Showjumpers will no longer be automatically eliminated for minor cases of blood on a horse’s flanks next year if proposed FEI rule changes go ahead.
Under the current rules, blood found on a horse’s flanks means automatic disqualification for the combination from that class at international competitions.
The new proposal, which was revealed on the FEI website earlier this month, appears to give stewards a degree of discretion. The jumping stewards manual will be updated to reflect the changes approved at the 2017 FEI General Assembly, which will take place in Montivideo, Uruguay, in November.
While a rider can still be disqualified for causing a horse to bleed — and for misuse of the spurs and/or whip — the possible change states “minor cases of blood on the flank will not incur elimination”.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
These first draft proposals will be consulted on by national federations before a revised edition is made available in October. The final draft of the proposed rules revision will be voted on at the general assembly.
Blood rules have also been updated in the rule change proposals for other disciplines.
The eventing rules have been clarified “following discussions with other disciplines” to read that “not all cases of blood will lead to elimination” and that the most serious cases will be dealt with under the abuse of horse protocols.
There is no automatic elimination for blood in eventing at present.
While there is no mention of blood in the current endurance regulations, there are proposals to include this in next year’s rulebook.
“Horses in competition that have free flowing blood from an injury or from a orifice will be examined by a panel of three veterinarians who will report their findings to the president of the ground jury,” states the proposed rule.
“Such horses will fail to qualify and will be eliminated from the competition.”
Valuting has also brought in a blood rule in “alignment with other disciplines”.
For reaction to these proposals and more on the FEI rule change proposals, don’t miss this week’s Horse & Hound — out today (Thursday, 20 July).
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
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
