Competitive horse sports including racing, eventing, and showjumping place horses at risk of injury and death, with welfare reform movements gaining momentum across disciplines.
Competitive horse sports present fundamental welfare tensions: the training and performance demands are high, financial pressures incentivise competition regardless of animal readiness, and horses cannot consent to participation. The key welfare improvements come through better pre-competition health screening, course design that reduces risk, welfare-conscious training methods that avoid hyperflexion and physical coercion, and stronger regulation of medication and recovery. Racing welfare has improved through track surface improvements, enhanced veterinary screening, and jockey reporting obligations.