Anyone see this yet? Not sure how much traction it has. Some interesting thoughts in there.
I can be on board with some of the recommendations, especially lowering the height for pentathlon.
But prohibiting belly bands? Some horses just have sensitive skin and are prone to rubs, especially if theyāve just been clipped. And it isnāt necessarily something nefarious.
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As I was reading through these (which was super annoying in my phone BTW), my first thought was, āarenāt a lot of these things already required?ā Is there a problem with insufficient hay at the Olympics? Arenāt the FEI anti-doping/medication/vaccination rules enforced? Have facilities not been safe at previous Olympics? Are the horses on the grounds not monitored by vets and stewards already?
The tack and equipment limitations seem ridiculous. Iām all for inspections and making sure equipment fits properly. But the once per competition use of the whip? No flash noseband? No belly bands? Cāmon.
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I donāt know why these groups go so hard at the FEI but yet donāt say anything about things like the Big Lick? Iād like to see that stuff taken down before things like draw reins and belly bands not being allowed at shows. I mean the FEI definitely needs some work but there are a lot of horses out there needing help more than FEI horses.
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Riding has already been removed from Pentathlon so not sure why thatās even in there!
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They imply that a lot of these horses are unsound, unhealthy, or uncared for. Thatās just not true.
I totally agree there are competitive top riders who employ questionable methods to get an advantage.
I canāt believe there are riders showing up to the Olympics without EHV vaccinations or means to feed their horses.
I found it particularly suspicious that this group makes a huge book of recommendations but had very little to say about eventing.
This group doesnāt even seem to understand the sports they are advocating to improve.
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I just donāt clip the rider leg area. No more unsightly than a belly band and one less thing to rub/wash/put on and off.
But sometimesā¦that doesnāt work either. Thin-skinned, sensitive and very light-coated horses left unclipped will still get rubs, often just from a riderās heel with no spur. A belly band seems to me to be a humane device to provide comfort while not enhancing an aid or giving an advantage to the rider. I have issues with āanimal welfare groupsā who rarely have actual horsepeople among them, or those with no experience at the upper levels of competition. Maybe first take a look at horsekeeping and riding at the lowest of levels in all disciplines in the USā¦ a trip around a local gaming show, 4-H or open show will be an eye opener!!
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I find the insistence on natural sunlight for show jumping to be pretty funny. Also hypocritical since they donāt demand it for any other discipline.
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I believe these were suggestions from a french government group to
the Paris Olympic committee. So lower level US riders are not a factor. Belly bands are not a problem in and of themselves but they give the appearance of hiding something. And sometimes they do.
The equestrian phase is still included in the 2024 Olympics because it had already been scheduled and the rules donāt allow for changes after a certain point.
Otherwise and in the future, equestrian is no longer part of the sport.
One of the people in the group is a Canadian wanna be influencer. She just posted a video last week of her horse tripping and falling over while she lunged it. Seems kinda contradictory to this mission then to be posting laughing at your horse falling down 
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