FEI “Actively Looking Into” Swedish Newspaper Report on “Blue Tongue” in Horses Competed by 3 of World’s Top Dressage Riders
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Mar. 22, 2024
The FEI–International Equestrian Federation–reported Friday it is “actively looking into” a Swedish newspaper report on horses with so-called “blue tongue” competed by three of the world’s top dressage riders at World Cup qualifiers in Europe.
The Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet published a lengthy report Thursday with numerous photographs of so-called blue tongue of world champion rider Charlotte “Lottie” Fry on Everdale and Isabell Werth on DSP Quantaz at Amsterdam in January and world No. 6 Patrik Kittel on Touchdown at both Amsterdam in January and Forever Young HRH at Neumünster, Germany in February.
The complete newspaper report in English can be seen at: https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/Xbx2l7/english-version-patrik-kittel-s-horse-lost-oxygen-in-its-tongue
All three riders have qualified for the championship Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in mid-April.
The FEI said in a statement to dressage-news.com:
“The FEI has been made aware of the photographs taken during the FEI Dressage World Cup competitions in Neumünster (GER) and Amsterdam (NED) and the analysis put forward by veterinarians in the Aftonbladet article published on 21 March.
“The FEI Judging Manual outlines the principles for assessing the horse and rider during the dressage test, including clear guidance to monitor the contact between the horse and the rider which should at all times be a soft and steady connection between the horse’s mouth and the rider’s hand and requires judges to diligently observe this during competitions.
“The FEI absolutely condemns all methods and practices that are contrary to horse welfare and is actively looking into the matter.”
The photographs published by Aftonbladet described as blue tongue in the horses all three riders competed.
“Lottie” Fry on Everdale won the Amsterdam event and of Isabell Werth of Germany placed second on Quantaz. Patrik Kittel on Touchdown placed third in Amsterdam and on Forever Young was second at Numünster .
Aftonbladet cited four veterinarians by name who criticized too tight nosebands and possibly incorrectly fitted bits that did not allow blood and oxygen to flow naturally to and from the tongue and mouth causing the blue color of the tongues and the appearance of stress by the horses.
Patrik Kittel was investigated by the FEI after complaints about the use of so-called rollkur with the horse Scandic at the 2012 Olympics and causing blue tongue on Scandic at a World Cup qualifier three years earlier. He was cleared in both cases.
