Researchers Ask for Review of Top Riders

Extra pressure has been put on the FEI to review the effect of double bridle use in dressage with news that a group of prominent veterinary researchers has lodged complaints about seven top-placed riders at recent World Cup qualifying shows in Europe.

The riders mentioned include Isabell Werth, Lottie Fry and Patrik Kittel.

The researchers’ spokesman told HorseSport.com that they today lodged evidence about each of the seven on the FEI’s new horse abuse reporting platform. They have also sent an explanatory letter to the FEI, openly copied to the riders’ national federations, the International Olympic Committee, and members of the European Parliament who have called for more protections for sport horses.

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It is nothing new for the FEI to be sent photographs by members of public and welfare campaigners showing alleged blue tongues or other issues. But this is the first time a group of distinguished equine scientists have jointly put their names to complaints about specific riders.

The letter is signed by Prof. Paul McGreevy of the University of Sydney, a founding father of the equine science movement, honoured in 2020 by the World Veterinary Association for his research and welfare advocacy in both racing and equestrian sport; his frequent collaborator Prof. David Mellor of Massey University, New Zealand; Cristina Wilkins and Amy D. Lykins, both of the University of New England, Australia; Cathrynne Henshall of Charles Sturt University, Australia; Kati Tuomola of the University of Helsinki, Finland. All have worked extensively on peer-reviewed research into the equine “oral cavity.”

The letter is also signed by the Norwegian photographer Crispin Parelius Johanessen, who devotes himself to capturing imagery of alleged horse abuse at international dressage shows in northern Europe.

The FEI told HorseSport.com it had received the letter and photographs. “As always, the FEI will review and examine the material provided in order to assess whether any rule violations occurred; it would not be appropriate for the FEI to comment publicly while this review is ongoing.”

HorseSport has reached out to some of the riders concerned, inviting them to respond, and will update this article accordingly.

The riders were photographed last month at CDI-Ws at Amsterdam in The Netherlands and Neumunster, Germany, although all are not identifable in the images sent to the FEI, which have zoomed in to show the horses’ mouths.

The letter express “considerable welfare concerns” about tack that would have been approved by stewards at the shows. While being compatible with FEI dressage regulations, it shows “that the combination of the bits, curb chains, nosebands, and rein tension cause severe and sustained compression of the oral and cranial tissues.”

The multiple images supplied “clearly demonstrate the competitors’ bits causing prolonged deformation of the tongue, as well as marked compression of the tongue, the periosteum of the bars, and distortion of the lips.

“In many of the images, the compression is so severe that it appears to substantially reduce or halt blood flow rostral to the bit, potentially resulting in ischaemic pain — an intensely noxious condition.”

“We are concerned that practices that harm the oral structures are not only going unnoticed but are being rewarded.”

The letter comes a few days after organisers of the Longines World Cup Finals in Basel, Switzerland (April 2-6) announced zero tolerance of horse abuse. They have partnered with new equine ethics organisation R-haltenswert (which loosely translates as “worth preserving”) whose representatives will monitor the warm-ups and relay any concerns to FEI officials.

Show president Dr. Thomas Straumann said: “We all know how much the sport we love is under surveillance. Even if it is very difficult, we cannot provide a target for opponents of equestrian sport.

“That’s why we do not accept any misconduct among ourselves and, especially, towards the horses. We ask all officials, including our staff, to look closely, and not look away. Violations will be punished using all means available to us as organisers.

“We all hope that we don’t have to make use of these measures, because all we want to see is fair sport, now here and also in the future.”