While the FEI was preoccupied with blood economy, British Dressage (BD) is grappling with an even more existential problem in its new Equine Welfare Threshold Framework: How do you prove intent? The BD decides on sanctions by distinguishing between ‘unintentional’ (gentle warning) and ‘intentional’ (more serious) use of aids.

New No-Blood Rule vs. Swiss Law No Blood Rule is now The Blood Rule

Today, November 7th, in Hong Kong, the Fédération Equestre Internationale voted 56–20 (with two nations looking politely at their shoes) to approve a rule that will now allow horses to continue competing while bleeding, so long as officials decide it’s the right kind of blood.

Is the international showjumping elite gracefully pirouetting around Swiss animal welfare law?

Riders with Backbone: 40,000 Voices Say No Blood

By: An Officially Uninformed Source LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND  – In a move lauded by the E.L.I.T.E.  (Elite Legislative Initiative for Tournament Exemptions) as a victory for "proportionality" and "equine makeup artists," the GEF  (Global Equine Federation) is set to vote on a dramatic softening of the legendary "No-Blood Rule." Previously, any visible blood on a competition horse, whether from a minor nick, a mosquito bite, or an unfortunate encounter with a jump resulted in imm

Winter horse care has evolved from “make do and hope for the best” to a full-blown fashion show with enough kit to rival a North Face outlet.

Once upon a time, in the quaint, mud-soaked decades of the late 20th century, feeding a horse was simple. Oats. Barley. A scoop of chaff. Maybe, if you were feeling generous, a linseed mash on a Sunday. Horses survived. Many even thrived. And — whisper it — they were rideable.

The Global Equestrian Federation (GEF) has launched a bold new initiative to combat the sweltering conditions affecting riders, horses, and anyone foolish enough to wear white breeches in August: it’s called “Beat the Heat”, and it’s exactly what you think it is—well-meaning advice instead of rescheduling shows.

In what can only be described as the lowest high-performance moment in equestrian sport since rollkur met Instagram, the Global Equestrian Federation (GEF) has issued an emergency rule banning the use of fake foam in horses’ mouths.

What began as a whisper of spiritual enlightenment in the dressage arena has now blossomed into a full-blown metaphysical movement....

By 2040, all dressage tests will be performed by holograms of riders with their horses, the Global Equestrian Federation (GEF) has...

(London, UK) —  In a ground-breaking move for both horse welfare and rider financial ruin, leading equine supplement companies have...

In a recent presentation to the GEF, leading equitation scientists cut through the niceties and delivered what might be the bluntest line heard in a federation boardroom since someone accidentally served non-organic carrots at the Riders’ Welfare Lunch:

Equestrian sport is finally putting welfare first ! Well, in theory. Several federations have introduced strict new “welfare-first”...

Fly masks: the unsung heroes of the equestrian world—or the sartorial disasters of the century? If you’ve ever tried to put one on a...

In a move that has the global horse world whinnying with both awe and suspicion, researchers from the University of Equestrian Tongues, in partnership with the Equine Innovation Tongue Lab, have announced the birth of a new, genetically engineered breed: the Equus caeruleus — more commonly known as the Blue Tongue Horse.

Weighing in at an average of 1 kilogram, these “athletes” are apparently being neglected, overworked, and wildly underfed

In a proud moment for horse kind and clipboard-wielding officials everywhere, the Global Equestrian Federation (GEF) has announced its...

I was told by my editor, “Go check out someone’s grooming box, Brenda. Just see what’s in there and report about it.”