Creating Truly Safe and Horse-Friendly Showgrounds: Prioritizing Welfare, Safety, and Ethical Practices for the Future of Equestrian Sport – Part 1/2

Sustained public trust requires venues to showcase a deep commitment to horse welfare and safety, securing the sport’s future through ethical and sustainable practices for social licence to operate (SLO). In this blog post, we focus on the 23 hours  – not just the single one spent riding.

We believe the next step in advancing horse welfare is to treat tie‑ups with the same importance as saddles and bridles. By reducing fear and discomfort in everyday handling, we create a safer, more predictable world for the horse – one that supports both welfare and performance.

Basic Safety Shortcomings at Competition Grounds

Many competition grounds continue to fall short on basic safety – reflecting a worrying level of nonchalance in parts of the equestrian industry.

It’s not uncommon to see loose dogs wandering between pathways, people darting around on fast scooters and chaotic environments where safety rules are overlooked. These risky practices endanger both horses and humans and send the wrong message about welfare priorities for horse-friendly showgrounds.

What Defines a Truly Horse-Friendly Venue?

Truly horse-friendly showgrounds are where safety and welfare come hand-in-hand, not just in the ring but everywhere on the grounds.

Clear protocols, proper supervision and active management should be standard – not optional.

As public expectations for transparency and welfare rise, it’s time for every event organiser and official to take these risks seriously and work together to create secure, respectful spaces for all athletes – human and equine alike.

Creating a More Horse-Welfare-Focused Equestrian Venue

Designing and managing equestrian venues with a sharp focus on horse welfare is becoming an essential priority in the industry.

Truly horse-friendly showgrounds and welfare-focused venues go beyond compliance, embedding safety, comfort and ethical care into every aspect of the environment and event operations.

Areas of Concern in Handling Spots

There are a lot of spaces that are areas of concern, for example:

• • Box and bay design (size, positioning).
  • Box walls, partitions and doors (design, materials, height, functionality).
  • Flooring (safety, durability, functionality).
  • Wall surfaces (safety, durability, functionality).
  • Drainage (size, shape, location, volume).
  • Lighting (brightness, positioning, angling, height, recessed).
  • Partitioning or dividing walls (height, length, thickness, shape and design).
  • Emergency escape routes (location, size).
  • Ceiling surface (height, angle, insulation).
  • Ventilation (amount, type, location).
  • Storage (location, size, recessed).
  • Water controls (location, design, recessed).
  • Water outlets/hoses (locations, size, height, design, type).
  • Electrical outlets (positioning, height, recessed).
  • Equipment hooks and wall attachments (material, design, location).
  • Tie-ups (lightweight, automatic release, quiet, easy handling, positioning, height, depth).

Key Features of Horse Welfare-Focused Venues

The 3 Fs – Friends (social contact), Forage (constant access to food) and Freedom (movement choice) – are essential equine welfare needs that competition venues often neglect, amplifying stress in stabling and handling.

A lot of high-level sport horse owners prioritise welfare, and it has been measured in high-level sport horses by evaluating body condition, injury risk and behavioural welfare indicators in their home stable.

Key features of a welfare-focused venue include:

• • Spacious, well-designed stabling that offers adequate room, safe flooring, proper ventilation and natural light to mimic horses’ natural living conditions.
  • Careful attention to materials used for walls, partitions and equipment to minimise injury risks.
  • Effective drainage and clear emergency escape routes to ensure hygiene and safety under any circumstance.
  • A calm and as stress-free an environment as possible.

Ensuring the 3 Fs: Friends, Forage, Freedom at Horse-Friendly Showgrounds

Horses thrive when their core ethological needs – the 3 Fs – are met. This is especially important at high-stress events for a truly horse-friendly showground. Sport horses have unique challenges such as high economic value necessitating careful handling, extensive travel and limited time in their home stables together with their friends and fields.

Horse owners and venues that prioritise these reduce stereotypic behaviours (weaving, cribbing), conflict and injury risk, and typical stress-related issues like ulcers, aligning with modern welfare standards.

Friends: Social visibility and choice

Install open grilles, half-doors or windows between stalls so horses can see, smell and touch neighbours (at least 12+ hours daily contact) that they already lika and know well. Due to contamination risks, it must be possible to close this off if the horses do not come from the same area and know each other from before.

Change needed: Replace solid walls and partitions with visual barriers that allow choice – avoid isolation where they can´t see other horses in unfamiliar settings that heighten anxiety during vet or farrier visits, waits or overnight stabling.

Forage: Constant low-level feeding

Provide slow-feeders in stalls, mimicking 16-18 hours of natural grazing to stabilise gut health and reduce stress ulcers.

Change needed: Avoid horses standing without seeing other horses and in empty stalls overnight; supply slow-release forage holders to prevent empty-stomach tension.

Freedom: Movement and agency

Offer spacious turnout paddocks (1+ acre/horse), hack routes or walker access if the event is going on for a longer period than just some days.

Change needed: Eliminate prolonged confinement – add flexible schedules with group hacking/turnout zones, non-slip walking paths, and EasyConnect-style systems without restraint trauma.

Venue-wide implementation

Audit stabling and handling against the 3 Fs – for example, noisy stable tent or close location to a night club or restaurant block social calm and rest.

Publish 3 Fs compliance in event guides; partner with grooms for daily checks – this boosts SLO by showing that horses aren’t just “housed” but ethically supported.

Beyond physical design, horse welfare-focused venues implement thorough safety and welfare inspection protocols throughout the event, often in private areas inaccessible to the public.

These inspections should assess every detail, from box design to tie-up systems and ventilation, combining expert observation with staff training and horse welfare monitoring.

Common Hazards at Equestrian Venues

People handling horses should stay attentive and avoid distractions to maintain safety and the right focus for the well-being of the horse. Common hazards at equestrian venues are:

• • Loose dogs, scooters and bikes.
  • Clutter, sharp objects and hidden corners.
  • Slippery flooring and inadequate handling areas.
  • Distracted people on phones.

Enforcing these basic rules and raising awareness significantly improves safety for horses and everyone on site.

Reflections from Our Travel Experience

Throughout our travels at Equimade, to some of the best facilities in the world – be it jumping, dressage, eventing, polo, reining, trotting and other discipline – we have not yet seen what we consider to be a truly safe and horse welfare-friendly handling area, without any accident-prone features.

There are so many ways to make it a safer and more pleasant place for both the horses, grooms, farriers and vets. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

The Importance of Transparent Communication

In addition, horse welfare-focused venues prioritise transparent communication with competitors, staff and audiences about horse care standards, ethical riding practices and emergency readiness.

This open dialogue fosters a culture of respect and responsibility for animal well-being. To see how it is going in Germany – please have a look at R-HALTENSWERTS work. 

Leading the Way to Ethical and Sustainable Equestrian Environments

By integrating thoughtful design, rigorous horse welfare oversight and proactive education, these venues not only protect and support equine athletes but also advance the reputation and future of the equestrian sports community – leading the way to a more ethical and sustainable equestrian environment.