‘The horse must always come first’: British Equestrian shares plans for future
A fresh look at “return to play” protocols for riders who are given horse welfare-related sanctions, and improved traceability of competition horses, are on the cards in a new British Equestrian (BEF) plan.
The BEF’s equine welfare action plan (2026–2028) is a “roadmap” for progress, which focuses on horse welfare and the ethical care and use of horses.
The document sets out the progress of the BEF’s equine welfare steering group, with an expected timeline for each action point.
These include making a clear disciplinary process a condition of BEF membership for organisations, including providing for reciprocal sanctions. A number of BEF member bodies already have these in place – for example, British Eventing upholds suspensions that are given in other disciplines.
Other projects include the equine welfare officer network, whereby member bodies nominate welfare officers to be the main points of contact for reported concerns. They work together across the BEF and with organisations including the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare.
The BEF has implemented a dedicated reporting and case management system, through which horse welfare concerns can be reported. The hope is that this will allow for better reporting, tracking and compliance. All equine fatalities that happen during member bodies’ events are now also reported and reviewed.
A set of principles on the ethical use of medication in horses has been produced, with input from the British Equine Veterinary Association.
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Work is under way to improve traceability of each horse’s involvement in federation activities through a registration process, and the coaching reforms (news, 30 July) also came under the plan’s umbrella.
“The horse must always come first. There can be no compromise on their health, safety or wellbeing,” said BEF chair Fields Wicker-Miurin.
“We have a responsibility – as regulators, educators and, most importantly, as people who love horses – to deliver real, tangible change and to hold ourselves and others to the highest standards.
“Increased scrutiny offers an opportunity to demonstrate what good welfare looks like, to be transparent in our actions and to celebrate those who dedicate their lives to delivering a positive environment for horses. We have made good progress, but there is always potential for improvement.
“We keep learning, as science and evidence reveals new insights about horse welfare and behaviour, and we will continue to evolve in response to these developments. Only by being humble and recognising there is collectively more to do will we be able to build a sustainable, trusted future for equestrianism.”
She added: “Our advocacy for horses never stops. Acting as their guardians, we will continue to champion their value to society and never waver in our commitment to put welfare at the forefront of every activity across our community through knowledge, education and learning.”
The plan draws on the BEF charter for the horse, released in 2024 and signed by the BEF’s 19 member bodies and other industry leaders, which pledges to “endorse the highest standards of equine welfare, wellbeing and ethics”. It also ties in with the BEF’s enhanced rulebook and equine ethics and welfare policy, which were released last year.
New research into animal abuse
Also this summer, a new body has been formed to focus on researching the human behaviours and societal systems that drive harm to animals.
The Animal Welfare Evidence Centre will be launched in September by charities RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, Four Paws UK and Humane World for Animals UK.
Jennifer Maher, chief of research for the centre, said it will “bring the welfare sector together to consolidate existing evidence, identify gaps and generate new social science and multidisciplinary research to further our understanding of the systemic drivers of animal abuse”.
Its first piece of research will focus on economic modelling about the costs of animal cruelty, with the aim of strengthening the case for greater Government investment in preventing harm to animals.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.