Welfare

Horse welfare at the heart of mission of Maarsbergen Horse Trials. Maarsbergen Horse Trials is not the only equestrian organisation with a focus on safety and horse welfare. Both nationally and internationally, there is a growing focus on horse welfare and safety during equestrian competitions On the one hand, this development is intrinsically driven: every equestrian enthusiast and rider has horses' best interests at heart. On the other hand, media coverage of incidents and excesses is growing. Abuses influence public opinion and lead to criticism of equestrian sports.

Maarsbergen Horse Trials takes responsibility to change culture ''Embracing horse welfare as a core value'' and thus make a positive contribution to the future of equestrian sport. It is vital to embrace equine welfare not just as a prerequisite, but as a core value within equestrian sport. Although welfare guidelines exist from various organisations, there is a lack of concrete tools for competition organisations to implement these guidelines. Thereby, welfare guidelines are mostly focused on equestrian athletes and their (own) horses. However, Maarsbergen Horse Trials is a competition without own horses. This raises questions about the position of Maarsbergen Horse Trials within the equestrian sector. How can the organisation not only comply with existing rules, but also play a role in promoting horse welfare at its competition? What can the organisation facilitate so that welfare guidelines for riders and their horses remain safeguarded even at an external venue?

From 1 September to 31 January 2025, we conducted research on horse welfare at Maarsbergen Horse Trials. A report was prepared, which you can download below.

We are currently exploring further how to integrate the recommendations from this report at Maarsbergen Horse Trials.