International Horse Sports Confederation Holds First Meeting

Thehorse.com - Full Article

By Edited Press Release
Apr 01, 2014

At the first meeting of the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC), the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) confirmed that they share the same core values of protecting horse welfare and discussed in detail the different models under which both organisztions operate.

The two organizations came to the conclusion that there are many commonalities and opportunities for further cooperation. Although there are operational differences due to regulatory requirements of our sports, both organizations are united by the horse and a shared philosophy built on our common values.

The FEI and the IFHA have joined forces by the creation of the IHSC and agreed on the priority to work together in the following fields always with the aim of ensuring the highest standards for welfare of the horse:

The continued commitment to fight against doping and any abuse of horses;
The cooperation with the World Organization for Animal Health to facilitate the international movement of horses through the adoption of the concept of the “high-health, high-performance horse”;
Assist the industry by surveillance of and reporting of diseases; and
The creation of a fund for joint initiatives to support the horse sports industry.

Further to recent allegations in the United States raised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and reported on March 20, the IHSC strongly declares that animal cruelty has no place in its sports and urges the U.S. authorities which are investigating these allegations to leave no stone unturned.

Moreover, the IHSC calls on PETA to immediately and as a matter of urgency share with the relevant regulatory bodies all the materials they might still hold with regard to horse welfare in order to allow them to undertake the necessary actions.

Additionally, working groups were established to deal with the aforementioned issues.