Competitions governed by US Equestrian include dressage, driving, endurance riding, eventing, hunt seat equitation, hunter, jumper, para-equestrian, reining, roadster, saddle seat equitation, vaulting, and western riding competition including equitation, western pleasure, reining, trail, western dressage, and related events.

The organization also governs breed shows held in the United States for the Andalusian, Lusitano, Arabian, Half-Arabian/Anglo-Arabian, Connemara, Friesian, Hackney, Morgan, American Saddlebred, National Show Horse, Paso Fino, Shetland, and Welsh breeds.

[2][3] On January 20, 1917, representatives of some fifty horse shows met in Manhattan under the leadership of Reginald C. Vanderbilt.

By the end of Van Sinderen's tenure in 1960, the rule book had grown to one hundred and sixty-eight pages.

The transfer of membership took place after the 1936 Summer Olympics, and after that, in the United States, the FEI rules applied only to international military classes.

By 1937, the new rule book reflected the growth of the association by dividing the United States into five zones, each with a vice president and a five-member regional committee.

In 1939, the association began publication of the monthly magazine, Horse Show, with an initial circulation of 1,200 copies.

In 2017, USEF rebranded to US Equestrian under the new President, Murray Kessler, launching the new campaign "Discover the Joy of Horse Sports."