Dressage-News

May 24, 2022

The European Equestrian Federation announced Tuesday a partnership with Sporthorse Welfare Foundation, a globe-girdling research group committed to enhancing horse health, performance and welfare, and improving horse-rider relationships through research and education.

The EEF will work on a specific research project seeking consensus about essential aspects of sport horse management and training to safeguard the welfare of sport horses with the aim of creating clear guidelines and advice for a global standard for sport horse welfare.

The foundation brings a group of more than 150 equestrian professionals and scientists from 32 countries, including experts and professionals from different disciplines and multiple fields–riders, grooms, trainers, veterinarians, scientists, farriers, owners and others.

“As the top-level sport evolves, we are aware the demands on our equine athletes are changing and it’s central to the EEF’s mission to ensure horse welfare remains the top priority,” the federation said in a statement. “This project will explore all areas of an elite sports horses’ life, from competition, travel, training, nutrition, and home environment to find unanimity on the key factors and identify the best requirements for the horse.

Dr Carolien Munsters a researcher and of Utrecht University, Netherlands, said: “This is a groundbreaking project to bring much-needed clarity to the area of horse welfare. Currently, the term is incredibly broad and different nations are working toward different standards. We want to use research and evidence-led practice to agree on a global definition and standards with all key stakeholders, that all nations can then adapt and work toward to optimize welfare for our equine athletes.”

Founding members of the Sporthorse Welfare Foundation are:

–Prof. Dr. Jane Williams, project coordinator, head of research, Hartpury University, United Kingdom;
–Dr. Carolien Munsters, project coordinator, researcher & equine consultant, Equine Integration & Utrecht University, Netherlands;
–Dr. David Marlin, researcher, president of UK National Equine Welfare Council & FEI climate advisor;
–Prof. Dr. Michael Weishaupt, head of research University of Zurich, School of Veterinary Medicine & Equine Performance Centre, Switzerland;
–Prof. Dr. Lars Roepstroff, head of research Swedish university of agricultural sciences, Uppsala;
–Prof. Dr. Lise Berg, applied clinical biomedical science, department of large animal science in section of medicine and surgery, Tåstrup. Denmark
–Dr Katharina Kirsch, researcher and veterinarian at German Olympic Committee for Equestrian Sports, Warendorf, Germany;
–Prof. Dr. Hayley Randle, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Bathurst, Australia;
–Prof. Dr. Hilary Clayton, researcher and equine consultant, Sport Horse Ltd., USA, and
–Prof. Dr. Marianne Sloet, researcher and equine consultant, Eikenlust, Bilthoven, Netherlands.