The conversation around horse welfare in sport is evolving and at Equestic, we’re proud to be part of that evolution.
Held on 31 March and 1 April 2025 at the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, this year’s FEI Sports Forum brought together leading minds in veterinary science, equestrian performance, and ethical governance. As a technology company grounded in equine data and wellbeing, we were honored to be in the room and inspired by what we heard.
At the heart of the forum was a clear message: evidence must shape the future of horsemanship. Welfare isn’t just a side note but it’s the foundation of sustainable success in equestrian sport.
Ethical Training: A Roadmap for the Future
A standout session was led by the FEI Equine Welfare Advisory Group, chaired by Dr. Jenny Hall. This multidisciplinary panel, featuring experts like Dr. Andrew McLean, Prof. Madeleine Campbell, Prof. Inga Wolframm, Dr. Malin Axel-Nilsson, and Dr. Roly Owers unveiled a powerful framework for ethical training, built around seven core principles:
- Human and horse safety
- Nature of the horse
- Mental and sensory abilities
- Emotional states
- Learning processes
- Correct use of aids
- Self-carriage ability
These principles provide a structure for assessing all training and competition practices and not just for elite riders, but across disciplines and levels.
The group emphasized that good welfare relies on informed, consistent decisions, backed by both science and real-world data. With improved transparency and more tools to monitor horse health and behavior, the equestrian world can create a stronger welfare culture from grassroots to Grand Prix.
Where Technology Meets Welfare
This is where Equestic comes in. Our goal has always been to bridge the gap between day-to-day training and long-term wellbeing. Using motion data collected with the Equestic SaddleClip, combined with smart AI insights, we empower riders, coaches, and vets to:
- Monitor trot symmetry
- Tracks left-right differences in rhythm, landing, and push-off
- Highlights asymmetry increase over time
- Assesses rhythm and consistency
- Measures rhythm in walk, trot, and canter
- Flags irregularities in rhythm or gait
- Analyzes transitions and training structure
- Breaks down each ride into transitions, gaits, and time spent in each
- Helps assess whether the session was balanced and progressive
- Provides insight into workload and recovery
- Records total ride time and number of transitions
- Highlights patterns that may lead to fatigue or overwork
- Tracks long-term development
- Compares data across sessions to monitor progress
- Helps identify trends in straightness, rhythm, and training balance
The FEI’s emphasis on ethical decision-making aligns perfectly with our desire: to support horse-first training that’s measurable, progressive, and sustainable.
A Seat at the Table: Tech Supporting Change
A major step forward is that technology providers are now welcomed into conversation. Not as outsiders, but as collaborators.
The FEI’s recognition that motion data, training analytics, and performance trends can all support welfare is a breakthrough. With input from Equestic and other innovators, National Federations can create evidence-based policies that are not only rigorous, but realistic for riders to apply.
This isn’t about replacing horsemanship, it’s about enhancing it, with tools that give deeper insight into the horse’s experience.
Performance and Welfare: No Longer a Trade-Off
It’s time to retire the idea that elite performance and equine wellbeing are in conflict. The future is horse-first and performance naturally follows when horses are healthy, happy, and understood.
That’s why we’re proud to deepen our collaboration with the FEI and National Federations of Dressage, Jumping, and Eventing, supporting initiatives that prioritize training aligned with the horse’s physical and cognitive capacity.
With each data point we collect, each session we monitor, we get closer to a world where horses thrive in the arena, because their welfare is never an afterthought.
At Equestic, that’s the future we believe in. And after Lausanne, we know we’re not alone.
We thank all Equestic users from around the world who provided reviews via Trustpilot, an independent third party platform. Read about the TrustPilot review policy here.
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