Horse Welfare in Competition: BioStar’s Happy Horse Award
Recently there’s been plenty of controversy in the dressage community over horse welfare, particularly as it pertains to the horse’s health in competition: extremely tight nosebands, blood in the mouth, open mouth, blue tongues, tension in the back and body.
Show stress is common for both rider and horse. It can be stressful, whether you ride at training level or grand prix. Other elite athletes experience stress too, from track and field, to swimming or gymnastics. The obvious difference is that these other sports don’t include an animal.
Klimke’s memorable words
Many years ago, legendary German equestrian Reiner Klimke was judging a dressage show at Commonwealth Horse Park in Culpepper, Virginia. When asked about American dressage, he said,
“I don’t think your horses look like very happy dance partners.”
That comment has always stuck with me.
So what does makes a happy equine dance partner?
Harmony is the key
Each of us is going to have a slightly different interpretation, since “happiness” is subjective. To me, a happy competition horse is in harmony with the rider, and the rider is in harmony with the horse. The back is soft, the horse is willing, maybe even eager. The horse looks like he/she is enjoying themselves.
The horse may give the impression of “I’ve got this.”
The spectators watching the horse may get the feeling of “I’d love to sit on that horse.”
Harmony of horse and rider is the foundation for every equestrian activity. Whether it be jumping, endurance, trail riding, barrel racing, eventing or dressage.
Sometimes competition stress is overwhelming. Riders get tense, horses get tense. None of us are robots. To be sure, there are miscommunications and misunderstandings between horse and rider. Horses get frustrated sometimes, as do riders. But I think most of us seek harmony with our horses, a level of understanding and respect.
BioStar’s 2024 Happy Horse Awards
This year, in recognition and honor of horse-and-rider harmony, BioStar will be presenting Happy Horse Awards.
An award recipient could be the winning horse with the highest score. OR, it may be a horse that places below the winning ride. It may have made a few mistakes in the ring, or not been quite as brilliant as the winning horse, but still best promotes horse welfare and exemplifies those happy, harmonious qualities we’re looking for.
- The first Happy Horse Award was awarded at the MADfest CDI 3* at the Virginia Horse Center, May 16-19, 2024, at the conclusion of the FEI-CDI Grand Prix test. The Happy Horse Award at MADfest included an embroidered stable sheet, a neck sash, $200.00, and a gift certificate for BioStar products.CONGRATS TO Hilltop Farm Inc’s Qredit Hilltop and rider, Michael Bragdell, who won the inaugural BioStar Happy Horse Award at the Mid-Atlantic Dressage Festival!
- Dressage at Devon, September 2024: Congrats to Kevin Kohmann and Diamante Farm’s Dünensee (Dancier x Doublette) who won the Happy Horse Award following the duo’s CDI-W Grand Prix win.
- BioStar sponsored three Happy Horse Awards at The Pennsylvania National Horse Show:
Ashley Worthington & Last Call Pro Division 3’6″ – 4′ Winners Stake
Pictured here with BioStar’s customer service manager, Becca
- BioStar also sponsored the Happy Horse Award at the National Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park in November, 2024.
True Cassini, owned by Kelly Sims and ridden /trained by Michael Britt-Leon, was the recipient of the Happy Horse Award.
With these awards, we aim to help the dressage community get out of the negative dialogue of faults and criticism regarding horse welfare, and into a more positive framework of acknowledging and honoring the horses and riders who are able to maintain harmony even at the highest level of the sport.
Good luck, and may the happiest horse win!
Photos:
- Dressage horse (iStock)
- Artist’s representation of BioStar’s Happy Horse Award (BioStar)
- Jim Koford and Adiah (2020, Phelps Media Group)
- Award Presentations: Mane Source Media
