Therese Nilshagen with Dante Weltino of Sweden competes during the Equestrian Dressage Individual Grand Prix Freestyle on Day 9 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Château de Versailles on August 4, 2024 in Versailles, France. (Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Nosebands will be optional at all levels of Swedish dressage from January, and rising trot will be allowed in some classes, as part of work to benefit horse welfare.
The Swedish equestrian federation is also mandating a minimum two-week break between competitions in all disciplines for four-year-old horses and ponies.
“Freedom of choice is in focus when horse welfare is strengthened in Swedish competition regulations,” a spokesperson for the federation said, adding that the decision to make nosebands optional is a direct result of proposals submitted to the federation last July.
“The option to opt out of the noseband means riders can adapt their equipment based on the horse’s individual needs, instead of it having to be adapted according to tradition,” said Andrea Barth, the federation’s sport manager.
The new competition rules (TR) for dressage will apply from 1 January 2025 and include “several changes that together contribute to stronger horse welfare”.
“During the proposal round in 2023, when everyone can submit proposals for rule changes, 10% of all proposals in dressage were about freedom of choice with a noseband,” a spokesperson for the federation said. “The dressage committee chose to proceed with the rule change as part of the federation’s work for increased horse welfare.”
Rising trot is now allowed in dressage classes up to novice B3 level, roughly equivalent to novice in Britain, as “another change that promotes horse welfare through freedom of choice”.
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“This is the result of submitted proposals that came back in 2021 before TR 2023, when a pilot project with specific [rising trot] classes was also introduced to test the concept,” the spokesperson said. “After positive results, the change can now be introduced widely.”
Ms Barth added: “We work continuously for increased horse welfare through adaptations of both competition regulations and our operations. We always want to ensure that we have a broad basis for the changes we drive so that they produce the desired effect. The suggestions that come in during the work to update and develop TR are incredibly valuable to us.”
A change that applies in all disciplines affects four-year-old horses and ponies, who must have a minimum break of 14 days between one competition and the next.
“The Swedish federation’s competition regulations (and code of conduct) exist to ensure horse welfare during competition and to make competitions as fair as possible for both horses and people,” the spokesperson said.
“TR sets standards for all forms of riding, training and handling of horses, which means it is one of the most important tools to ensure good horse welfare in all parts of equestrian sport.”
The rules are revised every two years, always starting with a proposal round during which anyone can submit suggestions.
“The TR process is created to combine democratic influence with a simultaneous assurance that the rules are optimally designed,” the spokesperson said.
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
Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
