Practical welfare assessment tools for use at equestrian competitions enable standardized, consistent evaluation of horse welfare during sport.
Practical welfare assessment tools for competition settings provide the framework for consistent, defensible welfare decisions by officials. Without standardized tools, welfare decisions rely on subjective judgment that varies between stewards and can be challenged. The RHpE in particular provides a validated, peer-reviewed assessment framework that has been shown to identify pain-related behavior during ridden work that untrained observers miss. Training competition officials in validated tool use, and empowering them to act on findings, translates welfare science into real protection for competition horses.