The equestrian events are being held in Hong Kong rather than Beijing (site of the majority of this year's Games) because of the strong, well-established presence of the horse racing industry there, and the excellent facilities for the import, quarantine, stabling and competition of equine athletes from teams around the world.

The Olympic Games are steeped in tradition, pageantry and a strong spirit of congenial international competition. In no sport is this spirit more evident than in the equestrian competitions. What is unique about these events, among all the Games, is that they are the only ones which include animals in the competition--with horses being the only animals involved.

The horses on the U.S. Equestrian Team and those of other nations are athletes, just as crucial a part of the competition as their riders and--indeed--as the athletes in other sports. Just as the teammates in basketball, volleyball and other Olympic team sports, horse and rider are--dependent on each other for their success; responsible to each other for their joint failures.

It is said that equine athletes, like their human counterparts, love their job, their sport, the competition. Watching a dressage horse in perfect harmony with his rider, or a stadium jumper run a clean course and witness a victorious air pump from his rider, is proof of the unique partnership that exists between the two. The difference, of course, between human athletes and their equine counterparts is that humans are each, individually, in a position to make the choice to compete. They know the risks, of injury, pain and even possible death as a result of competition. Horses may not be aware of those risks, and they are surely not in a position to choose whether or not they compete. But they are certainly subject to the very real risks and are capable of very real suffering--just as much as their human teammates. They rely on their human partners and the event organizers to make sure that their welfare is not jeopardized, and that the risks are minimized in every way possible.

The equine athletes competing in the Olympics--and those participating in eventing competitions the world over--are expected to excel in the three equestrian disciplines that comprise eventing: dressage, show jumping and cross country. Cross country--which requires horse and rider to navigate an arduous series of immovable jumps over a varied terrain--poses the greatest risk for horse and rider.

The unforgiving jumps, combined with an emphasis on speed over accuracy, means that if a horse fails to clear a jump and instead hits it, the result can be serious injury or even death. In the past 18 months, more than a dozen horses and riders have been injured or killed while competing in U.S. eventing competitions. This spate of deaths and injuries spurred the governing body of the sport, the United States Equestrian Federation, to call a summit earlier this year to discuss how to make the sport safer for humans and horses alike.

Fans of equestrian sport from around the world will be watching these Games with the hope that these concerns have been adequately addressed, and no horse injuries or deaths will mar the grandeur of this event. The Humane Society of the United States hopes to witness a rousing, inspirational and--most importantly--safe 2008 Olympic Games.

Photo credit: Lo Ping Fai/ Xinhua
Source: The Humane Society of the United States