Representatives from national federations and stakeholder groups (including athletes, officials, organizers, trainers, and veterinary experts) will meet Oct. 1 under the banner of the FEI to embark on a comprehensive long-term strategy for dressage to ensure its sustainability and growth.
The focus will address the challenges impacting dressage, while providing an opportunity to update the community on current and upcoming research and development initiatives, including a study of the oral cavity (otherwise known as the mouth.)
“While the FEI fully recognizes the challenges currently facing the discipline of dressage and has worked to address issues as they have arisen, the primary focus in recent months has been on delivering key events, as well as a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, which has required considerable attention and resources,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos explained.
“Our goal now is to collaborate closely with all our stakeholders to address the challenges facing dressage. While many in our community recognzse the urgency of the situation, others may not yet fully grasp the critical juncture at which equestrian sport currently stands.
“While the FEI is committed to seeking collective solutions and fostering consensus wherever possible, the safety and well-being of our horses remain our top priority. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that dressage is a discipline where the sport is conducted in a manner that focuses on the horse’s comfort.”
He added, “As the governing body, the FEI is prepared to take the necessary decisions to ensure that we are living up to our promise to ‘Be a Guardian’ for our equine partners, and to improve the standards of safety and care in our sport. We have shown in recent months that the FEI is ready to step in and take decisive action when the need arises.
“As the sport evolves, we must adapt and find effective solutions to current challenges. Our success depends on the community’s willingness to approach these issues with an open mind and work together toward common ground.”
The FEI introduced the Be a Guardian initiative in July, which calls upon members of the community to fully commit to their duties as ‘guardians’ of FEI horses.
Be a Guardian is the central message united the community around the FEI Action Plan developed from the recommendations outlined in the final report of the independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission.
The term ‘guardian’ marks an evolution in the FEI’s narrative of the horse-human partnership, chosen to better represent the human role in caring for horses and to underscore each individual’s responsibility for ensuring horse welfare.
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