“The welfare of Olympic horses should no longer be overlooked and neglected”

 

This blog is an excerpt from the PARIS 2024 HORSE WELFARE CAMPAIGN MAGAZINE  which is free to download and read online.

 

I. EQESTRIAN FACILITIES

The equestrian facilities at the Tokyo Olympics were judged to be of a very good standard by the majority of those interviewed. Our recommendation is therefore to resume at least the principles with, however, two important improvements for the well-being of horses.

Recommendation #1:

Provide relaxation areas (grazing areas, lungeing and exercise areas, galloping track, paddocks, etc.) in sufficient quantity and surface area to be accessible to horses as needed, while respecting a controlled environment that guarantees the safety and biosecurity that are essential in competition.

In addition, in these paddocks, the horses should have access to hay and water, while absolutely taking into account the health and biosecurity risks (transmission of disease between horses via hay and water, cross-contamination with respect to doping). Each horse should therefore have their own hay net and water bucket.

Recommendation #2:

Ensure that horses are housed in boxes that are large enough (4 m sides minimum), high enough, well ventilated, even air-conditioned (according to FEI rules), with a comfortable, non-slip and easy-to-clean flooring that can accommodate the bedding that is familiar to each horse.

The criteria of equine well-being which would be improved are: bedding comfort, access to free but controlled exercise, and visual social contact with conspecifics (social contact allowed by setting up paddocks next to each other, but respecting sufficient distance to allow biosecurity).

II. FOOD

Horses are monogastric, with a small, non-expandable stomach. Under natural conditions, they spend about 15-16 hours per day grazing on grass and browsing various woody herbaceous plants, such as shrubs or bark. They eat and digest continuously. The cellulose fraction of the food is digested by the microbial flora of the caecum and large colon. It is therefore important that a regular intake of fibre maintains the balance of this flora.

Sport horses are all fed concentrates and feed supplements, but hay is essential for their health and well-being when they are stabled and cannot graze freely. Ideally, the hay will be left ad libitum and if this is not possible, it will be necessary to ensure that a minimum daily quantity of at least 1.5% of the live weight of the horse in dry matter (i.e. for example 9 kg of hay at 85% DM for a 500 kg horse) is provided at regular intervals throughout the day.

Recommendation #3:

Ensure a sufficient supply of hay (roughage) to allow feeding several times a day, even ad libitum, and according to the needs of each horse.

 

III. MONITORING & COMPLIANCE

In an interview with the magazine “L’Éperon” on January 20, 2022, Jean-Maurice Bonneau, ex-trainer of ‘Bleus’, explains that the major authorities must question themselves following the incidents in Tokyo as well as the recent scandal following the leak of video footage from the stable of Ludger Beerbaum rapping horses or using jump poles covered with nails.

He admits that he himself has not always respected the rules of good treatment and that this concerns everyone in equestrian sport. He adds that “sometimes, some stewards in the arenas do not set clear boundaries and I have already gone to see such and such a rider to point out his bad behaviour… We have to regain credibility and for that, we need new rules…”

Professionals also point out that “at the high level, event stewards do not dare report abuse, for fear of reprisals from the sports stars who threaten them when they try to intervene to protect the horses.“

It seems essential to us to put in place for the 2024 Olympic Games, concrete and dissuasive measures to ensure that the rules are respected, and deviations sanctioned if necessary.

Recommendation #4

Strengthen the surveillance of control teams already provided for by the FEI, in particular, with regard to the alert criteria in terms of health, wellbeing or dangerous riding practices.

Set up a “Welfare Committee”, made up of independent experts authorised to move freely throughout the Olympic site of the equestrian events, as part of a special “Equine Welfare at the Olympic Games” mission.

Recommendation #5

Remind participants and inform the public that the entire equestrian competition precinct is under 24/7 surveillance by purposely trained veterinarians and stewards, and that recordings of the video surveillance is undertaken by an independent company, to any consultations on request, in particular that of the “Welfare Committee”.

Recommendation #6

Apply the existing rule which states that when leaving the arena or competition area at the end of the events: no one can access the horse before it is checked by the FEI steward in charge.

This blog is an excerpt from the PARIS 2024 HORSE WELFARE CAMPAIGN MAGAZINE  which is free to download and read online.