EQUI PAGES Newsletter: Animal Welfare Day—Equestrian Sports in Germany Hold Great Potential

I’m going to do a little promotion today. For Pferdesport Deutschland, the association formerly known as the Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (FN). They’re hosting an Animal Welfare Day in Warendorf. The experts gathering on November 24 promise a truly practice-oriented discussion. Please underline the word “practice” twice in red. When people promise that science and practice will come together, the result is usually a more or less friendly—which is fine— —skirmish (which, since politeness sometimes deters uncomfortable questions, isn’t really my thing anymore), in which it ultimately turns out that Horse X swished its tail 17 times and Horse Y only three times. That one, however, was grinding its teeth, which some in the training field then consider “not so bad.” And that was it—the discourse. In the best-case scenario, “we agree to disagree.”

Great cast

The lineup for this year’s Animal Welfare Day promises a broader discussion. There will be people in attendance who do not question the use of horses in sports but rather regard it as a given. Without riders, there would be no horses; zoos’ need for warmbloods is relatively modest. The speakers are people who haven’t just crammed the various “signs of pain” in horses in lecture halls. They are practitioners who are deeply concerned not only with equestrian sports but also with horses in general. This could get interesting! I don’t mean to question the accuracy of the theoretical treatises on pain and defensive behavior in horses. On the contrary, I wish some judges would take an even closer look at this issue. But—in my opinion—it’s possible to go too far with the over-scientification of the subject. Yes, scientifically valid foundations are needed for research. Yes, statistics underpin many university projects. But just as riding shouldn’t be about satisfying the rider’s vanity, science should always strive to keep the big picture in mind alongside the statistically analyzable details on the computer. And that’s exactly what might come out of this Animal Welfare Day.

Science? Yes, but with a practical focus!

Just so there’s no misunderstanding: I’m a fan of well-conducted scientific research. And a huge fan of cross-professional dialogue. But I’m also a believer in practical knowledge passed down from generation to generation. A conversation with national team trainer Monica Theodorescu, who will be among the panelists on November 24, is always enlightening. She doesn’t need averages of lip curls or tail swishes per minute to tell whether a horse is being trained properly or not. She just knows. In a matter of seconds. And she, like Martin Plewa—who will lead the practical session—also knows this: Training means exertion, and sometimes a horse might look a little grumpy. That’s not a matter of animal welfare. It’s simply a reaction to exertion. That’s part of training. And—part of everyday life! That’s just how it is with horses, which are flight animals; they don’t always stand in their stalls or paddocks munching on hay 24/7 with a happy expression on their faces.

What will come of it?

I’m curious to see what insights Animal Welfare Day will bring. And I’m looking forward to the reactions on social media when, during the practical portion, a horse is asked to extend its hind leg further and ends up swishing its tail instead of putting on its “Happy Athlete” face at that moment.

With that in mind, see you next Monday!

Jan Tönjes

EQUI PAGES Editorial Team

This is the EQUI PAGES Newsletter

This text was first published on September 28, 2026. Every Monday, Jan Tönjes comments on current events in our weekly newsletter on EQUI PAGES.

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