Dressage raises significant welfare questions around training methods, equipment use, and the physical demands placed on horses. Science-based assessment of dressage welfare has advanced considerably.
Dressage welfare sits at the intersection of tradition, competitive culture, and emerging animal welfare science. The sport has made genuine progress: rollkur is formally banned by the FEI, horse grimace scales now provide objective welfare assessment tools, and positive reinforcement training methods are gaining traction. Remaining concerns include LDR positions that approach rollkur, overly tight nosebands that prevent horses from opening their mouths (a pain response), and training methods that use strong negative reinforcement or punishment to achieve compliance. Welfare-conscious dressage training prioritises the horse's willingness, uses well-fitted equipment, and measures success partly through behavioural indicators of positive emotional states — the Equitation Science approach. Spectators, judges, and governing bodies all have roles in shifting competitive culture toward welfare-positive standards.