Danish Equestrian Federation Drafting New Guidelines for Professionally and Ethically Correct Use of Horses

Dressage

Denmark

With Denmark being in the eye of the cyclone of the horse welfare debate following Operation X and mainstream media having picked up the topic in Scandinavia, the Danish Equestrian Federation (DRF) has understood the demand for more regulation concerning the use of horses in sport.

On 5 March 2025 the DRF issued a press release announcing it has initiated work on updating the federation's guidelines for the professional and ethically correct use of horses in sport. The project is titled " Together for Horse Welfare."

DRF stated:

The prerequisite for using horses in sport is that we do not compromise the welfare of the horses. As part of the Danish Equestrian Federation's new strategy "Together for Horse Welfare", the board has now initiated professional work with an update of the guidelines for the professional and ethically correct use of horses in sport. The update is intended to ensure a common understanding and anchoring.

Chairman of the Danish Equestrian Federation, Kimi Gerd Nielsen: "In the Sports Plan for 2025, the Danish Equestrian Federation has set out stricter expectations and guidelines for the use of horses in sports. Since the new board was elected in December, we have been working to organize the process, which we can now start. The new guidelines will guide how we train and evaluate our horses in sports in the future."

The update of the professional basis for the correct use of horses in sport will be based on recommendations from researchers as well as veterinary and riding experts. The Danish Equestrian Federation will draw on knowledge and experience from a broad composition of experts and professionals, ensuring both research expertise within the current areas as well as veterinary and riding technical understanding.

In the first phase, we will focus on, among other things, head-neck position as well as behavioral and conflict markers. The external experts will work independently and without interference from the equestrian federation.

In parallel with the update, the Danish Equestrian Federation is initiating a dialogue process with equestrian sports stakeholders. Regional dialogue meetings will be held in the spring of 2025, which are open to all members, clubs, riders and professionals. We see the joint dialogue as a prerequisite for successfully creating a common understanding and anchoring for the ethically correct use of horses in the sport.