Swedish dressage rider Carl Hedin evaluates his horses’ happiness based on the three Fs: friends, forage, and freedom. This concept, while intuitive for many horse owners, is gaining attention in the high-performance dressage world as a means of prioritizing horse welfare.

The FEI has established a dressage Working Group to focus on horse welfare in the sport. The group, led by George Williams, aims to review the current state of dressage and prioritize equine ethics and wellbeing in training and competition.

Equine ethologist Renate Larssen emphasizes the importance of considering scientific evidence and horse behavior in training and judging practices. She suggests incorporating positive reinforcement and ethical negative reinforcement to improve the training process and prioritize the wellbeing of horses in all aspects of competition.