The protection of horses is basically clearly regulated in equestrian sports: “No one may inflict pain, suffering or damage on an animal without good reason”, it says in paragraph one of the Animal Welfare Act, which forms the basis of the rules of the equestrian associations. Paragraph three also stipulates that it is forbidden to ask an animal “for services that it is obviously not up to due to its condition or that are obviously beyond its strength”.
emotional discussion
However, consideration and interpretation of the paragraphs are anything but clear in certain cases. Because what equestrians classify as reasonable and see as an unproblematic requirement for the horse is perceived very differently by others. The discussion – also in the social networks – is usually very emotional. Sometimes the loudest are those who are not necessarily the most knowledgeable about horses. There is often no common basis for a real exchange of arguments.
One organization that takes a critical, but not biased, view of equestrian sport is the German Animal Welfare Association. The Animal Welfare Association does not generally reject equestrian sport – including tournament sport – but sees significant potential for improvement in many areas. “Most of the rules in equestrian sport make sense, but there is a striking lack of enforcement,” Andrea Mihali told DW. She is a veterinarian and works at the German Animal Welfare Association as a specialist for horses. “There are stewards and judges at the preparation areas, but the riders often don’t pull them out if the regulations are violated. And regulations are only helpful if you apply them consistently,” says Mihali.
You can see horses being ridden in a rollkur for minutes on the preparation areas and also during tournament tests. [Anm.d.Red.: der Begriff Rollkur bezeichnet das Herunterziehen des Pferdekopfes mit Hilfe der Zügel in Richtung Brust. Dabei wird der Hals des Pferdes stark gedehnt.] “The animals clearly show an expression of uneasiness, sometimes also of fear,” says Mihali. There are horses that bleed from the mouth but are not taken out of the competition. “The horse’s ability is often overestimated,” says Mihali.
Scientific data on horse welfare
For more transparency on the question: “Are the animals comfortable or not?” the CHIO Aachen, Germany’s largest equestrian event and one of the most renowned tournaments in the world, has launched a new initiative, the “Scientist Circle”. With the help of scientific data, the well-being of the horses during the tournament should be objectively measured. “It is very important for us to lead the sport into a good future,” explains Birgit Rosenberg, Head of Sport at the CHIO Aachen. “The top priority is always the well-being of the horses. We therefore see it as our duty to make a contribution.”
Six horses will initially take part in the pilot study. Five start in eventing, which consists of the partial tests dressage, cross-country and show jumping, the sixth horse is Emilio, 17-year-old gelding owned by multiple Olympic dressage champion Isabell Werth. “We would like to jointly address the question of how sport horses are doing at competitions and what exactly they need to ensure their well-being in the long term,” explains Dirk Winter, Professor of Equine Management at the Nürtingen University of Applied Sciences near Stuttgart.
He carries out the project together with horse experts and leading scientists from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. The questions to be clarified are: What needs do the horses have? How do you travel comfortably? What type of accommodation do you find comfortable? When and in which situations do you experience stress?
Brain waves – before, during and after exercise
The examination methods used include long-term observation with cameras of behavior and sleeping rhythm in the box, as well as chemical analysis of the stress hormone cortisol content in horse faeces. Both are evaluated in comparison to measurements and observations that were previously made in the stable at home under resting conditions. The brainwaves of the dressage horse Emilio are measured using a special hood – before, during and after the test.
“The evaluation will give us initial indications as to which brainwaves can be recognized in horses during an intensity of stress and during an event,” says Dirk Winter. “The results should give us a first indication of what may be needed to improve horse welfare even further.”
The German eventing rider Anna Siemer immediately agreed to take part in the study with her horse. “The more relaxed my horse is and the better she can take that into the tournament, the better the performance will be,” says Siemer, who is not only hoping for information about fear and stress. On the contrary: “I also want to find out how much fun my horse has when it rides into a water obstacle, for example,” she says. “I’m quite sure that when horses have performed particularly well, they know it and can carry it with them. I’m hoping for some insights.”
The first results should be available in autumn, and their evaluation will then take a few months. It will be exciting to see how equestrian sport reacts when the data collection reveals that the horses are actually exposed to an intolerable level of stress during tests in the dressage arena, on the show jumping course or on the cross-country course. The reaction of vehement animal rights activists should be just as exciting if this is not the case. However, it is not to be expected that there will be agreement afterwards.
Responsibility lies with riders
Because it is clear that the examinations at the tournament in Aachen take place under ideal conditions. Hardly any tournament in the world offers such a good setting as the CHIO – be it in terms of housing the animals, space, training opportunities, soil conditions and other care. Carrying out measurements like in Aachen at tournaments that do not meet animal welfare standards as perfectly as the CHIO would certainly deliver more meaningful results. Although the project is to be extended to other events in the future, this is still a long way off.
Until then, the responsibility for the horses lies primarily with the riders, after all they – along with the grooms – know the animals best and should therefore be able to judge most precisely whether the next jump, the next test, the next obstacle is still reasonable, or whether – for the horse’s benefit – it is better to break off or do without.