Competition horses experience significant stress from transport, novel environments, and performance demands that affect both welfare and performance.
Competition stress in horses is a significant but underacknowledged welfare issue. Riders and trainers focused on performance may interpret anxiety-related behaviors as training problems rather than stress indicators, leading to escalating training pressure that compounds the welfare burden. The gastric ulcer prevalence in performance horses — driven partly by stress and partly by feeding management — is one of the most concrete welfare consequences of the competition lifestyle. Welfare-conscious competition management includes arriving early, allowing horses to acclimate gradually, providing hay and water access throughout, minimizing unnecessary stabling, and monitoring for stress signals rather than overriding them.