British Horse Society releases Welfare Code of Practice for Shows
Friday, July 11, 2008
The British Horse Society, in conjunction with the British Equestrian Federation’s Welfare Group, has launched a voluntary code of practice to set out acceptable welfare standards for horses at shows and events.
The Code was devised as a result of the number of concerns reported to the BHS Welfare Department regarding the treatment of horses at shows, and feedback from show organisers who often feel unable to act when welfare breaches are reported to them.
BHS Welfare Senior Executive, Lee Hackett said: “We often receive calls to our welfare hotline about incidents at shows but there is rarely anything we can do, as the calls arrive after the event. From discussions with show organisers we’ve found that they often feel powerless to take action, as there have previously been no clear standards set.
“Hopefully, these guidelines will provide the back-up that show organisers need as well as making things clear for competitors and, most importantly, improving horse welfare”.
Although the Code of Practice was originally intended for use solely at unaffiliated shows, it has now been adopted by many of the members of the BEF Welfare Group and is the first key development to come out of this innovative new body.
British Dressage Chief Executive, David Holmes said: “As part of our role we are keen to work with unaffiliated Dressage to improve riders’ competitive experience and enjoyment across the whole sport. This Code of Practice aims to support show organisers in running good quality shows and we’re delighted to offer the BHS Welfare department our input and support with this initiative.”
Lee Hackett went on to say: “The BHS is delighted that so many BEF member bodies are backing this Code of Practice. Hopefully this will be the first of many collaborative initiatives to improve horse welfare”.
The Code includes guidelines on all aspects of the welfare of horses at events such as transport, use of the whip, conduct in and out of the show ring and the provision of feed, water and shelter. If a show organiser finds that a competitor is in breach of the Code, they will then have firm grounds to issue a formal warning or disqualify that individual from their classes. In severe cases, individuals may be asked to leave the showground or be reported to a welfare agency.
The BHS Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies at Events is available to download from the BHS website, www.bhs.org.uk. Show organisers are invited to state that their event is being run under the BHS Code and request that competitors read the full code.
A shorter version is also available and could be incorporated into show schedules.
