It’s about time.
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Nice!
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Great news! I never understood why they felt necessary to require them in the first place. 
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I’d love to see the double bridle requirement go out the window, too.
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Agreed.
As an admitted hunter rider who admires dressage but doesn’t have the detail-oriented personality to pursue it as a competitive option, I’ve wondered about the whip, bridle and spur requirements at the higher levels.
If the ultimate goal is correct progression up the pyramid of training, then it’s always seemed to me that the horses should be rewarded who could perform the movements freely and correctly with the MINIMUM of equipment and mechanical aids. I’m not saying let’s ride bridle- and saddle-less, but if a horse can do a brilliant and correct upper level test in a snaffle with no whip and/or spurs, then that seems like they should get bonus points to me. Or lack of penalties, at the very least.
But again, I’m not even knowledgeable enough to be a dressage dilettante, so take this opinion for what it’s worth, lol!
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This makes me happy too. It’s about time. I don’t have an opinion about the double bridle. You learn to use it correctly. But having it as a mandate…I’m not sure that’s necessary.
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Someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there is any kind of rule requiring a whip. There are, however, times when a whip is forbidden.
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Love to hear this.
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No whip requirement and you usually cannot use them in championship classes.
I love the spur mandate going away.
Next the double should go.
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No whips allowed in CDIs except in warm-up. Under USEF rules you can carry them for FEI tests except at championships. So, not confusing at all. 
And I definitely don’t know firsthand how much it sucks to get eliminated at your first CDI for not dropping your whip!
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The people who write the dressage rules would do well to have other people read the rules to see whether they make sense before they publish them.
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oh what good news!
I train with two whips, using them mostly as ‘long arms’…and will apply pressure (lightly because you really can’t press a fiberglass whip hard) but i just train my green ones that way. I grew up learning to ride with a whip in my hand, and carry one as easily and naturally as i wear a helmet. But will gladly put down my whip for the ring.
I have no opinion about double bridle. I grew up riding with one, but that was …60 years ago!! I will be glad if i don’t have to relearn. My horses go just fine in their snaffles.
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I wonder how many upper level riders, like the big famous ones, will forego spurs. And if that will be pointed out in recorded commentary.
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You have a good mind for dressage. Classical dressage, which isn’t about competing with other riders.
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A local TD pointed out that although the FEI has made spurs optional, USEF has not. So they are still a requirement for national FEI classes.
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Apparently the spur requirement is/was in place for the look only , since dummy spurs are allowed by USEF and were allowed by the FEI.
Possibly the USEF hasn’t updated their rules yet?
That’s what I always thought I would wear the smallest, mildest spur possible just to have it there. (Of course some of my horses needed a “real” spur.)
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Yes, that’s likely. Just wanted people to be aware that they can’t toss their spurs yet.
Yes, I don’t think the FEI dropping the spur requirement means anything. Just PR.
Now, if they were to prohibit spurs, that would be newsworthy.
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