An orphaned foal who touched hearts across the world – and shaped shape equine welfare practice – has died aged 13 after the “safest and happiest life possible”.

Dartmoor hill pony Breeze, who was rescued at a day old and became famous when pictures of him sleeping next to his giant teddy friend Buttons were shared online, had to be put down owing to a severe case of colic.

Breeze was taken in by the Mare and Foal Sanctuary.

The charity’s Yelverton rescue facility team leader Lucy Jewell said: “Everyone at Yelverton is truly sorry and devastated to hear the news that Breeze is no longer with us.

“During his time at Yelverton he was a firm favourite for us all and was the pony who always made you smile. We will cherish our memories of him and forever hold him in our hearts.”

Breeze was given Buttons by sanctuary staff for comfort and security during his early days, while he was being cared for round the clock. He was reunited with the teddy three years later.

“Despite the sanctuary’s work and more than a decade of skilled handling and training, Breeze’s early deprivation and hand-rearing meant he was never suitable for rehoming,” a spokesperson for the charity said. “He spent his life under the dedicated care of the sanctuary’s specialist teams, who adapted their facilities and approaches to give him the safest and happiest life possible.”

Nikki Anstey, equine training lead at the sanctuary, said Breeze had a major impact on how the charity works with complex ponies.

“He was somewhat of an icon of the sanctuary,” she said. “He came to us as an extremely poorly little pony. He was not able to be socialised with other horses for an extended period due to his lack of immunity and had to be hand-reared.

“There were many sleepless nights, bottle-feeding him every hour and having to lift him up and lay him down as he was so weak.

“His personality started shining through at a young age and he will always remain one of the most influential ponies that I have ever encountered in my career at the sanctuary. We always had an understanding, and he was incredibly loving and affectionate, despite his complex behavioural needs. I don’t think any horse, or person, could have ever taught me as much as he did.”

The charity’s head of equine expertise Sally Burton said the team adapted Breeze’s environment to suit his needs, studied the latest evidence on behaviour and welfare, and brought in external standards. His care “continues to inform the charity’s approach to equine welfare”.

“Breeze pushed us all to raise our standards, to think differently about how we support horses and ponies with complex needs, and to champion good practice across the wider equine sector,” she said.

“We are deeply saddened by his loss. Colic remains one of the most serious emergencies we see, and in Breeze’s case, despite prompt veterinary attention and intensive care, it was not possible to save him.”

The charity paid tribute to all those who cared for Breeze over the years, and to the “wonderful, patient, thoughtful attention he was given”. He has been described as “truly loved”, as shown in the way teams supported him every day of his life.

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Equestrians who demonstrate exceptional horsemanship, empathy and a horse-first approach will be recognised with special awards at shows this summer.

The Welfare Stewarding Group, an organisation of volunteers promoting good equine welfare at shows across the country, is launching the Animalweb Good Horsemanship Award.

The first awards were due to be presented at the Royal Cornwall Show this wekeend (4-6 June); a spokesperson for the scheme said: “At each event, welfare stewards will identify and reward exhibitors who demonstrate exceptional horsemanship, outstanding horse handling, empathy, partnership and a clear commitment to putting their horse first.”

Rosettes will be given to people who stand out, not necessarily for winning their classes but for their attitude to and care for their horses. Each winner will also be given a £10 feed voucher sponsored by Dengie.

Welfare Stewarding Group founder Amanda Stoddart-West said: “Good horsemanship is about far more than results or placings. It’s about the relationship between horse and rider, the way horses are handled and cared for, and the respect shown to them at every stage of competition and preparation.

“Rewarding the positive has to be the best way to promote best practice and to encourage excellent horse welfare, and these awards are designed to shine a light on the people quietly doing things the right way, those who consistently put welfare, patience and partnership first.

“Sometimes it’s simply the people who stand out because you can clearly see they are thinking about the horse first above everything else. It’s not about the most polished horse or the biggest name, it’s about genuine horsemanship. We are incredibly grateful to Animalweb for supporting this initiative and helping us celebrate the positive examples that deserve recognition across our industry.”

David Marlin, president of the Welfare Stewarding Group and founder of sponsor Animalweb, added that the awards are a huge opportunity to recognise those who put their horses first at all times.

“We hope they encourage conversations around what great horsemanship truly looks like and help inspire others across the industry to lead by example,” he said.

The group has already been asked to attend 15 shows across the country this year. Anyone who would like to book stewards for an event is invited to get in touch.

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The FEI has set up a “task force” to review horse welfare across equestrian sport – including thorough investigation of the blood rules.

The group will be led by an independent “facilitator” and include chairs of discipline and regional groups, as well as of the athletes’ and veterinary committees, and representatives of national federations, key stakeholders and officials.

“Following the FEI General Assembly in November 2025 where restructured FEI jumping rules were approved, FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said the sport had taken note of the request from several national federations for a more harmonised approach to protocols, regulations and sanctions across all disciplines,” an FEI spokesperson said, adding that the task force is a result of this.

“The primary objective of the task force is to review current protocols, regulations and sanctions across all disciplines and recommend a more harmonised regulatory framework before, during and after competitions.”

The FEI has approved objectives for the task force including carrying out a “comprehensive review” of blood rules, in general and for specific disciplines.

The group will also identify any inconsistencies and gaps in the regulatory framework, assess proposals for rule changes on this topic and ensure “any proposed harmonisation upholds the FEI’s commitment to horse welfare, whilst acknowledging and providing for any strictly necessary discipline-specific nuances”.

This follows controversy over the blood rules approved at the end of last year.

Ms Ibáñez said: “We have very different disciplines within our sport but we share a common goal of ensuring the best welfare for our horses and our athletes. Injury occurs in any sport but it is our responsibility as the governing body to review, reduce and regulate, where possible, using clear protocols, rules and sanctions that everyone in our sport and our millions of fans understand and respect.

“We hope this joint task force of representatives across our sport will be able to review, discuss and debate protocols and regulations in a unified and open way and, where possible, reach common recommendations for approval by the FEI board and ultimately the FEI general assembly”.

Invitations to join the horse condition task force have been sent this week and the aim is to hold the first meeting on 29 June.

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Changing our perspective on our horses could change their lives, a researcher believes, as a study found that riders’ personality traits have a significant influence on horse-centred riding and the horse-human partnership.

The research, led by Manuela Kesselmann of the FOM University of Applied Sciences in Germany and published in the journal Mensch und Pferd International, explored the effect of traits such as self-esteem, empathy and adaptability on the bond between horses and humans, and training.

The study, of nearly 500 equestrians, found that the lower the rider’s self-esteem, the more the relationship with their horse was characterised by a sense of human dominance and the less horse-centred their riding.

Professor Kesselmann told H&H the results “add a crucial new perspective to the international debate on horse welfare”.

She explained that participants answered questions to determine how they viewed their horses. The study states: “Riders who perceive their horse as their best friend and source of strength more often demonstrated horse-friendly riding behaviour and a more positive horse- human relationship.”

The study found that riders who value the benefits horses bring to their lives are more likely to be empathetic towards them in training and riding.

“If we strengthen awareness of the impact of the horse on riders’ own lives and health, it’s likely people will change their view of the horse,” Professor Kesselmann said. “If they do that, this is a big lever for change.”

Differences in attitude

The research found significant differences in attitude between leisure and competition riders; the former tended to have more positive relationships with their horses.

“The study confirms common sense, which most scientific research does,” Professor Kesselmann said. “Competitors are competing every week or month and tend to have lower self-esteem and a poorer relationship with the horse.

“If you see some of these riders, they’re very fixated on having the rosette. And the first reaction if the horse is sick or lame is, ‘I can’t go to the show.’ These people get self-esteem from competition results, which weakens the self-esteem. If a competitive rider sees the horse as an object – that’s the mountain we have to climb.”

Riders who can adapt easily, and who actively try to improve their equestrian knowledge and skills, tended to practise more horse-centred training and have a better relationship with their horses.

Professor Kesselmann said building riders’ self-esteem from the start is key to change, but that people can challenge their own perspectives on their horses.

“A key factor for change is the perspective the rider has of his horse,” she said. “Is the horse an object, a functional object that has to fulfill success in competition? If riders go out [hacking], in my experience they experience the joy of being with the horse, but if they’re just training in the arena, for the next competition, the joy is less.

“But if you see the horse as a subject, with needs, wishes, emotions; this is the key difference. We have to train and support in every area of riding education and stables, and with parents.

“The basis of everything is your view of the horse. If it just has a function, to fulfill my needs, I’m not willing to reflect on my actions, on what the horse needs or wants. If you see the horse as a subject, we have the chance to change everything.”

Confirming observations

Harriet Goudard, a private advisor and practitioner who works with riders and senior leaders, told H&H she welcomes the research, which confirms her observations.

“The horse doesn’t respond to how we present ourselves, he responds to what we actually carry within,” she said. “Kesselmann’s finding that lower self-esteem correlates with more dominance-oriented behaviour toward horses maps precisely to what I see in the arena.

“When a rider’s nervous system is organised around proving competence, managing external judgment or compensating for patterns of not-enoughness, the horse feels it immediately. The tension in the contact, the subtle bracing in the solar plexus and hip flexors – the more overt override of the horse’s signals.”

Ms Goudard added that the fact some competition riders have lower self-esteem than leisure riders was a “striking” finding.

“Performance pressure, constant evaluation and an – often old – identity tied to results creates exactly the conditions where dominance becomes a coping strategy,” she said. “Not because the rider is unkind, but because their nervous system is programmed to need control in order to feel safe.

“The implication for training is significant, because technical instruction alone doesn’t reach this layer. What shifts the horse-human relationship at this depth is work that addresses the nervous system, somatics, epigenetics and the self-concept of the rider.

“The horse has always known this. The research is beginning to catch up.”

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A man caught on video dragging a young horse behind a vehicle said it was a method he used to “break in ponies”.

Geoffrey Williams, of Aberbran, Brecon, has been fined £1,000 having pleaded guilty to an animal welfare offence. The 63-year-old was sentenced on 6 May at Merthyr Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard the RSPCA had been shown three video clips, taken on 2 April last year, showing a “black-coloured young cob pony who was attached by a headcollar of some sort, via a length of rope, to the back of a quad or gator type vehicle that was moving down a sloped field”.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Rohan Barker, who visited Williams and showed him the video, said: “He confirmed that it was him in the video and explained that the method he was using was a method he had used for years to break in ponies.”

In a written statement, a vet from another charity said the videos showed the pony and vehicle moving from left to right on each of three occasions.

“Everything exhibited in the videos indicates that the driver of the quad vehicle exposed the pony to a series of harmful physical and mental experiences that caused distress, fear and risk of physical injury and lasting harm,” the vet said.

“Fearful learning experiences are generally not erasable and therefore the pony has in all probability been left with not only a likely physical legacy of harm from the experiences seen in the videos; but also a lifelong fear of handling that could be triggered by exposure to any number of stimuli (like another similar vehicle) in the presence of an unsuspecting future owner/trainer.”

Williams had pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of a pony to be protected from pain, suffering and injury through an unacceptable and inappropriate method of handling. In mitigation, he said it was a method he used to “break in ponies” but accepted that training methods had moved on and he had not repeated the behaviour.

As well as the fine, he was ordered to pay £400 costs and a £400 surcharge.

RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben said: “The RSPCA believes that all animals should be trained using kind, ethical and science based methods by appropriately qualified and regulated professionals. Equines need calm, consistent and sympathetic handling by competent people. A consistent gentle approach should be used, and training should be based on a reward-focused system.”

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A showing producer who appealed two societies’ six-year ban imposed after a video of a horse left in a field tacked up and with a backing dummy on board has been banned for two more years on appeal.

H&H reported last year that societies were investigating Peter Hodgkinson in relation to footage of a horse in a turnout pen, a backing dummy on board and its head strapped to the saddle. Mr Hodgkinson said he takes horse welfare extremely seriously, this is not a method he “would use on horses in general” and that he would like discussion on the situation to be “respectful”.

In a joint statement, Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain and the British Show Horse Association confirmed this week the outcome of “a disciplinary matter and the subsequent appeal process conducted in accordance with the societies’ rules and procedures”.

After a hearing on 10 February, a disciplinary panel upheld charges against the producer and banned him from the societies’ activities for six years. He appealed and the panel was convened to consider this and review the decision, on 8 April.

“After considering the appeal submission, the documentation relating to the case and the representations made during the hearing, the appeal panel determined that the appeal was not upheld,” the statement reads. “The appeal panel further determined that the sanction imposed by the original panel should be increased to an eight-year ban.

“Both societies place the highest importance on animal welfare and are committed to ensuring that all participants uphold the standards required to safeguard the welfare of animals involved in their activities. Disciplinary procedures exist to ensure that welfare concerns are addressed appropriately, fairly, and in accordance with the societies’ rules.”

This is the final stage of the societies’ disciplinary process.

Peter Hodgkinson told H&H he wanted to “address the concerns that have arisen” from the video.

“The horse shown came into my care in difficult circumstances,” he said. “He had been described as dangerous and was at real risk of being euthanised. My decision to take him on was not taken lightly. It was done with the sole intention of trying to give him a chance of a future.

“What the clip shows is not how horses are routinely worked at my yard, and it is not a method I would use on horses in general. The approach taken in this instance was specific to that horse and the risks involved. My approach in all cases is to prioritise safety, both for the horse and for the people working with them.”

Mr Hodgkinson said he “fully understands” why the footage caused concern “when viewed in isolation”.

“It represents only a brief moment and does not show the wider context of the horse’s condition, history, or the broader rehabilitation programme that was in place,” he said. “At all times, my intention was to act in the horse’s best interests and to avoid a far worse outcome.

“The horse has since been successfully rehabilitated while in my care and is now happily living with a new owner.

“I take horse welfare extremely seriously”

“I have spent my career working with horses and take their welfare extremely seriously. I recognise the responsibility that comes with that, and I am taking time to reflect on the concerns that have been raised.

“I also want to acknowledge the wider conversation around welfare. It is important and it matters to everyone involved in equestrian sport. I remain committed to learning, improving where necessary, and ensuring that the standards expected of our industry are upheld.

“Finally, I would ask that any discussion around this situation remains respectful.”

Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) chairman James Noblett told H&H the society will also uphold the ban.

“We fully endorse the statement that’s been put out,” he said.

Peter Hodgkinson ban mirrored

The Coloured Horse and Pony Society (UK) will also mirror the ban; Peter Hodgkinson was on the society’s judging panel but may neither judge nor compete for eight years.

Mr Hodgkinson added: “For completeness, I would also like to note that the RSPCA attended my yard following the concerns raised and carried out an assessment.”

Having reviewed the horses in his care and the conditions at the yard, he claimed, “they confirmed they had no welfare concerns”.

“I was fully cooperative throughout that process, as well as during the Societies’ investigation, providing all information requested and engaging openly at every stage.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA told H&H: “We are unable to discuss complaints about specific people and what action may or may not have been taken, for legal reasons.

“We understand how frustrating that is for animal lovers but releasing information could prejudice a future investigation or could lead to us being fined.

“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare and it is not always appropriate to publicise this information for legal reasons.”

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Leading pony producer Gill Thompson has her say on good behaviour and schedule changes for this season

We made our season debut at North of England Spring Show recently, and I was very pleased to see strong classes with generally good entries across the board – especially in the native sections – despite the rising fuel costs. Let’s hope this continues throughout the season.

I’ve read several columnists in Horse & Hound recently refer to our social licence as equestrians, particularly with regard to welfare, and I was disappointed to discover first hand at the show why this is clearly something that needs to be high on the showing community’s agenda.

Conduct on a showground and, in particular, in the show ring itself reflects on all of us, and it’s disheartening to learn that not everyone takes that responsibility seriously, nor pays as much attention to their horses or ponies’ welfare as they should.

I feel very strongly that any handling or riding of horses in a way that compromises their welfare or deliberately causes discomfort is not acceptable, however frustrated we might be at the time. If a horse doesn’t perform as we wish, we have to look at our own groundwork and training at home, and do better.

What truly worries me is that if people believe that rough handling is acceptable at a show, what do they think they can get away with at home?

I really hope that the relevant societies take action in such cases, and feel sure that they will in this instance.

Going forward, I would urge everyone to be mindful of their behaviour at all times, not only for fellow competitors, but for spectators, too, and most importantly, for the horses.

HOYS mixed height show pony qualifiers

Going into this season, I am disappointed that Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) didn’t revise the decision to run the mixed height show pony qualifiers.

Last season, I expressed concerns that these classes would be dominated by 148cm ponies, and my fears were proven correct. Every one of last year’s mixed qualifiers was won by a 148cm pony, meaning that the finals were quite unbalanced.

It takes a really special 128cm pair to hold their own against 148cm combinations, where at the top end, riders can have left school and drive a car.

I have a 148cm this season, so I could be tempted into the class, but I would have to be pretty sure of my little rider’s ability really to hold their own before entering one with a smaller pony.

An excellent stepping stone class

On a more positive note, I have to congratulate the British Show Pony Society and the Royal International (RIHS) on the introduction of the first ridden of hunter type class. Unfortunately, I don’t have a combination for this class this year, but I wish I did!

As a concept, I think it provides an excellent stepping stone for those children coming out of the lead-rein hunter type as the leap into the open 123cm class is significant, and too much for many of them.

Some ponies also can’t make the step up, as they don’t quite meet the mark as a type in the open classes. This new class gives those ponies a second string to their bow, and means that children can stay on that pony a little longer, which has to be a bonus for parents in this current financial climate.

Anyone who has dealt with young children new to first ridden will know that you really have to work at getting them to use the whole ring. On a practical level, requiring that the children negotiate the obstacles in the ring independently teaches them to use the arena without necessarily realising it.

It also gives them a good grounding should they go down the workers route and into cradle stakes, and requiring that they only canter on one rein is just enough for them to manage.

From speaking with fellow producers who do have these ponies this season, the children are loving this class, and get excited even walking the course. Irrespective of all the other benefits, this alone has to make the class a success.

● How can the showing community respond more effectively when welfare concerns arise? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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A £1,000 prize for the heavy horse with the best tail at the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) “recognises the delicate balance between tradition, presentation and equine welfare”.

H&H reported that GYS organisers were to bring in a welfare-grounded rule this year stating that all horses must have tails. The move was a result of the number of entries in heavy horse classes with very short tail hair or shaved docks.

Now an anonymous donor has put forward the £1,000 cash prize for the heavy horse turnout classes, to go to the entry with the best turned out compliant tail.

“We are delighted that a supporter has come forward to offer such a generous prize,” GYS entries and livestock coordinator Amanda Stoddart-West told H&H.

“It is our hope that this will serve as a meaningful incentive, encouraging exhibitors to engage positively with this important progression. Change is seldom without challenge; but this award celebrates turnout that is not only impressive but responsible and functional, honouring both tradition and the fundamental principles of equine welfare.”

The rule states that all horses should have enough tail to combat flies and other insects. Tails may be plaited or wrapped “as appropriate” and some allowance will be made for horses’ age as “we recognise that tails may differ greatly in length and fullness depending on age of the animal and the growth stage of the tail”.

“Complete clipping/trimming of the hair of the dock in any horse/pony breed/type will not be permitted,” the rule states. “Shaping, pulling or thinning the upper parts of the dock hairs is permitted, leaving sufficient longer tail hair for adequate function.”

Great Yorkshire Show tail prize

Should there be a tie for the best compliant tail, the prize will be split.

Honorary show vet Julian Rishworth, who will be the judge for the prize, told H&H that in the wake of other welfare-based rules brought in by the GYS, covering issues such as rider size, whiskers and trimmed ears, concerns were raised about some of the ways tails were being managed.

“In particular, how to ensure that animals prepared for the show ring were not then compromised, in any way, for the period when they are not being shown,” he said.

“These situations are complex, steeped in tradition; practices that have evolved for a host of reasons. Similar to the whiskers issue, where people just removed them because that was what was done, it turns out that not removing them does nothing to detract from the overall aesthetic but allows the horse to retain an essential part of its ability to perceive its immediate environment around its muzzle.

“Likewise the tails issue, there is a host of justifications given for why things are done as they are, most of which don’t really stand up to proper scrutiny. This issue represents a significant piece of change management to alter some very entrenched views. Change is inevitable but has to be in a way that preserves what’s important about showing these horses while ensuring there aren’t inadvertent or deliberate adverse effects of normal functionality for the horse.”

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H&H’s showing editor Bethan Simons speaks up on the need to address questions surrounding equine welfare, which she rates as “showing’s most pressing concern”

With qualifying season well under way, I find myself in an awkward spot as I discuss results. I want to talk about exciting new horses, promising talent and the working hunter course. Sometimes, the food.

I’m not naive. Not everything in sport is rosy; I’m open to discussion and to addressing concerns. But hearing the same old gripes, and having the same troubling conversations is wearing.

Welfare isn’t the only subject of dissatisfaction rippling through currents of conversation in the showing community, but it is the most pressing.

The trouble is, concerned onlookers complaining among themselves doesn’t move us forwards or drive change. Instead, the concern is rendered performative and, ultimately, futile.

At a fundamental level, horsey folk are pretty tough. We get on, heads down and with little fuss. But as horse lovers, responding to any behaviour towards them that makes us uncomfortable isn’t making a fuss, it’s taking responsibility, it’s safeguarding, and it’s necessary. We know this, so why are we reluctant to speak up? To voice our concerns? To report to societies?

Part of the problem is that our rule books need updating. Currently, societies are working hard to update their welfare policies, but such updates can’t impact practice a moment too soon.

These updated rules need to be concrete and without wiggle-room. Recently H&H dressage editor Oscar Williams addressed a similar concern with regard to the welfare rules shaping dressage and I found myself asserting, “Exactly!” as I read.

He asked what constitutes “excessive tension” and who decides? The same is applicable here. What constitutes “excessive work”, “excessive force” or “excessively tight” is currently subjective. So brave is the soul willing to confront perceived offenders in, for example, a collecting ring or between lorries with nothing but conviction to back them up.

That’s why we need firm guidelines from our societies.

“Why not in showing?”

Next, it’s time for stewards on the ground to monitor welfare in our collecting rings, and even more pressingly, in our lorry parks. Such stewards exist in other disciplines for tack checks and the like, so why not in showing? These stewards need to be educated not only in welfare guidelines, but also the rhetoric to deal with offenders.

I struggle to support the “fat police” approaching – and shaming – our young and impressionable, and maintain there’s a better way to address this problem. But I am all for stewards who can intervene when anyone, no matter how much influence they wield, rides a pony obviously too small for them, when horses are worked excessively or in an unsympathetic manner.

Where we find such willing volunteers is a matter for another day.

Complainants and intervening stewards must feel supported. A breach of the rules must spur action from those societies in a one-size-fits-all way. There cannot be differential treatment for anyone. Not judges, not sponsors, not anyone.

Richard Davison argued in a recent H&H column that those who receive sanctions on a welfare basis should receive mandatory education before returning to competition. What a great idea.

I’d add that any person with a cruelty- or welfare-related conviction who wishes to show should receive the same mandatory education before being returning to affiliated events. Given the high standards we expect of judges, members with prior convictions or society sanctions should not be allowed to occupy a position on the panel and of influence, either.

Such moves would send a clear message not only to our showing community, but to society at large and those that hold our social licence that welfare is taken seriously.

To be clear, especially to those outside of showing, most competitors, producers and owners love their animals and have only their best interests at heart. Too often less-than-desirable behaviour stems from pressure to deliver results and, probably, blissful ignorance of the harm caused to the horse and to their own image and reputation.

As the saying goes, “One bad apple spoils the cart.”

We cannot let the behaviour of a few impact the future of a beloved discipline enjoyed in a responsible manner by the majority.

● How would you go about education regarding welfare in showing? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Marking systems in showing – their benefits, flaws and what the future may be

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Olympic medal-winning dressage rider Laura Tomlinson issues a plea to her fellow riders to hold themselves to new standards to ensure the sport’s future

My column this week is a bit of a plea. I know we’re all bored of hearing about social licence and the sport’s image, but after another recent barrage in the media, including the big newspapers, if we don’t change our ways, our children won’t have a sport to enjoy.

I never condone social media abuse of any sort, but putting our heads in the sand in response isn’t working. Many may argue that the critics simply don’t understand the nuances of our sport, but whether they are right or wrong in all the different scenarios is irrelevant because if members of the public don’t like what they see, they have the power to shut us down, starting with the Olympics.

Horses being squashed together with immense leg and hand pressure for minutes on end must be a thing of the past. We must hold ourselves to new standards.

The World Class Programme and our own federation have shown they’re there to protect their top riders, but should they now do more to protect the horses and the sport?

Strictness on horses’ soundness and how they are ridden needs to come from riders. When riding, we need to think of children watching and ride to inspire.

Horse welfare should come first. We hear this said all the time, but who really means it in the heat of the moment when fighting for that bit more expression for those extra marks? We need to show that we are riding and training a better way.

If a horse is being spooky or stressed in the warm-up, respond with sympathy. If a horse needs quickening, use lots of transitions rather than instantly resorting to pressure to get the result faster. Find ways to work at home that build strength to create more expression over time, rather than resorting to quick fixes.

Get those extra marks through accuracy; we need to shape the sport and the judges by offering them something better. Empty words on “harmony” are not good enough. I don’t wish to stick the knife in, and I know this column will be unpopular and risky for me as a rider who’s aspiring for a team place, but I cannot be silent on this matter any longer.

My father always said, “Horses cannot advocate for themselves; you must always stand up for them and admit when you get something wrong.” I don’t see enough of that at the moment, so here I am, not trying to act saintly but just wanting to shake everyone up.

Don’t push for those extra marks if they cost you in harmony; ride in a way that you can explain to a young aspiring kid or a complete layman. Ride with the values we all had when we started as children, in love with the idea of partnership with another animal.

The welfare rules are clear. If we get something wrong in the heat of the moment, we must acknowledge our error and pledge to do better. We need to be the sport that we are selling.

Doping tests

On another “horse welfare” note, at my last international competition, straight after the freestyle – and hours before Full Moon had to travel home – he was pulled into doping control. That’s no problem. But when they have to go into an isolated stable in a separate block, for many horses, that’s a huge stress.

Moony always goes straight back into his stable for a wee after work, here he had to go into a random stable with no horses anywhere near him, with a stranger holding a long stick with a cup attached.

He was very stressed, so of course he didn’t pee in the given time and then had his blood taken. By the time he was back in his stable, he had been holding his wee in for an hour since competing.

This wasn’t the way I wanted to reward him for his amazing efforts in his first grand prix freestyle. I wish we’d make rules like this more horse-friendly. Why can’t he pee in his own stable, that he has been in all show, next to his buddies? What difference would that make?

The doping agents don’t let them out of their sight anyway. Some rules seem so absurd and not at all in the interest of the horse.

● Do you agree that change needs to come from within – and what would you like to see riders do differently? We’d love to hear from you at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your views published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major events, as well as exclusive insights from top names, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

Dressage needs to answer harder questions than just ‘who did what in the warm-up’ to secure its future

Anna Ross: ‘Everyone’s watching now, and willingness to question ourselves has to be part of the deal’

Dressage horses’ stress behaviours increase with competition levels – but scores unaffected

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We should not assume we know what is best for our horses – but use the evidence they give us to ask them and take all the positives from what we do.

These were key messages from a World Horse Welfare webinar on assessing horses’ welfare, presented by Jill Fernandes on 18 March.

Dr Fernandes, founder of welfare and sustainability consultancy Animal Centric, had worked with organisations from aquariums to zoos before she collaborated with World Horse Welfare to create a programme for assessment and assurance of equine wellbeing. The aim of the presentation was to explain how the Horses’ Experiences of Yards (HEY) tool was created and how it can be used by all to assess their horses’ welfare.

Access the tool

“I’ve learned way more from animals than I’ve ever taught anyone,” she said. “I’m very grateful for all they continue to teach me.

“Before we go any further, animal welfare is not how we feel the animal is doing, it’s how the animal feels the animal is doing. It really is defined by the animal, and it’s from the animal’s perspective and it’s the animal’s emotional experience.

“It’s the positive and negative emotions the animal is experiencing inside their nervous system and body. Unlike animal ethics, which is human-centric and defined by human opinions and values, animal welfare is 100% animal-centric because it’s actually happening inside the animal.”

Dr Fernandes equated welfare to the weather; as people use multiple factors such as temperature, wind speed and pressure to define overall weather, we take in a huge range of evidence, including behaviour, appearance and actions, to understand what an animal is feeling.

She added that the overall aim for good welfare is to maximise positive experiences and minimise the negative, and that she prefers the five domains model to assess it. The domains are nutrition, environment, health, and behavioural interactions and their impact on the fifth, mental state.

“We can’t know exactly what the animal’s mental state is or what they may be experiencing, but if we have enough evidence about whether their needs are being met in the four functional domains, we can make a cautious interpretation about their mental state,” she said. “The more measures we have, the more complete that interpretation will be.

“The gold standard for assessing animal welfare is animal-based evidence, which includes behavioral measures and physiological measures.”

Assessing horses’ welfare

Dr Fernandes worked with the World Horse Welfare teams at each of the charity’s farms, developing key welfare criteria and then scoring each horse in each area, and discussing how the scores could be improved. Once changes were made, the team observed the horses in the long term, to check that their experiences had improved as a result. They used this to develop the HEY tool, which is free for all owners to use.

“It has the same essence of that structured assessment we did, with 40 criteria,” she said. “You can identify positive and negative indicators for each need, then spot where changes might be needed and where you can take action.

“If I could ask you to do one action out of this, I would say ask the animal every day, if you can, what are you feeling? What do you want? Is this better for you? You can use the animal’s behaviour to answer those questions, but it’s important to actually ask the question in the beginning.”

World Horse Welfare education officer Rebecca Boulert said creating a shorter HEY tool for yards was an aim from the start, so all the criteria were decided on with other yards, to “get as many positive experiences out there for horses as possible, based on Jill’s excellent framework”.

Ideas in practice

Ms Boulert added that the charity has put the ideas into practice by, for example, removing some barriers between stables so horses can touch each other, and providing areas of woodchip or hardstanding, to see whether the horses take advantage.

“It’s still early days; changes are being made and we’ll talk about them more as we get more feedback from the horses,” she said.

Asked for a closing message, Dr Fernandes reiterated her key point, that welfare has to be from the horse’s perspective rather than ours.

Ms Boulert added: “I think it’s quite easy when we’re doing welfare assessment tools to spiral in on what might not be working so well. But when we were going through the process, it actually gave us a really good opportunity to reflect on all the positives we were providing for the horses in our care.

“So yes, we want to make sure we’re providing as many positive experiences as possible, but don’t go down a negative spiral. There are always positives to take away.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The creator of a new framework to be used to train horses hopes to challenge traditional thinking, calling for riders to “stop blaming the horse”.

Marcel Olivé, whose aim is to combine natural horsemanship with the latest behavioural science to improve equine welfare, has published the “Horse hierarchy of needs” as a free resource. The premise is that without fulfilling horses’ needs from the bottom up, they cannot achieve their full potential, whether this is in performance or just a harmonious relationship with the rider.

“For generations, the equestrian world has operated on a simple premise: when a horse misbehaves, the rider must correct the behaviour by increasing pressure or changing the training tool,” Marcel said. “Today, I am challenging that deeply ingrained narrative.”

Marcel used behavioural science and other research for his book, The Truth About Your Horse, to create the framework, which is visually represented as a pyramid.

The base of the triangle is the horse’s physiological needs, the “non-negotiable”, fundamental elements needed for survival, including food and water, and freedom from pain. The next step is safety, followed by socialisation and confidence and the peak: fulfilment.

“You cannot skip a level,” Marcel told H&H.

“Level one is the physiological needs, that keep the horse alive. But then, the horse needs to feel safe; if the horse doesn’t feel safe, you can train anything you want and won’t get the performance. If the horse is safe but can’t socialise, so the mental health isn’t there, if you can’t solve that, you can’t go higher up.

“If you have all that and the horse isn’t confident, you still won’t get the performance you want as the horse will have it doubts. If you master all the levels, the horse will be fulfilled, and in performance you can get 100% from the horse and the relationship. If you don’t want to compete, but it’s about your enjoyment of and relationship with the horse, but it’s the same.

“In training, many people if they fail at something, they keep pushing, when you should take a step back, then try again, step by step.”

Marcel said he believes many riders are treating symptoms, such as unwanted behaviour, without tackling the cause.

“You can’t build the roof of high-level performance if the foundation of physiological comfort and safety is cracking,” he said. “If a horse is struggling to focus, we have to stop looking at the bit in their mouth and start looking at their lifestyle.”

Marcel said if a performance issue crops up, the aim should be to investigate from the bottom of the pyramid; is the horse in pain or discomfort and if not, does he feel unsafe, or perhaps he is not confident; once this is remedied, progress can be made.

Using the horse hierarchy of needs

“You always see this blaming of the horse,” he said. “And the way we speak: ‘My horse is naughty’. Labelling horses is usually because we don’t understand them at that point.

“We need to listen; horses will do everything for you but they need to understand what we’re saying to them. The horse is doing something because it doesn’t understand you, or it’s telling you: ‘No’; people say the horse is being naughty but it’s just trying to tell you things; if they misbehave, it’s maybe because they’ve told you 10 times already and you’re not listening, so it’s their only way to tell you.”

Marcel said he hopes the framework, which can be downloaded in poster form, will help change attitudes. He added that it was created thinking not only about horses in human care but those in a natural environment as all the same factors are important.

“We can’t keep a horse 100% of the time in a ‘natural’ environment but we should understand that they need, for example, to socialise with other horses,” he said. “Sometime horses are tortured, with good intentions. I hope at least to create awareness.”

> Do you think attitudes to training horses are changing for the better? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

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Being a pain, or in pain? We need to listen to our horses

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H&H’s dressage editor Oscar Williams considers the challenges facing elite dressage, why similar issues are being raised time after time, and what needs to happen to achieve real and lasting change

Footage of Charlotte Dujardin warming up in Amsterdam, circulated online in recent weeks, has produced a now-familiar sequence: a short video goes viral, experts comment, outrage builds, and the sport finds itself, once again, performing concern.

A recent article in The Times followed that pattern. A World Horse Welfare spokesperson said the video was “a hard watch”, with “clear signs of tension and conflict behaviour”.

That assessment matters, of course. But what matters more – and what rarely follows – is clarity about what should actually change.

Charlotte makes for convenient headlines. But several riders were filmed riding a horse forward into a restricting rein in the same warm-up.

And that isn’t uncommon. Variations of this can be seen across disciplines and levels of competition.

That’s not to excuse, but to illustrate, that to treat this as a story about individual conduct is rather reductive – and avoids much harder questions.

Charlotte wasn’t deemed to have broken any rules. But when The Times put a series of direct questions to the British Equestrian Federation – whether her riding met their standards, whether it represented a good example of welfare, whether they would be happy for pupils to be taught this way – none of those questions were answered.

The explanation offered was that four minutes of footage from a 45-minute warm-up made an accurate assessment impossible. That might be technically true. It doesn’t read as confidence in the sport’s own standards though.

Part of the difficulty is that the rules themselves create room for evasion. The FEI General Regulations prohibit the use of spurs “excessively” or “persistently” – but in practice, this is left to the interpretation of individual stewards.

But the deeper problem is structural. Riders ride the way judges reward. They’re responding rationally to what wins.

So, if we deem the riding seen in Amsterdam as genuinely contrary to the principles of the sport, then the question is not only why riders were doing it, but why the incentives that produce it have been left unchanged.

Focusing on Charlotte allows the sport to treat this as a problem of individual conduct rather than a problem of incentives.

And if we do that, the story fades – as it always does. The next video surfaces – as it always does. And nothing changes.

Is dressage at risk?

The comments section under The Times piece contained a familiar refrain: calls for dressage to be banned.

It’s worth addressing briefly – not because I believe the argument is strong, but because it tends to set the emotional temperature of these debates before the more useful conversation can begin.

I don’t believe a ban will happen. The threshold for prohibition in equine sport has never been a welfare concern alone – if it were, racing would already be under existential threat.

Horseracing generates £4.1 billion annually and employs hundreds of thousands of people, yet has not been banned despite a significantly higher horse fatality rate. That tells you something about how these decisions are actually made – on economic, cultural, and political grounds as much as welfare ones.

It extends beyond Britain too. Across Europe, the horse sector generates more than €100 billion in annual economic impact and supports around 400,000 jobs.

There’s also a deeper irony in the framing of elite dressage horses as unregulated victims. FEI horses are subject to rigorous passport requirements, mandatory vaccination protocols, prohibited substance testing, and international disease surveillance.

Compared to the average horse, they’re among the most closely monitored horses in existence.

A more credible risk than abolition is increased oversight. When a sport’s own regulatory framework leaves visible gaps, it tends to invite others to fill them.

This is starting to happen in parts of Europe. Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang has been a persistent voice pushing for tougher EU-level oversight of horse welfare.

And yet, for now, the political priority is elsewhere. In President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen’s, mission letters to both the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food and the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, horses aren’t mentioned once; the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare has been explicitly tasked with modernising EU animal welfare rules – but the mandate focuses on farm animals, exotic imports, and food safety.

The infrastructure for EU-level intervention exists; the political will to apply it to equestrian sport doesn’t yet. When the MEP Horse Group met with von der Leyen this month, the headline policy discussion centred on simplifying the Single Market for equine mobility and trade – welfare reform wasn’t the focus.

The picture, then, is of a sector large enough to attract political attention, but not yet facing the kind of sustained legislative pressure that would force the sport’s hand. That window may not stay open indefinitely.

But welfare reform doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Every viral video is also a relevance problem – it makes dressage harder to sell to new audiences, sponsors, and broadcasters at exactly the moment the sport needs to be attracting them.

The governance reality

I’ve spoken to enough people within the FEI to know that genuine will to reform exists. But their structure for rule changes inhibits these intentions.

Changing the rules of international equestrian sport is a slow and structured process by design. Proposals must be submitted by national federations, reviewed by technical committees, circulated for feedback, redrafted, and ultimately voted on at the FEI General Assembly – often many months after the issue that prompted them has already faded from public attention.

Even when a proposal passes, new rules typically only come into force the following year.

The voting structure compounds this. Each national federation carries equal weight, meaning that for dressage purposes, Germany, which won every Olympic team gold medal between 1984 and 2008, has the same vote as countries without a single FEI dressage rider.

Consensus across that breadth of membership is difficult to build quickly, and radical change is harder still.

More significantly, the core dressage rulebook is only subject to full revision on a four-year cycle – the most recent being this year.

Outside that window, amendments are generally limited to urgent welfare concerns, technical corrections, or unintended consequences in existing rules – which means the sport’s capacity to respond to a fast-moving public debate is structurally constrained even when the will is there.

Also, the rules that do emerge from urgent welfare concerns aren’t always as robust as they appear. A regulation introduced in July 2025 prohibiting substances used to induce foaming around a horse’s mouth is a case in point: the welfare intention is clear, but the enforceability is not.

If an athlete challenged such a ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the burden of proof on the FEI would be considerable. One imagines the steward’s report making for interesting reading – at what point does conscientious welfare oversight become a taste test?

Good intentions written into vague rules have a habit of being tested – and failing.

This context matters for understanding why the same debates recur without resolution. Riders, owners, and administrators who want change may find themselves working within a system that processes reform in years rather than months.

What real change might look like

Despite the structural difficulties, change is not impossible – and some of it doesn’t require waiting for the FEI’s four-year cycle.

Minimum standards for turnout, licensing requirements for riding centres and instructors, and checks on unregulated breeding would establish a welfare baseline that currently doesn’t exist – the kind of oversight applied to livestock, but largely absent for horses kept outside agricultural contexts.

That will not be cost-free, and poorly designed regulation could make an already inaccessible sport more so. But horse sport’s accessibility problem predates any proposed regulation.

Done well, a licensing framework could actually stabilise the riding centres on which grassroots participation depends – and any serious regulatory agenda would need to be paired with investment, grants, and pathways that treat participation as a public good rather than a private privilege.

None of this is imminent. But regulation has always been one of the most effective drivers of cultural shift – seatbelt laws changed not just behaviour but attitudes to road safety; smoking legislation did the same.

Minimum standards for how horses are kept, handled, and bred would, over time, reshape what people consider normal and acceptable, long before anyone reaches a competition arena.

Within the sport itself, the most meaningful changes would target incentives directly.

Judging criteria that explicitly reward visible relaxation and softness – rather than simply penalising obvious resistance – would begin to shift what riders train for. In the longer term, introducing coefficients that weight marks against observable conflict behaviour during a test would make welfare a structural part of how dressage is scored.

Stronger steward authority in warm-up arenas, with agreed behavioural indicators triggering intervention rather than individual discretion, would close the gap between the rules as written and the rules as applied.

And a mandatory welfare education requirement for riders returning from sanctions, as Richard Davison argued in his most recent H&H column, would signal that rehabilitation is taken seriously rather than managed as a reputational inconvenience.

These aren’t radical propositions. Other sports have made harder changes under less pressure.

The honesty problem

Dressage has always sold itself on a particular image. The horse is willing. The aids are invisible. The partnership is harmonious. That image is part of what makes the sport appealing – and part of what makes these moments so damaging when they surface.

Writing in Grandprix in response to the Amsterdam footage, Timothée Peugnot and Lucas Tracol make an important point about the narratives the sport constructs around itself.

After a crisis, the next up-and-coming star is always positioned as a saviour, like Charlotte once was – presented as proof that the sport’s values are intact.

The problem is that this places impossible expectations on individuals and sets them up to fail the moment they fall short. It also lets the sport avoid the harder conversation about why the crisis happened in the first place.

But elite sport is physically demanding, mentally pressurised, and full of competitive incentive. Pretending otherwise doesn’t protect the sport’s reputation – it undermines it.

When the gap between the image and the reality becomes visible, the damage is worse precisely because the image was so carefully maintained.

As Anna Ross has written, the sport is frequently unwilling to look critically at itself – and too much of the content produced around it retreats into safe, uncritical celebration rather than honest engagement.

What does good welfare actually mean?

Every governing body will tell you that horse welfare is their number one priority. But it’s worth asking what that actually means – because good welfare and elite sport exist in a tension that nobody in the industry likes to acknowledge directly.

A horse in perfect welfare is, by most definitions, an animal that is calm, free from pain, able to express natural behaviour, and not subject to significant stress.

A horse competing at the top level is asked to perform movements of considerable physical and mental demand, in an environment of noise and pressure, under a rider responding to competitive incentive.

Those two descriptions aren’t straightforwardly compatible.

That doesn’t mean elite equestrian sport is inherently abusive. But it does mean that the question “what is good welfare?” cannot be answered without first acknowledging that sport and welfare exist on a spectrum.

My own view is that good welfare and horse sport aren’t inherently incompatible, even if they are in tension. Horses can be asked to do things they wouldn’t choose to do, and may not particularly enjoy, without that constituting poor welfare – provided it causes no lasting harm and their overall quality of life is good.

But that isn’t a condition we can assume is always met. The burden of demonstrating it sits entirely with the humans involved, which is precisely why clearer standards, rather than individual discretion, matters.

It’s also why the sport needs to engage seriously with the growing body of equine stress research, rather than waiting for the science to become undeniable.

What level of physical demand on a horse is tolerable? What does pressure look like when it crosses a line?

Until the sport is willing to engage with that honestly – not defensively, not with reassuring language about harmony and partnership, but with genuine precision about what it asks of horses and why – it’ll keep having the same argument.

For me, pressure isn’t the same as suffering. A horse that is tense in a warm-up, above the bit, showing conflict behaviour, isn’t necessarily being abused. The threshold sits somewhere around this: riding that produces sustained, unresolved conflict behaviour – where the horse’s signals are consistently overridden rather than addressed – has crossed a line.

The question stewards, judges, and federations need to ask then is not “is this horse tense?” but “is this tension being listened to?” – and, critically, how do we assess that in practice.

That isn’t a rhetorical question. It requires agreed behavioural indicators, trained officials, and the institutional will to act on what they observe. The tools exist. The framework does not.

The people inhibiting change are not indifferent to horses – most of them have dedicated their lives to these animals, which is precisely what makes this hard.

But what the sport owes them – and itself – is the honesty to keep asking these questions as a matter of ongoing habit, not in response to a video, not in a carefully worded statement.

Whether it’s capable of that is, genuinely, unclear.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Where do you think the line sits between acceptable training pressure and poor welfare – and do you think the sport is currently on the right side of it? Write in and share your views at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your response published in a future issue of Horse & Hound.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking equestrian news throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Anna Ross: ‘Everyone’s watching now, and willingness to question ourselves has to be part of the deal’

Can dressage win back its spectators? The struggle to keep fans engaged with the sport

Charlotte Dujardin returns to competition after one-year suspension

427 eliminations, 84 welfare-related: British Dressage reveals first welfare statistics and outlines next steps for change

Proposed ban on double bridles and riding behind the vertical debated in European Parliament

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Having 24/7 turnout is not necessarily the best or only way for horses to live, an expert believes, and owners should not feel under pressure to provide this.

British Horse Society Fellow Tim Downes, joint owner of Ingestre Stables in Staffordshire, posted on social media about the growing trend to focus on 24/7 as the only acceptable option for horses.

He told H&H his decision to post on the issue was caused by two things.

“One is the massive increase in two types of posts on social media,” he said. “They’re either from horse owners desperate to move livery yards to somewhere that offers 24/7 turnout, or from researchers and scientists telling us that is the only way horses should live.

“I’ve now spoken at two or three conventions and symposiums, and there’s been somebody there telling people you can’t keep horses in ‘cages’ and they must all live out in the field all the time. So when I’ve spoken, I’ve said ‘I accept the theory behind what you’re saying, and I understand where you’re coming from, but you also have to understand that is how horses lived years ago, but you’re not rushing off to live in a cave.”

Mr Downes stressed that he is not saying horses should live in all the time, but that there seems to be a strengthening opinion that anything other than 24/7 turnout is bad.

“There is a growing pressure to label good horse welfare as one thing only: 24/7 turnout. Stable free. Always out. Always in a herd,” his Facebook post read. “But horses and horsemanship have never been that simple.

“Good welfare is not a slogan. It is observation. Context. Knowledge. Experience. And responsibility.”

Mr Downes pointed out that horses evolved to be moving and grazing, not to “stand for months in deep mud, extreme wet or frozen ground with no choice”.

“The uncomfortable truth is that there is no universal answer,” he wrote. “There is only informed decision-making done well, done honestly and reviewed constantly.

“Good welfare lives in the grey. Good horsemanship accepts that. Bad welfare often hides behind absolutes.”

He told H&H that there are some 50 horses at Ingestre; some do live out all the time, as that’s what they prefer, others come in as they are more comfortable doing that.

“The key skill is that people have to be able to read the horse,” he said. “But so much research, on all the things we do with horses, comes up with an answer I keep referring to as ‘one size fits all’, and that’s not how horses are,” he said.

“I’m saying develop the horsemanship, read the horse, read the signs and deal with the horse appropriately, but be real and be practical. Yes, horses do predominantly live better out but on good ground with shelter. They don’t live happily out 24/7 up to their knees in mud.

“I just wanted to get people to stop and think a bit. I see so many posts from people desperate for 24/7 turnout, willing to travel hours every day, and that’s ridiculous. If your horse isn’t living out all the time, it’s not a criminal offence.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking equestrian news throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

5 effective ways to occupy stabled horses when turnout is reduced

How to keep stabled horses happy and healthy

Making the hardest decision when you care for an elderly bonded pair of horses

How to report a horse welfare concern, neglect or mistreatment

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Scottish horse owners are being asked to “help push for modern animal laws” – as calls are made to create a national register for those who abuse and mistreat animals.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has released its new manifesto ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on 7 May.

The animal welfare charity set out four key asks: the introduction of a national animal offenders register; embedding animal welfare into the education curriculum; a review of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and the creation of a permitted list of exotic animals that can be legally kept as pets.

The aim of an animal offenders register would be to allow all relevant enforcement agencies to monitor bans, track repeat offenders and identify early links between animal abuse and other crimes – via connection to current intelligence systems.

“Horses are at risk from repeat and serious welfare offences, and we have seen individuals who have been banned from keeping equines go on to acquire or care for them again, with devastating consequences,” an SSPCA spokesperson told H&H.

“A register would be a vital tool in helping enforcement agencies to identify those individuals more quickly and prevent horses from falling back into harmful situations. For equines, early intervention can be the difference between recovery and long-term suffering or neglect.”

The spokesperson added that the SSPCA “strongly supports” embedding the five domains model into welfare legislation.

“This would move the law beyond simply preventing cruelty and recognise what good welfare actually looks like for horses, including their physical health, behaviour, environment and mental wellbeing. For animals as sensitive and complex as horses, this is essential,” he said.

“Scottish horse owners have a powerful role to play. We are calling on people to contact their MSPs and local candidates, to ask them to support our manifesto. By doing this, we can all help push for modern animal welfare laws that can help ensure horses across Scotland are properly protected, that bans are enforced and that welfare standards reflect what we now know about equine needs.

“This is about safeguarding horses today and for generations to come.”

Horsescotland chief executive Sonya Campbell Perry told H&H the organisation is “fully supportive” of the manifesto – describing it as “a significant step forward” for animal welfare.

“As the governing body for equestrianism in Scotland, we continue to work with partners like the SSPCA to ensure our government makes the right policy decisions for the highest level of welfare for our equines and their communities,” she said.

But Ms Campbell added that although the manifesto asks are “vital”, work must be done to “urgently address two further issues impacting horses in Scotland”.

“The decade-long lack of farriery-training provision is creating a critical shortage of qualified professionals, directly threatening equine health given the essential ‘no hoof, no horse’ principle,” she said.

“Secondly, the financial pressure from business rates and associated relief on equestrian businesses is jeopardising the necessary land management required to meet high welfare standards, particularly when considered through the lens of the five domains model.

“We believe this model should be used to direct guidance on rates and tax for all premises accommodating equines, which would then support a practical and supported roll-out of a livery yard licencing scheme to further increase and protect equine welfare in Scotland.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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German yards and stables that act as “role models” by putting horse wellbeing at the forefront away from rather than “glitz and glamour” are being rewarded by the country’s national federation.

The federation has opened entries for its annual stable of the year competition, recognising businesses that show “exemplary horse husbandry practices” – judged by a panel of vets and equine welfare experts.

“Horses spend the majority of their lives in their living environment, which has a decisive influence on their wellbeing. The competition highlights stables that take this responsibility seriously,” said a German federation spokesperson.

“We are looking for role models for species-appropriate horse husbandry. It’s not about glitz and glamour, but about the actual care provided. Not about perfection, but about responsibility. Whether it’s a free-range stable or paddock boxes, what matters is not the building’s design, but the daily care provided.”

In the first stage of the competition stables apply online and present their concepts. In round two, they submit photos and a virtual yard tour video. Those who make it through to the final stage are visited by the judging panel.

The panel is looking for businesses that “demonstrate in their daily practice what it truly means for species-appropriate horse husbandry: exercise, social interaction, light and fresh air”, as well as innovative concepts and ideas that prioritise horse welfare.

In 2025 two winners were crowned; Gstach’s Lindehof – which provided at least 10 hours of daily turnout and exercise, had well thought out herd management, highly professional staff, consistent health management and safe horse-friendly construction.

The other winner was Gut Schmuttermühle, recognised for its husbandry, spacious boxes, well-designed infrastructure and “competence and experience combined with loving care”.

Winners are crowned at the Al-shiraaa Bundeschampionate (25-30 August) – and those who have taken part and made it to the second stage receive feedback on their husbandry practices.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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‘Take feedback from your horse’: experts highlight the risks of minimal turnout and unsuitable diets after ‘unhappy’ horse’s recovery

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If you’ve come across a sick, injured, abandoned or trapped equine and need to know how to report horse neglect or concern for equine welfare, we’ve outlined the answers to your likely questions and rounded up a range of organisations that will be able to help.

Before you report a welfare concern

Be aware that welfare organisations cannot take second-hand information – and this includes content you’ve seen on social media. Please only report your concerns if you have personally seen the horse yourself.

Once you have reported your concerns to a welfare organisation and they have confirmed that they will be investigating, please do not contact other organisations and charities as this can waste resources that could be directed to another welfare problem.

It’s important to remember that throughout the UK, equines are managed and kept in many different ways. While you may not agree with the way in which they are kept, if their needs are being met and the animal is not suffering, it’s unlikely that welfare organisations will be able to take any action.

If you are unsure as to what constitutes a welfare concern, World Horse Welfare have created a list of different situations and ways they should be reported.

How to report a welfare concern

If you have personally seen a sick, injured, abandoned or trapped equine that you are concerned about, you can contact any of the following organisations, who are all members of the National Equine Welfare Council:

• World Horse Welfare
  worldhorsewelfare.org
  0300 333 6000 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm)
• The British Horse Society
  bhs.org.uk
  02476 840517 (Mon–Thurs, 8:35am–5pm, Fridays 8:35am–3 pm)
• Bransby Horses
  bransbyhorses.co.uk
  01427 787369 (Mon–Fri, 8.30am–4.30pm)
• Redwings Horse Sanctuary
  redwings.org.uk
  01508 481008 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm)
• HAPPA (North of England only)
  happa.org.uk
  01282 455992 (Mon–Sun, 11am–4pm)
• Retraining of Racehorses (former racehorses only)
  ror.org.uk
  01488 648998 (Mon–Sun, 9am–4pm)
• The Donkey Sanctuary (donkeys and mules only)
  thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk
  01395 578222 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am–4.30pm)

Useful information for reporting a concern

• Why you are concerned
• Horse details – number, colour, sex (if known), age (if known)
• Name of owner and/or landowner (if known)
• The location of the horse – a What3Words location is perfect if you don’t have the full address and postcode.
• Photos – if you can take pictures of the horse safely and without trespassing
• Your contact details – these will be kept confidential and if you wish to remain anonymous this will be respected. If you wish to report anonymously, it’s easier to do so via phone rather than an online form.

How to report an urgent case of equine neglect

If you come across a horse in immediate danger – for example, collapsed and unable to stand, trapped in a ditch or tangled in fencing, or unable to weight bear – call one of the following organisations depending on your location:

• RSPCA (England and Wales): rspca.org.uk or 0300 1234 999
• SPCA (Scotland): scottishspca.org or 03000 999 999
• USPCA (Northern Ireland): uspca.co.uk or 028 3025 1000

How to report a loose horse

If you find loose horses on the road, call 101 and inform the police immediately, giving the road number and location. If you feel there is an immediate danger to road users call 999.

Should I intervene with a horse I’m concerned about?

It may be tempting to feed or care for a horse that you believe is not being tended to properly, but this is something that welfare organisations strongly advise against.

Reasons for this include:

• You may overfeed the horse or feed them something that could make them very ill or even kill them
• The owner may be less inclined to take responsibility for future care
• Providing care may prevent action from being taken to secure long-term improvement

By reporting your concern to a welfare organisation, they will be able to determine the best course of action when considering the horse’s welfare, and follow the appropriate procedure in relation to the law.

Should I share a welfare concern on social media?

Welfare organisations would advise against sharing a post that you’ve seen on social media for a number of reasons. Social media content can be exaggerated, out of date or misinformed and it’s possible that sharing it could also be detrimental to the rescue of a horse or counterproductive to any potential action against the person responsible.

The sharing of images on social media could warn a neglectful or abusive owner that they have been reported and therefore likely to be visited, which could cause them to remove their horse or temporarily improve their care. In these cases, it can leave organisations unable to find the horses or unable to remove them due to the increased standards of care.

Organisations may also have been working to develop communication with owners in order to gain access to their horses. When these owners feel publicly criticised, however, they’re likely to cut these lines of communication.

If you see concerning images or videos of horses in distress on social media, encourage the person who originally took the photos to report their concern to a welfare organisation (as explained above) and remove the images so that the owner in question is not alerted prior to an investigation.

Should I report a neglected horse I’ve seen on social media?

In short, no. Welfare organisations are only able to act on reports of concern that you have witnessed first hand. Although you would mean well in doing so, it can unintentionally and significantly hinder the organisation’s ability to respond.

Malcolm Morley, Director of UK at World Horse Welfare explains further: “We know that everyone who contacts World Horse Welfare with concerns about a horse does so because they care and want to do the right thing. We value that enormously and without people speaking up, many horses would never come to our attention.

“The charity is seeing increasing numbers of photos and clips posted online with a caption urging others to report it, which results in dozens of reports about the same situation in a short space of time.

“I completely understand why people do it. From the outside it feels like everyone is rallying round horses that need help. But from the inside, it can jam the system at the very moment it needs to work quickly,” Malcolm warns.

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Equine welfare charities have welcomed a forthcoming Government consultation on mandatory licensing for animal rescue centres – if managed and enforced appropriately.

On 26 January, MPs debated a petition calling for licensing and regulation of dog and cat rescues, which had been signed by almost 110,000 people. The petition stated that by introducing “clear legal requirements, the Government can safeguard animal welfare”.

MPs discussed animal rescues more broadly and highlighted that although many do “great work”, there are some operating “without clear legal oversight, creating opportunities for unethical practices”.

MP Richard Holden said anyone, “regardless of their experience or intention”, can say they have an animal rescue or rehoming centre and not be subject to inspection or monitoring – and this has “resulted in animals suffering, not only dogs and cats but horses and other animals”.

The Government acknowledged the “need to crack down on poor practices” of some rescues in its animal welfare strategy, published in December – and committed to a consultation on licensing rescue and rehoming organisations.

Defra minister Angela Eagle referenced this consultation during the debate and said it will be used “to come to an appropriate decision about the best way to license and regulate” – and to ensure that any new framework is “proportionate”.

Defra told H&H the consultation will take place “in due course”.

Licensing for animal rescue centres: charities have their say

Equine charities have long called for the licensing of rescues, and H&H has reported on high-profile welfare cases involving sanctuaries in recent years.

World Horse Welfare head of public affairs Kim Ayling told H&H licensing “should improve animal welfare, if implemented and enforced appropriately” and the charity would welcome working with the Government, via the National Equine Welfare Council and British Horse Council.

“However, laws are not worth the paper they are written on unless they are effectively implemented and enforced by trained inspectors,” she said.

“The Government’s promise to work with local authorities to improve enforcement of the existing regulations for licensing of riding establishments, for instance, is welcome. Currently enforcement varies significantly from area to area and this must be improved before any further types of activities are licensed, including rescue centres.”

Redwings “welcomes” a consultation – having “been involved in multiple cases where serious welfare concerns have been identified in establishments presenting as sanctuaries”.

“The commitment, knowledge and resources needed to care for neglected, often challenging rescue cases should not be underestimated,” said Redwings campaigns and policy manager Helen Whitelegg.

“This needs to be reflected in a framework that acknowledges the work of those establishments who offer a lifeline to animals, while preventing those unable to meet the needs of animals from causing further suffering, and securing public donations without appropriate accountability.”

How it works in Wales and Scotland

In 2020 the Welsh Government launched a voluntary code of practice for animal welfare establishments, and in 2021 the Scottish Government went a step further by introducing mandatory licensing.

Redwings head of welfare Nic de Brauwere, who was involved in the work in Wales through his position of chair of the Animal Welfare Network for Wales, told H&H the voluntary code was “helpful because it underwent the safe process of drafting, consulting and Government checks as if it had been a statutory code”.

“We believe this set a new standard but, as expected, without the licensing framework to back it up, in particular to ensure access to all animal welfare establishments to check standards, the voluntary code was not, by itself, enough to raise standards across the board,” he said.

“The broad-ranging consultation by the Welsh Government in 2024 led to a high volume of responses and in 2025 the Welsh Government indicated it would develop proposals to consider regulation, to include a possible licensing scheme.”

What do you think of the proposals for licensing rescues? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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New rules ‘to stop the horror cases’: Scotland introduces licensing of rescue centres

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Helpful information for owners considering an end-of-life plan for an elderly horse who’ll leave behind a close companion, including whether it’s appropriate to let them both go together rather than leaving one to grieve for the other

It’s a joy to behold an equine partnership grow to an advanced age. However, when end-of-life considerations come into the picture, owners face contemplating the wellbeing of not just one, but two horses. In such cases, an owner might consider putting down two horses together.

Dr Imogen Burrows MRCVS, president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), says euthanasia is always a painful decision for a horse owner, no matter the circumstances. “The moral stress on owners is huge, because it’s the choice to take away the life of someone you love,” she says.

Dr Burrows reminds owners that equine euthanasia and welfare compromise are separate issues.

“Performing euthanasia is not a welfare issue, but delayed euthanasia creates a significant impact on welfare,” she continues.

“In some situations, such as the acute issue of a fractured leg, or an owner’s wish to avoid surgery in a colic case, the decision to euthanise is reached more swiftly. With chronic illness, such as arthritis or laminitis, the path might not be so clear-cut.

“The same is true when the time comes to euthanise one of an elderly bonded pair of horses.”

We asked Dr Burrows to share her advice for owners facing this very difficult situation.

Jump to:

• The trouble with old adages – how to determine if your horse has a good life
• Assessing physical and psychological health
• Making the decision to euthanise, and what to do next
• How to manage a horse who loses his companion

The trouble with old adages and defining a good life

Dr Burrows agrees euthanasia is best enacted “a day too early than a minute too late”.

“A veterinary surgeon never wants euthanasia to be forced on owners because we missed the opportunity to intervene sooner,” she says.

However, she worries that some old adages might compromise welfare if adhered to too closely.

“Every owner wants their horse to experience a good life,” she continues. “Many talk about putting a horse to sleep at the point he has more bad days than good. But we need to look closer at what we are actually saying.”

“When there are more bad days than good…”

Dr Burrows uses a graph analogy to explain the pitfalls of this commonly used phrase.

“Imagine the graph has a straight line parallel to the X axis halfway up the Y axis. This depicts the halfway point between positive and negative experiences and represents what we call a ‘neutral life’.

“In any life, you’re never going to have all positives and no negatives. But you’d expect a ‘good line’ to wave up and down over this neutral straight line, overall spending significantly more time above the neutral line than below. Furthermore, any time spent below the negative line ideally stays closer to the neutral zone than its corresponding positive reflection.

“A curving line that’s 50/50 is really a neutral life, neither good nor bad, which overall reflects neither a good nor bad lived experience. Once we get to the point where there are more bad days than good – the cut-off point that the adage suggests – we have really entered a life not worth living, which is absolutely not what any owner wants.”

Dr Burrows advocates a more acute awareness of a horse’s life experience.

“When we consider our elderly horses, we need to pinpoint when a good life descends into a life worth living, which is still a positive place to be. However, we don’t want that to transform into a neutral life or, God forbid, a life that is no longer worth living.”

The full picture of health: physical and psychological

According to Dr Burrows, key physical factors that influence the decision to euthanise include a lack of effective pain control or exhaustion of treatment options, whether due to the severity of illness, financial constraints, ethical or other personal reasons.

“However, psychological suffering is also significant, real and evidence-based,” she adds.

“If you have a horse who is fundamentally physically healthy, but kept socially isolated in a stable without the freedom to express natural behaviours, their negative experience and subsequent suffering is as significant as that of a horse with freedom, forage and friends that is living in severe, unrelenting pain.

“I would be reluctant to pick one suffering over another and say: ‘that’s worse’.”

Dr Burrows says the significance of psychological welfare opens up the conversation about putting down two elderly horses together. She adds that it’s especially complex when one horse is medically healthy, while the other is not.

“The question becomes: would they cope psychologically, and would their welfare be compromised, even though their physical health is sufficient to maintain life?”

Understanding your horse’s lived experience

So, how can we successfully monitor an advancing horse’s life experience? Dr Burrows says the owner is best placed to understand their individual horse. She adds that far more vets now ask owners to tell them about their horse’s personality.

“We ask about positive welfare indicators. What do they do when they’re happy? How do they behave?

“When these behaviours start to change, we must ask if the horse is experiencing a degree of welfare compromise and start discussing their quality of life.”

Dr Burrows says recognising horses as individuals empowers owners to truly observe their animals.

“In the latter stages, this can be something we avoid almost subconsciously,” she adds. “Because, at the heart of it, we know the animal isn’t as healthy or happy as before, or the pain control isn’t as effective as it once was.”

Putting down two horses: making the decision and what to do next

Dr Burrows reminds owners that some vets may have a moral or ethical objection to putting down two horses together if one is elderly, but medically healthy.

“To ensure the owner is supported appropriately, they might recommend another colleague steps in to manage the case,” she explains.

She adds that equine charities provide great assistance in facilitating difficult conversations with owners regarding euthanasia, and can be a helpful ear to turn to for vets and owners alike.

Dr Burrows says: “Owners who reach the incredibly difficult decision to euthanise a pair of equine companions can face challenges from the very places and people from whom they really need the most support.”

She finds the double euthanasia process goes best when owners have people to assist with logistical and emotional support.

“Having two people who can help hold each horse at the same time is essential. Both horses are sedated and prepared for euthanasia before being put to sleep in turn. Some owners may prefer that the horses be put to sleep simultaneously, requiring two vets; others rather one after the other so they can be there for both.

“There is no right way, just the right way for the owner and horses at the time.

“Critically, open, honest, and non-judgmental discussion about the euthanasia process between the vet and owner before the time is essential.”

How to manage a horse who loses his companion

If putting down two horses together isn’t appropriate for your circumstances, there are actions you can take prior to the event to help the surviving horse acclimatise.

“It can be thought of a bit like the weaning process,” Dr Burrows explains. “You could start by feeding them in different places. Then, try turning out in adjacent paddocks for short stretches and separating the partnership gently for periods of time.

“Gradually adding a suitable third animal can help the horse who’ll be left behind buddy up and feel supported.

“Critically, you don’t want them to have to feel that they are alone.”

Dr Burrows says the time taken for the surviving horse to process the loss of his companion may vary. However, the emotional response is typically very consistent between horses.

If the horse to be euthanised is strongly pair-bonded with another, it usually benefits the buddy to see the deceased horse.

“Most will come over and sniff the animal and soon resume grazing. This usually indicates they’re ready to leave and grieve separately. However, prepare for them to call and show distress.

“In specific cases, such as mares and foal, donkeys, or highly pair-bonded animals, they may benefit from remaining with the body for several hours, even overnight. It is usually best to remove the live animal from the area, then collect the deceased.”

You know them best

If you find yourself facing the decision to put one or two companion horses down, assess whether their lived experience is good or neutral, considering both their physical and psychological health equally to help inform your decision.

“As their owner, you understand their personalities. With honest observation, you will be best placed to see early changes to their quality of life, keeping their life the good one they deserve,” says Dr Burrows.

You do not have to make difficult choices about your horse’s care alone. There is advice and support available to help you decide the right steps for you and your horse.

• BHS Friends At The End – 02476 840517
• Blue Cross care team – 0300 790 9903
• World Horse Welfare advice line – 01953 497238

For unlimited access to expert advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

A new system that will provide a “safety net” for horses by connecting them with people who want to offer support “if they should ever fall on hard times down the road” has been launched by US Equestrian (USEF).

USEF’s “lifetime care contacts” initiative is a free and voluntary system designed to allow the governing body’s members to add themselves to a horse’s USEF record, signifying that if the horse ever needs financial assistance or a home, they would like to be contacted.

“We understand that many breeders, owners, athletes and grooms care deeply for the horses who have touched their lives and want to be there for them if they should ever fall on hard times down the road,” said USEF chief executive Bill Moroney.

“We had media and member inquiries about such a system last year and realised this is a way we can help.”

A USEF spokesperson added that the lifetime care system is designed to act “as a safety net for horses” – and the goal is to “facilitate connections as needed”.

“US Equestrian isn’t positioned to require anyone to reach out to a horse’s lifetime care contact, but we are in a position to make it easier for a horse in need to be connected with someone who has expressed an interest in helping them,” said Mr Moroney.

To be added as a lifetime care contact to a horse’s record – or to check if a horse has a contact on its file – individuals must be a USEF member or have a free fan account.

“USEF is unable to require that someone consult a lifetime care contact before moving, selling or transferring a horse,” said the spokesperson.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Making small changes to the way equestrian land and property are managed could benefit the environment, horse welfare – and owners’ bank balances.

This is the message emerging across the industry as riders who keep horses on livery as well as those who have their own facilities are urged to consider more sustainable practices.

Ruth Griffin of sustainability consultants White Griffin, which works extensively in the horse world, told H&H she thinks the word “sustainability” has been “lost in translation over years of people politicising it, or activists making it unsavoury, or scientists making it confusing”.

“I’m super-passionate about this: it is not confusing,” she said. “This is just, how do we change the way we do things so we can keep doing them? That’s really all it is. And the great news is for horse owners – with one exception, transportation – we have all the solutions.

“We just need to do them. We just need to tool ourselves up and educate ourselves a bit and then we can do it, we can be resilient, we can save money, we can protect horse welfare and ultimately protect the environment, because it’s all there. We’ve just got to do it.”

One of those helping people take action is Sian Constantine of Hoof & Habitat, which educates on sustainable keeping of horses.

“What I’m trying to do is improve horse welfare while improving the environment,” Ms Constantine told H&H. “They’re highly synergistic; horses evolved to graze in diverse ecosystems and when stocking density and management are appropriate, both horses and land benefit. From a welfare perspective, this creates a more species-appropriate environment, viewed through the five domains model, and it improves forage quality and nutritional diversity by bringing pasture nearer what horses would naturally forage from.”

Ms Constantine explained that greater plant diversity benefits horses and the land.

A mix of species improves soil structure and ground cover, reducing bare patches and often increasing nutritional value. Having different root depths helps stabilise and protect the soil, so grazing is more resilient to extreme weather. Increased plant diversity supports greater diversity of soil organisms, improving water storage and nutrient cycling, which supports healthier pasture.

“Healthier soil is better able to cope with heavy rain and drought, while protecting forage quality,” she said. “And it benefits the wider environment, as biologically active soils can store more water and more carbon.

“Over time, improved soil and pasture health can reduce reliance on inputs such as herbicides, pesticides, repeated overseeding, mechanical aeration and remedial groundworks, potentially saving time and money.”

Ecological consultant Laura Hobbs founded Switch Equine to support horse welfare-based land regeneration.

“I’ve been working with a lot of farmers to maximise the value of their land and its economic value, but make something that’s actually useful for them as well,” she told H&H. “We can still produce food, still meet the fundamental aims of what they want that land for, but also deliver multiple benefits.

“I’ve always had horses as well, and I got a bit frustrated, having my own horse on a livery yard and seeing it wasn’t meeting what we could be doing from an environmental point of view, and not serving his needs either, so we bought a smallholding, to show you can do things differently.

“I’ve got a background in evolution, behavioral biology and done a lot of training, such as Sue Dyson’s pain recognition research and in nutrition, so I’m trying to bring that all together to show we can manage our horses in a better way that improves the environment and is fundamental to improving our horses’ lives as well.”

Money is tight but Ms Hobbs stressed that sustainability can help here too.

“It’ll save you money,” she said. “When we manage in a better way, we create land that will be resilient.

“A lot of people are really struggling with the cost of hay, not having any hay. But our neighbours say our grass is looking really good. That’s because we’ve changed management so we can have better quality, more productive land, and it’s more resilient to that drought. That means we can have higher hay yields, more forage; we can feed our horses from our own land.”

Ms Hobbs said soil is a living organism, which has to be nurtured.

“Studies have shown that on average, for every 1% increase in soil organic matter, in soil biological activity, we can store an additional 20,000 gallons of water per acre,” she said.

“That’s a massive number. That means water’s stored in the soil, so we can be more resilient to flooding and drought. And it affects communities too; if we change our management, we could save the village down the road from being flooded every winter.”

She said the key in keeping land resilient is not overgrazing it, which is not about space or numbers but about giving it time to recover. If horses return to bite off the same tuft of grass before it has regrown, the plant will use all nutrients for growth, leading to shallower roots, a negative impact on the soil and a “downward spiral” overall.

Ms Hobbs has four horses on five acres. She separates this into smaller areas and moves the horses frequently, so each part has time to fully recover.

“Getting started is the hard part,” she said. “But once you get started and into this sort of system, you get that upward spiral; land starts recovering so much quicker, so you can get back on and graze it sooner. If you’re constrained on land, have a sacrificial area, a track system or yard to put horses on, so we can rest that land when we need to, we can be a bit more adaptive and flexible.

“Just splitting the field and letting it have longer to recover will go a long way.”

Changing mindsets

Ms Hobbs knows it is harder for livery clients, but said she believes many yard owners are starting to change their thinking, and that the first step is to have the conversation, with which Ms Dancer agrees, although she has heard from many yard owners who want to make changes but are unsure whether clients will agree.

“The livery yard owners wanting to make a change and the liveries wanting things to be different may not be at the same yards but I think that the common problem is just a fear of talking about it, a fear of saying anything to do with the environment,” she said.

“People might complain you’re woke or might make fun of you or a lot of the time, people think they don’t know enough about the environment to talk about it, so they shouldn’t say anything at all,” she continued. “But the minute you start talking to people about what good environmental practice looks like, they say, ‘That makes sense,’ or, ‘I do that already,’ or, ‘I could do that.’

“We’ve got to start talking in everyday language. And the most important part of that sentence is we’ve got to start talking.”

Ms Dancer also agrees that money need not be a barrier, and the right changes can help. Investing in a rainwater harvesting system would be expensive but saves on water bills in the long run. But if such a system is too expensive, just diverting gutters into butts for soaking hay or washing can make big savings.

“My mantra is, if sustainability is costing you money, you’re not doing it properly,” she said. “Sustainability should be about being less wasteful, more resilient and resourceful.

“Teach your team not to leave the tap running or leave the lights on; not to be wasteful. I’ve worked with businesses that have saved tens of thousands without spending a penny, just by changing your mindset.

Harnessing the change

“My biggest concern is that the way climate is changing, the soil is degrading, it’s getting more difficult to grow crops; we need to embed resilience into everything we do. And that’s about working with the climate we’re now getting.

“If we’re going to get warmer, wetter winters, let’s gather that rainwater and use it. If we’re going to get hotter, dry summers, if you can put solar in and harness the changes, it will make us more resilient, and save us money in the long run.

“It’s about not being influenced by external factors, and being able to manage your own yard and your own estate in a way that works for you. It’s about recognising that things are changing, and will change, and we have to create practices that will make us resilient to that.

“For such a long time, we’ve always just had whatever we want, when we want, and that’s not what the future looks like now. The smartest people are going to look at the situation, prepare for it and slowly make changes. If you do it now, start putting the rainwater harvesting in, change systems and processes, start saving money, in five years’ time, you will be very grateful.

“You’ll have created a business that works for you, and when others are struggling and won’t be able to keep horses. It is that serious, you won’t be able to get what you need.

“I think that’s the mindset everyone needs to be in – not survival mode from one day to the next, but what can I do in the long term that will mean that I can continue to have horses. That’s what sustainability is.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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A veterinary researcher who wanted to prove that ponies could be bred scientifically and produced from the field by an amateur to win has done just that – and hopes to inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

Veronica Fowler started breeding Welsh section A ponies differently in 2022. Her colt Meonwara Aethelwulf King of Wessex is two, and has already won at county shows and was best yearling at Royal Windsor Horse Show, and Dr Fowler believes there is more to come.

“Aethelwulf has always been kept at grass, shown from the field and home-produced with welfare-friendly methods,” Dr Fowler said. “Critics may dismiss science and call me an amateur ‘pony patter’, but the show ring judges didn’t.”

Dr Fowler told H&H she had always had thoroughbreds but had to stop riding in 2018 for medical reasons.

“I thought ‘What else can I do?’” she said. “I bought a pony for my daughter, who happened to be a Welsh mountain, and that’s where my love for them came from.

“I was taking her lead-rein showing – not proper showing; we went to a few county shows, winging it at the bottom of the class! – and I quite enjoyed the atmosphere, and the idea of polishing up a pony, putting it in front of the judge, doing the best job you could do, and getting a judge’s opinion.

“So I thought ‘I can’t ride any longer, so let’s go and buy a couple of section A ponies and take them showing’. And that’s what I did. I didn’t do any research at all, just went and bought a couple, straight off the mountains.”

Dr Fowler said she “jumped straight in at the deep end” with her two “hill ponies”, both the semi-feral rather than the show-ring type, but she learned the ropes, and had success. And then she decided to breed her own.

“I wanted to prove that show champions can be bred, raised, trained and presented using evidence-based welfare practices, without compromising on success in the ring,” she said.

Rather than select her mare and stallion from their competition history, Dr Fowler employed “phenotypic selection”, breeding for the traits or phenotypes she wanted.

“What I’m interested in is what a good pony should be, from a health perspective, in terms of conformation and the characteristics of that pony, what the breed standard says it should look like,” she said. “Then finding two ponies who, if you marry them together, you’re likely to create that image.

“I’m not interested in whether they’ve got medal-winners in their history, or three crosses to a legendary pony, as that doesn’t get you anything but genetic problems.”

Both parents were tested for infectious disease, and the mare was scanned and vaccinated as recommended, and kept as naturally as possible while she was pregnant. Once “Wulfie” was born, he was handled daily, vaccinated and trimmed by the farrier. He self-weaned at 10 months old.

“I hate the fact people are weaning foals at four months old,” Dr Fowler said. “It’s cruel; there are tens of scientific papers telling us that’s not setting a horse up for success. There are so many myths; you have to take the foal away from the dam or she won’t dry up her milk. I wanted to prove to people that you can actually do all these other things in a scientifically, welfare-friendly way and still win. My foals are all self-weaned; they wean themselves about 10 or 11 months, when they’re mostly away with their friends. When the foal is spending most of its time away from its mother, all you need to do is to put the foal and a friend, or friends, in the next field, and they’re weaned.

Self-weaning

“The dam doesn’t call, the foal doesn’t call. They’re over the fence, in sight, in sound of each other. I filmed that a few times and posted on social media to show that foals do not need to be in isolation at four months old in a stable to be a show pony. They can be weaned in sight, in sound of their mother, in the next field, and it’s the most welfare-friendly way you can wean. There’s no stress associated with that at all.”

Wolfie was the top section A colt foal and Welsh foal reserve champion at the Bucks Counties Spectacular Show in 2023, and best yearling at Royal Windsor in 2024. He was the National Pony Society (NPS) overall in-hand M&M silver medal champion at Alresford Show 2024, but lost the prize owing to a lapsed NPS membership. So as a two-year-old, he went back to Alresford and won again.

“The judge said to me this year, ‘He’s my champion because he’s absolutely true to type’,” Dr Fowler said. “I want people, amateurs to be inspired, to know you can beat the professionals.

“Through this journey, I achieved what I set out to do: to show that champions can be bred and raised ethically, using science-based methods that prioritise welfare at every stage.

“Aethelwulf’s success is evidence that you don’t have to compromise the wellbeing of your animals to win in the ring. You just have to be willing to do things differently — and better.

“It’s time we asked harder questions about how we treat the ponies we claim to celebrate. Because true success isn’t just about silver medals – it’s about raising animals who thrive in mind, body, and spirit.”

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An equine rehabilitation charity is calling for owners to be aware of the “growing impact of modern management” on horse wellbeing, after a “weak, unhappy” horse was returned to full health.

Moorcroft, in West Sussex, is highlighting the risks of practices such as intermittent feeding, diets high in grain, minimal turnout and long-term medication, which can increase the chance of gastric ulcers developing.

The charity has been involved in the rehab of an eight-year-old Connemara, who arrived in June with severe ulcers.

“He has since undergone a marked transformation and is now back jumping, moving with a longer and easier stride on the flat, and feeling much more comfortable to ride,” a Moorcroft spokesperson said.

“The charity believes the ulcers and their associated pain and behavioural issues could have been avoided, or at least significantly reduced, with practices and care that work more closely with a horse’s natural digestive and grazing patterns. These can include increased turnout, more opportunities to forage and ensuring horses are fed before they exercise.”

Moorcroft CEO Mary Frances said some horses with ulcers show very few signs.

“But many, like this pony, make it clear they’re unhappy,” she said. “He arrived weak, lame and with a tight, sore back linked to low-grade pain in both hocks and stifles.

“This is an issue easily missed because it affects both sides equally. He was worryingly stiff and inactive for an eight-year-old, more like an older horse.”

Working with the charity’s vet, physiotherapist and specialist team, Moorcroft staff developed a rehab programme that included long-reining, physiotherapy and injecting platelet-rich plasma in to his hocks and stifles to address his minor joint pain.

“Ulcers are driven by stress and persistent pain, which disrupt normal gastric function,” Mary said. “They do not heal until the underlying pain is addressed.

“We’re delighted the pony’s latest test shows he is now ulcer-free; his journey highlights what compassion, dedication, and expertise can achieve. We’re thrilled he can now look forward to a healthier, happier and far more comfortable life. It truly feels like the perfect Christmas gift for the entire team and a wonderful way to end the year!”

Moorcroft is urging owners to help decrease horses’ risk of developing ulcers by prioritising a high-fibre diet and maximising turnout, with companions, to allow them to graze and relax.

“Ensure correct shoeing or trimming by qualified professionals,” the spokesperson added. “It’s crucial the correct angle of pastern to foot is maintained to establish and maintain soundness at all times.

“Keep work sessions short, calm and empathetic, avoiding force or pressure. Ride with empathy and respect. Take feedback from your horse and he or she will thrive.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Financial challenges continue for horse owners, as equine welfare charities come under pressure too.

As 2025 comes to a close, charities have reflected on the year, citing rising costs across the board as an ongoing concern.

World Horse Welfare chief field officer Claire Gordon told H&H it had been a “challenging year”, exacerbated by the summer drought and its impact on forage yields.

“Charities are not immune from these challenges and the worrying impact we’re starting to feel is the resilience of the welfare sector shrinking – at a time when demand for our services is increasing,” she said.

“We’ve seen charities having to shut some of their centres, make redundancies, close to new intakes or decrease stocking levels to reduce running costs. Sadly, we’ve lost some charities who have closed permanently, finding the ever-increasing costs unsustainable.”

World Horse Welfare had rehomed 302 equines and taken in 200 by 30 November. Of the charity’s 2,200-plus rehomed horses and ponies, 155 were returned this year.

Ms Gordon reported that welfare cases involving large numbers of horses “continue to further deplete” rescue centres’ capacity.

“Some of the big operations have involved horses who have been sold or passed on by their owners to unknown fates, many later rescued from dealers and hoarding situations,” she said.

“We’ve also seen cases where owners and breeders have passed away or become very ill with no succession plan, leaving charities to pick up the pieces.”

This year Blue Cross launched a strategy, “designed to support private horse owners in times of need”. The charity took in 434 equines compared to 212 in 2024, the majority from private homes.

“There are many reasons owners are reluctantly having to relinquish their horses, but financial strain is the most common. Rising veterinary costs, combined with this year’s sharp increases in hay and straw prices, have placed significant pressure on households,” a Blue Cross spokesperson told H&H.

“To meet demand, the charity brings horses in for rehabilitation and rehoming, while also expanding its Home Direct scheme, which allows horses to remain in their homes while Blue Cross helps match them with new owners.”

Blue Cross reported a “dip” in rehoming figures, from 250 last year to 231 this year – thought to be “linked to the rising costs of hay, feed and winter care”.

By 30 November, Redwings had taken in 51 equines, down from 98 last year.

“While this is a big drop on recent years, this is unfortunately all the space we’ve had available. With around 1,200 existing residents, we must ensure we don’t compromise their continuing care over new intakes, and that has meant space has been very limited this year,” Redwings chief executive Lynn Cutress told H&H.

Redwings rehomed 93 horses and ponies by the end of November, compared to 88 in 2024.

“We are pleased these numbers have held steady and encourage anyone looking to take on a horse to consider Redwings, or another equine charity,” said Ms Cutress.

The RSPCA admitted 546 equines by 30 November and rehomed more than 200.

“2025 has been a challenging year for the RSPCA and other equine charities, as rising costs for hay, veterinary care and other essentials have driven up the cost of caring for horses. This comes at a time when the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact horse carers,” said RSPCA equine expert Mark Kennedy.

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Five-star event rider Andrew McConnon showed “sincere remorse” for his actions that constituted horse abuse, the FEI Tribunal found – and was not guilty of most of the allegations made against him.

H&H reported that the US rider had been suspended for 20 months. The full FEI Tribunal report into his hearing has now been published.

The Tribunal panel disregarded most of the evidence from the FEI’s multiple witnesses, as the FEI sought to prove Andrew had committed abuse, including preventing horses from breathing and riding in hyperflexion.

It found that he had “slapped Horse A on the top of his neck seven times”, that his use of the reins on the same horse was “firmer than necessary” to keep his head to the right and that he “jabbed Horse A in the mouth three times by crossing the rein over Horse A’s midline”.

“There was no evidence to suggest that the pain or discomfort was long-lasting or resulted in any enduring harm,” the Tribunal report states.

The panel did not find that Andrew had intentionally left horses without enough food or drink, or used spurs excessively.

Much of the FEI’s video and photographic evidence was also discredited by the panel, including footage the FEI said showed him hitting a horse with a whip but in which, the panel noted, he was not carrying a whip.

Witness statements

The FEI submitted eight witness statements, including former employees, neighbours and a vet, as well as video and photos. The witnesses claimed to have seen the rider engage in multiple abusive behaviours, but the Tribunal cited issues including inconsistencies and contradictions in their evidence.

In his testimony, before he described videos that had been posted online, Andrew said: “I’m absolutely willing to explain what happened. I just want to be clear that in my explanation, this isn’t justifying my actions. You’ll hear throughout my testimony and in my thoughts at the end that it’s absolutely unacceptable.”

He acknowledged that slapping Horse C was also “absolutely unacceptable”.

He said he believed some of the submitted photos had been edited; he believed he had been cut out of one that would have showed him washing a horse down, and that another had been Photoshopped to add marks.

“The owners of Horse A communicated that they were having financial difficulties and were unable to fulfill past due payments of tens of thousands of dollars, creating a significant financial strain,” the report states. “Furthermore, in February 2024 [Andrew] learned that his father had been diagnosed with cancer.

“These challenges compounded around February 2024, and while [Andrew] did not realise it at the time, the emotional impact of this difficult period began to have a palpable effect on him, both inside and outside of the barn.”

Rumours spread

The report states that Andrew became aware of the FEI investigation “from rumours spread by FEI Witness 1 that she wanted to end [Andrew’s] career”.

In a final statement to the panel, Andrew said he wanted to apologise.

“In the beginning of last year, I acted out of character with my values as a horseman,” he said. “As a professional athlete and an upper-level competitor, it is my responsibility to set an example.

“However, in March 2024, I was extremely thankful to [FEI Witness 1] for kindly speaking with me after a difficult ride about what she had witnessed. That conversation helped me put my then current struggles into focus. I made the necessary changes that day and I was thankful for her forgiveness for my behaviour.

“This isn’t a case of I’m sorry I got caught. I’m genuinely sorry for my actions. Being a private and independent person, I incorrectly tried to handle my struggles alone. Because of the overwhelming things that were going on in my personal life, I inappropriately allowed it to carry over into my work and what I need, what I needed, was help.”

Andrew said he sought professional help and cited his sanction- and warning-free career.

“My reputation has been destroyed. My income has been halted, and my future in the sport I love has been threatened,” he said. “I have learned from my mistakes and I still believe that I can be a valuable and contributing member of the FEI community. My passion is to produce horses, compete and to give back to the sport, and help mentor junior and young riders.

“I’ve dedicated myself to horses and the sport. It has been my entire life.

“I can’t undo what has happened, but I wish to be a positive influence moving forward. I hope you accept my apology and admission of wrongdoing. I will never repeat these behaviours.”

Social media targeting

The Tribunal heard from witnesses including former staff, friends, a clinical social worker – from whom Andrew had sought help – and a vet, who had never witnessed abuse or signs of it and praised Andrew’s patience, integrity and horsemanship.

“Respondent Witness 8 wrote about a ‘pack of horse women’ who have used social media to target the respondent,” the report states. “Respondent Witness 8 described their ‘cancel culture vengeance’ as ‘alarming, biased and truly destructive’.” The panel assigned “high to full weight” to Andrew’s evidence and moderate to full to all his witnesses.

The FEI had sought a life ban, but the panel found this “not warranted”.

“The panel finds that his acknowledgment of wrongdoing, proactive steps to address his behaviour, and demonstrated understanding of the responsibilities of a professional athlete reflect a genuine effort to learn from the incident and mitigate future risk,” the report states. “The panel considers these factors as indicative of sincere remorse, which is relevant to the assessment of the respondent’s overall character and conduct.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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A horse was put down and 29 more seized from two sisters who “never intended to cause harm or suffering”.

Rosie Nelson, 67, and her 74-year-old sister Violet Nelson, both of Houghton Road, Houghton, have been banned from keeping horses for eight years. The pair pleaded guilty to four animal welfare charges relating to 12 horses, at Carlisle Crown Court on 28 November.

The court heard that World Horse Welfare had alerted the RSPCA to concerns about a large number of horses at Low Woodbank, Briscoe, Carlisle. Representatives of both charities went to the scene with police and a veterinary expert in September 2023, and were “welcomed on to the site by the landowners who were not the owners of the horses”.

RSPCA inspector Carl Larsson told the court there were 30 horses on the site, 14 in a barn and 16 in a field.

“A vet examining the horses found a number to be suffering from ill health which had not been treated, including laminitis,” an RSPCA spokesperson said.

“One pony was found to be in such ill health that the vet decided the best option was to euthanise him on site to end his suffering.”

The vet said the pony’s spine, ribs and shoulder were very prominent and his neck was narrow owing to his poor condition. On the vet’s arrival, the pony was lying down in his pen.

“When he got up off the floor, he was in incredible pain and was rocking back off the front feet and trying to hobble to move,” the vet said. “The pony could only shuffle when moving and was unable to walk properly due to pain. When stood in the pen, he was weight-shifting and had a very painful facial expression.”

The pony had a heart rate of 68 bpm and a respiratory rate of 48 breaths per minute, which the vet said was a response to the “severe pain” he was in. An X-ray showed the pony had severe laminitis.

“This horse should have been receiving pain relief and euthanasia long before it got to this severe stage,” the vet said.

“The pony has suffered due to this condition for many months and likely extending towards a year. The hooves were severely overgrown and deformed and there was severe thrush in all four feet, which were packed deep with faeces.”

The other 29 horses were taken into charity care and many may now be rehomed as the court case has finished.

In mitigation, the court gave the sisters credit for their guilty pleas and heard they “realised in hindsight they should have done more and they never intended to cause harm or suffering”, the RSPCA spokesperson said.

“In sentencing, the judge said the root cause was incompetence rather than deliberate cruelty, but added it should have been obvious the care was inadequate”.

As well as the ban on keeping horses, the sisters were each given a 10-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay £800 costs.

Mr Larsson said: “These horses were found with various health problems, for which veterinary treatment had not been sought, and sadly one pony was so poorly he had to be put to sleep. I am pleased that many of the ponies rescued are now in good health and will be rehomed.

“I would like to add how partnership working with other animal charities – in this case World Horse Welfare – is crucial, and we would like to thank them for their assistance as well as Cumbria police.”

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Five-star US event rider Andrew McConnon has been suspended for 20 months for abusing horses – as a fellow top rider said: “We owe our horses better than this”.

The FEI Tribunal has ruled on the case of the eventer, who had been provisionally suspended since January. H&H reported last September that an anonymous report had been made to US Equestrian (USEF) in summer 2024 and that “materials showing abusive behaviours” were sent to USEF shortly afterwards. The news came shortly after Andrew had competed at Burghley for the first time, coming 27th with Wakita 54.

USEF passed information to the FEI, which announced an investigation, and Andrew was suspended this year.

“In its decision of 24 November 2025, the FEI Tribunal found Andrew McConnon to have engaged in abuse of horse as well as in a conduct that has brought the FEI and equestrian sport into disrepute,” an FEI spokesperson said.

“McConnon was further found to have breached the FEI code of conduct on the welfare of the horse by those same actions.”

The rider was fined CHF 2,500 (£2,344). His suspension, taking into account that already served, will end on 8 September next year.

Since January, fellow top US eventer Tamie Smith has been caring for two horses previously ridden by Andrew.

Open letter

In an open letter to the horse world and its governing bodies, she said she had had a text saying: “We have no hope in this sport if 20 months is all you get for abusing horses.”

“That sentence has sat heavily with me — not because it is dramatic, but because it is painfully true,” she said.

“I want to begin by acknowledging that I have immense sympathy for everyone involved, including Andrew McConnon. I believe that no one wakes up choosing to abuse a horse. People are shaped by their experiences, their education, their pressures, and sometimes their pain. Many of us, if honest, can reflect on moments in our early horsemanship where we reacted poorly out of fear or confusion – when we did not yet understand how horses think.

“But there is a line that must never be crossed: losing control, lashing out, or harming a horse out of anger is never acceptable.”

Tamie said her knowledge of what had happened came via the two horses themselves.

“What I learned broke my heart,” she said.

“The owners… were victims too – yet never interviewed or contacted by the FEI investigators.

“The grooms who witnessed the behaviour and chose courage over silence are heroic in opinion. I don’t condone those who falsely exaggerated the innocents however the actions that were explained to be weren’t in need of embellishing. Some of these people walked away from the sport entirely because they could not bear to watch abuse continue. They too were victims.”

“Horses don’t lie”

Tamie said the two horses were underweight and tense, and showing “reactions unlike any I had seen in 30+ years training high-performance horses” when they arrived at her yard.

“Horses don’t lie,” she said. “Their transformation is their testimony.”

Tamie said she does not believe Andrew should be banned for life, as she believes in “rehabilitation, education, and redemption”.

“People can change – when they acknowledge harm and commit to structured help,” she added. “But what I cannot accept is: a sentence that feels overwhelmingly light, a process that never interviewed the owners, the riders, or pertinent people involved, a conclusion issued without gathering critical testimony, no mandate for counselling, education, supervision or reform, a message that risks telling the world that we tolerate abuse.

“We must be better. We must demand accountability and education, not silence and avoidance.

“There is an opportunity here – not just to punish, but to transform. Maybe it is time for a required course on understanding the horse’s mind, trauma responses, emotional regulation, and ethical training.

“Maybe it is time for governing bodies to reevaluate investigative processes so that every voice – including the horses’ – is heard.

“If we truly love this sport, any equestrian sport, we cannot turn away from what is uncomfortable. Ultimately. our horses cannot speak, we are their voice, and we owe them better than this.”

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The welfare of horses is so much more than health and safety – and we need the right legislation and role modelling to ensure it is the best it can be.

These were views shared by a panel of experts at the 2025 World Horse Welfare conference, the theme of which was “Through the horse’s eyes”.

British Equine Veterinary Association president Imogen Burrows, H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins, top eventer Zara Tindall and MP and horse owner Liz Saville Roberts discussed the way forward.

To start the conversation, broadcaster David Eades, who was chairing the session, asked: “What can we do to improve policies towards equine welfare so they reflect modern approaches from a horse’s perspective, which go beyond purely health issues?”

Ms Saville Roberts said the industry needs to be aware there will be “more and more questions” about the way we involve horses in our activities.

“Many people here will be very aware of what happened to hunting, and quite possibly [trail] hunting is going to follow the same route,” she said. “And there are questions about dressage. I think for everybody who loves horses, we need to be very alert to not being hidebound and automatically saying no to all changes that are going to be expected. We have to be ahead and make sure we respond in a way that is seen to put horses’ welfare first.”

She said that much legislation covering horses is devolved and stressed the importance of not assuming MPs know all the issues, so people should make them aware.

“In terms of legislation for welfare, the role in which we can enforce versus the role in which we encourage is always a very fine line,” she added. “And if enforcement is through environmental health and officers in local authorities, it may be statutory, but it’ll be way down from social care and education at a time when there’s been a decade of cuts.”

Future change

Asked about how she sees the horse world changing in the next 10 years, Ms Jenkins said she sees public perception and social licence as separate from what the horse world does.

“There’s a job to do in explaining to the wider public what we do and why we do it, but first we need to sense-check that what we’re doing is the right thing,” she said.

“If, for example, we can honestly go to the public and say our ceremonial horses are kept in a way that ensures they have the freedoms they need, we can genuinely reassure them there’s no reason for concern over their welfare. If that’s not the case, we won’t convince them.

“I think step one, understand what horses actually need. Step two, make sure that as horse people, we’re implementing that. Step three is letting the public know that’s what we’re doing. We can’t just go and tell them we’re OK.”

Changing approach

The panel was asked how yards, vets and others should approach truly seeing through horses’ eyes, and Ms Burrows said this could be done much better.

“We’re an industry that’s really being reflective around this, and I’m so privileged to be part of that,” she said, adding that her key in moving away from just equine health to overall better welfare was “what that horse’s experience was and how I could make that better”.

Panellists considered the fact that there are no mandatory qualifications to own or run a livery yard, and the possibility of licences for horse ownership.

“It does seem that the degree of knowledge of people working in the sector and owners is a matter of luck whether people are well informed,” Ms Saville Roberts said. “If people are in livery yards, you have an opportunity. But we need to be able to engage people with understanding animals’ needs in a way that is not necessarily looking to penalise, but that rewards knowledge.”

Ms Jenkins pointed out that enforcing any livery licensing scheme would be a challenge.

“We can try to ‘force’ people, but also we can show people how the best do it, and if the best are doing it in a way that’s brilliant for the horses, others will take that on,” she said. “Change can come about outside legislation, if enough people want what’s right for their horses.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The story of a North American beaver who went from repetitively pawing glass to successfully building dams could have repercussions for the way we keep our horses.

Rick Hester, director of animal care and wellbeing at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado, was among the speakers at the 2025 World Horse Welfare conference (21 November), the theme of which was “Through the horse’s eyes”.

Mr Hester, who has spoken at the International Society for Equitation Science conference, told guests it is clear the zoo and equestrian worlds “have a shared goal of improving the lives of the animals in our care through a compassionate science application”.

“I hope that this crossover continues, and I’m excited to see where it might lead us,” he said.

Mr Hester explained that to understand behaviour, we have to “know what the genes are doing, what the brain is doing and what the environment is doing”. He added that his role considers species’ natural history and behaviour, considering the role of the animals’ environment.

“When we behave, the environment changes too,” he said. “It’s like casting a stone into water, there’s a ripple. The environment responds; individuals act upon the world and change it and are changed in turn by the consequences of their actions. There’s this transaction, this interaction, exchange, between our behaviour and the world around us. And that’s what’s meant by the term operant behaviour. We’re talking about learned behaviour, the result of experience where the organism is an operator, they act on their world.

“So what does it look like? What does behaviour look like when an environment is lacking? An environment is insufficient when it lacks diversity, variety and variability, and similarly, a behavioural repertoire is insufficient when it lacks diversity, variety and variability.”

Repetitive pawing

Mr Hester showed footage of a beaver who, as seen on video camera, spent two to four hours a night repetitively pawing a pane of glass bordering her enclosure.

“We see in this way how behaviour and environment mirror one another,” he said. “She is not in a diverse environment, so she doesn’t perform a diverse repertoire.

“We call patterns of behaviour like this stereotypic. We’re talking about a narrowness, a lot of one thing. The problem is not inside the animal, the problem is inside this animal’s environment, so we change conditions, we change the environment to change behaviour.”

Mr Hester said that the zoo team provides elements to ensure each environment is responsive to changes resulting from operant behaviour. He cited a 1996 research paper that identified free operant freedoms, which guide engineering of environments.

“The first is the freedom to initiate, to start, stop, start over and skip an activity,” he said. “If I were to put an asterisk on one of these freedoms, it would be on this one. In the wild environment, animals are always free to initiate behaving for reinforcers [meaningful outcomes of behaviour].

“The second is the freedom to repeat responses, then to form responses, to inventively select what you do, and to self-pace. So what does this look like from a practical point of view?

“There are four criteria that help us improve engagement. We try to design environments where the resources the reinforcers are slow to deplete, to satiate or we’ve come in with a strong enough dose, there’s enough reinforcers present in the environment to be meaningful. And where there is some intermittence, the animal doesn’t succeed on every attempt, just like in the wild environment, they learn to be persistent problem solvers.”

Studying the wild animal

Mr Hester said that when trying to identify any species’ reinforcers, it is key to ask those who have studied them in the wild.

“If you ask that question for North American beaver, you tend to get these answers that they will be where there’s running water, abundant vegetation and manipulable substrates, dirt or mud,” he said. “So that’s what we provided for these beavers.”

The zoo could not provide running water in the beavers’ enclosure but having seen research that found the sound of running water alone had encouraged beavers to build dams, they provided a recording. They provided abundant branches and vegetation and, having seen one beaver digging in a particular place, moved the speaker to the same spot.

“They began building a dam there that night,” Mr Hester said.

There was no more pawing of glass and within a week, the beaver who had been pawing had refined her dam-building skills. A year later, the pawing had not returned.

“Here, we ask what reinforcers do we want animals behaving to get,” Mr Hester said. “Our focus is on the reinforcer, when we put those in the environment, behaviour will emerge to control them.

“How do we make environments responsive to animals? How will those reinforcers depend on their behaviour? When we map out the answers to those questions, we’re on the road to freeing up the operant and a more enriching lifestyle for the animals in our care.”

Translating to the horse world

Asked if this would translate to horses, Mr Hester said he is confident it is applicable.

“Behaviour is this uniting principle on the planet, so it has cross-species relevance that’s very exciting,” he said. “I’d start by looking at what horses do in the wild; what choices do they make in environments where their choices are maximal?

“I work with a conservationist named Michael Brown, and he calls the wild environment a decision landscape; it’s full of choices, but species make relatively predictable choices.”

Mr Hester said in the day’s other presentations, he’d seen video of horses in a diverse environment, including water holes, dust baths and play with other members of the herd.

“What are those features of the environment?” he said “That’s where I would begin, and when you put them in, then you stand back and watch; watch animals learn how to control those outcomes, and it often requires a few revisions.

“As you see the animals interact, like the location of the running water sound, we had to make a revision in order for that to work.”

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The FEI has paved the way to allow organisers to record video footage of dressage warm-up arenas and also clarified the discipline’s blood rules ahead of 2026.

The changes are in addition to the news that riders will be allowed to choose whether to ride in a double or snaffle bridle up to CDI3* (news, 30 October), which was given the green light at this month’s FEI general assembly.

The dressage rules previously stated that if the judge at C suspected fresh blood anywhere on the horse during a test, they would stop the horse to check for blood. If it is found, the combination is eliminated.

This has been amended to remove the words “during the test” and instead make it clear that it is “from the moment the combination enters the space around the arena until the test is concluded”.

An FEI spokesperson told H&H the amendment “clarifies an existing position, i.e. judges may observe the horse prior to the start of the test”.

“This was always implicit in the rule, and the update ensures this point is clearly understood and applied consistently,” said the spokesperson.

Changes in dressage rules for 2026 also include the FEI specifically stating that organisers and the FEI are permitted to use a static camera to record video and live-stream practice arenas, to be shown at the venue.

H&H asked the purpose of this, to which an FEI spokesperson replied: “At certain venues – particularly indoor facilities – it is not always possible to allow public access to the warm-up area due to safety considerations.

“[This] therefore gives organisers the option to live-stream the warm-up to screens in public areas of the venue. This ensures that anyone wishing to observe the warm-up, including fans or media representatives, can do so, even when physical access is restricted for safety reasons.”

A dressage strategic action plan working group is also reviewing FEI tests at all levels, which Olympic gold medallist Carl Hester referenced in his H&H column (13 November). The single collective mark is also being renamed from “general impression” to “harmony”.

Changes to eventing Nations Cup

The four-star FEI Eventing Nations Cup series is being jazzed up to make it more exciting for fans.

Currently, the series runs solely on a points system, which means that it is effectively possible for winners to have been decided before the final starts.

Next year, each individual leg works as qualifiers (through points collected) and the top 10 teams progress to the season final – at which all will start on a clean slate.

FEI eventing committee chairman and Olympic gold medallist David O’Connor said this “should create great sport, great excitement and great passion”.

“I know riders always like to have something almost won before they get there. But for the fans, it’s great to have the competition come down to the last rail of the last person on the last day, like we did at the European Championships,” he said.

In 2027, a team ticket to LA28 will be awarded. This will be decided on a points system for the whole series, including double points at the final.

Other changes to eventing rules include reducing penalties for missing a flag from 15 to nine (news, 30 October).

Showjumping blood rule changes

H&H reported on calls from several national federations on a more harmonised approach to blood rules across disciplines (13 November). Following this, H&H asked the FEI what it meant by its commitment to look into this, what that looks like in real terms and if there is a rough timescale.

The FEI spokesperson reiterated the federation’s position statement, adding that it “will now consider this request and engage in further discussions to determine the appropriate process, scope and timing for any follow-up work”.

At an unrelated conference in London days after the General Assembly, FEI veterinary director Göran Akerström and FEI veterinary committee member Jenny Hall acknowledged that communications around the showjumping blood rule change could have been better.

“While the general assembly is publicly open and you can watch the recording now, what isn’t open are the sessions on previous days,” said Dr Hall, adding that during these there was “really full and frank discussion” about the change, which “really showed a different perspective”.

She added: “The veterinary committee completely supported this rule change. Because when you understand the nuances of the everyday rules, this [new rule] is a much more onerous sanction.

“It makes a huge difference to the normal jumping shows, because there is now the requirement for all horses that are seen to have blood on them to have a veterinary examination, which is not the situation in the current rule.”

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The need to move and forage, and the capacity to feel joy, are among key facts it is thought horses would like us to know, remember and respond to.

Janne Winther Christensen, an associate professor in ethology, the study of animal behaviour, at Aarhus University, Denmark, addressed the World Horse Welfare conference yesterday (21 November), the theme of which was “Through the horse’s eyes”.

The aim of the day was to start to see the world as horses do, to help give them a good life from their perspective, not ours.

Dr Christiensen, whose research has covered horse behaviour, behavioural needs and stress biology in relation to housing, management, handling and training, shared “five facts that I believe our horses would like us to know and remember”.

“Horses are sentient beings, and they have emotions just like us,” she said. “For example, horses experience fear, and when they do, it’s the same part of the brain that becomes activated, the same physiological and behavioral responses, as we experience when we experience fear.”

As well as fear and pain, Dr Christiansen added, “Horses can feel joy. They can feel satisfaction, but they can also become frustrated when their behavioral needs are not met, or when they are exposed to high mental or physical load. Some studies have also shown that horses may even be in a state of depression.”

Fact two is that “horses need to move and forage”.

Dr Christiansen showed graphs of the time horses spend eating, standing and lying down in different environments; when stabled and fed mainly concentrates, they spend far longer just standing, which can lead to abnormal behaviours.

Variety of forage

She also cited recent research showing that horses will forage on a variety of plants, even when grass is abundant.

“This gives opportunity to have different tastes and smells and textures,” she said. “So this variable foraging is very likely related to improved welfare, because expression of an adaptive behavior is linked to positive mental experiences.

“So even when we do give our horses access to pasture, they’re very often in ‘grass deserts’, when it’s much more natural for horses to forage in areas with a much richer biodiversity. So I think we can benefit welfare of horses and our environment if we try to increase biodiversity in the areas our horses are pastured.”

The next fact is that horses need social contact; Dr Christiansen said a study found they will work for this; horses stabled without physical contact with others would press 40 times on a lever to get three minutes of contact with another horse.

“It’s also been shown that horses will show rebound behavior if they have been prevented from social contact with other horses for a period of time,” she said. “They show much more social behaviour than they would have done if they had not been prevented from social contact. It has also been shown that lack of social contact is linked to stress and development of stereotypies. And these three conditions are what characterises a behavioral need. So social need, social contact, is not just a nice to have, it’s a need to have.”

Communicating emotions

The fourth fact is that horses will communicate their emotions, “we’re just not always so good at listening to what they’re saying to us”.

Dr Christiansen showed videos of a horse enjoying a scratch from a human and a pony expressing discomfort while being tacked up. Spooking, tail-swishing and the “pain face” are also ways horse communicate.

The last fact is that horses do not plan ahead.

“We should not underestimate horses, but we should also not overestimate their mental capabilities, because this can have significant welfare consequences,” Dr Christiansen said.

“So if we use phrases such as ‘He’s just being naughty’, ‘he always wants to test his rider’, ‘he knows what he did wrong’, ‘he knows better’. ‘he’s lazy, he’s stubborn’, we put the blame on the horse, and putting the blame on the horse will justify punishment.

“We should never blame horses for unwanted behaviour, because horses are not capable of making detailed plans ahead.

“So to sum up, horses are sentient beings, they have emotions. Horses need to move and forage; we know that is not always reflected in our husbandry system, so this is something we can work towards. Horses need social contact – it’s not just nice to have, it’s a need to have. Horses communicate their emotions, but we need to become much better at understanding their emotions and the behaviours they’re trying to show us, and horses do not plan ahead, so we should never blame a horse for poor behaviour.”

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Truly putting ourselves in horses’ shoes and trying to understand the world as they do is a simple concept in theory – but could have a huge impact.

This is the message of the 2025 World Horse Welfare conference on 21 November, the theme of which is “Through the horse’s eyes”.

There has been a shift in thinking about equine welfare, from just minimising negative welfare experiences to ensuring horses have a life well lived – from their perspective rather than ours.

“We all like to think we give our horses what they need to have a good life, but how much do we truly consider how they experience the lives we create for them?” the conference preview states. “While we can never truly know what a horse thinks or feels, mounting evidence is painting a sometimes surprising picture that is challenging many of our beliefs about what good horse care looks like.”

World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers told H&H why the charity had chosen this theme.

“Everyone is talking about this broader perspective on welfare, yet part of our rationale is that it’s still not really landing,” he said. “People are still very focused on health and physical welfare; health is one of the five domains and a really important one, but it’s only one of them.”

The five domains model for welfare assessment comprises health, nutrition, environment, behaviour and mental state, and Mr Owers said the first four feed into the “ultimate state” – how horses feel in themselves.

“What’s relevant to the horse is how it feels at any moment in any environment,” he said. “That’s one line of thought, the other is very much about the pitfalls of being anthropomorphic.”

Anthropomorphism

Mr Owers gave the example that it was due to turn colder this week, so people may rug their horses, because they themselves are cold, whereas many horses would be better off unrugged.

“Laminitis is another example, when people provide lots of care, but quite often it’s the wrong care because they’re not thinking about it through the horse’s eyes,” he said.

“That’s obviously a very challenging thing, because you’re challenging some fundamentally held principles. That’s some of the rationale for why we really wanted to try to start to unpick what we recognise is a really complicated thing. We only know what we think. We don’t know what horses think. But more evidence, more understanding is coming all the time.”

Speakers include Janne Winther Christensen, an associate professor in ethology, the study of animals’ behaviour in their natural environment, at Aarhus University, Denmark. She has researched horse behaviour, behavioural needs and stress biology, and how human-animal interactions affect behaviour and welfare of both parties.

Top eventer Pippa Funnell will cover how her perspective on riding and training has evolved to consider it through the horse’s eyes and Sam Tibbetts, founder of equine nursing facility Loddington Coppice Equine Healthcare, how she has designed her yard in a horse-centric way. Guests will also hear from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo director of animal care Rick Hester and a panel discussion featuring experts including H&H editor-in-chief Sarah Jenkins.

“I think that in too many conversations, the point doesn’t land,” World Horse Welfare director of communications and public affairs Jessica Stark told H&H.

“A lot of people still look at it in terms of protecting health and safety of animals, but by trying to get people to see things through the horse’s eyes – what are they experiencing, how are they being affected by the environments we put them in, what we do and don’t allow them to do and how we engage with them – we can start to think more about how we can provide better lives for them.”

Small changes

Mr Owers said it may seem like a huge task but starting to shift our view is key. Simple starters could include watching stabled horses on camera to observe their behaviour.

“It’s not just horsemanship and listening to our horses and responding to them, it’s actually trying to get inside their minds, to look at the world the way they see it,” he said. “That’s a really complicated thing to do, a culture change in some ways, but what we’re really excited about is that this could help.

“We can each do our own thing to explore this more in our relationship with our horses, informing ourselves by the latest scientific understanding. There are lots of incremental changes we can all do daily, and we’ve got to be better at listening to our horses; their behaviour and manner are the conversations they’re having with us.

“There’s a really exciting message, about how it can almost open up a whole new aspect and dimension to our relationship with our horses. We only learn by listening, and that’s what this is all about.”

Register to watch the conference online

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Carl Hester shares his views on why adding give and retake of the reins to the grand prix test must be the way forward

I was doing a clinic in California while the FEI General Assembly 2025 was taking place in Hong Kong, so with a long flight home and then starting teaching at what to me was 1am with the time difference, I was reliant on WhatsApp for a full catch-up.

As I wrote in my column last year, the introduction of a give and retake the reins at prix st georges and grand prix level was Kyra Kyrklund’s idea, which she had already put forward to the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) and the FEI.

As I said then, I think this is a brilliant idea. Correct stretch is a key sign of how your horse’s work is progressing. It shows whether the outline just looks right – or if the horse is truly in self-carriage, without the rider hanging on. In a give and retake, if the horse stretches to the bit and doesn’t go behind the bit, it shows the horse is using its back, from hindleg to hand.

Some people were puzzled and asked why on earth anyone would want to watch it. But if they did, it would lead to a full understanding of why the movements aren’t just “tricks”.

From a training point of view, give and retake should be a part of everyone’s routine. It confirms whether or not your horse is in self-carriage, which is one of the most difficult things to achieve, and whether your horse is working correctly with relaxation. Use it!

Thank heavens there was great support for this initiative tabled on FEI documents under “urgent repairs” – rule changes that cannot wait due to their impact on horse welfare. Denmark has already implemented this change under national rules.

The IDRC, European Equestrian Federation and British Equestrian also expressed support.

The FEI’s dressage technical committee now say they are establishing a working group to review all tests to “include movements where the suppleness and self-carriage of the horse can be better assessed, placing greater emphasis on assessing correct training, in accordance with the scale of training”. So get practising!

But with no immediate changes planned, Kyra wonders what we are waiting for, as do I.

As for Diana Al Shaer’s election as chair of the FEI dressage committee ahead of the favoured candidate, Klaus Roeser, that came as a bit of a shock. The vote, a secret ballot open to all federations, contrasts with the European Equestrian Federation’s approach, where only nations actively involved in the sport can vote. We’ll have to see how it plays out.

Goodnight, Jilly

When I heard the news of Jilly Cooper’s death, like many others, I remembered the immeasurable amount of joy she brought through her sense of fun, knowledge and general frolics.

I was fortunate to sit next to her on several social occasions. She was intoxicating, always laughing, teasing and talking about two of her favourite subjects: sex and horses.

My good friend Roly Luard, co-owner of our adored Valegro, had been a great friend and former neighbour of Jilly’s for many years. Jilly was godmother to Roly’s son Harry, whose 21st birthday was after the Rio Olympics. Jilly stood up to deliver a speech.

As well as congratulating Harry on his birthday, Jilly also congratulated Roly on Valegro’s very exciting and successful performance.

In true Jilly fashion, she finished by asking everyone to raise a glass to Roly and her wonderful “Viagra”. Of course, the whole place fell about laughing. I’m sure Jilly didn’t intend to say that, but no one was surprised. It was just so Jilly. She was unique and will be so much missed.

I wish she’d written a book about the dressage scene… or do I?

● What can dressage do to evolve fast enough while prioritising horse welfare and rewarding correct training? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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The “heartbreaking” case of an elderly pony dumped in “unrelenting pain” with a multitude of health issues highlights a growing problem in the UK – and the need for everyone to be part of the solution.

This is the view of the Horses and Ponies Protection Association (HAPPA), which is sharing the story of Spider, who had to be put down, as it “urgently appeals for public awareness and systemic change in response to a growing crisis, the abandonment of horses across the UK”.

“The recent rescue and heartbreaking euthanasia of an elderly pony known as Spider underscores the severity of the problem, and the agonising decisions equine charities are being forced to make in the face of suffering,” a spokesperson for the charity said.

Spider, who was not microchipped, was found having been abandoned on private land, and taken to HAPPA’s Shores Hey Farm for veterinary evaluation.

“What was discovered could not be ignored,” the spokesperson said. “Spider was elderly and burdened by a cascade of severe health issues, advanced Cushing’s disease, laminitis, extreme lameness, COPD and asthma, and a thickening in his right eye that threatened total vision loss.

“The cumulative effect of these conditions meant that Spider was in unrelenting pain and respiratory distress. Each new diagnosis revealed more clearly why he may have been rejected by whoever had cared for him before.

“HAPPA’s equine team and veterinary partners initiated a stepwise care protocol, stabilisation, pain management, diagnostics and assessment of his quality of life. But it soon became tragically evident that Spider was beyond recovery.

“Over time, his laboured breathing worsened, his mobility declined further and his pain was unrelenting. No treatment could reverse or halt the combined progression of his diseases in a way that would restore comfort or dignity. The decision to euthanise was not taken lightly, but in the interest of preventing further suffering, it was ultimately the kindest, most responsible choice.”

HAPPA head of equine operations Amanda Berry said that from a horse welfare perspective, “Spider’s case was one of the most complex and heart-wrenching we have encountered”.

But the charity added that his case is far from unique; HAPPA has seen a 33% increase in horses seized from owners “unable to cope”, 40% of these cases involve abandonment.

The 2020 report Britain’s Horse Problem, published by seven equine welfare charities, found that the horse crisis at the time was the result of a “broken system”, and said more responsible ownership, rules and enforcement were needed to “break the cycle of suffering”.

“Rescue charities are still operating in crisis mode and demand is outstripping capacity,” the spokesperson said.

“These organisations stress common themes: overbreeding, insufficient regulation, weak enforcement and owners overwhelmed by escalating costs (from feed and veterinary care to general upkeep). Without intervention, they warn the crisis will deepen, stretching the limited capacity of rescue and rehabilitation charities.”

Frustrating rescue attempts

HAPPA said charities have also been frustrated by “‘rescue attempts’ by well-meaning but under-resourced individuals, which sometimes exacerbate situations rather than resolve them”

The charity is citing the need for responsible ownership; owners must plan for horses’ long-term care, including during financial hardship.

“Charities encourage early rehoming, discussions with welfare groups or adoption through sanctuary networks rather than abandonment,” the spokesperson said.

“Local authorities must be empowered and resourced to implement equine welfare laws fully; legislation is only as good as its enforcement. Donations, sponsorships, volunteering and public advocacy are critical to sustaining rescue operations and relief capacity.

“Charities often provide advice or support to owners who are struggling before neglect becomes abandonment. Early help can prevent heartbreak later.”

Not miracle workers

HAPPA CEO Sarah Arthur said welfare charities exist partly to step in when owners fail or experience crises but “we are not miracle workers”.

“Spider’s story is a painful reminder that abandonment is not a random tragedy, it is often the outcome of systemic failure,” she said. “Under-resourced owners, weak oversight and a lack of accountability. While we grieve his loss, we must also commit ourselves to preventing such tragedies in the future.”

The spokesperson added that Spider’s story is one of many that are reminders of why the welfare charities continue their work, “standing up for the horses that others have forgotten”.

“His life, though short in HAPPA’s care, was filled with compassion, warmth and the dignity he deserved all along,” she said. “By sharing his story, the charity hopes to spark reflection and change, that no horse should ever be abandoned, neglected, or left to suffer in silence again.

“HAPPA urges everyone who loves horses to be part of the solution, by reporting concerns, supporting welfare charities and promoting responsible ownership.”

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What message do we send when we treat whips as fashion accessories?

This was a question posed at the British Equestrian Trade Association bits, bridling and saddlery conference (28-29 October), as experts looked into what all equestrians do to give horses truly good lives.

World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers spoke about “Welfare in riding – our role in influencing change”.

He told guests: “At our heart, we’re all about inspiring people to put the horse at the centre of everything they do.

“We’d all like a harmonious relationship with our horses, and that’s what the public wants to see. But we need to acknowledge there’s an imbalance of power in the relationship. We control everything the horse does, and want to control how they perform under saddle. But horses are way stronger than us, and that’s where tack and equipment come in. They’re key in how we exercise our power, so it’s vital we choose equipment that respects that imbalance, and doesn’t take advantage of it.”

Mr Owers said responsibility is shared; regulators determine what can be used, riders and coaches use it, educators teach about it. And equestrian trade also has a “pivotal” role.

“If people can’t buy a piece of equipment, they can’t use it,” he said. “Equipment that might compromise welfare can’t be used if it’s not available, equipment that might improve welfare needs to be available so people can use it.”

The horse’s perspective

Mr Owers said all equipment must be considered from the horse’s perspective.

“Riding involves physical pressure on the horse, so we need to ask fundamental questions,” he said. “Where does the horse experience pressure, and can we mitigate it? Does a piece of kit lead to conflicting or inescapable pressures? If so, why are we manufacturing it?”

Mr Owers said the trade can influence positive welfare by taking into account ongoing research, citing manufacturers such as Fairfax, which develop tack and equipment based on scientific studies, and having conversations with stakeholders to guide “evidence-based, pro-welfare design”. Learning about equine behaviour and expressions is also key, to ensure horses are “happy” and comfortable.

“Any of your communication strategies could be used to educate people about welfare and promote pro-welfare messages,” he said. “And finally, while not really lorinery or saddlery, whips have a legitimate place in training horses, when used in accordance with learning theory and in a way that’s minimally aversive. And if we’re honest, so much current whip use is neither, which harms both the horses and public acceptance. What message do we send when we treat whips as a fashion accessory?

“Every sector of the horse world has its part to play in promoting and protecting equine welfare, and there are multiple opportunities [in the trade], from design to marketing to messaging. Moving towards ethical evidence-based standards may be, will be, the best strategy to positively influence the welfare of the ridden, indeed all of the horses in our care.”

Ethical riding

Madeleine Campbell, professor of veterinary ethics at Nottingham University, looked into how everyone can play their part in ethical riding.

She cited the ethical framework for involvement of horses in sport, which she published in 2021 to work through whether any issue is ethical or not.

“The central tenets can be applied to pretty much any human use of non-human animals,” she said. “If we’re thinking about the way each of us can do the best by our horses every day; what does this horse actually need? What do I need to do to meet its welfare needs as well as I can? If we have at the back of our mind these three central tenets, always, that’s a help.”

Dr Campbell said the first tenet is to minimise negative and maximise positive welfare experiences – and although the first is “kind of obvious”, “we’ve only begun much more recently to understand what actually gives the horse a positive welfare impact, then to provide that”. The second is to identify and mitigate avoidable, unnecessary risks, such as introducing frangible devices to reduce the risk of falls in eventing, and the third is to comply with laws and governing bodies’ rules.

“The question is, what does that mean in everyday life?” she said. “Part of this is around shared responsibility for equine welfare, sometimes explained as a form of safeguarding.”

Safeguarding

Dr Campbell said that in safeguarding children, everyone involved in each child’s life shares responsibility not only for protecting them but for helping them flourish.

“This is the analogy for us, that all of us involved in equestrianism need to accept we share that responsibility for equine welfare, and that is part of our ethical approach,” she said, adding that this is everyone from riders and grooms to vets, farriers and saddlers. “They all have a role to play in optimising the wellbeing of the horse, so ensuring we’re approaching our use of horses ethically, and it’s crucial they all talk to each other.”

Dr Campbell cited ongoing work on equine behavioural indicators of positive welfare states as key, as this will allow us to know, and show, when horses are having positive experiences, and that any small changes to improve welfare will add up to better lives for horses.

“I do think it’s ethical for humans to use some animals, as I do think we can give them good lives. All of us can think of a horse, many horses, who we’re confident are having good lives, and if one is, they all can.”

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Equestrians selling horses have been urged to take care over where they may end up, after six animals owned by a “horse trader” were found in such poor health, they had to be put down.

Edward Caulfield, of Bryn Place, Llay near Wrexham, was given a suspended prison sentence and banned from keeping horses for 10 years, at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court on October 21. The 44-year-old had pleaded guilty to six animal welfare offences.

The court heard that when World Horse Welfare field officers went to his farm in Dark Lane, Rosett near Wrexham, last December, “there were obvious signs that horses were being neglected in filthy barns”, an RSPCA spokesperson said.

“Several were underweight and were suffering with dental issues and overgrown hooves as well as skin conditions, while some were lame and one foal was suffering with respiratory problems.”

The spokesperson said World Horse Welfare had raised concerns about equines on a visit to the farm a month before, but their condition had worsened, and a “very underweight” bay mare and her foal were of particular concern.

Field officer Rachel Andrews said: “I was shocked as the mare had little to no fat or muscle cover across her body. Her spine, ribs and pelvis were protruding and her foal’s condition had deteriorated. The area in which they were being kept was very dirty, and the ground was a mixture of mud and faeces.”

The World Horse Welfare staff were joined by the RSPCA and police at the farm the next day to seize the mare and foal so they could be checked by a vet.

“A chestnut mare and a bay mare, both of whose ribs, spine and pelvis were visible, another chestnut mare and a small bay mare suffering with facial swellings were also removed from the farm,” the RSPCA spokesperson said.

“The bay mare, who had a parasite infection, later collapsed and was put to sleep by an on-call vet. Her foal was struggling to breathe because of a neck swelling which had narrowed the trachea and a vet, who examined her a week later, decided that the kindest course of action was to put the foal to sleep.

“One chestnut mare was suffering with lameness and dental issues, a bay pony had a parasite infection and the other chestnut mare was lame and suffering with overgrown hooves. The sixth, a bay mare, was suffering with very overgrown hooves and dental and eye problems. A vet decided that the kindest thing was for all these four equines to be put to sleep to end their suffering.

“The vet concluded that the defendant had failed to provide proper veterinary and farrier care, parasite treatment, dental care as well as an adequate diet and a suitable environment for all six equines.”

In mitigation the court heard Caulfield, who it was said was a horse trader, had been experiencing personal problems as his wife and father had been ill.

The RSPCA inspector who investigated said: “These horses were found in dreadful conditions with various health problems, but their owner failed to take heed of the advice given to seek out vet treatment and their conditions deteriorated further.”

As well as the 10-year ban on owing horses, Caulfield was given a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 230 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £2,122.68.

World Horse Welfare director of UK Malcolm Morley, said: “We’d urge anyone considering selling a horse to think very carefully about where they may end up. We see all too many cases where formerly ridden horses have ended up in situations where their welfare has suffered.”

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British Dressage (BD) has released its first set of figures under its equine welfare action plan, fulfilling a commitment made at the 2024 AGM to increase transparency around horse welfare in dressage competitions.

Although the FEI publishes a public list of yellow cards naming the riders and events involved, BD has opted instead to share annual summary data. The figures, presented at this year’s AGM, cover all welfare-related cases, which are handled confidentially.

BD does not currently maintain a public register of suspensions, even though at the 2024 AGM, the organisation said it was exploring a formal yellow-card warning system of its own for minor offences.

Welfare-related eliminations and disciplinary outcomes

In total, 427 eliminations were recorded for the year to date, 84 of which (19.7%) were welfare-related. Of these, 57 were owing to soundness issues, 15 to blood, and 12 recorded under “other” unspecified reasons.

As a proportion of all starters, welfare-related eliminations accounted for 0.14% of tests. A total of 150 welfare reports were submitted to BD head office during the same period.

BD confirmed that 14 cautions or formal warnings were issued regarding future conduct. Eight cases were referred to the BD equine welfare advisory panel, of which four were upheld.

Five cases were referred to the disciplinary panel – two have been upheld and three remain ongoing. Two individuals are currently suspended pending further disciplinary review.

British Dressage horse welfare threshold framework

To support welfare reporting and disciplinary procedures, British Dressage has developed an equine welfare threshold framework, which categorises cases into four levels:

• Minor or isolated incidents: such as unintentional misuse of whips or spurs, or overly tight nosebands.
• Repeated minor incidents: multiple reports of tack or equipment misuse, or repeated soundness concerns.
• Single but more serious breaches: including excessive force during competition or training.
• Severe abuse or neglect: such as intentional harm, violence or deprivation of water or care.

Each level carries a corresponding response:

• Minor incidents may result in a verbal reminder from officials on the day, a written caution from the CEO, education on best practice and monitoring for recurrence.
• Repeated minor incidents can lead to a formal written warning and additional conditions, such as veterinary approval before competing.
• Serious single breaches trigger a formal investigation and referral to BD’s internal welfare and disciplinary panel, with potential involvement of World Horse Welfare or the RSPCA.
• Severe abuse or neglect results in immediate referral to the RSPCA, police, World Horse Welfare or local authorities for investigation, BD monitoring progress and imposing suspension where appropriate.

Welfare and rule development

The FEI’s new noseband measuring device will be introduced at national level from 2026, following a successful trial at the national championships, where stewards checked horses before they entered the warm-up arena.

“It’s going to be vitally important that we develop the sport itself, rewarding harmony over tension and submission as well,” said BD chief executive Jason Brautigam. “Ultimately, riders will train their horses to achieve the scores that are rewarded by judges. So we need to start at this endpoint [the judges], and work backwards.

“This will require a review of the rules governing the sport itself to encourage best practice, including the content of our tests and the marking schemes, which will reward a natural way of going.”

Mr Brautigam added that BD will follow the FEI’s lead on upcoming rule revisions. At the FEI General Assembly in Hong Kong (5–7 November), national federations and stakeholders will debate and vote on proposed updates to the 2025 dressage rules – including a suggestion from the International Dressage Officials Club to add new movements at grand prix to assess suppleness and self-carriage, such as a give and retake of the reins.

The FEI dressage technical committee has expressed full agreement with this proposal. Separately, the FEI’s quadrennial rules review for dressage is scheduled for 2026, during which broader and more significant structural changes to the dressage rulebook are expected.

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A new study looks into how humans can hold conflicting thoughts about horse welfare at the same time – and how they reconcile and rationalise their actions to quieten those uncomfortable feelings.

“But my horse is well cared for” is the title quote from the study, published in Animal Welfare, an international journal of animal welfare science. It found these mental processes appear to be “a barrier to change”, and researchers hope the findings can be useful in informing human behaviour change strategies to improve horse welfare.

Researchers at the University of Lincoln took on “a qualitative exploration of cognitive dissonance and enculturation in equestrian attitudes toward performance horses and their welfare”. The dictionary definition of cognitive dissonance is “a state in which there is a difference between your experiences or behaviour and your beliefs about what is true”, and enculturation is absorbing values and behavioural patterns – in this context, the equestrian world.

They interviewed 22 equestrians in the US, Canada and the UK – the aim was not to generalise the findings, but to understand perspectives – and they found five main themes.

The first was that respondents perceived welfare issues and expressed concern for the wellbeing of horses, but also justified practices they acknowledged as harmful by employing several strategies, including reframing and trivialisation. For example, discussing the benefits of turnout and then justifying not providing it.

The second was different conceptions of what constitutes a good life for horses. Nearly all study participants identified having a job and enjoying it as an important part of a good life for a horse, but also spoke about a good life in terms of the horse being able to just be themselves as a horse.

The other themes were objectification of the horse, instrumentalisation of horse care and enculturation.

Erica Cheung, who has an interest in animal welfare and co-authored the paper with Daniel Mills and Beth Ann Ventura, told H&H: “I really wanted to look into how we help people to see things differently, and that starts with understanding what people see in the first place”.

She added that she is “not trying to tell people” what is good and bad welfare, but to encourage people to examine their own thought processes and consider what makes an animal happy and their life worth living from the animal’s perspective, rather than a human point of view.

She added that the equine industry talks about putting the horse first, “but we have to really understand what that means”.

“I think that there needs to not only be a lot of emphasis on welfare research in terms of understanding the horses, but also understanding the people,” she said. “We’re the guardians of these animals, we have to really understand ourselves in terms of why we do certain things and what’s going to help change our minds about what’s best for the horses.”

World Horse Welfare’s director of UK, vet Malcolm Morley, told H&H: “It’s encouraging that many riders in this study describe a ‘good life’ for horses in ways that echo the five domains – a healthy environment, good health and nutrition, positive emotional wellbeing, and freedom to move, socialise, and make choices that are meaningful to them.

“The harder truth is that knowing this and putting it into practice are not the same thing, and there is a significant gap. Long-standing habits, traditions and the pressures of competition can pull people away from what they believe is right for their horses. While that gap is real, we believe it’s fixable.

“We particularly agree with the study’s point that to care for an animal well you must first care about them, but almost every owner would say they care. The difference shows up in everyday choices.

“At World Horse Welfare we want to help the whole sector make that shift from ‘what’s normal’ to ‘what’s best for the horse’ – particularly focused on things like more turnout, social contact, and evidence-based horse-centred training methods.

“Horses are thinking, feeling animals and our responsibility is to see their world through their eyes and put their needs at the centre of our decisions – even when it’s inconvenient or goes against tradition. Small changes, made widely, add up to a better life for horses.”

Read the full study

• Ms Cheung is seeking views for further research in this area. For more information and to take part in a study, visit: https://unilincolnlifescienc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cvS5pxbmsQUPkvY

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Hay feeders, mirrors and activity balls can improve horses’ time in the stable, research has shown.

In a study published in Animals, US researchers assessed the physiological and behavioural responses of nine stabled horses to hay feeders, mirrors and activity balls, provided in addition to their usual bucket feed and hay fed from the ground.

The results showed that enrichment increased heart rate, foraging and locomotion and that overall, horses performed more “species-typical time budgets”.

“The hay feeder, activity ball and mirror appeared equally engaging, so we concluded that both edible and non-edible items can be effective enrichment,” lead author Miranda Brauns of the University California Davis told H&H.

“Additionally, enrichment decreased frustration behaviours, so we suggest that horses responded to enrichment with a positive emotional state, although additional research involving judgment bias testing is needed to more definitively conclude horses’ emotional states.”

Ms Brauns said the aim was to improve understanding so we can “better utilise enrichment as a welfare tool, particularly for horses who may spend sizeable time in a stable setting”.

“Enrichment effects on horses have been studied before, but there is very limited research that analyses both physiological and behavioural components. There is also limited research that compares multiple items within the same study. Therefore, our research incorporated these variables so we may obtain a more comprehensive understanding of enrichment,” said Ms Brauns.

“This study gives evidence that providing enrichment has a positive effect on physiology and behaviour, so it is strongly recommended to improve the overall welfare of stabled horses. We also found a time-of-day effect, so we recommend providing enrichment during times when horses do not have daily meal provisions.

“Individual horses may respond to enrichment in different ways, so horse owners are encouraged to try different enrichments to see what works best for their horse.”

In the study, the horses’ had at least one and a half hours of training and 30 minutes of turnout per day. H&H asked Ms Brauns if she felt the results might be different with increased turnout.

“I would hypothesise that results would be different if turnout time was greater. This is supported by enrichment studies that tested in larger paddocks and had differing results to ours,” she said.

“For example, Benhajali et al. 2009 saw a decrease in locomotion with enrichment whereas we saw an increase. Even if testing remained in stalls, a greater time in turnout may change how horses behave while in their stalls, due to the fact that turnout can be considered a form of enrichment itself. Therefore, this would be another interesting question future research could undertake.”

• Read the full study

World Horse Welfare director of UK welfare Malcolm Morley said the charity always recommends that people turn out their horses as much as possible.

“It’s really important to provide horses with the three Fs – friends, forage and freedom. Nothing replaces regular turnout with companions,” he told H&H. “However, if a horse has to be stabled, they should ideally have continuous access to forage, supplemented by a variety of forms of enrichment that may help them cope, so it’s great to have some evidence to support this in the form of this study.

“As ever, we’d urge owners to treat all horses as individuals and try out several different types of enrichment and ways to provide forage to see what their own horse prefers – our farms have seen some quite distinct preferences when trialling this with our horses. More research on longer-term impacts and with larger groups of horses would be welcomed.”

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A showing producer and judge is being investigated in connection with a video that has been widely shared online.

Footage of a horse in a turnout pen in full tack with a backing dummy on board and its head strapped to the saddle were circulated this month. Showing societies have released statements – and a petition calling for a lifetime ban from “keeping, training or working horses in any capacity” has more than 2,770 signatures.

Charlotte Brunt shared the video, which has been seen more than 500,000 times.

She told H&H the footage had initially been shared by the non-horsey dog walker who took it, and who wants to remain anonymous. She said the walker saw the horse on her way past, then again when she came back and took the video as “she thought something didn’t seem right”.

“I didn’t expect it to blow up as it has,” she said. “Within 24 hours, societies were putting out statements saying he’d been suspended. That’s a step in the right direction but it needs to be more than that.”

She added that she shared the footage to try to put a stop to unethical practices.

“There’s too much turning a blind eye,” she said. “I’m fed up with horses not having a voice or getting fair treatment or the justice they deserve.”

On 4 October, the British Show Horse Association (BSHA) said in a statement: “In light of video footage brought to the attention of the boards of the BSHA and Sport Horse Breeding (GB) today, and the serious welfare concerns contained therein, it had been decided by both organisations to suspend the membership of the connected party with immediate effect, pending full investigation.”

The Coloured Horse and Pony Society (CHAPS (UK)) also said an investigation had been launched into “footage brought to our attention”.

“We want to assure our members and the wider community that CHAPS (UK) takes all concerns extremely seriously,” the society said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring that the investigation is handled thoroughly, fairly, and in line with our established disciplinary procedures.”

The following day, Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) chairman James Noblett put out a statement that read: “The Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) has been made aware of a video posted online that contains the potential mistreatment of a horse. We will not tolerate any abuse of animals in our members’ care. We have therefore taken the decision to suspend the alleged party involved until a full investigation is undertaken.”

Call for information

An RSPCA spokesperson told H&H: “We urge anyone with information on this incident to make contact with the RSPCA at either rspca.org.uk/reportaconcern or by ringing 0300 1238018.”

H&H understands that the suspended producer is Peter Hodgkinson. H&H approached Mr Hodgkinson for comment on this case and he said: “I am fully assisting all societies with any investigations, and any animal is looked after to the highest standard.”

In 2019, Mr Hodgkinson was suspended after a horse in his care tested positive for potassium bromide, an anti-convulsant that also has a sedative effect.

Mr Hodgkinson said at the time that he had not heard of bromide beforehand, and that he believed the drug entered the horse’s system after he ate feed left in the on-site stabling he had booked.

The BSHA tribunal report said there was no evidence he had booked stabling at the venue and that his explanation demonstrated he “was guilty of a dereliction of his duty of care for the welfare of the horse”.

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Tools aimed at changing human behaviour could mean better lives for our horses – if the sector unites behind them.

Community interest company Human Behaviour Change for Life (HBCL) has created the toolkits for the RSPCA as part of its ongoing Horse Sense project. The first phase of this was research, which found that although the issues behind the original “horse crisis” had eased, the current crisis is that “most equines in England and Wales are not having their welfare needs fully met”.

The research found that lack of owner experience is a major barrier to good welfare, as is lack of turnout; the next stages of the project are about trying to improve the situation.

“We get so much from horses,” RSPCA senior scientific manager for equines Mark Kennedy told H&H. “We want that to continue, we want people to have fun with horses. But in return, it’s only right we make sure that those horses have good lives with us.”

In a webinar on 17 September, Dr Kennedy and representatives of HBCL talked through the research and the next steps.

HBCL co-founder Suzanne Rogers explained that as part of the research, the team spoke to varied focus groups.

“Everyone we talked to provided lots of suggestions, recommendations and ideas for what could be done to make things better for horses,” she said. The recommendations covered issues such as education and training and collaboration, not just between welfare organisations and the wider sectorwell , but with commercial companies to address gaps between available products for horses, and those from which horses benefit.

“If horses could order from a horse catalogue, what would they choose?” she added. “We thought, maybe not a huge amount. Societal approaches is another big theme; there were recommendations about recognition of the changing role of the horse in society. Before outward-facing activities to address those harmful societal norms can be considered, before we look outward, we felt the sector needs to look inward, to actively pledge to adopt certain actions ourselves.”

Harmful practices

She said all in the industry should adopt policies that acknowledge horses as sentient beings and referred to as such.

“There were a lot of suggestions about it being logical for the sector to work on a multi-stakeholder campaign to address the fact a lot of harmful practices are completely normal and accepted in the horse world,” she said. “There are lots of examples and recommendations; all those things we think of as normal in horse keeping, but really are harming or not safeguarding their welfare.

“So, whoever you are, whoever you represent, have a look at the [Horse Sense] report as there will be something there for you.”

Key in phase two, starting the change, is improving owner skills, which is the aim of the behaviour change toolkits. The first level is a one-page document setting out what horses really need for a good life, and challenging the user to make one change.

Not “educating” owners

Dr Kennedy said the idea is not to “educate” owners, as few owners feel they need education, but to encourage people not only to change that one thing, and more, but to start looking at horse welfare differently. The document could be displayed at livery yards, and one idea is to have an online wall on which people can post their pledges to change.

“One principle of behaviour change is, you make the change as easy as possible,” he said. “A good example is [running programme] Couch to 5k; it separates things into bite-size chunks to make it easy to change.”

The level two tool is more extensive and designed for yards, and perhaps vets and colleges, with the same idea of pledging change. This also includes plans for barriers to change, such as late nights and bad weather, and support for such incidents.

“It starts with making one change,” Dr Kennedy said. “But the hope is that by the time they get to the end of that toolkit, they will be thinking ‘What else can I change?’

“What governs animal welfare is what people do, so it’s people we need to work with.”

Work in progress

The basic tools are available, and have been trialled and modified, but they are a work in progress. Dr Kennedy said the hope is to have an app, and to get people talking about and using them.

“It’s absolutely not a case of ‘The tools are out there; deal with them, we’re moving on’,” he said. “That’s not horse sense; this project is a long-term thing.”

Dr Kennedy said the toolkits will be “embedded in” the RSPCA; at its centres and in advice given to struggling owners, and work is ongoing on training and support related to them. The aim will then be to share them with other organisations and stakeholders.

“These tools will hopefully drive a real paradigm shift in how we work with horses, help us really strengthen our relationship with them and ensure they have a good life,” he said.

“Let’s go from a situation of dealing with a crisis to taking preventative action to make sure these situations don’t develop in the first place. This research, these tools, are the very first steps in this collaborative mission. We all want to work together to build a good life for horses; we the RSPCA can’t do it on our own. Human Behaviour Change for Life can’t do it on their own. We all need to work together to drive a good life for horses.”

To find out more about the toolkits, email cad@rspca.org.uk

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A new levy on thoroughbred foals will help “safeguard the health, welfare, and aftercare of all horses bred to race in Britain”.

The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) has announced that the £60 equine welfare levy, collected by Weatherbys at foal registration, will apply to all thoroughbreds born in Britain, and foals registered for racing by the Non-Thoroughbred Register (NTR). It replaces the voluntary donation of £25 split between the TBA and Retraining of Racehorses (RoR).

“The monies collected will help underpin a more sustainable funding model to secure essential lifetime services for all thoroughbreds bred to race as well as bringing breeders’ contributions into alignment with other industry stakeholders who already provide mandatory funding for aftercare,” a TBA spokesperson said.

From each £60, £25 will go to aftercare charity RoR and £35 to the TBA “to continue vital work around equine infectious disease control and prevention, biosecurity and border controls, vaccine and medication availability and stewardship, continued support and communication of veterinary research, lifetime traceability of the thoroughbred and genetic diversity”.

TBA deputy chair Kate Sigsworth said: “While many breeders already play an active role in the homing, paddock retirement or transitioning of their horses to the leisure sector, often for life, the new welfare levy ensures that all thoroughbreds bred to race, including those sold by breeders, will have access to the services and expertise of RoR throughout their lives.

“We are incredibly grateful to all those breeders who contribute already and we see this formalised process as a significant step forward, which will ensure that every horse bred to race in Britain is safeguarded both before and after their racing careers. It is a vital step in demonstrating the breeding sector’s responsibility for the lifelong welfare of our thoroughbreds.”

The TBA said feedback from breeders had been “very encouraging”.

RoR managing director David Catlow added: “With the support of these increased contributions from the breeding sector, alongside the wider industry, RoR can continue to lead the way in aftercare for British racing and deliver on the ambitious goals set out in our 2024–2026 strategy.

“We are extremely grateful to the TBA for facilitating this process and, in particular, to breeders, whose support helps us provide an important safety net for all thoroughbreds bred for racing.”

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Significant progress has been made on recommendations to improve horse traceability and welfare in Ireland – but without all-island integration, the system “will always have holes”.

The Irish government department of agriculture, food and the marine (DAFM) has published a report on its action plan to deliver the recommendations from the Wall report (news, 27 March). Patrick Wall, a professor of public health, vet, medical doctor and food safety expert, was commissioned by DAFM to review its equine traceability system after an RTÉ documentary titled Horses – Making a Killing, showed the failures of the current system.

Professor Wall found weaknesses throughout the system, including in recording ownership changes and horses’ deaths, and said “comprehensive reforms are necessary”.

This spring, DAFM published a plan to address the issues, and it has now released an update on the 37 proposed actions. These come under five headings; ensure owner accountability through better traceability, stricter enforcement of equine identification and registration legislation, highest level of protection for horses at end of life, maximising the benefits of scientific and technology innovation and strong communication and influence.

“The status report shows that all 37 actions have been advanced with particular progress made towards a new IT system to support the proposed changes, as well as the initiatives on education and grant aid for modernisation,” a DAFM spokesperson said, adding that DAFM minister Martin Heydon stressed that horse welfare is the key driver of the project.

“Traceability is essential to the protection of horses,” he said. “Gaps in traceability allow for neglect and mistreatment without accountability. I am committed to implementing a new equine traceability system which will ensure our horses’ health and welfare are protected throughout their lives. The progress evidenced in the status report is the result of close cooperation and consultation with equine stakeholders and I would like to thank them for the positivity with which they have engaged with this reform.”

Equine census data

Mr Heydon said the new IT system for traceability is on track to be complete by the end of the year, based on the 2024 equine census data, which will “allow high levels of traceability while providing flexibility” for horse movement.

DAFM said measures to progress end-of-life welfare are progressing, and that “stricter enforcement is being actioned through a new inspection regime for equine holdings which is near conclusion”. The department is committed to establishing a new equine slaughterhouse; there had been an increase in export for slaughter since Ireland’s only abattoir that took horses closed. Other progress includes a pilot project using smart trackers and a new booklet outlining owner responsibilities.

Professor Wall told H&H that although the DAFM update is welcome, “the reality is this”. “Reforms in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) will not be effective in isolation,” he said. “Without parallel systems and cooperation in Northern Ireland (NI), the potential for loopholes and exploitation remains dangerously wide open.

“A core message in the report, and a reality not fully addressed in the minister’s announcement, is that without a fully integrated all-island system, the traceability net will always have holes.”

Prof Wall’s report makes clear that horse movement between the ROI and NI is “largely seamless” and untracked in real time. Horses can then move unrecorded to Britain.

“There is no equine census in NI, no equine premises numbers (EPNs) and very limited interoperability between the UK’s Central Equine Database and the ROI’s national database,” he said. “Horses can move across the border and vanish from traceability systems altogether.”

The report warns that “any solutions adopted in the ROI must be mirrored in NI to be effective”.

Legal export to slaughter

“Horses legally exported for slaughter can be described as moving for leisure, evading scrutiny,” Prof Wall said. “Without real-time data sharing and harmonised systems, this kind of regulatory arbitrage is not only possible, it’s already happening.”

The report found potential for fraud owing to poor cross-border data-sharing; people reportedly alter horses’ identities in false passports.

“For real reform, NI authorities must introduce EPNs, an equine census, and real-time integration with ROI’s central database,” Prof Wall said. “Horses that cross the border must have movements logged, identities verified, and food chain status consistent. The horse does not recognise political borders, and neither does fraud.

“In the spirit of cooperation that followed the 2013 horse meat scandal, and the Brexit arrangements, it is time for a truly joint approach to equine traceability and welfare. Otherwise, the ROI’s reforms risk becoming a one-sided firewall, unable to contain a cross-border problem.”

A spokesperson for northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) told H&H DAERA officials are aware of the findings and recommendations in the Wall report, and “continue to work very closely with officials in DAFM on matters arising from the report”.

“New domestic legislation is being prepared which will provide DAERA with enforcement powers to implement the EU animal health law [Regulation (EU) 2016/429], which provides the framework for an equine traceability system,” she said.

“On 21 July 2025, Minister Muir announced the mandatory requirement to register all equine establishments in Northern Ireland and that from 1 February 2026, it will not be possible to apply for, or update, an equine passport without providing a valid equine establishment number (EEN). DAERA officials have been engaging with the equine sector throughout 2025 on the new requirements and continue to work very closely with DAFM officials on equine traceability issues on the island of Ireland.”

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Opinion

A lot of people seem to be missing a big point about horse welfare, still.

It’s now nine years since the Great Yorkshire Show first asked people to dismount if they were not an appropriate size for the horses or ponies they were riding but there is still a big issue here.

H&H reported this week that Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) had brought in a new equine welfare framework, and that as part of this, its rules on rider-horse weight ratios were to be actively enforced.

The piece was posted on H&H social media and just about all the comments were as expected.

There was a lot of support for RoR, but there was also “whataboutery”; why is this being addressed when there are so many worse welfare issues. There was “what about big men riding, this is just misogyny”, there were people saying it’s fat-shaming. There were lots of comments about people who “ride light” and that a heavier but balanced rider is better than a lighter but less balanced one. There was even something about “skinny people bouncing about” and yanking mouths.

But this is about horse welfare. If you used the argument that this isn’t worth looking at because being beaten and starved is worse, you would then overlook most welfare issues, and horses or ponies being asked to carry excess weight is detrimental to their wellbeing.

It’s been said over and over again but this is not fat-shaming; it’s not about whether a rider is overweight or not, it’s about suitability of the rider-horse combination. You could be an 8st size zero and you would be too big for a 12.2hh pony. You could be 15st and medically overweight but absolutely fine to ride a bigger horse.

Yes, it is probably easier for a horse to carry a balanced 18 stone than an unbalanced load of the same weight – but it’s still 18 stone. If you were asked to carry a heavy load, it would be easier in a balanced rucksack on both shoulders and with wide padded straps than awkwardly swinging on one shoulder, but all the balance and careful loading in the world won’t make it weigh less.

And it’s not just weight – it’s size. A friend asked me to ride her 14.2hh a few years ago and although I was ok on the weight front, I was too tall. This meant the saddle that fitted the pony didn’t fit me, so my weight was wrongly distributed – I was too big for that pony, so I didn’t ride her.

The “suitably mounted” topic is a huge one, and of course a multitude of factors come into it; saddle fit, horse fitness, condition and conformation to name but a few. And it is a hugely sensitive topic that has to be dealt with appropriately – but it does have to be dealt with, as part of the commitment to always putting horse welfare first.

The RoR rules state that the total weight a horse should carry is ideally no more than 17% of its own bodyweight, the absolute maximum is 20%. For a 500kg thoroughbred, that’s 85kg (13st 5lb) or 100kg (15st 10lb). Does anyone really think a small thoroughbred should be asked to carry more than nearly 16 stone?

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Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) has launched a “refreshed welfare framework” for competitions and events including its championships this week – including more active enforcement of rider size limits.

The charity for former racehorses published its new welfare rules and guidance on 1 August, ahead of The Jockey Club RoR National Championships (19-24 August). The document was “designed to ensure the wellbeing of retired racehorses and support their successful transition into new careers”.

“These rules are grounded in the principle that horse welfare is paramount, addressing both the physical and psychological needs of each animal,” the guide states.

A few days later, RoR announced that it had updated its horse-to-rider weight ratio rules, now in place for all RoR competitions, clinics, camps and parades. These state that the weight of rider and tack combined should “ideally not exceed 17% of the horse’s bodyweight”, and that the “absolute maximum permitted is 20%”.

“Too much weight can cause fatigue, lameness and behaviour changes,” an RoR spokesperson said.

“At the RoR National Championships 2025, our welfare stewarding team will be present, have access to a weighbridge and will award suitably mounted certificates to those meeting the guidelines.

“These rules aren’t about judgement, they’re about giving our ex-racehorses the best possible life after racing.”

This means that for a 500kg thoroughbred, the recommended maximum combined rider and tack weight is 85kg (13st 5lb), the absolute maximum is 100kg (15st 10lb).

Some riders said the move had a “body-shaming” element, but others were supportive.

Thoughtful comments

“Although much of the feedback was positive, there were also some valid questions and thoughtful comments,” an RoR spokesperson told H&H.

“In response to some of the points made, we’ve updated the certificate so it’s clear that recording the weight fields is now optional. The rider and horse will still need to be weighed to calculate the percentage, but the figures don’t need to be written on the certificate if the rider prefers, just the percentage.”

The spokesperson added that the refreshed welfare framework includes clearer guidance on raising concerns and formalisation of RoR’s partnership with the Welfare Stewarding group.

“This initiative is designed to support responsible ownership and celebrate good horsemanship, with welfare stewards now present at major RoR competitions following successful trials,” she said.

“The weight ratio has been part of RoR competition rules since 2016 but hasn’t been actively enforced this qualifying season. As a result, we’re taking a measured and flexible approach this year. This includes raising awareness of the rule – as we know many members may not have previously been aware of it – and introducing certificates to support and encourage good practice.

“Weighing is entirely optional. The Welfare stewarding team may invite combinations to be weighed; riders can decline, but this may result in elimination if the judge believes the horse’s way of going is compromised.

“We fully understand that this is a sensitive subject, weight can be a difficult or even triggering topic for many people but as a charity focused on the welfare of ex-racehorses, it’s essential we talk about this openly, fairly, and with compassion.”

Not “can I?” but “should I?”

Vet Malcolm Morley, world Horse Welfare director of UK, told H&H the charity rehomes those ridden horses and ponies who have potential to be ridden with a rider weight limit, determined thanks to thorough assessment by specialists and taking into account age, conformation and fitness.

“Ultimately this is about seeing it from the horse’s perspective – the horse doesn’t get to choose, but we do. So let’s make it normal to ask, ‘Is this still the right partnership?’” he said. “The question isn’t ‘Can I?’ but ‘Should I, be on this horse, right now?’”

Welfare group founder Amanda Stoddart-West told H&H the team is delighted to be working with RoR again at the championships.

“Our first attendance at the event came last year, and it’s wonderful RoR has embraced involving us again,” she said. “We hope this marks the beginning of a long-standing relationship where ‘putting the horse first’ truly means just that.

“Welfare is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re proud to play our part in encouraging the highest standards while promoting good horsemanship and offering support to members. This is a shared journey; one where we all come together for the greater good of the horse.

“RoR has worked incredibly hard to push this ethos forward, introducing initiatives such as the suitably mounted certificates; a fantastic way to recognise and reward members.

“One of the highlights of our role is presenting the good horsemanship awards at this and other events. Seeing the joy and pride on competitors’ faces is priceless – it makes everything we do feel so worthwhile.

“Above all, we see ourselves as ambassadors for the horse, offering support, guidance, and education wherever we can.”

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There are few nicer views than seeing relaxed horses grazing together or grooming each other in the field, but these fond friendships don’t always happen overnight, and introducing a new horse to a herd takes time and patience.

When you get a new horse you’ll likely be looking to keep them at a livery yard, or at home if you have appropriate grazing land. The three Fs model focuses on a horses’ three essential needs; friends, forage, and freedom – horses are highly social animals and providing companionship is vital for their welfare.

Veterinary behaviourist expert Dr Gemma Pearson, who is director of equine behaviour for The Horse Trust, says that it is important that horses can groom each other.

“There are scenarios where it’s not possible for horses to be in the same space, but in those cases having fencing that facilitates that they can still groom each other over the top, for me, would be the lowest acceptable standard for most horses,” she says.

“If horses get to live as a herd it means they get to choose who their friends are. Often we put them in pairs, which is fine, but we’re deciding who they’re going to be friends with.

“Whereas if we allow them to be in a slightly bigger group, they will often choose who they spend the most time with. Some will give the best back scratches, others might be the best at swatting flies off their face, or good to have a good gallop with, so having that ability to interact with several other horses is the gold standard.”

Introducing a horse to a new herd can have its challenges and should be done with the help of someone experienced. Gemma says that there is not a “one size fits all” herd, and it often comes down to individual yard set-ups. If you have moved to a new yard, it is likely they will already have established groups, which might include separate mares and geldings, mixed herds, or horses grouped by similar ages and heights.

“We know that as a preference horses will prefer those that are a similar age, because they want to do similar things; younger horses will have a higher play drive and older horses tend to want to relax a little bit more,” she explains Gemma.

“Sex can also be a component – we find that geldings enjoy playing with other geldings, whereas mares spend more time standing next to each other or grooming. But in mixed herds you can get mares and geldings that choose to be more friendly than with their own sex.”

How to introduce a horse to a new herd

When introducing a new horse to a herd equine welfare charity HorseWorld lets horses meet over a fence in adjacent paddocks.

“We give new arrivals time to bond and form a small group or pair, and then we move them into a larger herd,” says Sarah Hollister, HorseWorld’s head of equine welfare. “This means the new horse has already become acquainted and has a couple of friends, and it just seems to help them integrate into the herd a lot easier.

“With a new herd we would always do introductions earlier in the day to make sure they’ve had time to settle, but if we’re not too sure about how they are getting on, we’d separate them again overnight and start again the next day. It’s important to have people around that can monitor the situation and if it’s not going well you can remove them for a little while.”

Gemma says that most disagreements between new horses will occur in the first 48 hours.

“Sometimes people think if they run around for half an hour and they start to graze it’s fine, but actually it’s at least 48 hours before things have really settled down,” she says.

“Some chasing is OK – that is a normal part of an introduction of a new herd member. What usually happens is a member approaches the herd and there will be some sniffing and squealing, there may be some strikes and kick-outs, but they shouldn’t normally make contact.

“A lot of this is display behaviour. The new horse may retreat a bit, and it’s important that they are in a big enough area that they can get out of the way and have somewhere to go – we see most problems when the paddock is too small and a horse can’t get away.

“Then normally over a period of time, the new horse will get closer and closer. In my own experience with my three-year-old I got this spring, it took three to four weeks before he was really grazing and integrated into the established herd.”

Sarah reminds us that horses are individuals and the time it can take to settle into a new group can take vary greatly.

“It can take a couple of hours or days, or it can take a couple of weeks or months,” she says.

“Everything is going to depend on how those personalities match, their gender, and just their general history. For example you might have a horse who has not been well socialised growing up and who has spent a lot of time alone previously.

“So it can take a long time, and a lot longer than people expect, but generally you’ll see they’ll become more comfortable in each other’s spaces over time.

“The only time I’ve seen horses struggle to live with others is when a horse has been kept alone, especially if it’s been since they were a youngster. However, we’ve never had a case where a horse hasn’t adapted to living with others.”

Sarah advises during the settling in phase to give extra resources.

“If feeding hay rations make sure they are really well spaced out, and you might need to offer more than one water source,” she says.

“Giving hard feed can be a real trigger so rather than doing this in the field, we would recommend taking horses out of the field to feed them.”

A livery yard’s approach to introducing a horse to a new herd

BHSII and UKCC level 3 coach Danielle Quigley Cutter keeps single-sex herds of six at her livery and competition yard Holmside Hall Equestrian.

“To begin with we will put a new horse in with one other, and let them settle,” Danielle explains. “Then from there we introduce one more at a time. I would expect some squealing and playing, but we would then be looking for them to start grazing and we would usually give them around a week to settle.

“We keep ponies in separate herds from horses, from a safety perspective of children going to take their pony out of the field – and we have a mandatory rule that everyone must wear a hard hat when bringing in or turning out.”

Danielle’s yard has a set routine which she believes helps horses settle in.

“All our horses come in at night during the winter, and in during the day during summer, and we find having that system really helps horses adapt to being in a new place,” says Danielle.

Troubleshooting

In cases of concern, for example where a horse hasn’t been in a herd previously, Gemma says it can be useful to speak to your vet about prescribing a psychopharmaceutical – a non-sedative drug that can help with anxiety.

“It doesn’t sedate them, but it can help take away a little bit of anxiety and adrenaline. I’ve used this for quite a few horses now and it can really help them to just not run round as much so things don’t escalate,” she says.

Gemma adds that she tends to see the most problems occur when horses have been isolated for 14 days for biosecurity reasons when arriving at a new yard.

“This approach does increase the risk of problems as you’re more likely to get ‘post-inhibitory rebound’, a process where a behaviour is performed to excess following a period of restriction,” she explains.

“I personally would avoid isolating horses prior to introducing them to a new herd. We still need to consider all the biosecurity aspects so owners should speak to their vets and yard owner about what’s going to work best for that premises. Some yards may accept a guttural pouch lavage (a diagnostic procedure to detect the presence of strangles) before moving to a new yard, and I believe the strangles vaccine could be really promising in reducing the prevalence of strangles in the future.

“In terms of diseases, a lot is going to depend on where a horse has come from on what the risk is. A horse from a dealer’s yard that’s spent a lot of time travelling and hasn’t been on that yard very long is going to be higher risk than a horse that’s been at a private yard for maybe 10 years and hasn’t been anywhere, so it’s important to take individual circumstances into consideration and discuss these with your vet and yard owner.”

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Former Olympic dressage rider Cesar Parra has been suspended for 15 years for repeatedly abusing multiple horses in his care in a “deeply unsettling case”.

The FEI Tribunal has announced today (6 August) that US rider Parra, 62, has been sanctioned for “actions violating the principles of horse welfare”. He had been provisionally suspended since February last year; H&H reported at the time that US Equestrian (USEF) had been sent video clips “documenting [Parra’s] abhorrent abusive training techniques” at his private training yard in Florida.

“US Equestrian had received multiple allegations along with numerous videos and photographs showing Parra engaging in abusive behaviour and training methods involving several horses,” an FEI spokesperson said.

“The FEI, in coordination with US Equestrian, launched an immediate investigation into the allegations that Parra had repeatedly and deliberately subjected the majority, if not all, of the horses he owned and trained to recurring and serious abuse over a number of years.”

The long-running investigation involved reviewing “extensive video and photographic material”, and statements from multiple witnesses. The FEI initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against Parra in May 2024 on three charges: abuse of horse, conduct that brings the FEI and/or equestrian sport and the FEI into disrepute and breach of the FEI code of conduct on the welfare of the horse.

“This case is deeply unsettling, not only because of the recurring nature of the abuse, but also because of the number of horses affected,” said FEI legal director Mikael Rentsch.

“That such behaviour came from a top-level athlete makes it all the more troubling. Our athletes are expected to represent and uphold the highest standards of horsemanship. Horse welfare is the foundation, not an add-on, of equestrian sport.

“The investigation demanded significant time and resources due to the volume and complexity of the evidence, which had to be meticulously verified. The 15-year suspension sends a clear message that regardless of profile or position, those who violate the principles of horse welfare will face serious consequences.”

Cesar Parra represented Colombia at the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2004 Olympics and the 2002 and 2006 World Equestrian Games. He switched nationalities in 2008 and competed for the US at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Rule change

A USEF spokesperson said that when the federation received the complaints about Parra in early 2024, it did not have a rule allowing it to take action on welfare issues outside sanctioned competitions. It referred the case to the FEI, which did have such a rule, and has since passed a change expanding its jurisdiction to “unethical treatment that occurs on or off the grounds of a federation competition”.

“As a federation, we have strengthened our rules to ensure we are within our jurisdiction to pursue disciplinary action for behaviour and actions endangering horse safety and welfare, both on and off competition grounds,” said USEF CEO Bill Moroney. “Parra’s documented and repeated behavior has no place in our sport, and we will ensure the enforcement of the FEI Tribunal’s decision. We appreciate the FEI’s diligence and expertise in pursuing this matter.”

The FEI said Parra’s suspension, from all national and international competition, related activity or training of FEI-registered riders or horses until 1 February 2039, is part of “one of the most significant sanctions issued by the FEI Tribunal”. He has also been fined CHF 15,000 (£13,947) and ordered to pay CHF 10,000 in legal costs.

H&H has contacted Parra.

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The Danish Equestrian Federation (DRF) will ban double bridles below level 4 in dressage from 1 September 2025, as part of new horse welfare reforms. Level 4 is roughly equivalent to Britain’s advanced medium.

“The change is part of a professionally based development of the sport, where the rider’s preparation and the horse’s welfare go hand in hand,” said a spokesperson from the DRF’s Dressage Committee.

“The committee supports the fact that this adjustment supports a more balanced progression in the education of both horse and rider.”

The wider ethical guidelines, which the ban is a part of, reinforce the principle that horse welfare must always come first, regardless of competitive or commercial pressures. “The horse’s welfare is paramount and must never be subordinate to competitive or commercial interests,” the guidelines state.

The guidelines were developed with input from researchers, veterinarians, and equestrian professionals, and will be regularly updated to reflect new research. They aim to establish a practical and ethical framework for the use of horses in both daily training and competition for all DRF members.

Training methods that risk physical or psychological harm, such as hyperflexion forced through rein pressure, excessive use of spurs or whips, or riding visibly distressed or unsound horses, are also banned.

Zero tolerance to abuse

The DRF add that they will take a zero-tolerance approach to all cases of abuse. Officials are now required to intervene where welfare is compromised, and all violations must be formally reported. Sanctions for serious breaches include fines, suspensions, or exclusion from the sport.

“Compromising good horse welfare is never acceptable, whether it is deliberate or due to lack of knowledge or attention,” the guidelines continue.

DRF chairman, Kimi Nielsen, added: “It is the [DRF’s] ambition that Denmark both competes at the top level in terms of sport and at the same time stands as an international role model for the sport and for horse welfare in practice.”

These changes come in the context of broader efforts to reform equestrian sport in Denmark, driven by growing public scrutiny and calls for stricter regulation following two high-profile welfare controversies involving top dressage riders Andreas Helgstrand and Carina Cassøe Krüth. Andreas was the subject of a 2023 documentary that exposed harsh training methods, while Carina drew criticism after a video surfaced showing her striking a horse with a whip.

In response to growing public concern, the Danish Council on Animal Ethics – a government advisory body – issued a set of recommendations in December 2024. These included calls to ban the double bridle and the practice of riding horses behind the vertical.

Some changes have already taken effect. Since 1 January, nosebands have been optional at all dressage levels. Riders at lower levels may now compete in a bitless bridle, and the double bridle has become optional at higher levels.

11 initiatives to reform horse sport

Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Jacob Jensen has presented 11 proposed initiatives aimed at reforming horse sport. These follow a review of welfare recommendations by both the Danish Council for Animal Ethics and the Danish Animal Welfare Service, carried out by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration..

Among the proposals are a ban on spurs and double bridles for inexperienced riders, with their use limited to those who have completed approved training in horse behaviour, pain indicators, and physiology. There would also be a requirement for professionals working with horses to undergo relevant animal welfare training.

The proposals call for better conditions for horses, including more opportunities for free movement in paddocks and social interaction with other horses. A national ban on hyperflexion is also under consideration.

“Unfortunately, we have seen cases where the welfare of horses has been disregarded in the pursuit of results,” Mr Jensen said. “As the responsible minister, I will not accept that. That is why we are tightening the rules and making it clearer what is allowed and what is not allowed when horses are used for sport.

“And if you break the rules, there must, of course, be consequences. At the same time, I will fight in the EU for the Danish rules to be raised to international standards. Because we must be able to compete on equal terms – and that must not happen at the expense of animal welfare.”

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Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or leisure rider, understanding how nosebands work and why we use them is key to making informed, horse-friendly choices when deciding which noseband to use, how to fit it and and how tight it should be fastened.

“The noseband has a function, but unfortunately, it is often mistaken as merely keeping the horse’s mouth closed, but there is no place for a noseband that is adjusted to the point that it restricts mouth movement, visually compresses the soft tissues, causes discomfort or constricts the nostrils,” says Russell MacKechnie-Guire of Centaur Biomechanics.

When used correctly, the noseband serves multiple important functions in both training and competition.

“The noseband is not just a tool for controlling the horse’s mouth; it can help stabilise the bridle, ensuring that the bit and headpiece stay in place during movement,” adds Dr Rachel Murray, an equine veterinary surgeon and researcher.

“This stability prevents the bridle from shifting, which can otherwise lead to rubbing, discomfort, and potential damage to the horse’s mouth.”

Another key benefit of the noseband is its ability to hold other supportive accessories, such as nose nets, that can aid in the horse’s welfare.

Noseband fit for comfort

A correctly fitted noseband is crucial to ensuring it functions as intended. Four key areas must be considered: noseband tightness, height, cheekpiece length and padding.

Noseband tightness: traditionally, riders were advised to adjust the noseband so that two fingers could fit between the noseband and the horse’s face. However, the two-finger method was not based on evidence.

Rachel explains, “Recent studies have shown that noseband tightness should not exceed the equivalent of 1.5 fingers, as beyond this point, pressure begins to build up.

“Often it is claimed that the horses are unable to chew whilst wearing a noseband, however, studies have shown that horses with a correctly fitted noseband can chew a treat freely and display no signs of distress.”

This is because noseband pressure fluctuates cyclically as the horse moves, with low pressures during most of the stride and only slight increases when the limbs come in contact with the ground.

Noseband height: the height of the noseband is another vital factor. It should be positioned between the facial crest and the corner of mouth, allowing space below the facial crest to avoid excessive pressure on sensitive areas and leaving room above the mouth to avoid pinching skin between the noseband and the bit. A noseband fitted too high or too low can lead to discomfort, so it’s important that the height and width matches the horse’s anatomy.

Cheekpiece length: the cheekpiece, which holds the noseband, should ideally be fastened so that the buckles align with the corner of the horse’s eye. This ensures that the noseband applies even pressure and prevents discomfort or unnecessary pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which can lead to discomfort or injury over time.

Padding: keeping the bridle clean and supple is important for the horse’s comfort and health, keeping it soft and smooth and avoiding stiff, rough and irritating edges. Padding beneath the noseband, across the nasal bones, and mandibles is useful to help dampen pressures but is not a replacement for keeping a bridle supple and clean. Ensure that a good-quality material is used to prevent the pad from deforming.

Under pressure?

A common misconception is that nosebands, by nature, put constant pressure on a horse’s face, causing discomfort. However, when fitted correctly, noseband pressures are not constant and should not cause any harm.

“As long as the noseband is adjusted to the appropriate level, the pressure should not exceed a threshold that would cause pain or discomfort,” says Rachel.

“In fact, if the noseband is fitted properly, pressure is only exerted when the horse opens its mouth, and this pressure decreases immediately when the mouth is closed again.”

It’s crucial that nosebands be adjusted properly, as over-tightening can lead to consistent pressure.

“When adjusted too tightly, it can compress sensitive tissues, leading to pain and potentially causing behavioural issues due to stress,” adds Rachel. “However, when fitted correctly, the pressure should not be high enough to cause any discomfort or distress.”

Does type matter?

The type of noseband used also plays a role in the comfort and welfare of the horse. There are several different designs, including cavesson, flash, Swedish (crank), and drop nosebands. Each has distinct characteristics, and it’s important to choose one that suits the horse’s conformation and needs.

“The design of the noseband can affect the distribution of pressure,” explains Russell. “For instance, the Swedish noseband, often referred to as a crank noseband, often includes additional padding to help alleviate pressures.”

Interestingly, studies have shown that there is no significant difference in the pressures exerted by a cavesson, Swedish, or flash noseband when adjusted to the same tightness.

The drop noseband, positioned lower on the horse’s nose, typically exerts less pressure compared to the cavesson, but it must be fitted carefully to avoid constricting the nostrils.

It is vital to ensure that whichever noseband is chosen, it is adjusted correctly to prevent discomfort or undue pressure on sensitive areas.

The bigger picture

While the noseband fit is crucial, it’s just one part of the overall bridle. The entire bridle must be fitted to the horse’s individual anatomy to ensure comfort with the headpiece, browband, cheekpieces, and bit all contributing to the horse’s overall comfort and performance.

The headpiece, for example, can be shaped and padded to reduce pressure on the horse’s neck and ears. An anatomical headpiece, designed to alleviate pressure on the TMJ and cervical vertebrae, may be particularly useful for horses who are sensitive in those regions, but not every anatomical headpiece is suitable for every horse.

“Every element of the bridle, from the noseband to the cheekpieces and bit, needs to be evaluated regularly to ensure it’s fitting correctly,” says Rachel. “It’s also important to remember that the bridle and noseband may need adjusting as the horse’s fitness and posture change over time.”

Is no noseband better?

For some, the idea of removing the noseband entirely may seem appealing, especially if the goal is to allow the horse to move freely without restriction. However, removing the noseband can cause instability in the bridle, potentially leading to more movement of the bit, which could increase the risk of oral lesions as the bit rubs against the horse’s mouth.

“While removing the noseband may seem like it would give the horse more freedom, it’s important to consider how it may impact the overall fit and function of the bridle,” says Rachel. “If removing the noseband results in more rein tension or instability, it could ultimately cause more harm than good.”

Before making any changes to a horse’s bridle setup, it’s essential to consult with a qualified bridle fitter and evaluate whether the noseband is truly hindering the horse’s performance.

FEI measuring tool to monitor noseband fit

The FEI introduced a noseband gauge this spring to ensure that nosebands are not overly tight during competitions. This works by measuring the space between the noseband and the horse’s face. The device is a simple, handheld tool that can be placed between the horse’s nose and the noseband. If the gap is smaller than the recommended size, the noseband is considered too tight and must be adjusted to be allowed in FEI competitions.

Russell explains: “The FEI Noseband Gauge is an excellent tool for ensuring the noseband is appropriately adjusted. It provides a clear, objective measure that riders and officials can use to check the welfare of the horse, helping to promote fair competition and horse welfare.”

The introduction of this gauge serves as a step toward more standardised measurements of noseband tightness, offering a clearer guideline for both riders and officials.

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A rescue centre owner who was banned from keeping animals for a life after two horses in her care had to be put down has had her sentence upheld following an appeal.

Lynn Haydon-Williams, 65, of Redgate, Hyde, Greater Manchester, was given the lifetime ban after she was found guilty of 13 animal welfare offences relating to horses, goats and a coatimundi (a member of the raccoon family) and sentenced on 28 March 2024. She was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.

Haydon-Williams lodged an appeal against her convictions and sentence. On 3 July 2025 a judge at Manchester Crown Court quashed two of the convictions; failing to provide a suitable environment and keeping an animal listed as an invasive alien species, relating to the coatimundi.

The other 11 convictions were upheld; five relating to horses, three relating to goats, three relating to pigs and a charge relating to a hedgehog and tortoises. Haydon-Williams failed to get veterinary treatment for a gelding named Casper who was suffering from laminitis, and did not get dental treatment for Casper, a mare called Gemma and stallion called Deio. She failed to get the necessary treatment for Gemma’s sarcoids and did not address the cause of her lameness, and she did not meet Deio’s needs.

An RSPCA spokesperson said the charity identified several welfare issues at Haywill Animal Rescue and Therapy Centre’s sites at Glossop in Derbyshire and Broadbottom in Tameside, Greater Manchester during visits in 2020 and 2021.

“On several visits to the sites the charity’s officers found horses in poor conditions, one who was suffering with multiple tumours, and lame goats. There were also overweight pigs with hoof problems and arthritic coatimundi,” said the spokesperson.

At the previous hearing, the court heard that the RSPCA advised Haydon-Williams to seek veterinary care during visits to both sites.

On one occasion in May 2021, RSPCA Inspector Jessica Araujo found “goats with overgrown feet struggling to walk normally and grossly obese pigs”.

“Haydon-Williams was told that veterinary advice was that the horse covered with skin tumours should have been put down to end their suffering. But the equine, called Gemma, was not euthanised until after the RSPCA and Derbyshire Police secured a warrant to enter the centre in September 2022 when 10 goats, three horses, a pig and a coati were all removed,” said the RSPCA spokesperson.

“Another horse, called Casper, who was suffering with a severe foot condition was also put down as well as a pig suffering with overgrown feet. An emaciated pygmy goat and the coatimundi passed away later.”

In mitigation at the previous trial it was said that Haydon-Williams did “good work for many people for a long time” at the centre, but Covid had impacted on her finances lessening her ability to look after the animals.

The judge ruled Haydon-Williams’ sentence should remain, stating that it was “entirely appropriate”.

“Despite the poor condition of the animals we have no doubt that the defendant is someone who cares deeply about animals, including these animals,” the judge said.

Haydon-Williams was ordered to pay an additional £600 towards the costs of her appeal. The surviving animals, a horse and 10 goats, were rehomed by the RSPCA.

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