No Tack Monitoring in Endurance Raises Welfare Concerns

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

April 1, 2019 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson

The FEI has admitted it is difficult to monitor the entire field of play in endurance, and that it welcomes observer intervention, in a letter sent to members of the public last week.

The letter responds to social media furore over severe tack that is the norm in desert endurance. Photos from the recent endurance festival at Al Wathba, the principal venue in in Abu Dhabi, have been shared more than 2,500 times from Facebook – the originals since removed by the photographer.

One image in particular shows Techno de la Bassanne ridden by Hassan Salman al Sabri, in the CEI** 120km, wearing the typical desert arrangement of long-shanked lever bit. There is also very low set, tight grackle noseband, which has caused huge comment and comparison with the strict rules of other FEI sports...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/no-tack-monitoring-endurance-welfare/