Targeted research looking at oral cavities, career profiles of sport horses, transport and prohibited substances are under way as part of the latest developments in the FEI’s equine welfare and strategy action plan.
The action plan, which was approved by the board in June and launched with CHF1m (£893,600) backing, is based on recommendations from the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission (news, 9 May). It is made up of 37 projects over six focus areas, including training, riding, tack and accountability.
“It is all about leading towards science-informed decision-making,” said FEI veterinary director Göran Åkerström during the update at the FEI general assembly in Abu Dhabi on 12 November.
“I’m not saying evidence-based rules, because evidence can change quite quickly and we always need to take the practical aspects into consideration when we come up with new rules. So we believe that a better term is actually science-informed decision-making.”
The meeting heard of the many works in progress under the banner of the action plan. These include a rule change that will allow vets and stewards to check any part of a horse’s body, a look at traditional knowledge to review and better understand certain areas and the launch of an online welfare hub as a resource for people to better access scientific papers.
“Previously, FEI wasn’t really a funding research body. We were more reading other research that was coming in. Now we’re actually funding it – we are identifying gaps and we use the fund to do research on that matter,” said Mr Åkerström, noting the budget for the FEI Veterinary Research Fund is separate to the action plan’s CHF1m launch pot.
Looking at some of the specific projects, Mr Åkerström highlighted that the contract for a study into career-profiling jumping horses had just been approved.
“The main focus will be on competition intensity. It’s an epidemiological analysis – we have more than three million FEI jumping results that will be analysed,” he said, adding that the aim will be to identify factors associated with career longevity.
“We believe this can be a very important study to come up with guidelines, rules and policies for the future.”
CHF 466,200 was set aside for veterinary research in the 2024 budget and CHF 460,900 in the 2025 budget.
Somesh Dutt, FEI senior manager in equine welfare initiatives and implementation, shared details of an additional study in this area. He said that the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses will expand on previous research into longevity of dressage horses to look at jumping and event horses.
Mr Åkerström also reported on a successful pilot project into oral cavity health, conducted during a showjumping tour, which has helped inform next steps in this area.
“The overall purpose of the project is to increase knowledge and awareness of oral cavity health, among all our stakeholders, but it’s also critical to point out that we have to govern horse welfare, and oral cavity health is part of that,” he said.
He added that the objective is to design a protocol for inspecting oral lesions that can be applied both at home and at competition.
“We also need to gather data on oral cavity health on our horses. We know from a literature study that the higher the level of competition, the larger number of oral cavity lesions there are – and of course, we need to take this into consideration,” he said. “But it’s so much about knowledge awareness and taking responsibility – it’s super-important that we work with our stakeholders.”
Mr Åkerström said that for this reason, the FEI is collaborating with a specialist on human behaviour change in the equestrian sector, to find the best way to work with riders, grooms and organising committees.
World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said the charity “warmly welcomes” the way the FEI has “embraced the vision of giving all sport horses a good life” and the “pivotal reframing of our relationship to help us recognise that we are guardians of sport horses from birth to death”.
“We also commend the FEI for committing to so many actions and activities in its evolving action plan,” he said.
“There is still much in the commission’s recommendations that will take much time and effort, such as moving towards a more evidence- or science-based approach, to the use of tack and equipment, embedding education on learning theory and equine behaviour and instilling better understanding of the rules and more robust enforcement.
“These are systemic changes, as is building a culture that embraces the continual evolution of our understanding of what good welfare looks like based on science and ethics.”
Olympics update: LA28 and Brisbane 2032
Planning is under way for the next two Olympic and Paralympic Games – LA28 and Brisbane 2032.
The FEI is still waiting to hear final disciplines and quotas from the International Olympic Committee for 2028, which are now expected in March 2025. As H&H has previously reported, eventing’s inclusion depends on its being able to run at the same venue as the other equestrian disciplines, including the cross-country phase.
Galway Downs in Temecula – a wine region around 90 minutes south of Los Angeles – has been identified (news, 4 July). The FEI commissioned an external climatological study to understand the effect of the climate on horses, which it handed to the LA28 organising committee this month. Although temperatures there can be hot, it is a dry climate.
“We will recommend to the organising committee to not have competitions between 11am and 2pm,” said FEI president Ingmar de Vos.
He added that the organising committee will now need to look at the impact on other areas, such as logistics and timelines for TV broadcasting and getting spectators in and out.
“We hope that very soon the venue can finally be approved,” he said. “The good thing is that we will have contingency days, because we do not have to share the venue with another sport.”
Looking ahead to Brisbane, Mr de Vos said “there is a chance” the Olympic stadium, where the opening ceremony and athletics will be held, could be in the venue identified for equestrian sport in Victoria Park.
He added that he is “confident we will be” at the Brisbane Games, noting that there is a “strong commitment” from the Brisbane organising committee and that Australia has “a long tradition in equestrian sports, especially eventing”.
Talking points
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- The roll-out of the FEI’s noseband-measuring device has been pushed back from 1 January to 1 May. This is to allow more time to train officials and owing to “slight delays” in the manufacturing process.
- Guidance on mental health is to be included in a medical coverage handbook for organising committees for 2025.
- A working group is to be established in 2025 to review literature and propose new research projects on air vests.
- New rules on out-of-competition testing headline the changes for 2025, which have been voted in to “discourage and catch the administration of banned substances” out of competition.
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