Ethical Implications of Elite Equestrian Sport

Horse riding is a sport that is enjoyed worldwide, from people who ride for leisure to elite athletes who make a living from riding. While there are strict guidelines in place throughout the sport to protect the welfare of the equine athlete, elite equestrian sport often uses abusive riding techniques which is detrimental to the horse. The guidelines are outdated and need to be updated as new information has come out about the effects to the horse from certain techniques. To better understand the sport and the techniques, it is necessary to look back over 6000 years to the domestication of the horse.

It is thought that horses have been domesticated since at least 4000 BC. Since then, horses have been used by humans for a variety of uses, from labor help to transportation and from peaceful times to war. The cavalry became an important part of the Greek military force in 800 BC, and horses have been used until present day, and through both world wars (Kniffen). In present day, while horses are still present in many military proceedings, they are mainly used for sport and leisure.

One of the most popular riding sports today is dressage. Dressage can be traced back to 400 BC and the works written by Xenophon, a Greek military commander.  Horse riding rose and fell in popularity over the centuries with many differences, both subtle and not, in riding style and preferences. Several dressage moves and riding techniques that will be discussed later on originated from as early as 1791 (German National Equestrian Federation). Because early riding systems were developed for military use, many foundational techniques emphasized obedience and precision over an understanding of equine psychology, a mindset that still echoes faintly in some modern training traditions

Although there are strict rules in place for the nearly 4000 athletes registered to compete in dressage competitions by the Fédération Equestre Internationale, or FEI, (FEI), over the past few years alone there have been several high profile cases of equine abuse either in competition or by high level athletes. In 2021 Kim Raisner, coach for the German equestrian team, violated the UIPM competition rules by striking a horse and encouraging her athlete to do the same (News, UIPM). In 2024 Olympic dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin was suspended and fined by FEI following a disciplinary proceeding regarding a video of Dujardin repeatedly whipping a horse during a training session (FEI Communications). In 2025 Australian rider Heath Ryan was suspended during an investigation following allegations of horse abuse, as well as posting a video on social media showing abusive training techniques (FEI Communications).

Strict guidelines are meant to stop abuse and damaging riding techniques from happening at a high level. Why is it then that so many athletes and trainers use abusive techniques? Part of this can be attributed to the fact that many senior and highly regarded participants in, and regulatory guardians of, elite global equestrian competitions learned animal welfare when the science was still new. As of such, it was viewed with much skepticism that animals could have negative experiences, when positive experiences were rarely considered. As a result, many ways of suffering were overlooked and received little attention.

In the equestrian world tradition is well respected, so if a horse is successful, it is often credited to tradition methods, regardless of how cruel and damaging it might be towards the horse. Resistance to the change of methods can manifest in several ways, such as reluctance to compromise to equine welfare, or to continue using narratives to deflect public scrutiny. One example is attributing a horses’ behavior to “arrogance” where a horse supposedly becomes aware of competitive success in the presence of other horses. This is a perfect example of trying to humanize a horse or perhaps be an attempt to rationalize signs of distress and frustrations of horses in elite competition environments. (Uldahl and Mellor).  

These behaviors can be referred to as conflict behaviors (CB), which is a response exhibited by animals that are having difficulty coping with mental or physical discomfort. It is most often demonstrated as some form of resistance to handling, training cues, and/or equipment. A study that was done in 2013 observed 150 elite competition horses by reviewing FEI competition footage to determine the incidence of conflict behaviors in horses participating in elite equestrian competition. For this study, conflict behaviors that were assessed were head shaking, pulling the reins out of the rider’s hands, gaping, and tail swishing, divided by the total time associated with a given dressage movement, or the occurrence associated with each type of obstacle in show jumping. Percentage of the time where each horse presented with low head position and with the nose behind the vertical was also recorded.

The study found that horses participating in elite level FEI competitions regularly exhibit a high incidence of conflict behaviors, with dressage horses showing conflict behaviors an average of every 4 seconds and show jumping horses every 5 seconds. While the FEI rules say the head of the horse must remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, almost half of the dressage horses were regularly ridden behind the poll. The scores of the horses ridden behind the poll were no different than the other horses, and the training error was overlooked and accepted by international judges. (Jezierski, Górecka-Bruzda and Kosinska).

Riding with the nose behind the vertical, also known as Rollkur or hyperflexion, is a training method used by some dressage riders, however it is controversial as it may cause discomfort and negatively affect the horse’s welfare. Rollkur involves positioning the head and neck in a deep and round position with the horses’ muzzle almost touching its chest. This is usually achieved by applying pressure to the reins. Rollkur restricts vision in the direction of travel and is also suggested to disturb the horse’s balance, both of which likely have psychological implications. Rollkur’s emphasis on a tightly controlled frame echoes ideas inherited from older military training philosophies, which valued total submission of the horse’s body. While the modern sport no longer shares those battlefield demands, some of these control-oriented techniques have persisted longer than their welfare impacts justify

The results of a study demonstrate that horses show higher levels of discomfort when ridden in a coercively obtained Rollkur posture compared to regular poll flexion, and that they will avoid being ridden in Rollkur given the chance. Researchers suggest that Rollkur should not be practiced due to the lack of evidence of beneficial effects and the potential negative impact on rider safety and welfare of the horse as demonstrated in the study (von Borstel, Heatly Duncan and Shoveller).

In the FEI rules, it is stated that the object of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. Horses are also only to complete training that matched their physical capabilities and level of maturity. It is also stated that no person may abuse a horse during an event or any other time. “Abuse” is classified as an action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse (FEI)

If this is the case, then why is it that there is no explicitly stated rule against hyperflexion in the FEI guidelines? They say that the technique known as Long, Deep, and Round, which achieves flexion without undue force, is acceptable. But is that not too loose of a definition to properly prohibit the use of hyperflexion? While it is unreasonable to expect all of the nearly 4000 dressage athletes registered with FEI to never abuse a horse or use abusive riding techniques, the rules and guidelines should be strict and specific enough to leave no question as to what classifies abusive techniques, especially with the amount of studies and research done on the effects of abusive techniques on horses. Acknowledging the sport’s distant military roots helps explain why certain traditional techniques have been slow to change, but it also highlights why updating or more firmly enforcing welfare standards and updating guidelines is essential as scientific understanding moves forward

Overall, with new technology and research emerging every day, it is necessary to reevaluate the current guidelines and judging standards of elite equestrian competition. Judges need to have the proper education to ensure the riders who put their horses in a hyper flexed frame are not rewarded the same points as riders who do not. Athletes, coaches, and judges all need to learn the conflict behavior of horses and how to ride the horse in a way that is comfortable and in harmony.