Animal Welfare
The ethical treatment of equines in sport requires us to balance the competitive demands that we place on horses and ponies with and their physical and mental well-being. Our horses are our athletic teammates, not pieces of sports equipment.
Our mission is to cultivate the highest standards of animal welfare in sport by sharing educational resources about evidence-based:
- training and conditioning methods that respect the horse’s physical limits and emotional responses;
- preventive veterinary care, including equine nutrition, for sport horses and ponies;
- safe and humane tack and gear;
- equine-focused animal husbandry practices ample exercise, access to pasture, and opportunities for socialization with other horses.
Our mission includes cultivating animal welfare educational opportunities for trainers, barn managers, and instructors.
AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION (AQHA) RESOURCES
FÉDÉRATION ÉQUESTRE INTERNATIONAL (FEI) RESOURCES
- FEI Equine Code of Conduct for the Welfare of the Horse
- Equine Ethics & Wellbeing Commission Final Report (Nov. 14, 2023)
MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL (MHC) RESOURCES
- Minimum Standards of Care
- Riding in Hot Weather
- Horses in Thunderstorms
- Rabies in Horses
US EQUESTRIAN (USEF) ANIMAL WELFARE RESOURCES
- National Welfare Code of Practice
- Social License (David O’Connor)
- Mental Health for Competition Horses (Duncan F. Peters)
- Good Life for Horses: Communication (David O’Connor)
- Good Life for Horses: Competition and Training (David O’Connor)
- Good Life for Horses: Outside of Competition (David O’Connor)
VETERINARY INFORMATION from the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)
- Adult Horse Core Vaccine Chart (2023)
- Disease Specific Information for Horse Owners
- AAEP Vet Direct Safety Net
Scientific Papers
General
- Zetterberg E, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Hernlund E, Rhodin M (2024) Prevalence of movement asymmetries in high-performing riding horses perceived as free from lameness and riders’ perception of horse sidedness. PLoS ONE 19(7), 2024.
Event Horses
- Milena D. Scheidegger, et al. 2022. Qualitative Gait Analysis Before and After a Cross Country Test in a Population of Elite Eventing Horses, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 117, 2022.
- L.T. Johns, M.P. Smythe, L.S. Dewberry, E.A. Staiger, K. Allen, S.A. Brooks, Digital Video Analysis Reveals Gait Parameters That Predict Performance in the Jumping Test Phase of Three-Day Eventing, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 141, 2024.
Show Jumpers
- Nagy, Annamaria & Sue Dyson. 2024. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomographic and Radiographic Findings in the Metacarpophalangeal Joints of 31 Warmblood Showjumpers in Full Work and Competing Regularly, Animals 14, no. 10: 1417, 2024.