The Swedish Equestrian Federation Advocates for Enhanced Horse Welfare

Focus on harmony and horse welfare in dressage judging, optional double bridle in international Grand Prix, supervised warm-up sessions, and competition venues designed with the horse's needs in mind.

These are some of the issues the Swedish Equestrian Federation is championing ahead of the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) Annual Meeting next week.

“We have long been driving for an increased focus on horse welfare in international equestrian sports, and we have worked intensely on this issue throughout the year. Now, we’re bringing forward several proposals for changes and stricter regulations internationally,” says Johan Fyrberg, Secretary General of the Swedish Equestrian Federation.

The FEI General Assembly will take place from November 10–13 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Swedish Equestrian Federation is leading several important welfare-related initiatives and will be represented by Chairperson Sandra Ruuda (delegate) and Secretary General Johan Fyrberg (assistant).

The Swedish Equestrian Federation has submitted a series of proposals, one of which advocates for the option to use either a double bridle or snaffle bit in Grand Prix dressage classes, just as is permitted at national competitions in Sweden.

“Together with the Dutch Equestrian Federation, we have continued to push for the double bridle issue. Unfortunately, the FEI Dressage Committee has already rejected this proposal prior to the meeting. However, there is some opening, as they have expressed willingness to trial optional use in three-star classes during 2025,” says Johan Fyrberg.

However, the double bridle issue is not the single most important issue that the Swedish Equestrian Federation is advocating for. “Making the double bridle optional is important because it essentially allows for equipment to be adapted to the psychological and physical needs of each horse. But at the same time, we don’t believe that horse welfare can be addressed through a single piece of equipment alone,” says Fyrberg, adding:

“We see a great need, above all, to review the judging criteria in dressage. We want horse welfare to be part of performance and results assessment and for the focus in judging to shift from technique toward more harmony.”

Also on the Swedish agenda are supervised warm-up sessions, competition venues that prioritize horses’ needs (especially important as more competitions are held in urban settings), young horse championships, and veterinary regulations, among other issues.

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Swedish Equestrian Federation’s Positions on Strengthening Horse Welfare in International Equestrian Sports:

• Horse welfare as part of performance and results assessment
  Ensuring that horses are well-prepared and healthy must always be a priority. This is a fundamental issue.
• Focus on harmony in dressage judging
  Dressage is a judged sport, and together we determine what type of riding should receive high marks. We want to see a shift in judging that places emphasis on harmony over technique.
• Remove the requirement for double bridles
  Currently, the double bridle is mandatory in dressage at international three-star and higher levels. We propose making it optional, allowing riders to use a snaffle bit if it suits the horse better. Equipment should be adaptable to the horse's psychological and physical needs.
• Supervised warm-up sessions
  Before competing, each rider warms up in what is called the warm-up arena. While the actual competition is monitored, this is not always the case for warm-up sessions. We want to change this to strengthen stewards’ authority.
• Competition venues designed for the horse's well-being
  Horses are living beings with their own needs. As more competitions are held in urban environments, it becomes even more crucial that venues and organizers consider the welfare of the horse.
• Whips used only as directional aids
  Adapt the FEI’s whip use rules to align with Swedish regulations, where the whip may only be used as a directional aid, never as a punishment.
• Young horse championships
  Young horse championships should be tailored to the horses' level of training/maturity rather than expecting young horses to fit the competition format. The horse’s needs should guide this, not market forces.
• Veterinary matters
  As a general rule, horses should not be medicated on competition days. A horse on antibiotics is not "fit to compete" and thus should not compete. In this way, equestrian sports can also help prevent antibiotic resistance.
• Rule review by 2025
  It is important that international equestrian sports maintain momentum in this work and that change is not delayed. We want the rule review to start now, with finalized proposals ready for consideration by spring.

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