The Evidence for Allowing a Bit-Free Option in Equestrian Sport
If equestrian sport remains in the grip of an Iron Age custom, and continues using the bit as the means of rider-horse communication, its social license to operate will be lost. It is time to relinquish the A.B.C. of Atrocity, Bit usage and Cruelty that stems from the...
Racing Victoria releases new Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Policy
Racing Victoria (RV) has released its new Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Policy (TRWP). The policy defines the minimum standards and best practice guidelines for caring for and interacting with thoroughbred racehorses in Victoria. The TRWP will come into effect from 1...
A mission to make Paris 2024 the Olympic Games of horse welfare
This post is an AI aided translation of the online article published by Le Parisien, following up on the French Parliamentary report sent to the Games' organising committee in 2022, and which included 46 recommendations for welfare reform. Most of which have not been...
Le Parisien: What if the Paris 2024 Olymic Games were about horse welfare?
Last Sunday’s edition of Le Parisien, a French daily newspaper with a circulation of over a quarter of a million copies, devoted a full page to the welfare scandals of Tokyo, and questioning whether enough will be done to protect horses and the sport from such...
Horse Sports’ Options: To ban, or be banned
Firstly, this article is about a basic need of the ridden and driven sport horse, the need to breathe. Secondly, it is about the role of veterinarians in drawing attention to this need to breathe. Thirdly, it is about the responsibility of horse sport administrators...
Horse welfare through the lens of the Five Domains
Postgraduate students, representatives from the equine industry, teachers and riding instructors came from as far as Australia, Canada, Spain, Hungary, Great Britain, Finland, Denmark and Sweden and gathered at the picturesque and wintery Equine Centre Wången in...
International racing bodies urged to engage with horse welfare perception and reality
Racing representatives from around the world have been urged "to positively engage with both perception and reality, and show real commitment to change to ensure positive welfare" at the 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organised by the...
International focus on horse welfare and racing’s social licence to operate
Safeguarding horse welfare and exploring horse racing’s social licence to operate will be the focus of the 57th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), which will take place on the 2nd of October, in Paris, France. The IFHA is among many...
Kiwi’s statue unveils striking welfare statements
Forty years after Kiwi’s remarkable dash to victory in the 1983 Melbourne Cup, a lifesize statue of the Waverley horse was recently unveiled in his home town. The statue was the last work of sculptor Fridjof Hanson, completed not long before his death in September...
British Vets Embrace Horse Behaviour
The value of behavioural science was in the spotlight at British Equine Vets Association (BEVA) Congress last week. Gemma Pearson and Sarah Freeman shared their considerable knowledge and experience in two complementary plenary lectures, on how embracing learning...
Racing Horses on Forage-only
Forage is the preferred and ideal diet for most classes of horses, but can it meet the needs of the performance horse with high energy & nutrient demands? To help us in our quest, we spoke to Dr Brian Nielsen, a licenced racehorse trainer and Professor of Equine...
Only 30% of show horse owners surveyed in Australia agreed with whisker trimming ban, new study reveals
New research published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions has revealed that only 30% of show horse owners surveyed in Australia agreed with a ban on the trimming of facial hair prior to its implementation in July 2022. The research found that when asked if...
UNE takes the lead on horse welfare with new short courses
The University of New England (UNE) has launched two industry-focused online short courses that will see improvements in the welfare of sport and recreation horses across Australia. Created and backed by some of the country’s leading equine experts, the courses are a...
Exclusive Interview with Thoroughbred Geneticist, Dr Emmeline Hill
Dr. Emmeline Hill is an Irish equine geneticist and horsewoman who has dedicated her career to understanding the genetics behind thoroughbreds. An early fascination with genetics led her to study human genetics and cattle genetics during her PhD. However, time and...
Why not bit-free? Expert says it’s time to draw the equestrian iron age to a close
Dr Robert Cook, a veterinarian, researcher and Professor Emeritus who focused his entire career on the equine ear, nose and throat, makes a strong case for allowing bit-free riding in all horse sports. He argues that the equestrian community is ready for a change and...
Danish concern over the use of horses in sport
Danish report recommends doing away with the view of the horse as an athlete. Saying we should instead recognise that horses' participation in competitions is only about the interests and ambitions of people. It calls for specific legislation to be drawn up if the...
Will Paris 2024 be an Olympic Games-changer for horse welfare?
The question of whether horses belong in the Olympic Games is not a new one, what is more recent, however, is the shift in public attitudes towards how animals are treated. This raises questions about whether the welfare of horses (or any animal) can be protected when...
Tool Use Confirmed in Horses
Horse owners have helped researchers confirm tool use in horses. You may have seen viral videos circulating online of a horse picking up brushes to groom another horse, or another using a broom to "sweep" the floor. They are nor just incredibly amusing, these videos...
