Improving Sports’ Horse Welfare: A Way Forward
Many features of the Thoroughbred Horseracing sector have been seriously challenged from an animal welfare viewpoint[1]. Their character is so explicit and striking that immediate action is required by implementing sector policy changes and updating codes of practice...
The Five Domains of Horse Welfare
Horse welfare is difficult to talk about, almost impossible sometimes! It is probably because many people care so much about horses and because the factors that affect their welfare are many, and the way they interact is complex and dynamic. It is not helped by the...
Thoroughbred Horse Welfare Challenges: From Rape to Relegation
Written here as a poem, each verse is structured as a three-line haiku. The haiku is a Japanese poetic form, in this case consisting of seventeen phonic syllables in a five-seven-five pattern. Traditionally, haiku evoke images of the natural world. The author's aim:...
A Bit-FREE, Pain-FREE Future for the FREE-Breathing Horse
Without food, a horse’s expectation of life is measured in weeks; without water, in days; without air, in seconds. The purpose of this article is to provide an illustrated sequel to a previous article "Horse Sports’ Option: Ban or be Banned” (Cook 2024). A series of...
Renowned welfare expert recommends British Horseracing update their horse welfare assumptions
A critique by Professor Emeritus David Mellor, ONZM, of the website Horse PWR, British Horseracing's website on equine welfare and safety. Emeritus Prof David Mellor is the architect of the Five Domains Model for Animal Welfare Assessment and Monitoring, which he...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Australian Vets at Odds with Horse Racing Whip Rules
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has updated their position on the use of whips on horses at competitive events, placing it at odds with the current whip rules of Racing Australia (RA) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), which recognise the use of...
Racing Victoria’s Horse Welfare Strategy Released
Behavioural horse welfare is now a feature of Racing Victoria's Equine Welfare Strategic Plan. Racing Victoria (RV) has today released its 2023-27 Equine Welfare Strategic Plan (EWSP). It will set the agenda for the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry’s equine...
Clear evidence that equestrians are concerned about the welfare of horses in sport
Research by the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission shows clear evidence that both equestrians (75% of those surveyed) and the general public (65%) have concerns about the welfare of horses in sport.
Horse Welfare, Social Licence and Ethics Generates Heated Discussions at FEI General Assembly
The FEI equestrian community must strengthen its social licence to operate in light of growing public concern related to the welfare and wellbeing of horses in sport.
What is a tongue tie?
What is a tongue tie? A tongue tie is a band that ties the horse’s tongue to the bottom jaw. Once fitted, tongue ties are fairly inconspicuous. Does a tongue tie hurt the horse? Because the tongue is very mobile, wet and slippery, the tie has to be fitted tightly to...
British Racing’s Disappointing Whip Report
The long awaited report from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on the use of the whip represents a lost opportunity for rebuilding trust and bringing back enthusiastic crowds to British racetracks.Despite its 95 pages, the report overlooks almost the entirety of...
New commission to advise on horse sports’ social license to operate
A commission to help horse sport maintain its social license to operate has been announced by the world governing body for equestrian disciplines. The Commission which includes external 'independent' equitation scientists will develop a practical framework to help the...
Understanding Obesity in Horses
Obesity has been defined as a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and increased health problems. Now, let’s talk about equines specifically. Horses...
Sport Horse Welfare: Where are we at?
In a thorough review titled 'Champing at the Bit for Improvements: Equine Welfare in Equestrian Sports in the United Kingdom', independent researchers Tim Holmes and Ashleigh Brown, explore the effect of equestrian sports on the lifelong welfare of horses, highlight...
Swiss Guide to the Ethical Use of Horses
A guide to the ethical use of horses, with a focus on their welfare. Horse sports are struggling to successfully match the public's expectations of welfare. Competition demands are not always compatible with satisfying the horse's needs, and the tension...
Body Condition Scoring: A Practical Guide for all Body Types
Body condition scoring is one of the most important and useful skills an owner can have when it comes to monitoring the health and welfare of their horses. And while the way we ‘condition score’ horses is uniform no matter their breed, certain breed traits should...
Rewilding Horses: No Easy Enterprise
What are our moral obligations when managing the welfare of rewilded horses? Conservationists are reintroducing horses (and cattle) to areas they once roamed wild in, in an effort to restore lost ecosystems, help shape and regulate landscapes, and promote...
Perceptions of Sport Horse Welfare Issues: New Study
There are growing concerns about the welfare of horses from within and outside sport and these concerns are threatening horse sports' social license to operate. In early 2021, the Animal Welfare Research Network (AWRN) and National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) ran an...
Further evidence that weaning is stressful for foals
There is strong evidence to show that weaning (artificially removing foals from their mothers) causes foals considerable stress. A variety of factors can affect just how stressful weaning is for foals, including their age and management factors (e.g., feeding, social...
Open the Gates to Good Horse Welfare
When we picture scenes of animal cruelty, we generally imagine thin, malnourished horses in haphazard paddocks filled with abandoned cars, barbed wire fencing and empty gas cans. Less commonly associated with mistreatment are luxurious stabling facilities housing...
When in Doubt… Turn Your Horses Out!
Going down in history as one of the best Melbourne Cup wins, a horse named Kiwi, originally purchased to round up sheep, dashed to victory in the 123rd Melbourne Cup of 1983. With only 100 metres to go, and at 10-to-one odds, the chestnut gelding upstaged the best...
Will You Know When It’s Time? Horse Euthanasia, the Hardest Decision by Far
End-of-life decisions and euthanasia for horses This article will help all horse owners who are either grappling with an end-of-life decision or aiming to plan ahead. It covers when and how to take the decision and who to involve. It explains the difference between...
The Impact of Birth Trauma on Horse Welfare and Performance
Help! My horse is girthy, crooked and has uneven front hooves… What can I do? This problematic trio is one of the most common reasons owners decide to seek some form of body therapy for their horse. After treating more than 10,000 horses and analysing related...
Can Bedding Improve your Horse’s Performance?
If you were asked how to optimise your horse’s performance, it is likely you will think about meeting his nutritional needs, following a strict conditioning regimen, or ensuring that he is in ‘good’ health... Would bedding even come into your mind? ‘Good’ sleep is...
Strengths and Weaknesses of a National Equine Database
French researchers investigate the strengths and weaknesses of a 45-year-old National Equine Database. Their findings can help all countries optimise the efficiency and management of horse traceability systems. A national equine database can help keep track of where...
Journal Opens Access to Heat and Humidity Research Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics
To help vets protect elite horses from the extreme conditions expected at the Tokyo Olympics, the Equine Veterinary Journal is providing free access to a Special Collection of eleven landmark papers covering the health and welfare of horses competing in hot and humid...
The Saddle Fit Guide
Here is some advice for fitting, using and maintaining your saddle, compiled by the Animal Health Trust, in collaboration with World Horse Welfare. Their research has highlighted some areas that should be carefully considered when fitting a new saddle, which will help...
Horses and Floods
Horses and floods Floods are one of the most frequent natural disasters that horse owners have to deal with because many of the properties horses are kept in are floodplains. Despite this, it is easy to become complacent. This helpful information has been compiled by...
How to Find the Right Bit for your Horse
What’s the best bit for my horse? Well, I am glad you ask! It is a very important question that directly affects your horse’s well-being, but finding the answer involves considering and balancing many aspects, from the horse’s history, individual anatomy, conformation...
Researchers say foals need their own pain ethogram
They’re all horses, yes. But that doesn’t mean that little horses act like big horses when they’re in pain. According to Dutch scientists, foals express pain differently from the way adult horses do. And because of that, they need their own pain-related facial...
Effective Horse Cooling – as Recommended by the FEI
Hot or hot and humid environmental conditions are a serious risk to health and performance unless properly managed. Research into the effects of heat and humidity on horses during competition has been ongoing since the Atlanta Olympic Games. Here is some practical...
Race-2-Ride: Retraining and Welfare Off The Track
There has been much in the press over the last year about the welfare of horses leaving the racing industry, raising questions about the sustainability and ethics of the current situation. In this article, Kate Fenner explains how we can all help to protect the...
Helping Ranchers Identify Fatigue
Five million horses live in Brazil. Nearly three-quarters of them work as ranch horses on beef cattle farms, spending long days driving, cutting, and transporting, sometimes across difficult terrains and in extreme weather. Researchers are helping ranchers recognise...
10 Reasons to Stop Whipping Racehorses
10 reasons to stop whipping racehorses, including new research revealing the likely pain it causes Pressure is increasing on the global horse-racing industry to reconsider the use of whips in the sport. Our research, published in the journal Animals, shows horses’...
The 2020 Five Domains Model for Welfare Assessment
A new, updated version of the Five Domains Model, the gold standard in animal welfare assessment and monitoring, has just been published in the Open Access journal Animals. Read a 2019 interview with Professor Emeritus David Mellor, the architect of the Five Domains...
New Framework for Assessing the Welfare of Working Equids
The new framework aims to improve the lives of working equids in Nepalese brick kilns and beyond. Horses, donkeys, and mules working in the brick-building factories of Nepal have generally good body condition, and most are sound. But more than half have scars, wounds,...
Learning Theory to Improve Equine Veterinarian Safety and Retention
A new program to teach horse handling methods based on learning theory to equine vets will make treatments safer. Horses aren’t always the easiest of patients. They kick; they bite; they bolt. They rear; they stomp their feet; they raise their heads so high you need a...
How Many Foals End up Racing?
Only 66% of Thoroughbred foals entered training in Australia and 5% were exported to other countries. What happened to the other the other 28%? You see the ones that win. You even see the ones that lose. But if you’ve ever wondered where the rest of the racehorses...
Researchers Compare the Welfare of Competition vs Leisure Horses
Tough question time. Which horses have better health and welfare: leisure-riding horses? Or competition horses? A recent Swiss study has just shown that competition horses generally face greater limitations on their movement freedom. But leisure horses tend to be more...
Improving the Welfare of Meat Horses Using Positive Reinforcement-Based Training for Self-Loading
That last truck ride. It’s like they know it’s their last. Horses loading into trucks headed for the slaughterhouse often rear, kick, paw, defecate, refuse to move, or charge abruptly the opposite direction, leading to injuries to themselves, to other horses, and to...
Tight Nosebands: A ‘Feel-good’ Shortcut to Nowhere
Tight Noseband? A poorly fitted bridle can give your horse as much discomfort as a poorly fitted bit. Even today, many riders are not fully aware that bridle fit can also influence the breathing and biomechanics of your horse, potentially changing the way they move...
Can Horse People Get Along? Tips from Six Blind Men and an Elephant
It is possible for horse people to get along? Horse people! We have a reputation for being a bit, well, crazy. But not just in the eccentric way. I mean in the way that we don’t get along very well with one another. It’s quite ironic that if anyone was going to...
An Agency Adventure: Equitation Welfare Workshop
Can sport horses be happy? The first ever Equitation Welfare Workshop took place on 1st & 2nd August and was attended by delegates from Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, The Netherlands and Italy. Owing to COVID-19, this technology-driven, collaborative workshop...
Researchers Question Artificial Weaning
Weaning foals Six months old. That landmark age when your baby foal isn’t a baby anymore. Time to wean... As in, time to take him away from his dam, lock her up so she doesn’t injure anyone trying to get to her baby. And time to make him try to get past the anxiety of...
First Evidence-based Protocol for Wild Horse Welfare Assessment
Brumby welfare If people would just leave brumbies, mustangs, and other free-roaming horses alone, they’d be able to live peaceful, happy lives with good welfare. Right? Maybe. Or maybe not. Judging the welfare of wild, free-roaming animals actually isn’t something...
Here’s How to Make Eventing Safer
“There are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns” is a phrase US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used in a news briefing in February 2002 when speaking about the lack of evidence linking the government of Iraq with the supply of ‘weapons of mass...
Horse Bit Fit: Comfort and Communication
We can’t change the world by helping one horse and rider but we can change the world for that horse and rider. Over recent years, Horse Bit Fit consultants have placed a spotlight on the notion that bit and bridle fit must be considered as a routine part of every...
Webinar: Tongue Ties and Tight Nosebands
Noseband tightness in competition is a hot topic that is high on Equestrian Canada's agenda. In the process of revising the rules, this equestrian federation invited Professor Paul McGreevy to explain the science. Scroll down to watch the webinar... A riding...
Equitation Welfare Workshop: Online Event
Equitation Science Equitation Welfare Workshops: An online event 'Agency and its effects on the sport horse' with Dr Andrew McLean (Equitation Science International) is an online event that will take place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August 2020. The workshop will...
Horse Weight Calculator
To instantly estimate the weight of your horse, scroll down to use our Horse Weight Calculator There are two ways to calculate the body weight of your horse. The first and most accurate way is to weigh your horse on an equine specific weighbridge, however, many of us...
A Bit More Choice: The Rise of Bit Fit Consulting
Bit fit. Trained bit fitting consultants now offer horse owners holistic and welfare-centric solutions. Choosing the correct bit for your horse is more challenging than most people might think and, particularly so when your horse is coping with ‘contact issues’ or...
Horses Travel Better in Wider Bays and Backwards
What's the best way for horses to travel? It’s not like you can buckle their seat belts. You can’t exactly give them those fuzzy little neck pillows for the long, overnight trip, either. Yet horses regularly take long trips, especially in Australia. So how can you...
Seven tips to manage your horse’s weight
These challenging times are affecting every aspect of our lives, including, for many of us, how we manage our horses. If you are turning your horse out daily or 24/7, check out these 7 tips to help you manage your horse's weight. Rates of obesity are considered to be...
COVID-19 Pandemic: Things You Can Do To Help
The Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic hails a looming disaster for horses, livestock and pets (especially small numbers that are personally owned), as unemployed or underemployed people will begin to run out of money and resources, and may not have banked enough hay,...
National Horse Register a Step Closer
The Agriculture Ministers’ Forum (AGMIN) met in Launceston last Friday to progress priority issues affecting the agriculture sector, with horse welfare and the development of a national horse register taking centre stage. The meeting was chaired by the Australian...
Racing Australia to ban stocking-style tongue ties
Tongue Ties In what looks like an effort to standardise the materials used for tying horses' tongues, Racing Australia have amended the rules, specifically banning nylon stockings and listing rubber bands and leather straps of a minimum 15mm, and lycra or neoprene...
Future Proofing Pony Club with an Evidence Base
Pony Club Australia (PCA) recently celebrated its 80th birthday, but with the release of a new and updated syllabus that incorporates the latest, evidence-based knowledge in equine welfare and equitation, the institution is in no danger of becoming old fashioned or...
How do Horses Sleep?
Whether you ride horses or just admire them from afar, at some point you might have wondered how they sleep. Maybe you saw a pony lying in a field and wondered if they sleep lying down or standing up. If you have pets, you probably already know that the sleep habits...
End-of-life Options and the Problems with Horse Slaughter
End-of-life and euthanasia options for horses This article focuses on what the end-of-life options are for horses, and the advantages and disadvantages of these options. It further discusses some of the welfare problems associated with slaughter and how some of these...
Gypsies and Travellers Understand Horse Welfare
Some people might think they know all too well how Gypsies and Travellers treat their horses… right? (Insert their eye roll, nodding, and even perhaps a judgmental smirk?) Actually, maybe they don’t. Despite popular belief, many Gypsies/Travellers have a good...
Whip Use in Equestrian Sports
Whip use in equestrian sports is currently a highly debated topic, not just within racing but across the entire industry, and a recent study into the use and perception of the whip in equestrian sports suggests there is an appetite for changes in regulation and...
Don’t box me in!
box stalls and welfare A gilded cage is still a cage. For horses, “gilded cages” come in the form of luxurious box stalls, clean and maintained, with modern sliding doors, windows to the outside, padded mats, wide aisles between the rows of stalls, and riding...
Early Playtime Builds a Foal’s Bones – For Life
Playtime Builds a Foal's Bones A playful foal hops, leaps, rears, attacks, threatens to bite and kick, and flees imaginary predators. But his behavior isn’t just a cute and charming show for his breeders (or seemingly a nuisance for his dam who gets caught in his line...
Whip Welts on Melbourne Cup Winner
Horse whips Vow And Declare’s post-race whip welts contradict racing’s official line that padded whips don’t hurt. The welts show up on a number of images we have obtained, as a series of blisters (raised skin lesions), grouped into almost parallel linear patterns...
Reviewed: ISES Position Statement on Noseband Use
In light of the findings of several recent noseband-related studies, this 2019 position statement by the International Society for Equitation Science replaces a previous version (2012) and reflects additional scientific evidence of potential adverse effects of...
AVA and EVA call for a national horse register
Call for National Horse Register. The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has called upon the Australian government to implement a nationwide welfare standard and a register to protect the welfare of all horses, not just the racehorses. Their official statement...
Horse racing must change, or the court of public opinion will bury it
In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing industry can operate ethically. Some people will never agree that animals should be used for human...
New and Progressive: NZ Thoroughbred Welfare Guidelines
After two years of consultation with industry experts, welfare advocacy groups and animal welfare scientists, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) have released their comprehensive and progressive Thoroughbred Welfare Guidelines. They can be viewed and downloaded...
We could reduce the slaughter of racehorses if we breed them for longer racing careers
The slaughter of racehorses bred in Australia, as revealed in the ABC’s investigation, highlights the challenge of what to do with racehorses when their careers are over. The ABC has questioned the racing industry’s claim that fewer than 1% of horses retiring from...
It’s not just about your feelings, OK? The best end for a racehorse might be the knackery
Racehorse slaughter. In the varied responses to the ABC’s report into the fate of ex-racehorses, the consensus was that something should be done. Many have called for racehorse slaughter to be banned outright. This reaction differed significantly from that to footage...
Who’s responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?
Slaughter of horses. This weekend saw protests at Caulfield racecourse, following a shocking report last week on the ABC’s 7:30 program on the fate of thousands of racehorses in Australia. It is a confronting wake-up call for an industry already struggling to maintain...
Letting go: Taking responsibility for end-of-life decisions
End-of-life decisions. Humane destruction is possibly the least discussed topic of horse ownership, and by far the most sensitive. Even so, every horse owner should give this issue considered thought so they will be prepared if the time comes. The large majority of...
Improving Rider Asymmetry
Rider balance. If you were an imbalanced rider, wouldn’t you notice that? Not necessarily, scientists say. People usually feel their own natural asymmetry as symmetrical. Their horses, however, would notice—managing uneven weight across their backs which might even...
Research into the Welfare of Wild Australian Brumbies
Wild brumbies. Dr Andrea Harvey is a veterinary specialist and animal welfare scientist, who is currently writing up her PhD research on the welfare and social dynamics of wild brumbies in New South Wales and Victoria. She grew up on the Island of Guernsey in the...
The Australian Capital Territory Recognises Animal Sentience in Law
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is the first jurisdiction in Australia to in law that animals are sentient and have intrinsic value. The Animal Sentience Act applies to all vertebrate species (including wildlife and fish) and cephalopods (octopus etc) and some...
In Search of the Equine Good Life
Once, there were the Five Freedoms—looking at what was available to the horse. Then came the Five Domains—looking at the state of the horse itself. Today, with ever-increasing public scrutiny of animal welfare and a greater understanding of their ethological needs,...
Vets Support Responsible Noseband Use
Vets support responsible noseband use. The Chilean Equine Veterinary Association (ACHVE) and the Chilean Veterinary College (COLMVET) have pledged support of the responsible use of nosebands in all equestrian disciplines. In their press release, they acknowledge the...
Tongue ties: Trying to see the whole picture
Tongue Ties. Whenever we want to get to the bottom of a question regarding equine performance, welfare, nutrition or disease, we must consider the science. Scientists make it their life’s work to drill down on their areas of interest in an effort to answer all the...
Why does my horse… Put the tongue over the bit?
Sometimes, horses get their tongues over the bit. When this happens, the tongue may loll out of the mouth in a very unsightly way, and all hope of achieving a good contact or communication line with the horse’s mouth will be lost. In horse racing, it is believed a...
Could your horse walker be causing your horse unnecessary stress?
You go to his stall, put his halter on him, lead him out away from his companions, and take him to that Great Contraption that he’s finally learned to accept. You guide him into the enclosure, tie him up, give him a friendly pat on the croup and tell him he’s a good...
The Equine Pain Face. How to tell if your horse is in pain
The equine pain face Horses may not be able to say how much it hurts with words, but researchers show their face tells all. Learn to recognise the signs of the equine pain face, also known as the equine grimace scale, with Karina Bech Gleerup. To download the FREE...
Young Riders’ Vision for Riding Schools
When it comes to horse (and rider) welfare, the “dreams of the youth” aren’t to be taken lightly. According to one Swedish researcher, professionals and scientists can learn a lot about developing more ideal riding schools tomorrow by listening to the young horse...
Learn to Recognise the Subtle Signs of Pain in Horses
Signs of Pain in Horses: Horses are instinctively ‘stoic’, they do their best to mask all signs of pain in an effort to keep-up and blend-in with the rest of their herd. By the time your horse shows clear signs of lameness or injury, it is likely a lot of damage has...
Transparency and Research for the Future of Horse Sports
The Future of Horse Sports: The first two weeks of the coronial inquest into the deaths of Olivia Inglis and Caitlyn Fischer, who died while competing at separate horse trials events in 2016, have been challenging and the process widely reported by mainstream media....
Don’t rug based on how cold you feel say researchers
When to rug your horse. If your horse is cold, rug him. The trick, though, is to know if he really is cold. Unfortunately, humans (and even equine scientists themselves) aren’t necessarily very good at picking up the signs that our horses are too hot, according to a...
