expired, the AERC office shall transmit to each member of the Board of Directors a copy of the complete record of the protest, including the original complaint form, all witness statements and other written materials submitted by the protestor and the respondent, all correspondence from the Chair of the Committee, any written extensions of time period for filing, any record of investigation or hearing by the Committee and the written decision of the Protest and Grievance Committee, together with all documents timely filed by either party to initiate the appeal or to oppose the appeal.
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| 7/2026, Motion out of the National Championship Committee: Eliminate the separate Young Riders Championship ride. Young Rider division will continue to be included in the AERC National Championship Ride, making just one Young Rider Champion in both the 50 and 100 mile rides.
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| 7/2026, Motion out of the Junior/Young Rider Committee: To establish a fund for Junior ride entry vouchers. Pilot program from 2027 through 2029. |
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11/10/2025 AERC Board meeting: AERC adopts a policy to only provide insurance for AERC sanctioned events. Motion passed unanimously. (Note that endurance clinics are considered sanctioned events). |
| 12/13/2022, AERC Animal Welfare Statement: The American Endurance Ride Conference (“AERC”) has zero tolerance for equine abuse and animal mistreatment. A founding principle of our organization is to promote and encourage the care of endurance equines and the prevention of cruelty to animals. Our jurisdiction is limited to equines and individuals having a relationship with AERC. In cases involving abuse or neglect falling outside of our jurisdiction we encourage concerned parties to contact the appropriate legal authorities. We can confirm that a current AERC member who falls within the jurisdiction of our current Bylaws and the AERC Code of Conduct has been charged by Canadian authorities for “causing distress to an animal under Section 15(1) of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act.” AERC has no relationship with this person other than membership in AERC. As part of the Code of Conduct, all members of AERC witnessing or having reasonable grounds to believe that an equine is suffering or has suffered abuse or neglect are obligated to report the activity to AERC for appropriate action. For abuse or neglect cases falling outside our jurisdiction we encourage AERC members and members of the public to report the abuse or neglect to local law enforcement or the appropriate agency. As AERC learns more, it will be determined what disciplinary action will be taken, if any. |
| 2/2021, AERC Policy on the ADA: Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) (42 U.S.C. §12101) prohibits private entities offering activities to the public, such as the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. AERC is committed to complying with its obligations under the ADA. Endurance riding is a fundamentally hazardous, unpredictable sport and rides often take place in remote venues. The ADA mandates that, to the extent possible, individuals with disabilities be afforded reasonable accommodation to facilitate their participation in our sport. As such, AERC strives to ensure that ride venues and facilities at the ride venues are available and accessible to disabled individuals. Similarly, AERC will consider requests for reasonable accommodations that do not fundamentally alter the nature of the endurance riding activity. AERC will allow service animals, as defined in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and applicable state laws, in all areas where members of the public are allowed, to the extent the service animal’s presence does not present a danger to other attendees or participants and the service animal remains under the control of the handler. To assist in making ride activities, venues and facilities more accessible to disabled individuals, persons requesting accommodations must, within a reasonable time in advance of the ride date, advise the Executive Director of AERC of the need for an accommodation due to a disability, and state with specificity the accommodations requested. Upon receipt of such request, the Executive Director will disseminate the information to the ride manager and others, as needed. The failure to timely request an accommodation may result in denial of the requested accommodation. AERC together with the ride manager will make an individualized assessment of the accommodation request. Requests may be denied if they would result in a direct threat to the health and safety of other participants or would fundamentally change the nature of the sport. Please note that the ADA does not require personal services be provided to a disabled individual. |
| 6/2020, Welcoming statement for AERC website: Endurance riding is a sport organized for riders who enjoy spending many hours with our horses on spectacular trails. While many members choose to compete for top awards, many more are equally dedicated to simply spending time with friends and family in beautiful country. We welcome all who join us in our love of horses and take pride in offering sanctioned events that are open to all regardless of ethnicity, political beliefs, gender identity or religion. From our earliest inception our rules specifically prohibit behavior that interferes with our commitment to offering an open and welcoming environment. It is the duty of everyone participating in an endurance ride, whether as a rider, crew member, ride official, ride volunteer, control judge or spectator, to act in a manner which does not disrupt the ride or reflect poorly on the sport of endurance. AERC asks that no one participating in an endurance ride shall engage in offensive or abusive behavior towards any other participant or member of the public at an endurance ride. As such, we flatly reject behavior, words, actions or symbols that make anyone wishing to join us feel unwelcome, excluded or unsafe. Regardless of who you are, we support you and invite you to join our family.
4/2020, Endurance News Article Guidelines: Upon request, AERC staff will supply general guidelines for article length, content and deadlines. |
| 7/20/2019, Non-Discrimination Policy: The AERC does not discriminate of the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members and volunteers. Please contact the Executive Director of AERC if you need to discuss this policy any further. (passed during the 7/20/19 Midyear Board Meeting in St. Louis, MO) |
| 5/2018, Publication Guidelines for Endurance News magazine (See relevant update in 4/2020): Articles for Endurance News and AERC Extra which are of a veterinary nature or those that, in the opinion of the AERC office staff, require approval by those more expert in the field, will be passed along to the Veterinary Committee Chair and/or Veterinary Committee for review. With all article submissions, the AERC office staff reserves the right to consult other committees and/or individuals with expertise in the subject matter for review. Submission of an article to Endurance News does not guarantee publication. Articles approved for publication will be edited for content, grammar/punctuation, and to fit the available space. No remuneration is given except in rare circumstances |
| Concurrently-Sanctioned-Events Policy (From the March 7, 2013 Board minutes): Randy Eiland presented for the Rules Committee a policy regarding Concurrently Sanctioned Rides. The BOD adopted and will post (on the website) the following policy regarding rides that are held concurrently with AERC. The policy should address the issues associated with the rides held in Canada and also rides that are held here in the US that are not “sanctioned” rides. A formal letter will be drafted and sent to the Canadian AERC members notifying them of the policy. AERC POSITION ON CONCURRENT RIDES: AERC Bylaw 4.04 allows a ride to be sanctioned at the discretion of the AERC Board or its delegated agent. AERC’s official position on concurrently held endurance rides with an endurance organization recognized by AERC requires that all endurance entrants be cross entered in the AERC event, agree that AERC Rules take precedent if there is a conflict between AERC Rules and the organization rules, and the ride management must collect and/or pay fees as determined by AERC. At the discretion of AERC or its designated agent, existing competitive Trail Ride Organizations such as ECTRA, SEDRA, OCTRA, AHA, RIDE & TIE, NATRC,UMECRA, and other trail riding organizations that meet the approval of the AERC BOD may be held concurrently with an AERC Sanctioned Ride and be governed by the rules of their own respective organizations. AERC Sanctioning may be rescinded before, during, or after the Ride for violation of this policy or as circumstances warrant. AERC Bylaw 4.04. An agreement to provide services to a Ride shall be at the discretion of the Board and shall be called “Sanction”. The Board may delegate this authority to Sanction Rides to individual Directors (“Sanctioning Director”) or other agents. The Conference shall provide services, including but not limited to the services described in Sections 2.03 and 2.04 to Sanctioned Rides. Once Sanction has been granted, the Board or its agent has the authority to rescind that Sanction for cause, which may include but is not limited to violation of Conference Rules or endangerment of equines or humans. Sanctioning may be rescinded before, during, or after the Ride as circumstances warrant. |
| (See 2026 for partial update in procedure) February 26, 2004: Conference calls will be slated for the first Monday of each month at 6:00 pm Pacific/ 9:00 pm Eastern time. All motions must be presented in writing before the meeting.
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| December 2004: AERC directors be reimbursed $500 for the midyear meeting and $500 for the annual convention meeting, a maximum of $1,000 per year for expenses only based on actual receipts presented to the office, not to include any meals or libations, travel and lodging only to be covered. |
| December 9, 2003: Motion to have Limited Distance Masters Award passed. Riders over 65 riding strictly Limited Distance. |
| February 28, 2002: The President, concerning the Special Rules of Order for the meeting, announced that debate would be limited to one minute and would be conducted in a clockwise direction with a second round of discussion with a 30 second limit. All motions and amendments must be in writing and presented to the secretary. Motions entered from committee must be the result of action by that committee. Debate will be limited to the items on the agenda. The President asked for a motion to accept the AERC Special Rules of Order. John Parke objected to adopting them as rules on the grounds of inflexibility. A show of hands was unanimous for refusal to adopt.
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| February 28, 2002: V. Rutter moved that ‘Available funds shall always be invested in accounts that are insured by the FDIC. No account shall be allowed to exceed the FDIC limit, which is currently $100,000. These accounts shall all be either money market accounts or Certificates of Deposits with a term no longer than 15 months.’ T. Woolley Howe seconded. Motion carried.
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| March 3, 2002: S. Teeter moved that, ‘No later than three weeks after a meeting of the BOD, the executive director shall summarize all action items or motions which were approved by the BOD and shall provide this summary to the BOD along with: 1) effective date and 2) any individuals or committees to which the action item has been delegated; and 3) an estimate of the cost to the AERC of carrying out the proposed item.’ Passed unanimously.
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| 3/2000, Photos on all AERC publications: Mounted riders must be wearing a properly-fitted, approved helmet. Photo files should be accompanied by the photographer’s name and contact information, so reprint permission may be granted. No remuneration is given for photographs except in rare circumstances. Every effort will be made to include the photographer’s name and preferred contact information (website address, email address, etc.) as well as the copyright symbol. |
| 2/1999, Board Meetings: B. Baird moved for the executive committee to have a non-board parliamentarian present at meetings.
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| 2/1999, Administrative Sanction of a Ride Manager for Rule Violations: These are proposed board procedures that would go into the policy book and would provide guidance for the office and regional sanctioning directors. Charts depicted the chain of events to be followed in both instances. In the first document the following statement was added: “no ride results will be published or posted until the bill is satisfied.” R. Peticolas Stroud moved to adopt this procedure for inclusion in our po1icy manual. |
| January 22, 1998, AERC Motion Policy, Board of Directors: : The order of procedure for having issues presented to the Board is that they are first presented to committee, correlated between committees and then referred to the Board. New issues will not be voted on at this meeting.
Definitions: Main Motion is an item of business introduced to be considered and voted on. Only one main motion can be on the floor at one time, however can yield to privileged, subsidiary, and incidental motions. Subsidiary Motion: a motion to change or affect how a main motion is handled and must be voted on before the main motion. Privileged Motions: an urgent item of business about special or important matters that are unrelated to pending business. Incidental Motions: an item to question or clarify the procedure relative to other motions. All proposed main motions must be sponsored by a Board of Director and originate from any formal committee, assigned task force or the executive director office. After appropriately documenting the proposed main motion, it will be emailed to the President, Executive Director, and all committee chairs (with the exception of the Legal and Protest and Grievance committees as their input will be requested at the direction of the President and Executive Director. Other exceptions are the Elections, Hall of Fame, National Championship, and Sanctioning Committees) who are then required to provide feedback to the motion’s sponsor within two weeks. The motion’s sponsor will then send the proposed main motion and the committee’s responses to the President to be placed on the agenda at least two weeks in advance of the next scheduled meeting. Subsidiary, privileged and incidental motions may be introduced at any time during the Board of Director meetings.
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| 10/1999, Policy Listing Non-finishers in Ride Results: Maggie Price moved for committee that we adopt a POLICY of including the names of non-finishers (with the code to explain the reason) in the ride results listing in the Endurance News.; that the name of the head vet be listed, and that the horses pulled for rider option must be examined by the veterinarian and the code for the real reason for the pull be listed. T. Howe moved to amend by requiring the head veterinarian’s name to be published in the ride calendar. M. Tomlinson seconded. Carried. Motion as amended carried unanimously. |
| 10/1993, Expenditures not Covered in the Budget: For expenditures not covered in the budget he recommended the following procedure: The treasurer may approve items not to exceed $1000; expenditures above $1000 or denied by the treasurer but under $5000 may be approved by the executive committee; anything above that goes to the entire board for approval. V. Rutter moved for committee to approve Policies and Procedures as presented, including spending limits as presented. M. Tomlison moved to amend the motion that, instead of requiring unanimous approval of the executive committee, a simple majority would be required. V Bowers seconded. Motion to amend carried. The original motion as amended carried unanimously. There was a motion from committee to approve the budget. Carried unanimously. |
Documents from June 2006 and before were manually scanned and converted to web documents. All official AERC board minutes documents are kept on file at the AERC office.
Updated 7/14/26