15/05/2025
*** WHY USING HORSES IN SPORT IS THE LEAST OF OUR WELFARE CONCERNS ***
The animal rights activists have definitely got the bit between their teeth with regards to using horses in sport. I can honestly say that there are many, many welfare concerns that should be registering much higher on the scale than asking a horse to jump a solid fence, or even asking a horse to race.
Speaking from my experience as a very busy ambulatory Equine Vet for the past 16 years, I want to share my viewpoint on why using horses in sport (including racing) is really not a welfare concern.
Firstly, horses can break their legs, break their necks, and rupture their tendons, whilst turned out in the field. Using the argument that we shouldn’t use horses in sport due to the high risk of injury, is absolutely not an argument. I have seen FAR more broken legs out in fields, than I’ve ever seen whilst out Eventing. Regardless of numbers, if a horse breaks his leg whilst competing, he receives IMMEDIATE veterinary attention. If he breaks his leg in the field, he could be waiting up to 12 hours, or if he had as a negligent owner who doesn’t check their horses twice a day, 24 hours!
Let’s actually think about broken legs and ruptured tendons for a minute, and why we normally immediately euthanise a horse with a broken leg. Is it because the horse is in far more pain with a broken bone, than a human would be? No. We euthanise a horse with a broken leg because we can’t tell them to not put any weight on that leg whilst it heals, and because they are too heavy to be able to hop around on three limbs for weeks, as a dog or cat can do, whilst the fracture heals. We don’t immediately rush to euthanise a horse with a fracture, because it’s in more pain than any other animal; it’s to do with the inability (often) to completely immobilise the limb. The same with bilateral tendon ruptures (rupturing BOTH tendons in the front legs); yes, it’s painful, but they are euthanised because we can’t tell them to lie in a bed for weeks whilst they heal, and because they are heavy.
In my opinion, a horse will suffer unnecessarily if he fractures his leg in the field and isn’t found for 24 hours. A horse will not suffer unnecessarily if he fractures a limb whilst racing or Eventing, and is seen by the course vet within ten minutes, often sooner, and euthanised within 20 minutes. So no argument there for me at all. Just as much risk of fracturing a leg whilst turned out, and seen/treated immediately if he does so whilst racing or competing.
Then we move onto rules and disciplinary committees. Horse sport is heavily regulated. And I mean heavily. Jockeys are constantly scrutinised during a race for every single whip movement, amongst other things. Eventing has a very long list of warnings and yellow cards, if you look at the FEI disciplinary list (readily available online). But who regulates and scrutinises riders at a livery yard, or riders at home? No one. At an FEI Event, our bits are checked, and any sign of blood on a horse will result in Elimination. Any lameness is picked up. Cross country rounds are watched by stewards. Riders riding too fast are pulled up for dangerous riding. Who checks this at local shows? Pretty much no one. Who checks on the soundness of horses used solely for pleasure riding? No one. Who tells the kid in the arena off at a livery yard for constantly whacking their pony with a whip? I’m not suggesting that pleasure horses are suffering; I’m pointing out that competition/sport horses are monitored constantly.
Obese horses? Often suffer from laminitis and end up spending their lives on a diet, and often very hungry. Upper level sports horses? Worked hard so normally able to eat ad lib, and very unlikely to suffer from debilitating laminitis.
Emaciated horses? Often not found until a member of the public reports them, and by this stage, the horse has suffered unnecessarily for months and months. You’ll never find an emaciated upper level competition horse, as they wouldn’t be able to compete at that level.
Unvaccinated horses? Common in the pleasure horse community, but you can’t compete an unvaccinated horse, so no chance of an upper level sport horse dying from tetanus or influenza.
Dentition? I would be fairly sure that pretty much every upper level competition horse has 6 monthly, or yearly, dental care. I’ll sometimes still hear of horses and ponies that have NEVER had their teeth looked at.
Whips/spurs? Again, their use is heavily regulated at top level sport, and whip use even more so in racing. It’s not whip/spur use at top level sport that activists, or even the general public, need to worry about; it’s whip and spur use behind closed doors. And that won’t stop, even if whips and spurs are banned at Events. I’d happily see whips and spurs banned for any riders under the age of 14, as I don’t think there’s anything worse than seeing the “Pony Club kick”, accompanied by spurs, and a few whacks of a whip. But I actually see both a whip and spurs as essential pieces of equipment, at least for the biggest XC tracks. One tap of a whip on a shoulder can prevent a horse jumping a part of the fence that may be too wide for him to safely jump, and one little prod with spurs can stop a 4 or 5* horse having a slight hesitation at a fence that it may then subsequently suffer a rotational fall at if he does hesitate. In the upper level riders in high level sport, we normally have a secure enough lower leg to safely use spurs, and enough experience to know when to use a whip, without “beating” the horse. I’m 100% not suggesting that I’d expect whips to be used to whack a horse into jumping something he didn’t want to jump, but I’m a huge fan of a shoulder tap to either keep a horse straight, or make sure I’ve got his undivided attention as we approach a big or tricky fence.
Shark fin withers……nah, only joking; think others have that topic covered 🫣😂
I could actually write a whole book on this topic, and there are many areas I haven’t touched on in this already too long, article! So in summary, I don’t believe that using horses in top level sport, is a welfare concern. I believe horses being left for 24 hours with a broken leg in a field, or left hopping lame for a weekend due to the owner not wanting an out of hours vet bill, are welfare concerns. I believe rider weight (riders far too heavy for their horses) is a welfare issue. I believe obese and emaciated horses are welfare issues. I believe beating a horse into compliance is a welfare issue. I don’t believe that our top level equine athletes are suffering by being used for top level Eventing, show jumping, or racing. Note that I haven’t touched on dressage or endurance, as there are different points to consider in those disciplines. There are absolutely areas of horse sport that need to continue to be actively monitored, but they are being, and don’t require trial by social media.
It’s a controversial post, and I’m sure many won’t agree with me, but feel free to share.
Photo of Johnnie and I going clear round a huge 4* track at Barbury 2022; his career was ended by a pelvic injury following a kicking match when he climbed his way into Mabel’s field.
Anyone being rude about me, or to me, gets an instant block; strangely enough, this is my own page, so I don’t have to accept it 😊
