Statement issues by Xenophon e.V. -- At the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in November a new passage in the regulations for dressage will be discussed. This should clarify whether and when a dressage horse should be eliminated for bleeding wounds.
The suggestion came from Adelinde Cornelissen’s trainer Sjef Janssen, husband to three-time Olympic champion Anky van Grunsven.
The International Dressage Trainers Club, of which Janssen is a board member, suggested to the FEI Dressage Committee a regulation stipulating that the bell could be rung to stop the test of a rider whose horse’s mouth is bleeding, but that the rider could then reprise their test
– either during the next break or as the final participant
– after a veterinary inspection, as long as the wound is deemed to be harmless.
The allegation that the German FN is going to vote in favour of the proposal comes as a shock to the members of the Xenophon society, which is actively pursuing the maintenance and support of classical riding principles, especially in light of the FN’s reasoning that a team medal could be at risk because of it.
Horses who, for whatever reason, are bleeding, irrespective of where on their bodies the blood is found, do not belong in a competition.
Every knowledgeable rider, trainer and instructor knows that bleeding in the mouth is generally caused by an excessively strong or incorrect use of aids, specifically rein aids. Only very rarely does it happen that the horse accidentally bites its own tongue or lip, and that would just be ascribed to bad luck. Just like if a horse pulled off a shoe on the diagonal in the first extended trot and became uneven: the bell would also ring to stop this horse and eliminate it from the competition, and it would not be allowed to participate again as the final starter after the farrier had replaced the shoe. Yet this could also have an effect on the team!
The German FN published, alongside the Principles of Riding and Driving, the ethical foundations for horse enthusiasts and these continue to be published in all of their official publications. An excerpt from these states:
- Whoever deals with horses takes over the responsibility for the living being which has been entrusted to their care.
- The physical and psychological health of the horse must be given the utmost priority, irrespective of the horse’s use.
- The aim of all training is to obtain the highest possible level of harmony between horse and rider.
These really are wonderful principles at a time when the knowledge of and the basic needs of a horse are increasingly being forgotten, or at least less attention is being paid to them, particularly when it comes to competitive sport.
Do these principles now only exist as an alibi? Should they lose all of their validity in future purely to pursue a potential team medal at the Olympic Games or at other major competitions?
We appeal to the German FN to reflect on its own principles and not allow the pressure from a minority of success-driven individuals to lead them astray from these established, horse-friendly guidelines. This would only further damage the image of German riding, which has already lost some of its shine.
Xenophon e.V.
The Board
Related Links
Germany In Favour of Blood Rule, Austrian Demands More Fairness
Dressage to Become a Blood Sport
Sign Petition Against the Proposed Blood Rule!