Competition Horse Welfare and Regulation

Competition horses face specific welfare challenges from training, competition demands, and transport that require targeted protections.

Key Facts

Racing, showjumping, dressage, eventing, and polo all involve specific welfare risks
Overriding, excessive schooling, and use of prohibited training aids cause significant welfare harm
FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) has specific welfare rules but enforcement at grassroots level is weak
Transport to competitions causes stress and respiratory disease risk in transported horses
Retirement planning for competition horses is often inadequate, leading to welfare problems when careers end

Welfare Considerations

Competition horse welfare requires regulatory frameworks that match the significant welfare demands of athletic equine performance. Strong rules against overriding, prohibited training aids, and excessive competition scheduling need to be paired with robust inspection and enforcement. Retirement welfare planning should be a standard expectation in competition horse management.

What You Can Do

Support FEI and national federation welfare rule enforcement
Report suspected welfare violations at competitions to the relevant competition authority
Advocate for retirement and rehoming programmes for competition horses
Choose to attend events with strong track records of welfare compliance
Support grassroots welfare education for horse competitors at all levels