SPCA New Zealand
Animal Advocacy

Position Statements

Horses in Sport and Entertainment

SPCA advocates for the horse sport and entertainment industries to improve practices to provide horses with a Good Life where they experience positive welfare and meet the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the horses for the whole of their life.

SPCA supports providing horses with free choice to access outside areas and opportunities for grazing and to interact with appropriate equine companions to allow them to meet their physical and behavioural needs.

Some performance horses are housed individually or have limited turnout time which can contribute to stress and frustration. Providing access to paddock turn-out with appropriate equine companions helps. Horses should be provided with access to paddock turn-out as often as possible for exercise as to meet their exercise, enrichment and social needs. Where horses are stabled, housing with good ventilation and an open design allows horses to see out and interact with other horses. Paddock areas with adequate and appropriate shelter provides protection from the elements and reduces the need for reliance on rugging.

SPCA advocates for a ban on the use of severe bits and other painful equipment in the training and racing competition of horses due to the negative impacts to their welfare.

Currently, use of equipment designed to cause pain or discomfort, such as spurs and severe bits, is common in competitive equestrian events. Horses in competitive equestrian events should not be subjected to excessive behavioural restriction, discomfort, pain or constant pressure from the use of equipment such as spurs, whips, severe bits, tight nosebands, fixed martingales or side-reins.

Competition rules and judging standards should be revised to allow for the use of equipment that minimise the negative impact to a horse’s welfare (e.g. force-free, bit-less bridles). SPCA opposes penalising competitors who choose not to carry or use whips or other painful equipment.

The use of equipment that may injure horses by causing cuts or abrasions that bleed or discharge or prevent the animal from breathing normally or drinking is prohibited under the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018.

SPCA opposes practices that are likely to cause fear, pain, or distress to horses and advocates that these are not be permitted in equestrian events.

The task required of the horses, the jump heights, and the position of obstacles should be designed so that the potential for distress or injury to the horses is minimal. These concerns extend to practices which are part of show jumping, dressage, and eventing.

SPCA supports the use of low-stress, force-free handling and training methods for horses in sport and entertainment.

Some training methods rely on forceful or painful training techniques to make a horse comply with rider commands. Misapplication of learning theory principles in training can also result in anxiety, confusion, and poor welfare outcomes.

SPCA supports the penalising of riders using methods such as “Rollkur” in training and competition. Research has found that compared to other head and neck positions, horses ridden in hyperflexion, or “low deep and round” are likely to be exposed to higher levels of physiological stress.

SPCA is concerned about the welfare impacts of long-distance endurance riding races.

Endurance rides have the potential to be stressful and dangerous for the horse. SPCA advocates for practices that ensure the horse’s physical, health, and behavioural needs are met. If endurance rides do take place, veterinarians must be in attendance assessing the welfare of the horses at regular intervals.

SPCA opposes the use of drugs or surgery to attempt to alter the performance of a horse to enable it a horse to compete, including masking pain.

Use of pain-mitigating substances can place horses at increased risk of injury and these products should be used with caution.

Nicking horses' tails and blistering or firing of horses' legs is a prohibited procedure under the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018.

SPCA opposes the prophylactic and cosmetic docking of horses’ tails.

The shortening of tails for therapeutic reasons is referred to as “amputation” not “docking”. SPCA only supports the amputation of horses’ tails for therapeutic reasons when the procedure is carried out by a veterinarian, and appropriate pain management must be given prior to, during, and after the operation, including anaesthetic and analgesic. Improved management practices can allow horses to be driven without risk to themselves or their handlers arising from the presence of a non-docked tail.

The docking of horses’ tails for cosmetic reasons is prohibited under the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations 2018.

SPCA advocates that horse whiskers (vibrissae) are not clipped as these perform an important function by providing sensory feedback on the horse’s environment.

SPCA supports industry bans on this practice for competitions.

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