New vision for a good life for sport horses from the start to the very end

A new World Horse Welfare vision or framework is aimed at helping start conversations and make changes to ensure all horses involved in sport have a good life, from start to finish.

The charity, which has long stressed that it supports ethical, responsible involvement of horses in sport, has now set out the guidance for all riders and carers, from grassroots to elite level.

World Horse Welfare CEO Roly Owers told H&H the “vision for the responsible involvement of horses in sport” is the first time the charity has put guidance together to show what a good life for sport horses looks like, taking into account current knowledge.

“We know the horse-human relationship is imbalanced because the human is in the position of power,” he said. “This is about trying to provide guidance and ideas and thinking about how, when we talk about responsible horse sport, we can make that relationship as balanced as possible. Those were the simple aims; articulating, in a more comprehensive way, what promoting responsible horse sport means in practice.”

The framework covers every stage of life, from responsible breeding to a good death, stating that at all times, all horses should have their species-specific and individual needs met, and “daily positive social interactions with other horses”. All should live in an environment that stimulates and maintains mental and physical health and development, have “meaningful enrichment opportunities” and the chance to make everyday, meaningful choices.

Horses should have “appropriate preventative care to minimise the risk of injuries and illnesses, with any treatment or performance-enhancing procedures critically considered from an ethical perspective as to whether the horse’s best short- and long-term interests lie at the centre of the decision”, and training should be progressive, compassionate and based on understanding of equine behaviour and learning theory, and each horse’s needs and skills.

A privilege, not a right

The framework covers each stage of life in detail, including competition careers and retirement, stating: “Involving horses in sport is a privilege, not a right. With that privilege comes a responsibility to respect their species-specific and individual needs and to put their wellbeing before our human ambitions.

“All those involved with sport horses have a responsibility to ensure that they are provided with a good life throughout all life stages.”

Mr Owers said he hopes all equestrians will benefit from this objective view, so if anyone questions what they are doing, this will help them determine the answer.

“We say we put the horse at the centre of our decision-making; so what does that mean in practice?” he said. “Within the five domains framework, we know horses feel joy, fear, curiosity and distress, so it’s really important when we think about that good life, it’s not just physical welfare, it’s mental wellbeing. And there’s a collective responsibility. It’s not just the carer or owner’s responsibility, there are many others, especially regulators, who have a role to play, too.”

Mr Owers said there is plenty of evidence of riders changing management to horses’ benefit and seeing improved performance, so it is a “win-win situation”.

“This is everyone’s responsibility and it lasts a lifetime,” he said. “Hopefully, this will be a framework, the start of a conversation and a constant reference through a horse’s life.

“The horse should come above any competitive or commercial influence, and this is hopefully a constructive and objective framework to be able to sense-check whether you really are living by those words. This isn’t about looking back and saying ‘We got that wrong’, it’s looking forward to what improvements we can make in future.”

World Horse Welfare vision for a good life

The aim is to ensure ridden horses have a good life – but can it be argued that involvement in sport can also enhance that quality?

“As an evidence-informed organisation, you need to say ‘Where’s the proof? And the public would ask how we prove that,’” Mr Owers said.

“I think how we can prove that actually our horses do enjoy it, and there is a benefit to the horse, is very much the Holy Grail here. Personally, I honestly believe horses can enjoy going for a ride, doing a cross-country course, but we’re not necessarily in a particularly objective position to say that. It’s going to be a while before that kind of evidence is produced, but I think there’s got to be a real focus around that research investment. Most importantly, that will help inform us about how we care and manage our horses, but it will really help future sustainability of the equestrian sector; showing the benefit to the horse will be a really powerful narrative.”

A British Equestrian spokesperson told H&H the framework is “an excellent resource for all equestrians”.

“The content is simple, clear and should resonate strongly with everyone in our guardianship of horses from their conception until the end,” she said. “Thank you to the World Horse Welfare team for developing the vision and we look forward to working with them and our member bodies to amplify the valuable messages it delivers.”

An FEI spokesperson told H&H the FEI welcomes initiatives that put horse wellbeing at the centre of horse sport.

“The vision set out by World Horse Welfare reflects a shared commitment to continually strengthen standards and ensure responsible involvement of horses in sport,” he said. “This approach is further reinforced by the work of the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission, and aligned with the FEI’s welfare strategy action plan.

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