Focus on horse welfare: CHIO Aachen launches important initiative

Focus on horse welfare: CHIO Aachen launches important initiative

As part of the World Equestrian Festival, everything revolves around the well-being of the horses. The first CHIO Aachen Science Lounge took place on July 4, 2025, where veterinarians and prominent riders such as Isabell Werth, Ingrid Klimke, Martin Fuchs and Patrik Kittel were present. Birgit Rosenberg opened the event in front of around 50 interested people, including veterinarians and media representatives. The aim was an intensive exchange on the topic of horse welfare and further development in equestrian sports. She emphasized the need for athletes to treat their horses fairly and noted that critical discussion often lacks a fact-based debate.

An important step in this direction is the CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle, founded in 2023, which aims to scientifically investigate the welfare of sport horses. Leonie Krüger, a member of the initiative, is currently evaluating data collected in order to comprehensively record and evaluate the horses' well-being. The CHIO Aachen Science Lounge, organized by the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS and ReproTraining, is intended to serve as a platform to bring key players together and develop new ideas to promote horse welfare. Krüger describes Aachen's commitment as pioneering work and sees the high level of transparency and the numerous press inquiries as a positive development.

Rules and their implementation

An alternative perspective on the topic of horse protection comes from DW. This points out that the Animal Protection Act sets out clear rules for horses in equestrian sports. According to paragraph 1, any measures that cause pain or suffering to animals without reasonable cause are prohibited. Paragraph 3 stipulates that animals may not be required to perform services that they are obviously unable to provide. Nevertheless, the discussion about the interpretation of these regulations is emotional and often inconsistent. Andrea Mihali, a veterinarian at the German Animal Welfare Association, criticizes the lack of enforcement of these rules. Frequent violations, such as the controversial Rollkur, continue to be used despite the ban without any corresponding consequences.

A positive highlight is the “Scientist Circle” initiative, which serves to objectively measure the well-being of horses. This pilot study includes, among other things, Isabell Werth's dressage horse Emilio. The aim is to determine the horses' needs during competitions through long-term observations and stress hormone measurements. The first results are expected in autumn, with the measurements being carried out under ideal conditions in Aachen and possibly being expanded to other tournaments.

Challenges in equestrian sport

Despite all these efforts, the compatibility of animal welfare and top performance in equestrian sport is criticized. Experts and horse lovers doubt that judges in competitions actually have the welfare of the animals in mind. They often decide in favor of equestrian success, which has prompted the FEI, the international equestrian sports association, to reassess after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez makes it clear that the challenges in sport must be addressed.

The FEI dressage directors had already held a meeting in Lausanne at the beginning of October 2024 to discuss the uniform direction of dressage sport. A central point is the “FEI horse welfare strategy”, which is to be fleshed out on November 12, 2024. Particularly explosive is the recently published Metha analysis, which shows the negative effects of the so-called rollkur: This extreme flexion of the neck limits the horses' field of vision and can hinder their breathing, which leads to pain and damage.

The discussion about animal welfare in equestrian sport remains exciting and shows that there is still a lot of work ahead of us. However, with initiatives such as the CHIO Aachen Science Lounge and the Scientist Circle, the debate is moving and the call for more transparency and better animal protection is becoming louder and louder.