"Horse abuse requires strong action in terms of sanctions" Jason Brautigam BD CEO, Lausanne April 2024

Those of you, like me, who have studied the video of the 2024 FEI Sports Forum in detail will recall an exchange between British Dressage CEO Jason Brautigam and FEI Legal Director Mikael Rentsch on the subject of policing “the other 23 hours” and monitoring what goes on, in terms of horse welfare, behind closed doors and in private. This followed an earlier exchange between the two on the subject of Abuse of the Horse and The Charter for the Horse.

Fit to compete? The Blenheim trot up in front of the ground jury and veterinarians
©Harveywetdog

What is truly permitted?

Mr Brautigam’s question, posed in April 2024, appears to have been asked in all innocence; it may even have been a plant to ensure the topic was covered in the Q&A. He presumably can have had no knowledge of the droppings that would hit the proverbial British Dressage fan three months later when poster girl and number one rider, Charlotte Dujardin, was unceremoniously dumped from the Great Britain Olympic Team for horse abuse allegations based on a video shot in a private training session. Certainly he could have been a little bit more circumspect instead of complaining that there was "always a lack of evidence" and "reliance on whistle-blowers". Mr Brautigam concluded his question by asking if FEI would consider licensing participants in order to enforce sanctions.

FEI Equestrian Charter

Mr Rentsch split his answer into two parts by first saying that the question of doping would be revisited in the afternoon session (although Mr Brautigam had started his question by excluding action on doping). Mr Rentsch then went on to say that when it came to training methods, as a lawyer he was perplexed that it was not possible to say exactly what is permitted and what is not permitted. He accepted that there was already an "Abuse of Horses" clause (General Regulations Article 142) and while it was quite broad it was not limited to and it can be extended.

FEI GR Article 142 Abuse of Horses

Rather than rely solely on the Abuse of Horses [Article 142 within the General Regulations], Mr Rentsch suggested that it would be better and stronger to define what was truly permitted as a training method. He felt then that riders [and trainers] would not be able to say "I didn't know". Mr Rentsch accepted that he was speaking as a lawyer and not as an equestrian but he understood the challenge especially as some methods, used long ago, were now no longer considered acceptable. His theme was training methods must be ethical and needed to be underwritten by stronger rules while accepting that this represented a huge task.

"it would be better and stronger to define what was truly permitted as a training method"  

Mr Rentsch then turned to the subject of reporting and enforcement. He stated that the FEI needed to be made aware of "incidents". He noted that the use of mobile phones gave everyone the chance to record film to provide evidence in support of allegations but added witnesses needed to be prepared to face legal cross examination, and in some cases risked damaging their prospects for future employment. Mr Rentsch accepted that people feared retaliation and "black listing" and it was necessary for the FEI to protect them.

2024 FEI Sports Forum

The ways in which the National Federations could work with the FEI to ensure athletes and trainers remained open to scrutiny and could not hide behind closed doors was also discussed.

The Charter for the Horse 

Earlier in the day Mr Rentsch led a session on the Equestrian Charter and Article 142 Abuse of the Horse. The Equestrian Charter had been included in the General Regulations (Appendix O) and the focus now had to be on dissemination; he clarified that the reporting mechanism for horse abuse was to be improved to ensure important information was not lost and went to some pain to explain that Article 142 (Abuse of Horse) was not subject to a statute of limitation [no time limit] and that it could be applied out of competition as well. Mr Rentsch went on to advise the Forum how the Abuse of the Horse regulations worked in practice.

"everyone who competes at a FEI Event is bound by The Equestrian Charter, but does it mean everyone knows about it?" 

During  his presentation he asked for feedback from British Equestrian Federation on their roll out of their Charter for the Horse. Jim Eyre, representing BEF, explained the work it had taken to achieve consensus on the charter [captured in the BEF poster] and when questioned explained that the charter would be "baked into the rules next year [2025]".  

The Charter for the Horse

Almost appearing as not wishing to be out done, Jason Brautigam noted that British Dressage had already embedded both the FEI Equestrian Charter and The Charter for the Horse into their rules, stressing that it has to be embedded for it to have any real meaning. Mr Brautigam stated that it had been well received by stakeholders across the whole of the sport, who had welcomed BD's show of strong leadership, adding that, importantly, when it comes to the abuse of the horse, there needs to be strong action in terms of sanctions, and the only way this can be achieved is if it is embedded within the rules.

"when it comes to the abuse of the horse, there needs to be strong action in terms of sanctions"

He finished by saying that the approach being proposed by the FEI was absolutely the right way forward.

Be Careful What You Wish For?

Why is is this significant?

Well presumably, at some point in 2024, the same two gentlemen will be back together debating one particular equine abuse "incident" that has rocked both their worlds in 2024.

Abuse of Horses - Sanctions

Will we hear arguments of old, once acceptable training techniques, lack of guidance from National and International bodies and have witnesses crumbling under cross examination, or will Mr Brautigan get his wish and see that when it comes to the abuse of the horse, strong action is being taken in terms of sanctions?

We'll wait and see.  

Horse Welfare in the Blenheim Programme

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Harveywetdog/Author - David Robinson CEng FIET 

David spent approaching 50 years in Her Majesty's Electricity Supply Industry before retiring

He was part of the highly successful design team on the Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station Project before spending 25 years producing safety cases to keep our aging AGR fleet generating for the good of the nation

He is responsible for the Harveywetdog YouTube Channel which he maintains as an outlet for his creative talents

David is now in remission from blood cancer but refuses to be a victim

All views are now his own but might be influenced by the medication he's had to take