Emirates Equestrian: Champing at the Bit on New Racing Rules

The increase in the popularity of equestrian and horse racing events has created new challenges for the United Arab Emirates Equestrian and Racing Federation (UAEERF)—a governing body that manages all United Arab Emirates equestrian and racing competitions. The case begins when Dr. Ali Tweissi, the head of the Veterinary Department in the UAEERF, witnessed an argument between the arbitration committee and the owner of one of the injured horses in the race. The issue was important and needed to be resolved immediately because of how the adverse consequences of injuries could affect the sustainability of endurance racing in the UAE. In devising an appropriate solution, the committee needs to consider the welfare of horses as well as meeting the needs of all the different stakeholders. It is a difficult problem as there are conflicts between the needs of the different stakeholders and the need to maximize animal welfare. An imbalance between these groups could result in a commercial or racing disaster.