Horses in competitive equestrian sports face significant welfare challenges, including overtraining, lameness, behavioral suppression through tack, and early intensive training of young horses.
Sport horses are athletes but their welfare depends on whether their physical limits and behavioral signals are respected. Lameness, gastric ulcers from high-grain diets, and training methods that suppress natural behavior rather than work with it are common welfare concerns. The equestrian community is increasingly developing evidence-based welfare frameworks that can improve standards across disciplines.