Proposed 2024 EC Rule Change
Section A: General Regulations
Chapter 5 Competitions
ARTICLE A 519 NOSEBANDS
Nosebands (if worn in discipline) must be fastened to allow at least 1.5 cm (two horizontal fingers), or a taper gauge, between the frontal nasal plane of the horse and noseband/noseband material.
Stewards, Technical Delegates, or their designates may check nosebands at their discretion when there is no mandatory tack check and nosebands will be checked at pre-existing, discipline-specific mandatory tack checks. If it is determined that the noseband is too tight, it must be loosened to comply with this requirement before the horse can continue.
Failure to loosen the noseband when requested will result in elimination.
Why is this important?
Recent international concerns about equine ethics have brought noseband tightness and measurement back into focus. Proposals for rule changes by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) for the 2024 competition season have also been released.
EC’s Pilot Project
Invaluable work and research have been done by EC in Canada to help our community better understand the issues with a pilot project and published white paper. Many of our community members provided key inputs to the study.
Rule Proposal
Based on this, our Health and Welfare Committee has proposed a new rule to ensure the protection of our horses from tight nosebands.
Your feedback is crucial to maintaining the welfare of our equine partners and the integrity of equestrian sports in Canada. We invite you to provide your feedback by November 6, 2023, using the following link:
Click here to voice your opinion!
For questions or concerns, please contact:
Rachel Huebert
Director, Sport Operations
rhuebert@equestrian.ca