FEI stays on top of equine wellbeing

FEI-appointed Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission submits strategic approach and 24 new recommendations 

To ensure the future of equestrian sport, the FEI has a direct and indirect influence on advancing knowledge and understanding of equine welfare, specifically around the quality of competition horses, from the height of their career all the way down to their retirement.

In June 2022 the independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing (EEWB) Commission was founded to address equine welfare issues that the public or equestrians may have. The purpose of the commission’s work is to provide the independent advice and recommendations to the FEI to ensure all equines are safeguarded through evidence-based policy. This includes training, management, performance and to improve the sport’s social licence to operate.

The commission’s presentation was held at the end of April this year after conducting surveys last summer of public opinion in 14 countries and almost 28,000 equestrians from 116 countries. A few examples of recommendations that came from the survey were…

• to continue to develop the use of ethical, evidence-based practices in horse training, management, and performance
• to establish and implement a process for ensuring high standards of welfare and investigating risky practices for horses when ‘outside of competition’ through establishing something similar to human athlete checks under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code
• to empower officials through improved mandatory training and ongoing professional development in relation to equine welfare

To read the full 24 new recommendations, or for more information, visit equinewellbeing.fei.org

Photo credit: Jon Stroud