Forageplus

08/11/2025

Well we are very reassured that both British Eventing and British Show Jumping are not following the FEI and there awful rule change! Bravo!

The UK is NOT following the FEI's lead! 🚫
KEEPING THE BAR AT HIGHER WELFARE

British Showjumping (BS) confirmed they will NOT be changing their national rules. This means at British national shows, the presence of blood will still lead to automatic elimination.

This is a brave, clear commitment to putting horse welfare first and protecting the sport’s Social License to Operate (SLO).

If the UK can stand firm, other nations that voted 'No' (like Germany) can and should do the same.

We stand with the British Equestrian CEO, who said: "removing automatic elimination for visible blood is a step backwards."

The fight is now at the national level. We will continue to demand transparency from the FEI and push all our National Federations to follow the UK's ethical lead!

Fédération Equestre Internationale

07/11/2025

What indeed is ‘accidental blood’? Would anyone like to define that in the comments below? Did the horse ask and give permission for this ‘accidental’ blood to occur?

56 - 20!!! Do these people stop to think about what this means for the wider horse world when they would rather put ego and competition above the welfare of horses?

🥕 Read the excellent Carrot Post opinion - link in comments

05/11/2025

Great post Kirsty Rawden Veterinary Physiotherapy. What do others think?

It’s where Gatsby and I are now - stuck in a situation where he definitely loves a bitless bridle and hates any bit, but we are hampered by rules that exclude us from competing (and showing what’s possible so more people ponder if they too would find riding more of a pleasure without a bit)

So we will be working towards Working Equitation competition next year. Until British Dressage and the British Riding Clubs start to offer choice to horses (who after all know best) then they will have me opt out and that’s been the case for nearly two years now.

If France, Hungary, Denmark and a growing number of other countries can change the rules why the snail pace here in the UK who have always been leaders in horse sports 🤔

Should we be allowing Bitless in competition❓

Although I personally choose to ride bitless, I'm not anti- bit.

I think any equipment in strong hands can be damaging and coercive whether that puts pressure on the nose, poll or in the mouth.

The reason I am bringing awareness to the possibilities of bitless in competition is I think we should have more options for what our horse prefers.

Elmo is a funny character, i always joke that he just doesn't like anything that doesn't belong on him. Put shoes on him, he removed them. Put rugs on, he removes them, put a bit in his mouth and he spends the whole session working out how to spit it out. He speaks loud and clear about what he likes and dislikes.

This meant schooling sessions were never that successful. If the tongue is moving, the pelvis cannot truely engage.

I tried a whole range of bits, it blows my mind how many options are out there now. All claiming to act on different areas of the mouth, but what if my horse doesnt like mouth pressure? Why is there not another 101 options outside of the mouth we can use in competition?

At this point I was doing a lot of bridless riding. It became more enjoyable as we weren't having this constant distraction of a bit. He was soft, he was relaxed, his body moved better.

So I started exploring options of bitless. It soon became apparent he didn't like poll pressure. He's ok with nose pressure but most responsive to chin pressure. So that's what we stuck with.

I currently ride in a Transcend Bitless double which has both a side pull (nose pressure) and a second rein (chin pressure). The combination of the two work nicely on him, but may not work for another horse.

In 2024 British working equitation made it legal to ride in competition in a bitless bridle. Working equitation consists of a dressage phase, Ease of handling (obstacles marked on finesse) and speed (obstacles completed at speed). We have completed the whole season bitless against people in bits.

Does that give anyone an advantage?

I wouldn't say so, if that is what your horse prefers then so be it. I think by everybody being made to compete in the same thing is where the disadvantage lies.

If the reins are being used only as a line of communication and not a force of control then it shouldn't matter whether they are attached to the nose or mouth. It should be wherever the horse wants to carry that connection.

This weekend we came 3rd in a very tricky Inter B class at the nationals. It not only confirmed that bitless and bitted horses can compete equally against each other but it confirmed what I am doing is right for my horse.

I came out of the ring to numerous comments of how soft, relaxed and happy he looked. The judge's who have judged me in both a bit and bitless have also passed similar comments.

Connection over control.

Surely that's what we should all be striving for whether it be bitted, bitless or even bridless?




Photo courtesy of Happy Hoof Pics

29/10/2025

We will collaborate on this Equine Partnership. Sadly those who train using aversive methods that rely on pain and the threat of pain will think bitless riding is dangerous. Of course this is because the frank truth is that for them it absolutely is because the pain and fear that is shut down in the horse will come out in spades when that pain is taken away and only fear remains. So! We agree research needs to be carried out that looks without bias and that needs to be done by a new generation of ethical horse companies (who may or may not be part of the dinosaur that is BETA) LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

💥 BITLESS BRIDLES We Need REAL Research!!!

*** Update: we've had a reply from the research team and it seems there is an open door. I do think we need real research and I stand by that comment. I don't think it's possible to deliver credible research in the area without involving the relevant expertise in what you are researching and that unequalled biases within a team can affect the outcome.

I'm still going to pursue independent research streams I think it's important to ensure that we have multiple channels for research and not rely on just one.

This does not change my concerns that bitless as a riding style was labeled as dangerous at an equine trade industry event. I'm going to follow up with the complaint to BETA.

-----

I would like to state that this is not intended as a personal attack but to hold a mirror up to what happened at a TRADE ASSOCIATION presentation and ask the questions that need to be asked surrounding expertise bias and credibility. The event program is public and the name of the person that gave this talk can be found online.

-------
I’m duplicating my video update here because the horse world needs to hear this. Today, I attended the BETA Bits and Bridle Conference specifically for a talk on bitless bridles by a well-known fitter and researcher. I left stunned by the lack of fundamental knowledge—and, frankly, the blatant bias.

A CAR CRASH PRESENTATION
The presenter, who is part of a self appointed bitless research team, had a 30-minute slot to share knowledge and expertise on the subject of bitless bridles in a professional CPD context. The talk itself was only 11 minutes long. The remaining 19 minutes? Q&A dominated by "I don't know."

My main takeaway: She. Doesn’t. Know. Enough. To. Have. A. Take.

Due to her presentation I have to question her motives in bitless research. She stated, paraphrased: “I don’t ride bitless; I think they’re dangerous.” 🤯 How can someone with such a strong bias lead or be involved with balanced research?

I've tried to keep this private but transparency in this context is more important

I had behind-the-scenes conversations with other members of the original research team, and they admitted they had zero basic knowledge of bitless bridles, even requiring me to point them to my own blog for information! My offer to support their research with expertise was dismissed.

This is why their original research proposal only focused on two designs—they simply don't understand the others. I am tired of the industry pushing back purely because they dislike a concept, then trying to create 'evidence' to support their own prejudice. We’ve seen this before: flawed controls, biased conclusions.

LET'S FUND REAL SCIENCE: THE TIME IS NOW!
We desperately need robust, ethical research, and I’m ready to lead it.

I am currently developing a new bridle fit solution, and the timing is perfect to integrate a comprehensive bitless research project with a reputable University here in Ireland. This will provide the real, knowledge-based evidence the community deserves.

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I am launching a Kickstarter fundraiser to get this project off the ground. If you are tired of the bias and want real data, please help us fund great research.

How You Can Get Involved:
By donating, you're not just funding a study; you're joining the partnership.

Depending on your contribution, you will receive rewards back from Equine Partnership, such as:
* Exclusive merch
* Bitless bridle
* Special access to courses
* Online consultations

I can't start this without the initial funding, and I need the community to stand with me for action.

EXPERT COLLABORATION WANTED!
While I can get the university involved, I want the deepest expertise possible. If you have significant expertise in bitless bridles and are interested in contributing to this groundbreaking research, please get in touch immediately!

This conference has only confirmed a lack of knowledge, pure resentment, and undeniable bias. It's time for us to fund our own truth.
Watch my video for the full breakdown! Are you ready to support real change? Let me know your thoughts below!

29/10/2025

And yet Burghley and the FEI in September showed that elite horse sport is failing miserably in protecting horses from abuse. The voice of ISES and Andrew Maclean need to be shared and shouted from the roof tops but not within the echo chamber of those who already understand these things - somehow those who refuse to see the abuse and coercion that painful equipment causes need to be reached - sometimes I think that is an impossible task given the myths and traditions that are embedded so firmly within the horse industry but change must be forced so that legislation does not end the pastime we love so much.

“My mantra throughout the years has been: if you have trained a bird to sit on your arm, you must let go of its wings. If it flies away, it is not trained to do that, it is held. Holding is not training. Training horses is exactly the same. When your horse is truly trained, you can place both reins forward for two strides and the horse will not accelerate or change his head or neck outline.”​ - Andrew McLean on self carriage.

This is an excerpt from Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 2 - available for purchase in time for Xmas at our webshop. https://esi-education.com/product/modern-horse-training-equitation-science-principles-practice-volume-2/

28/10/2025

🩸 Stop the FEI’s “Blood Rule” Protect Horses in Sport

✍️ Sign now to tell the FEI: welfare before winning.

This November, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) plans to vote on a rule that would allow horses to keep competing even when they’re bleeding from the mouth or nose.

Right now, visible blood means elimination which is a vital safeguard for horse welfare. Removing it is a dangerous, unethical step backwards that puts horses and riders at risk.

Blood is never just a blemish, it’s a sign of pain or injury. Ignoring it violates the FEI’s own Welfare Code and everything horse sport should stand for.

Demand the FEI reject this cruel proposal and protect horses from being forced to compete while injured or in distress.

🐴 Horse sport should never be a blood sport.

✍️ Sign now to tell the FEI: welfare before winning.

Stop the FEI from unethical rule change allowing injured horses to compete

28/10/2025

Adieu, “Big Sport.”
The fact that the FEI is seriously planning to put the Blood Rule up for vote again in just a few weeks — proposing to replace disqualification with a simple “warning” — is the final proof of how much (or how little) horse welfare truly matters there.
Blood on a horse is no longer supposed to mean disqualification.
In other words: what they still call “riding” is now meant to become officially a bloody sport.
Honestly, it’s almost a logical step when you look at the countless, unspeakably cruel images of what’s happening there.
The official justification for this renewed weakening of horse protection:
Courses have become so technically demanding that riders must be allowed to “use all technical means.”
And in dressage, horses “sometimes just bite their tongues.”
You couldn’t make it up.
Of course, they could have simply stopped designing courses that push horses beyond their biomechanical limits.
Or stopped rewarding movements in dressage that have to be beaten into horses because they are so utterly unnatural —
movements that, by the way, cause terrible long-term harm to the animals.
But instead, they prefer to legalize bleeding horses.
At this point, the so-called “sport” has reached a stage where no one can justify it any longer.
And that can only mean one thing: abolition and a complete ban.
Frankly, it doesn’t even matter how the vote turns out — the mere fact that anyone is debating whether or not bleeding horses should be allowed to continue competing is already so grotesque and below zero that it’s incompatible with horsemanship, ethics, or any sense of responsibility toward the horse.
It’s absolute proof that we can expect only more abuse in the future — not meaningful change for the horse.
This sport has lost its legitimacy.
This is not riding — it’s animal cruelty.
Take off your hats and keep your hands off the horses.
Enough is enough.
© Julie von Bismarck

Adieu "Großer Sport".

Die Tatsache, dass die FEI die Blood Rule allen Ernstes in ein paar Wochen wieder zur Abstimmung stellen will (die Disqualifikation soll durch eine "Ermahnung" ersetzt werden) ist der endgültige Beweis für die Relevanz, die das Pferdewohl dort hat.

Blut am Pferd soll nun nicht einmal mehr eine Disqualifikation bedeuten.
Anders gesagt: Was man dort "Reiten" nennt, soll offiziell zu einem blutigen Sport werden.
Ehrlich gesagt irgendwie eine logische Entscheidung, wenn man sich die unzähligen, unbeschreiblich grausamen Bilder dieses Missbrauchs ansieht.

Die offizielle Begründung für die erneute Aufweichung des Pferdeschutzes:
Die Parcours sind technisch so anspruchsvoll geworden, dass die Reiter "alle technischen Möglichkeiten" ausschöpfen können müssen.
Und in der Dressur beißen sich Pferde eben schnell mal auf die Zunge.

Kann man sich nicht ausdenken.

Man hätte natürlich auch einfach aufhören können, Parcours so zu bauen, dass sie das biomechanisch Mögliche eines Pferdes überschreiten.
Man hätte es auch einfach sein lassen können, in der Dressur Bewegungen mit Siegen zu feiern, die in die Pferde hineingeprügelt werden müssen, weil sie so derartig unnatürlich sind.
- Und fürchterliche gesundheitliche Folgen für die Pferde haben, nebenbei bemerkt.

Aber stattdessen legalisiert man lieber blutende Pferde.

Damit ist der dort praktizierte "Sport" an einem Punkt, den niemand mehr rechtfertigen kann.
Und das KANN nur die Abschaffung und ein Verbot bedeuten.

Es ist dabei übrigens vollkommen egal, wie die Abstimmung ausgeht - der Fakt, DASS überhaupt diskutiert wird, aus welchem Grund auch immer blutende Pferde NICHT sofort aus dem Wettkampf zu nehmen, ist so derartig abartig und below zero, dass es nicht nur nicht mehr mit reiterlichen Werten, Ethik und der Verantwortung für das Pferd zu vereinbaren ist, sondern klar beweist, dass hier in Zukunft nur noch mehr Missbrauch zu erwarten ist - und nicht etwa Veränderungen pro Pferd.

Damit verliert der Sport seine Daseinsberechtigung. Das ist kein Reiten, das ist Tierquälerei. Nehmt Euren Hut und lasst die Finger von den Pferden.
Es reicht. ©Julie von Bismarck

❌

ENGLISH

Adieu, “Big Sport.”

The fact that the FEI is seriously planning to put the Blood Rule up for vote again in just a few weeks — proposing to replace disqualification with a simple “warning” — is the final proof of how much (or how little) horse welfare truly matters there.

Blood on a horse is no longer supposed to mean disqualification.
In other words: what they still call “riding” is now meant to become officially a bloody sport.
Honestly, it’s almost a logical step when you look at the countless, unspeakably cruel images of what’s happening there.

The official justification for this renewed weakening of horse protection:
Courses have become so technically demanding that riders must be allowed to “use all technical means.”
And in dressage, horses “sometimes just bite their tongues.”

You couldn’t make it up.

Of course, they could have simply stopped designing courses that push horses beyond their biomechanical limits.
Or stopped rewarding movements in dressage that have to be beaten into horses because they are so utterly unnatural —
movements that, by the way, cause terrible long-term harm to the animals.

But instead, they prefer to legalize bleeding horses.

At this point, the so-called “sport” has reached a stage where no one can justify it any longer.
And that can only mean one thing: abolition and a complete ban.

Frankly, it doesn’t even matter how the vote turns out — the mere fact that anyone is debating whether or not bleeding horses should be allowed to continue competing is already so grotesque and below zero that it’s incompatible with horsemanship, ethics, or any sense of responsibility toward the horse.
It’s absolute proof that we can expect only more abuse in the future — not meaningful change for the horse.

This sport has lost its legitimacy.
This is not riding — it’s animal cruelty.
Take off your hats and keep your hands off the horses.
Enough is enough.
© Julie von Bismarck

25/10/2025

💔 Cry with us for this magnificent horse 💔
A being born for freedom, grace, and lightness, reduced to pain, submission, and control.
This is not sport. This is not art. This is abuse, wrapped in ego and applause.

Bits that crush. Nosebands that suffocate.
Equipment used not for partnership, but for domination. And the organisations that claim to protect welfare? They look away.

We cannot stay silent.
We owe it to every horse suffering behind the spectacle.
Raise your voice. Share this truth.
Together, we can stop the cruelty disguised as elite horse sport.

The context for this photo is the dressage element at a prestigious horse trials, held in the UK, in September 2025. The horse was placed third in the dressage and came sixth overall. The officials appeared not to notice the abuse this horse suffered for the glory of elite horse sport.

24/10/2025

Last chance

Last chance to register for the 2025 NO Laminitis! Conference. Speakers, topic, and registration at nolaminitis.org. Registration closes at midnight EDT today, October 24.

A very special thanks to our wonderful Benefactors, who have made this conference possible:

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