The equestrian associations in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland have joined together in a joint letter on horse welfare addressed to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
From a Nordic perspective, we highlight how important it is to prioritize the work for horse welfare internationally and suggest that the FEI call for a Dressage Forum, where together we can focus on primarily developing dressage forward based on horse welfare after the revelations that rock equestrian sports in the last the time.
- The love of the horse is the foundation of equestrian sports, which makes the debate about horse welfare so important. That the debate first means that we all get the opportunity to look at what is not working so that we can develop together, says Johan Fyrberg.
The Nordic confederations who wrote the letter want, among other things, to have a discussion about the assessment at the competition and make it more transparent. We also want to have a discussion about training and championships for young horses and what the purpose of these championships is.
The initiative was brought up by Sweden in connection with an international workshop on horse welfare held during the Gothenburg Horse Show.
More information about the initiative can be found in a joint press release: Nordic equestrian federations address the FEI with concern for horse welfare | Svenska Ridsportförbundet (Nordic equestrian federations address the FEI with concern for horse welfare | Swedish Equestrian Association)
Equestrian sports' international governing body unveils its mission, "to lead, drive, and develop the highest standards of equine sport globally." FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez sets forth the plan in this YouTube video, urging everyone to act as guardians to ensure a "good life for horses." Learn more about the horse welfare plan at https://www.fei.org/stories/lifestyle/horse-human/guardians.
Flyinge hosted the Horse Welfare Summit, Northern Europe's largest event dedicated to horse welfare. The summit spanned two full days and featured lectures, clinics, and panel discussions led by prominent experts in the field.
"From the Air you breathe, to the ground beneath your feet, you deserve the very BEST. Your well-being is our inspiration."
Scholarship recipient Eva Skiöldebrand was part of a research team conducting a clinical study of a novel drug combination that was effective in treating osteoarthritis-associated lameness in horses and restoring joint tissue. The findings could have implications for treating ostearthritis in humans as well, since horses and humans are genetically very similar. The researchers hope to conduct a clinical trial of the drug treatment in humans next.