Title: Enhancing Equestrian Safety and Welfare: Insights from the 2025 FEI Sports Forum
As a member of the Fédération Equestre Internationale community, I try to constantly stay abreast of news and developments across the disciplines. The horse world seemed to be abuzz with important discussions at last month’s 2025 FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, especially those concerning safety vests and horse welfare.
I was heartened to hear the debates at the forum. I particularly applaud the news that further investigations will be conducted into the use of safety vests and body protectors, in all their various forms. It’s a subject I feel strongly about.
A new working group has been established that “aims to enhance athlete safety by evaluating the effectiveness of equestrian safety vests and body protectors in reducing serious rider injuries and will identify necessary research to recommend optimal testing standards and future vest designs.”
While more information is always welcome, I think there’s already enough evidence to assert that currently available body protectors generally reduce both the chance and severity of injury to the upper torso during a fall.
The way these traditional back protectors work is easy to understand; studies have shown that their use decreased rib fractures in racing and fewer injuries occurred on cross-country, and personal experiences show that wearing a body protector does provide benefits. While there are some negatives to wearing a protective vest, such as the potential for heat buildup and cost, riders should be encouraged to use them based on their personal choices, risk profiles, and the equine activity they are engaging in.
In terms of air vests, we simply don’t have the hard data yet to say with certainty that they decrease the chance of injury. Hopefully, the new working group will be able to shed some more light on that, which may lead to new guidance for air jackets.
In the meantime, I believe the U.S. Equestrian Federation should encourage the use of protective vests in competition but not mandate it at this stage. I’m reminded of and encouraged by this passage in the USEF rules that explicitly allows competitors to use vests without being penalized:
“Body Protecting Vest. Any exhibitor may wear protective headgear and/or a protective vest, either body protecting or inflatable, specifically designed for use in equestrian sport in any division or class without penalty from the judge.”
This explicitly states that there should be no penalties or bonus points for wearing or not wearing a protective vest in competition. It’s worth remembering that this includes hunters and equitation competitors, too.
The other presentation at the Sports Forum, its 14th edition, that piqued my interest focused on a new 37-part Equine Welfare Action Plan to improve horse welfare. The FEI announced the establishment of an FEI Equine Welfare Advisory Group to promote a positive and collaborative approach to the use of horses in elite sport.
A member of the new group, the esteemed veterinarian Madeleine Campbell, said, “Our belief is that the use of horses in sport is ethical provided certain key principles are fulfilled. The guiding principles to which our group will be working will be to ensure that negative welfare effects are minimized, positive welfare effects are maximized, avoidable and unnecessary risks to horses are identified and mitigated, and the FEI regulations and the law are complied with.”
While this is a really positive and significant step in the right direction for horse sport, the program is missing a mandatory education program for the community. Unfortunately, there is no uniform consensus regarding training methods and horse care, as different disciplines, trainers, riders, drivers, countries and coaches have developed various training methods. Some are abusive and need to be stopped, some need clarification, and some are entirely consistent with horse welfare.
The equestrian community deserves to know exactly which training methods are appropriate and which, even if well-intentioned, are considered unacceptable. This requires teaching the community about the content of the Equine Welfare Action Plan. It is hard to prevent abuse in the first place or to support the development of best horse training practices without education. A mandatory equine welfare educational program, like the U.S. Center for SafeSport educational program, would be beneficial, as I have argued in the past.
We need to ensure that any casual observer of professional horse sports—someone flicking through channels on TV, for example—can clearly see that equine welfare is an absolute priority. It’s tough to admit that in the past, as an industry, we’ve been lacking in that area. However, educating our community about the public relations aspect of our sport will help maintain its popularity both in the public eye and its status on the Olympic roster.
Progress isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it, especially when the issue at hand is horse welfare. Let’s keep it front and center so we can continue enjoying equestrian sports at the Olympics for many decades to come.
Armand Leone of Leone Equestrian Law LLC is a business professional with expertise in health care, equestrian sports and law. An equestrian athlete dedicated to fair play, safe sport and clean competition, Leone served as a director on the board of the U.S. Equestrian Federation and was USEF vice president of international high-performance programs for many years. He served on the USEF and U.S. Hunter Jumper Association special task forces on governance, safety, drugs and medications, trainer certification, and coach selection.
Leone is co-owner at his family’s Ri-Arm Farm in Oakland, New Jersey, where he still rides and trains. He competed in FEI World Cup Finals and Nations Cups. He is a graduate of the Columbia Business School in New York and the Columbia School of Law. He received his M.D. from New York Medical College and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Leone Equestrian Law LLC provides legal services and consultation for equestrian professionals. For more information, visit equestriancounsel.com or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/leoneequestrianlaw.
The views expressed in opinion pieces are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chronicle of the Horse.
