What does ‘Putting the Horse First’ mean for horse welfare in sport?

Professor Nat Waran OBE

Last week (December 14-18^th 2025), I had the privilege of delivering a couple of invited talks at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Equine Welfare Foundation's inaugural conference on 'Applying Science to the Care of the Thoroughbred Racehorse'. The first of these required me to reflect on what "putting the horse first" truly means across all equestrian activities, from racing to eventing, dressage to recreational riding.

Universal Commitments, Universal Challenges

The declaration is remarkably consistent across equestrian organisations worldwide. The British Horseracing Authority states that horse welfare is the top priority in British racing. The FEI asserts that the welfare of the horse must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences. Racing authorities from New York to New Zealand echo similar commitments.

Yet turning these statements into reality requires us to confront some uncomfortable questions about what "putting the horse first" actually means in practice, regardless of the discipline involved.

Competing Interests

The difficulty lies in navigating a complex web of competing stakeholder needs that exists across all horse sports. Owners naturally want success and returns on their investment. Equestrians seek successful training and competition outcomes. Trainers and coaches focus on achieving results and retaining their business. Breeders select for performance. Spectators seek exciting competition and entertainment. Governing bodies face pressure to balance welfare with commercial viability.

Each of these perspectives has the potential to conflict with horse welfare in subtle or significant ways. The critical question becomes: can we genuinely put the horse's needs first in training and competitive contexts?

What the Science Tells Us

Decades of research into equine ethology have given us deep insights into the evolution of behaviour and what horses need to thrive. It seems that despite centuries of domestication, no essential equine behaviour for survival and the success of the species has been eliminated. Horses still require free movement, fibre feeding, social contact, and the ability to express their natural behaviours. When these needs go unmet, the consequences are measurable and concerning.

An example of the Case of Turnout and Social Contact

Perhaps nowhere is the gap between equine needs and current practice more evident than in the provision of turnout and social contact for many of our sport horses. Recent research by Annan and colleagues examining racehorses provides clear evidence: only 16% of flat racehorses received daily turnout, whilst 21% displayed stereotypic or abnormal behaviours. The study found that 51% had only visual contact with other horses, with no physical interaction possible.

These aren't isolated findings specific to racing. Studies across equestrian disciplines reveal similar patterns. We know that horses evolved to move for 12 to 16 hours daily in social groups. We also know that extended confinement, particularly the 22/23-hour stabling common in many competitive yards, is associated with significant welfare risk: for example, number of researchers have shown that stereotypies affect between 10% and 40% of stabled horses across disciplines, that gastric ulcers can occur in a significant proportion of confined horses as compared with those experiencing regular turnout, and behavioural problems, including aggression, fear, and reduced trainability, are linked with environments with restricted movement and social contact. The physiology research findings are also concerning. Extended confinement has been shown to be associated with elevated cortisol levels and reduced immune function potentially impacting on horse resistance to disease.  

Evidence for Benefits of Change

What makes these findings particularly significant is the robust evidence showing that improved management practices benefit both horses and performance outcomes. Studies demonstrate that horses with regular social contact and turnout show:

•         More lying down behaviour, indicating better rest and sleep quality

•         Reduced performance of stereotypies

•         Lower stress levels and more positive behaviours

•         Improved training outcomes, with young horses adapting more easily to initial training and showing less unwanted behaviour when group-housed

•         Turnout specifically has been shown to increase oxytocin levels, improve learning and attention, reduce the longer term incidence of soft tissue injuries, and produce calmer horses when handled.

•         Even partial solutions can help: providing windows, visual horizons, or mirrors in stables increases interested and positive behaviours whilst being associated with a reduction in certain stereotypies.

Beyond Racing: A Universal Issue

Whilst due to the conference theme, my talk focused mainly on thoroughbred racehorses, these welfare risks transcend racing. Dressage horses, showjumpers, eventers, and even many leisure horses face similar behavioural restrictions. Studies by Annan and colleagues on racehorses provide a crucial baseline, but the principles apply across all equestrian activities where horses are stabled/stalled or in restricted environments for extended periods and/or denied adequate social contact.

Hall and Kay's systematic review notes that "restrictive management, handling, and training practices limit the horse's ability to withdraw from unpleasant situations, leading to long-term negative effects." Critically, they observe that "behavioural signs, which could indicate how horses feel, are often ignored or misinterpreted" across all equestrian contexts.

What "Putting the Horse First" Actually Requires

Modern welfare science goes beyond merely preventing suffering. The Five Domains Model provides a comprehensive framework for assessing nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioural needs, and mental state. The goal isn't just to eliminate negative experiences but to actively promote positive ones, ensuring horses experience pleasure, comfort, and can perform highly motivated behaviours.

If we are genuinely putting the horse first, the research suggests we should be providing more for our horses including:

•         Minimum 4 to 6 hours daily turnout regardless of training schedule or discipline

•         Group housing where compatible, or at least visual, olfactory, and physical contact opportunities in stable and paddock environments

•         Safe and stimulating spaces with shade, shelter, varied foraging opportunities, and space for free movement

•         Environmental enrichment including appropriate forage feeding, sensory stimulation, options for choice, and visual opportunities

•         Equi-Centric Facility design that enables rather than constrains positive welfare outcomes

The Uncomfortable Truth

During my talk in Hong Kong, I felt it important to acknowledge a difficult reality: racing and equestrian sport are inherently human-centric activities. Horses don't choose to participate. They have little to no agency (control) over their lives. We control everything from their diet to their social contacts to their daily routines, their training intensity, and their competition schedules.

This reality doesn't mean we should give up equestrian sport, but it should make us question what we do, and it does impose a profound responsibility. If we know horses need 12 to 16 hours of daily movement, extensive social contact, and freedom to express certain natural behaviours, we must honestly ask: are we providing the best we can within the constraints of competitive sport?

Welfare is not a Constraint, It's an Enabler

One of the key messages I sought to convey in Hong Kong is that welfare should not be viewed as a limitation on performance or success. Rather, it is the foundation upon which sustainable sport is built.

The evidence is compelling. When horses experience positive welfare, we see for example:

•         Reduced stress leading to better health outcomes

•         Improved performance and trainability

•         Longer first careers in competition

•         More successful second careers after racing or sport

•         Sustained public acceptability and social licence to operate

When horses thrive, equestrian sport thrives. The research demonstrates that investing in positive equine welfare isn't just ethically sound; it delivers tangible benefits for performance, longevity, and the future viability of horse sports.

Striving for Progress

We may never eliminate all compromises to welfare inherent in using horses for sport and indeed for recreation. However, we can continuously reduce risks, their impacts and their significance to the horse. The question isn't whether we can achieve perfection, but whether we're doing everything possible to maximise positive equine experiences and minimise negative ones. As I emphasised in Hong Kong: if we know better, we can do better.

This requires a commitment by equestrians, researchers and industry to four key principles:

1.      Invest in research, education, and change

2.      Listen and be open to the science and to industry feedback

3.      Measure outcomes transparently

4.      Act proactively on evidence and advice

A Shared Responsibility

It also requires a commitment to shared responsibility. Every stakeholder across all equestrian disciplines shares responsibility for putting the horse first. From breeders to owners, trainers to coaches, veterinarians to governing bodies, and participants to spectators, we are all responsible for ensuring that we seek and use evidence-based practices that genuinely prioritise equine welfare.

The future of equestrian sport hinges on our ability to demonstrably prioritise equine welfare to provide a Good Life for horses.  

Putting the Horse First

‘We are all responsible’

References

Annan R, Trigg L, Allen K, Hockenhull J, Valenchon M, Mullan S. (2025) Welfare assessment of racehorses provides a baseline for continued monitoring. Equine Vet J.; 58(1): 165–181.

Hall C, Kay R. (2024). Living the good life? A systematic review of behavioural signs of affective state in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) and factors relating to quality of life. Part 2: Horse-human interactions. Animal Welfare, 33, e41.

Hall C, Kay R .(2024) Living the good life? A systematic review of behavioural signs of affective state in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) and factors relating to quality of life. Part I: Fulfilment of species-specific needs. Animal Welfare;33:e40.