The Great Foaming Scandal: Dressage’s Dirty Little Secret (Now Banned by Emergency Decree)

By Tilly Stirrup, Carrot Post Special Investigator into the Ridiculous

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.

Yes, we have arrived at this point.

Effective 1 July 2025, riders across all GEF disciplines will no longer be allowed to coat their horses' mouths in boutique baking ingredients (or anything else) to simulate the holy grail of contact: “softness, acceptance, and submission” — or in modern dressage terms, a full-on meringue beard.

“Acceptance of the Bit” or Just Dessert?

This rule was hurried through after GEF officials were flooded with images from international events showing horses with mouths so covered in gloop, they looked halfway through a pavlova. Upon investigation, it became clear this wasn’t just enthusiastic salivation. This was a concoction of icing sugar, beeswax and gelatine (and sometimes worse)—more commonly seen in a Great British Bake Off semi-final than at an FEI competition.

According to the GEF’s internal memo, riders (or, let’s be honest, the groom who's paid to do the dirty work) had been coating horses’ mouths to disguise bruising, lesions, or tongue discoloration. Because what’s more classic than hiding mouth trauma with a dollop of decorative drizzle?

“It’s a sad state of affairs when the GEF has to pass an emergency rule to stop people putting confectionery-based camouflage in their horse’s mouths,” said Dr. Leila Al-Farsi, CEO of the World Equestrian Welfare Organisation. “What’s next? Starching a horse's ears so they remain forward during a test?”

The practice appears most prevalent in — where else? — top-level dressage, where appearance is everything, criticism is crushing, and the judges are apparently legally blind to anything outside the 60x20 arena.

Who Does This?

Not the eventers. They’re too busy taping their boots back together. Not the showjumpers — they can barely get their horses to accept a bridle, let alone a dessert.

No, this is pure Dressage Queen energy:

The international rider with the £600k gelding and no seat.

The sponsor-pandering amateur chasing a wildcard ticket to a 4*.

The coach who says “elastic contact” but actually means “squeeze until they shut up.”

It’s a niche club of perfectionist pageant parents — only their child is 600kg, foam-faced, and politely trying to avoid the rider's spurs every second stride.

GEF President Alejandro Ferreira commented (off the record, after a martini):

“The sport was never meant to resemble a pâtisserie. If your contact requires sugar to look soft, you’re not a rider — you’re a pastry chef.”

How Will They Police It?

Word on the lorry park is that GEF officials are currently developing protocols to detect fake foam. Options include:

• A taste test (volunteers are thin on the ground).

• DNA-swabbing the bit.

• Appointing ‘Tack Stewards with Michelin Stars’.

The rule comes with serious teeth: a Yellow Warning Card and elimination for anyone caught with dessert-enhanced dressage.

Final Thoughts: When Did This Become Normal?

Let’s reflect.

Equestrian sport is under global pressure to prove its commitment to genuine welfare, ethical training, and transparency. Instead, the GEF had to ban marshmallow masks because someone thought sugar foam looked better than bruises.

Seriously?

The GEF board had to spend time discussing this and had to make an emergency rule because riders are finding more and more inventive ways to cover up welfare issues. Where is the rider honour? We shouldn't need rules like this to protect the horse, because riders shouldn't be trying to cover up issues like this!!!!

This is not classical riding. It’s not horsemanship. It’s smoke, mirrors, and syrup — an attempt to Photoshop a partnership using a tub of kitchen ingredients.

If your horse's mouth needs dessert to pass a tack check, it’s time to rethink your training. Or at the very least, your values.

We’ll leave you with this thought from GEF’s long-suffering welfare advisor:

“Horses don’t need icing. They need integrity.”

An FEI spokesperson stated : The new rule 1004.4 has been added to the FEI Veterinary Regulations and applies to all the FEI disciplines. It comes into effect on 1 July 2025 and replaces existing provisions in the FEI discipline rule books.

The FEI stakeholders, including the National Federations, Officials, and athletes, have been informed accordingly and protocols for use by Officials at FEI events are being developed.