Press after publishing presentation 22 of April 2025
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Welfare in Dressage: The visual and scientific evidence
By Cristina Wilkins 24th April 2025
In February, our research team submitted a formal letter to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), including photographic evidence currently under review in our academic work, in which we expressed concerns for the welfare of elite dressage horses. In response, we were invited to present our findings to the FEI Veterinary Committee, and that meeting took place on 9 April 2025.
For the first time, Crispin Parelius Johannessen’s widely circulated photographs have been animated into “moving pictures,” revealing that the documented welfare concerns—such as blue tongues, compressed tissues, and restricted airways—are not isolated moments, but representative of entire performances.
We believe that the scientific foundation that we present is sufficient to support recognition and reform. Our aim is not to assign blame, but to safeguard horses with informed solutions.
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‘Bits Work Because They Hurt’
Horse Sport By: Pippa Cuckson | April 21, 2025 Horse Sport
World-renowned scientists tell the FEI that harm to sport horses is hiding in plain sight, giving no reason to delay reforms.
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Hest.no Forskere med klare anbefalinger for å bedre dressurhestens velferd
Hest.no Maren G. Kalleberg Ansvarlig redaktør 22. april 2025, 14:00
Den allerede eksiterende vitenskapelige kunnskapen er mer enn tilstrekkelig for å konkludere med at bildene viser skade, mener forskergruppen som i februar sendte et bekymringsbrev til FEI.
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Bridle pain evident in elit dressage horses
EPONA.tv by Julie Taylor 22. april kl. 13:01
Do not look away. Bridle pain evident in elite dressage horses. Concerned scientists have briefed the FEI. Photos of crushed tongues and jaws are not just moments in time. Watch the full presentation, get a rare peek into the massive photo archives of Olympic level dressage horses performing in sport, and hear world famous scientists explain why change is needed.
Link in comments. Or use the QR code at the end of the video.
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Forskarna till FEI: ”Nu krävs erkännande och reformer”
Tidningen Ridsport AVCATHARINA HANSSON23 APRIL 22:09Blå tungorNu kan alla ta del av den presentation som en forskargrupp för hästvälfärd nyligen gjorde för FEI:s veterinärkommitté. Mötet hölls efter att gruppen skickat ett upprop till FEI tillsammans med en stor mängd bilder på hästar med gapande munnar, blå tungor och korta halsar.
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New calls for urgent action to prevent ‘blue tongues’ and signs of pain in dressage horses
Horse&Hound Eleanor Jones29 April, 2025 16:25The FEI has acknowledged the need to “explore a more balanced and comprehensive view of the sport”, after evidence was provided of “potential welfare issues hiding in plain sight”.
Press after complaints letter feb 2025
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Researchers Ask for Review of Top Riders
Horse Sport By: Pippa Cuckson | February 21, 2025
Researchers provided a large number of images from the recent Amsterdam and Neumunster horse shows of top-placed dressage riders and horses.
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Concerns over horses’ ‘blue tongues’ and open mouths pictured at World Cup qualifier
Horse&Hound Eleanor Jones4 March, 2025 17:57A group of leading veterinary researchers has raised “considerable welfareconcerns” related to double bridle use, submitting evidence they say suggests “winning performances in dressage subject horses to significant pain”.
The group, comprising professors and other experts from universities in Australia, New Zealand and Finland, and photographer Crispin Parelius Johannessen, has submitted photographs of seven horses at two World Cup dressage events in Europe this year. The riders referenced include Lottie Fry, Isabell Werth, Ingrid Klimke and Patrik Kittel.
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Isabell Werth Responds to ‘Open Mouths’ Debate
By: Horse Sport staff | February 25, 2025
The seven-time Olympian says the multiple frames-per-second capability of modern cameras can misleadingly convey that open mouths are a constant state of affairs.
This video presents the full 50-minute briefing our research team delivered to the FEI Veterinary Committee on 9 April 2025. For the first time, Crispin Parelius Johannessen’s widely circulated photographs of elite dressage horses have been animated into “moving pictures,” revealing that these are not isolated moments—but representative of entire performances. The footage shows repeated signs of pressure-induced harm: blue tongues, compressed facial and oral tissues, restricted airways, and behavioural indicators of pain and distress. We shared this evidence with the FEI because we believe that the scientific foundation—from anatomy to animal welfare science—is already sufficient to act. Alongside the evidence, we proposed a series of practical and science-informed opportunities to safeguard horse welfare in sport, covering: 🔹 Acknowledging the risks of pressure-based equipment 🔹 Recognising and preventing harm and concealment 🔹 Respecting comfort horse behaviour and reforming judging culture 🔹 Monitoring, intervention, and enforcement As researchers preparing several peer-reviewed articles on the effects of equipment-induced pressures in sport horses, we felt an ethical obligation to bring this evidence to the FEI’s attention. The research team: Cristina Wilkins, PhD candidate with the University of New England, Australia Professor Paul McGreevy, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, MACVS (Animal Welfare), Cert CABC, Grad Cert Higher Ed., University of Sydney, Australia Dr Cathrynne Henshall, BAHons), M. Animal Science, PhD, Charles Sturt University, Australia Emeritus Professor David Mellor, BSc(Hons), PhD, Hon. Assoc. RCVS, ONZM, Massey University, New Zealand Dr Kati Tuomola, DVM, PhD, University of Helsinki, Finland Crispin Parelius Johannessen, BA (Fine Art), M. Fina Art, Ml History of Art, Norway Professor Amy Lykins, BA Psychology (Hons) and Sociology, M.A. Clinical Psychology, PhD., University of New England, Australia