Overview
- From January 2026, lightly bleeding horses may continue in international showjumping after an on‑site veterinary check, with the FEI introducing published warnings that escalate to a CHF 1,000 fine and a four‑week ban after two warnings in 12 months.
- The German Equestrian Federation voted against the change and says it will retain the strict disqualification standard for domestic competitions on welfare grounds.
- FEI figures cited 340,000 starts and 101 disqualifications linked to visible blood in 2025, which officials used to argue for case‑by‑case veterinary assessment.
- Investigative reporting in Germany documented welfare violations at local tournaments, including repeated whip use and hyperflexion, and found judges and veterinarians did not always intervene.
- Rules now diverge across disciplines, with dressage maintaining the previous strict no‑blood standard while showjumping adopts the revised approach.