Foam, Fear, and False Signals: Why the FEI’s New Ban on Artificial Saliva Matters

This week, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) announced an emergency ban on artificial foam-producing substances used in horses’ mouths. The new veterinary rule, effective July 1, 2025, prohibits all products that artificially induce or imitate natural foaming, replacing a narrower ban that only targeted marshmallow-like or shaving foam-style products. The emergency resolution follows growing concern that such practices misrepresent a horse’s welfare. National federations have until July 18 to object.

This move follows new evidence presented by our research team in April, during a briefing to the FEI Veterinary Committee. In that presentation—now available on YouTube—we documented clear inconsistencies in foam production in the same horses across different dressage events.

Notably, some horses displayed minimal to no foaming during World Cup qualifiers, yet produced copious foam during the finals in Basel. This suggested a troubling pattern: artificial induction of saliva not only to enhance the appearance of relaxation, but also to obscure signs of oral pain—such as blue or compressed tongues—which become harder to detect when masked by excessive foam.

Why is this a problem?

To understand the issue, it helps to examine the biology behind foaming. In horses, as in humans, fear and stress inhibit salivation. When a horse enters a high-adrenaline state—whether due to fear, conflict, or confusion—fluid production in the mouth decreases because bodily resources are redirected to the circulatory system to support flight responses. Only once that stress response subsides does salivation resume.

Historically, traditional horse “breaking” methods relied on exhausting or overpowering horses until they submitted. Riders may have unconsciously learned to associate the return of salivation with the moment a horse “gives in.” Over time, this may have evolved into the myth that foaming at the mouth equals good training. In modern dressage, the idea that foaming signals a well-working or relaxed horse appears to persist in some circles, despite a lack of evidence and growing concern about its validity as a welfare indicator.

But this belief is based on a series of flawed assumptions. It confuses a consequence of prior stress with evidence of wellbeing. It mistakes appearance for reality. And it ignores the horse’s perspective.

Worse still, some riders have been using sugar cubes or foaming agents to simulate this supposed marker of relaxation.

This is not just a case of misguided interpretation, it is, in many cases, a deliberate attempt to manufacture a biological signal for visual effect. With the updated rule, the FEI is clearly recognising adding artificial foam for what it is: cheating.

And when foam is used to conceal clinical signs of injury or distress, such as tongue damage, the deception goes deeper, it obstructs the ability of judges, stewards, and spectators to see what the horse is actually experiencing.

But beyond that, the continued belief that visible salivation reliably signals relaxation or correctness is also ethically questionable. It misrepresents the horse’s emotional state and perpetuates a myth that risks normalising the use of force and submission as part of training.

Salivation is for eating, not riding

It’s also deeply ironic: salivation in horses is a natural part of eating, not riding. Horses equipped with tight nosebands and restrictive bits that compress and trap the tongue, often struggle to swallow the saliva they do produce. In these cases, the foam we see is not a sign of comfort but of impairment, even distress.

The FEI’s decision to ban artificial foam production is a welcome step toward more honest welfare indicators in sport. It acknowledges the growing scientific consensus that welfare cannot be faked. A horse may look glossy, obedient, and foamy on the outside—but what matters is what’s happening inside their body and mind.

Today, we have the biological knowledge to understand that salivation often returns only after a horse has been in a state of fear or high stress. In that light, excessive foaming isn’t a badge of harmony—it may be a residue of conflict. So while the new rule rightly targets the manipulation of visual cues, it also invites us to rethink the myth itself.

Rather than celebrating foam as a sign of correctness, we should ask: what preceded it?

For too long, equestrian sport has rewarded the appearance of submission without questioning how it was achieved. This rule is a timely reminder that what looks good to us may feel terrible to the horse. It’s time we reconsider not just the means, but the meaning of what we see at the end.

If you’re interested in learning how to assess horse welfare from the horse’s perspective—using the latest science and the internationally recognised Five Domains Model—check out our short course on Welfare Assessment of Sport and Recreation Horses here. It’s designed for anyone who wants to move beyond appearances and biased debates, to understanding what matters to horses.

You can also download a FREE Five Domains Model poster here.