The Cruelty Behind Equestrian Sports: The Impact of Training Practices on Horses' Welfare

Animals Asia's Global Director of Animal Sentience & Welfare Dave Neale reacts to the footage circulating in the media, showing British Olympian Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse during a training session.

As the video highlights the vulnerability of 'trained horses' used in sport and entertainment, Dave emphasizes the impact of such training practices on horses' welfare across equestrian sports.

The shocking footage of Team GB Olympian Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse during a training session brings into stark focus the vulnerability that ‘trained horses’ face when used for sport and entertainment. The whip is used as a negative reinforcer to force the horse, through fear of punishment, to carry out a behaviour desired by Charlotte Dujardin. However, it is not one the horse, given a free choice, would naturally perform. In this case, the horse shows clear avoidance behaviour and stress due to not being able to escape a negative and painful experience.

This incident highlights a wider problem of horses being used and, in cases like this, abused for our purposes and not their own. Despite professionals in equestrian sports saying that incidents such as this are not common practice, whipping is still used as a ‘learning tool’ by many, alongside riders applying pressure on the reins or a rider’s leg against the horse’s ribs to instruct the horse to perform as desired. These actions are undertaken in an attempt to dominate the horse through fear of punishment. Being restrained by a rider, during training and competitions such as dressage, removes a horse's ability to adapt to their strongly motivated behaviours of ‘flight, fight and freeze’ when presented with a perceived threat such as the whip, causing them further stress.

In many cases, trained horses such as those used in dressage also spend considerable amounts of time in social isolation, inhibiting their essential social interactions such as grooming. Many are confined to a stable or on a leash restricting their ability to exercise and explore their environment.

Trained horses are physically impacted by the use of bridles which typically apply pressure to sensitive areas of the horse’s head and, when bits are present, uncomfortable pressure inside the horse's mouth. At best bits are a mild irritant, at worst they may cause oral lesions, as well as behavioural inhibition causing further fear and distress.

Horses used in equestrian sports such as dressage are also subjected to frequent long-distance transportation which can cause physical and psychological distress. This can result in dehydration, injury, respiratory problems and gastrointestinal disease.

Horses are social animals that wish to be with other horses. If given a choice it is highly unlikely they would freely choose to play our games at the expense of their own welfare.