RIDERS should be given the option to use a snaffle bridle instead of a double in all international dressage, according to a leading equine research support body.
The call came from the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES), which promotes equine welfare by improving horse-human interactions through research and evidence-based practices, in an open letter to the FEI.
It follows the release of the first draft of FEI rules for 2024, which does not include a recommendation from the equine ethics and Wellbeing Commission (EEWC) to give riders at grand prix the choice to use a double bridle or not.
The reasoning comes from their support of the “precautionary principle” – considering the possibility of harm when conclusive evidence is not yet available.
ISES “strongly endorses” the EEWC’s work, particularly the 30 recommendations and proposed vision of a “good life for horses” (news, 4 May).
This story is from the August 24, 2023 edition of Horse & Hound.
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This story is from the August 24, 2023 edition of Horse & Hound.
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