Just saw this elsewhere and can't imagine how it would work

As the article title says, not discipline-specific, but good grief, what a mess.

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The pictures they chose for the article :grimacing:

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The first one doesn’t bother me as much, because the horse’s ears are pricked and his expression doesn’t show tension. It also appears to be a sympathetic rider. I’m not sure I understand the purpose of all the hardware on the horse’s face, but again, the horse appears to be relaxed.

The second photo? OMFG. A running martingale on a gag bit, on the gag/curb rein? Yikes. However, the nose net is benign, and always headshakers to be ridden successfully. I can’t imagine why a nose net would be illegal?

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WTF? That’s just insane. Does the FEI even have actual riders involved anymore?

Yes, some of the hardware gets extreme. But I think we all know that there’s a huge difference between “extended canter” in dressage and the gallop that happens on XC, or the impulsion needed to negotiate 1.6m fences in a short time allowed. To expect that to happen with only a (at best) full bridle and without a martingale is to redefine the sport.

Concomittently, to allow extravagent bits or martingales in dressage would also be wrong.

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I think the third piece of equipment in that photo is the rubber bit guards which aren’t legal in dressage.

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While the jumping disciplines allow more gadgets and extreme bits than dressage, they also allow less extreme tack options, too.

Like, can I now show my dressage horse in a side pull? Or bridleless?

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I’m guessing the people behind this are thinking “plain snaffle” across the board.
Yes, it’s delusional.

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I look forward to seeing how this would work for combined driving… :woman_facepalming:

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The original article has gone poof and been replaced with this:

https://www.eurodressage.com/2025/06/21/fei-proposes-make-tack-and-equipment-rules-standalone-document

It looks like the FEI reached out them to specify that discipline-specific rules will remain, and just be in a separate location outside the regular rule books for whatever reason. So no plain snaffles required in the jumpers!

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So what they’re saying is that they need a competent editor for their press releases.

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:laughing:

It’s a stand alone app, but sure, if they want to take time to pull every cross reference out of every discipline in every section, that will be good money for someone coughcoughthelawyerscoughcough

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Not the lawyers, the tech editors/contractors.

I do this type thing for the Navy as a contractor. I’m not in any way shape or form a lawyer.

I too am not a lawyer, not do I play one on tv and also did all the actual grunt work on similar projects in another (highly regulated) lifetime. But it still ended up in the legal department for final sign off! I’m also certain who was paid more :rofl:

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We call it Engineering* to avoid all that.

*no math required

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Hmmm us endurance riders can ride in whatever we want (although it tends to be minimalistic)- so would that open up everything? Can this go for rider attire too lol?

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My take on rider attire in endurance is that the riders dress in colors that can easily be located in the underbrush when the search party, having caught the riderless horse, come looking. :grin:

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I like to phrase it as, “I prioritize visibility.” I ride on the road and alone a lot, so being seen is my top priority!

I ride with an orange pompom on an orange helmet cover, and I’ve seen the same biker lady in three different towns over the past few weeks…and she has recognized me every time, much to her confusion :rofl: (“Didn’t I see you out riding last weekend?!?”)

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“Prioritize visibility”- I love that lol!
Can you imagine if someone turned up at a hunter show dressed like Dave Rabe in cut off jean shorts and no shirt :rofl:

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ChatGPT delivers! With a shirt on…And not quite as tan :wink:

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