FEI Rules Updated: Your Essential Guide to Interna...

Hey Gulf Equestrian Family!

We know how vital it is for all our riders, owners, and officials across the Gulf to have the most current information regarding international competition. As promised, we are happy to share the essential new rulebooks from the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI).

We have gathered the newly updated documents that govern our sport at the highest level:

• FEI Jumping Rules 2025 (27th Edition, with updates effective January 1, 2025)

• FEI General Regulations 2025 (24th Edition, with updates effective January 1, 2025)

• FEI Stewards Manual Annex VI Supplement (Updated February 2020)

You can find the links to download these PDFs below.

Why These Updates Matter (FEI: The Global Standard)

The FEI is the world's governing body for equestrian sports, setting the standards for integrity, fair play, and, most importantly, the welfare of the horse. Everything from the height of an oxer to the behavior in the warm up ring is governed by these books.

Here are some important highlights from these updated rule sets, effective as of January 1, 2025:

1. Welfare and Safety are Paramount

The FEI Code of Conduct for the Welfare of the Horse states clearly that horse welfare must never be secondary to competitive or commercial interests. Key rule changes reinforce this:

• New Veterinary Checks: Horses now must be passed "fit to compete" following a veterinary check if they had a fall, ensuring they continue safely.

• Tighter Tack Control: A new FEI measuring device will be introduced across disciplines starting May 1, 2025, to ensure consistent noseband tightness, prioritizing comfort and ethical treatment.

• Abuse Reporting: New modifications detail that Horse Abuse should be reported via a specific online Horse Abuse Reporting Form on the FEI website.

2. Clarity on Competition

The rules provide definitive technical clarity for international events:

• Jumping Eliminations: Rules now contain clearer grounds for elimination if a Horse or Athlete is deemed unfit to continue. For example, a Horse resisting for 45 consecutive seconds during a round results in elimination.

• Course Requirements: For top level competitions, specific rules for course design now include minimum frontal widths for narrow vertical or spread obstacles to ensure fair testing of the horse and rider.

• FEI Stewarding: Stewards play a constant role in maintaining the integrity of competition. For instance, in the schooling area, absolutely no material not provided by the Organizing Committee (OC) is permitted, to prevent unauthorized training techniques.

3. Officials and Accountability

The rules ensure that all officials act with the highest degree of professionalism:

• Officials' Duties: The rules provide clear and explicit guidelines for FEI Officials, promoting transparency and objectivity in all rulings.

• Transparency: All Jumping Warnings issued to athletes will now be automatically published by the FEI, ensuring greater accountability across all levels.

Download Your Official Rulebooks

For your easy reference, here are the core documents that outline these regulations. We highly recommend every serious competitor and official keep these close at hand:

• FEI Jumping Rules 2025 (27th Edition - Updates Effective 01 Jan 2025): The core rulebook for all technical Jumping matters.

• FEI General Regulations 2025 (24th Edition - Updates Effective 01 Jan 2025): The foundational rulebook covering FEI governance, sanctioning, doping, and general event management.

• FEI Stewards Manual Annex VI Supplement (Jumping in Exercise/Schooling Areas): The detailed guide for how training and warm up areas must be supervised and operated.

Studying and understanding these rules is the responsibility of everyone involved in international show jumping. We encourage all of our community members to dive into these pages and help us uphold the highest standards of the sport.