On February 26, 2024, a letter signed by the Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and Danish equestrian federations was sent to the FEI – addressing a need for bold action from the FEI on horse welfare. 

Initiated by the Swedish national federation, the letter was signed by the secretary generals of the four Nordic equestrian federations as an outcome of an international meeting on horse welfare held during Gothenburg Horse Show this past weekend. 

"The purpose of the letter is to join forces to create change," the Swedish Equestrian Federation explained in a press release. "After several notable cases where unacceptable training methods have been revealed recently, it is obvious that we need to act on an international level. The Secretary Generals from these Nordic National Federations (NFs) state that despite all efforts so far, there is still much work that must be done to secure horse welfare at all times and to secure the sport’s Social License to Operate (SLO) on an international as well as national level. As the love for the horses is the foundation of our sport, this is a key issue for the equestrian community. The NFs suggests to initially focus on dressage as this discipline currently is the subject of debate and scrutiny by various parties."