Animal Ethics or Sport Ethics? A Historical Approach to Professional Ethics in Equestrian Sports

Modern equestrian sports are unique in being the only sports where human and non-human athletes receive equal recognition for their achievements. In the previous decades, the involvement of equids in equestrian sports has been questioned on ethical grounds, due to practices that go against animal welfare. This study analyses ethical provisions for equestrian sports made by various national and international institutions, starting with the international FEI code of conduct for the welfare of the horse and moving through Switzerland, Germany and Latvia to determine the extent to which ethical codes in equestrian sports safeguard the rights of various participants involved, both human and non-human. It is found that provisions for the welfare of equids generally outnumber those for riders and riding instructors, whereas the personnel who is most closely engaged in equine welfare on the daily basis (grooms, exercise riders and stable hands) are usually neglected.