Equine sport welfare encompasses training practices, competition stress, transport, injury prevention, and retirement; welfare science is increasingly shaping competitive equestrian standards.
Equine sport involves a fundamental tension: performance goals and welfare goals sometimes align (a healthy, willing horse performs better) and sometimes diverge (pushing a horse beyond its limits). Research on sport horse welfare has identified key concerns: use of pain to achieve performance (overbending, soring, overuse of spurs/bits), racing of immature animals before skeletal development is complete, transport stress across multiple events, and inadequate retirement pathways. The FEI's Clean Sport and equine welfare programs represent significant progress in international sport. National racing authorities have implemented evidence-based track surface and workload protocols significantly reducing fatalities at some US tracks. Welfare-aware equestrians advocate from within sport for higher standards.