The Swiss Equestrian federation and horse welfare organization already work together for a couple of years. The two organizations have now announced to launch their project 'Happy Horse' within the equestrian community. The project wants to be an example within the discussion of the horse welfare discussion and focus on the equestrian community.
With the 'Happy Horse' project the federation aims to reward riders who show examplary respect to their horse in the warm-up. Anonymous inspectors will visit different national shows and inspect the warm-up area. They will evaluate the riders based on how respectful they treat their horses. Focus will be the use of their aids, the harmony with the horse, etc.
Respectful combinations who show their 'horsemanship' will be rewarded with a compensation.
"We want to put our sport in a positive light, meanwhile promote horsemanship with our riders. This will not only improve the image of our sport but also raise the level of it," the federation explains. "The project was already launched in 2019 in other disciplines and will be introduced in showjumping this year."
