Governance of horse welfare in competition sports — including FEI oversight, stewarding, and prohibited practices — is critical for protecting horses in elite and grassroots sport.
Competition welfare governance exists because horses are at particular welfare risk in elite sport contexts: the pressure to perform creates incentives to push horses beyond safe limits, use prohibited practices that enhance performance at the expense of welfare, and mask pain or injury to continue competing. Effective governance — with credible, consistent enforcement — creates the incentive structure within which welfare can be protected. The challenge is that governance varies enormously between disciplines and between countries. Grassroots competitions often have minimal welfare oversight despite involving much larger numbers of horses than elite events. The welfare standard at every level of competition matters.