What are the three levels of offenses for inhumane treatment?

• A. 1 = Mild, 2 = Major, 3 = Critical
• B. 1 = Low, 2 = Medium, 3 = High
• C. 1 = Mild, 2 = Moderate, 3 = Severe
• D. 1 = Trivial, 2 = Serious, 3 = Extreme

Answer: (C)

The levels used to categorize inhumane treatment offenses are mild, moderate, and severe, arranged to reflect increasing severity of the act. Mild covers less serious misconduct with limited impact, moderate covers more serious actions that pose a greater risk or result in greater harm, and severe covers the most serious cases, often involving substantial harm or repeated cruelty. This framework helps a judge apply consistent penalties that correspond to how seriously the act affected the horse and the level of intent or disregard. Other naming schemes like low/medium/high or trivial/serious/extreme don’t fit the standard grading used in the rulebook, which is why mild/moderate/severe is the correct pairing.