Concerns over horses’ ‘blue tongues’ and open mouths pictured at World Cup qualifier

A group of leading veterinary researchers has raised “considerable welfare concerns” 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.

In a letter signed by all the group, the researchers say they are preparing a report on welfare in competition horses but “in the interest of transparency and ensuring that evidence of potential horse abuse is provided expeditiously, and in the expectation that you would wish act on this evidence promptly, we have made it available as evidentiary photographs, with metadata to confirm that they are temporally linked and not simply ‘moments in time’”.

PhD student Cristina Wilkins of the University of New England, who sent the document to the FEI, told H&H her PhD is on “one welfare” outcomes from human-horse interactions.

“We were reviewing evidence including pictures taken by Crispin of dressage horses, and are very concerned about the details these photos reveal,” she said. “We wanted to make sure the FEI had this evidence, as the detail in the photos may not always be visible to the naked eye.”

Mrs Wilkins, who has evented internationally and has experience in training and coaching said she first saw some of Crispin’s pictures last spring and was “shocked by the degree of compression of the tongues” shown.

“The conversation started with blue tongues and has moved on to open mouths. But what concerns us the most is the compression of the tongue, and the duration of that,” she said.

She added: “We’re all welfare scientists, our work is about making improvements and when we see signs of harm or are suspicious there could be harm caused to animals, we want to report it to the authorities.”

The pictures appear to show discoloured tongues, and in many the horses’ mouths are open.

“These images reveal considerable welfare concerns related to the use of double bridles in dressage events, that we understand would have been approved for use by the stewards,” the letter states.

“The images clearly demonstrate the competitors’ bits causing prolonged deformation of the tongue, as well as marked compression of the tongue, the periosteum of the bars, and distortion of the lips. Such compression, as documented by Mellor (2020), is extremely painful due to the high tactile sensitivity of oral structures.

“In many of the images, the compression is so severe that it appears to substantially reduce or halt blood flow… potentially resulting in ischaemic pain – an intensely noxious condition.”

High scores

The horses pictured scored highly in their tests.

“The temporally linked series of images that we have reviewed alongside video footage available via the FEI’s subscription TV channel suggest that winning performances in dressage subject horses to significant pain,” the letter states. “We are concerned that practices that harm the oral structures are not only going unnoticed but are being rewarded.”

Mr Johannessen, a rider and fine art photographer, told H&H his camera is so powerful, it can capture, from the stands at shows, details that are not obvious to the naked eye.

“My purpose is to show the details of the horses’ faces and present them for welfare assessment,” he said.

Mr Johannessen said the usual response to his photographs, some of which showing alleged blue tongues surfaced last spring, is that they are “a moment in time”, not the full picture. But he gave the example of one test covered by this letter; in eight minutes, he took 9,124 pictures, an average of 18 per second.

“So they’re extremely long sequences, and by doing that, we can really see,” he said. “There’s so much information; how long the mouth is open, what the tongue looks like. People say it’s misrepresentation – but those moments are there. And because I’m in the stands, I’m aware of what I can see, and what I can see through the camera. These issues are hiding in plain sight.”

Mr Johannessen said he has been accused of manipulating his pictures, but that they have been examined by an independent third party to confirm this is not the case. He added that another photographer captured blue tongues at the Paris Olympics, “which confirmed I wasn’t making it up”.

“The motivation isn’t to shame any riders,” he added. “This is vets and researchers thinking the pictures show reason to be concerned.”

Isabell Werth told H&H the images “do not mirror the complete picture”.

“In the freestyle especially, there were over-average performances and delighted spectators,” she said. “The photos do not show this, but show the exact moment when the hand has given a more or less half-halt rather than the moment when the hand gives the contact or probably in one or two cases just holds the contact.

“This is easily possible with today’s cameras, which can take 20–50 pictures per second. This is being used by the photographer to make it seem as if it was a constant state of affairs.”

Isabell said her ride Quantaz was at times putting downward pressure on the bits, which made him open his mouth. She said horses are “not always totally relaxed, supple and on the aids”, and not machines, and that they behave differently in large arenas in front of crowds.

“Is it really such a big problem when, as in this case with Quantaz, he is not fully relaxed and accepting the bit for a moment?” she said. “It is correct that the movements where he shows an open mouth should be marked down. However, I do not believe that Quantaz suffered any pain from the bits in this test. On the contrary, he is a strong, proud, self-confident and non-submissive horse.”

Isabell said riders have to use half-halts more when a horse is not “ideally on the aids”, and that every horse will react differently, in a snaffle or double, and in all disciplines.

“The bridle is a tool to educate and control a horse in a proper way,” she said. “Our goal and challenge is and has to be a light contact independent of the bit or bits. However, this is a goal we can’t always reach. I know I could always do something better but it can’t be right our performances are made to appear to be of poor standard because of bad or unflattering pictures made by a man on a mission.”

Double bridle debate

Lottie Fry and Patrik Kittel were unavailable for comment but Ingrid told H&H the pictures “highlighted and intensified the current debate regarding equine welfare in grand prix dressage, particularly concerning the role of the double bridle”.

“Within scientific circles, concerns have been raised that the double bridle configuration required by international regulations may potentially compromise the horse’s mouth,” she said. “Simultaneously, there are worries that practices which could harm the horse might go unnoticed or even be inadvertently rewarded by current judging standards.

“As a professional rider, I hold our sport in the highest regard and adhere to the classical principles of equitation I inherited from my father. I am aware our sport is under critical scrutiny and support every constructive discussion and dialogue about equine welfare.

“At the same time, I must emphasise that the images are snapshots. They do not represent a constant state, but a fraction of a second within a complex sequence. The challenge for every grand prix rider is to align the principles of classical equitation with the current demands of elite sport – a balancing act that cannot be perfectly maintained at every moment.

“Horses are not machines, and riders are only human. Naturally, my goal is to present my horses in perfect self-carriage according to classical principles, with the poll as the highest point and the nose slightly in front of the vertical – something I don’t always achieve.”

Ingrid said the debate over double bridles’ being mandatory in top international dressage – a rule the FEI has been under pressure to change – needs objective consideration.

“Is the double bridle requirement purely a matter of sporting convention, or does it substantively affect equine welfare?” she said.

“Should scientific evidence conclusively indicate that the action of the double bridle, compared to alternatives such as the snaffle, adversely affects equine welfare, an open debate should be held about mandatory double bridles. We all know moments, especially in competition, that require stronger contact, whether to show a movement in perfection or simply to ensure the safety of horse and rider, will probably never be completely avoidable.

“I am committed to the development of our sport in harmony with equine welfare. I invite all interested parties to form their own informed opinions through open dialogue and transparent training methods that demonstrate that the welfare of the horse always comes first. I fully support objective, fair and evidence-based discourse regarding scientific findings that can both enhance our sport and ensure its long-term sustainability.”

Investigating

The German equestrian federation (FN), to which the letter was also sent, said it is taking it seriously and investigating.

“Photos are always snapshots,” said FN chair Dennis Peiler. “Photos alone are therefore not enough to make a complete assessment. For this reason, we will also view available video material to be able to assess and classify the situations in the overall context.”

The FEI confirmed it had received the letter and images.

“As always, the FEI will review and examine the material provided to assess whether any rule violations occurred,” a spokesperson told H&H. “It would not be appropriate for the FEI to comment publicly while this review is ongoing.

“The FEI is actively working to address equine welfare matters through the FEI equine welfare action plan, and has established a working group to develop a strategic action plan for dressage. Finally, the FEI has established clear channels for anyone who wants to report horse abuse via the FEI reporting hub.”

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