Italy has become the first and only country to legally recognises horses as athletes, in an important step forward for horse welfare.

The law officially came into effect on 6th June 2025 and provides horses with new levels of protection, recognising their role in sport and their physical and emotional needs alongside those of human athletes.

FISE (the Italian Equestrian Federation) celebrated the ruling as a “historic achievement” and a step towards greater welfare for horses in sport.

To qualify as an “athlete horse” under the new legislation, a horse must:
•    Be registered in an official equine registry;
•    Be declared not for human consumption;
•    Be included in the FISE’s athlete horse register.

The legal change means horses are no longer defined solely as property within Italian sport, but as subjects who have specific protections. This is a significant philosophical shift  and has been widely welcomed by welfare organisation.

FISE has also launched The Horse Athlete: Protections and Prospects a bilingual book discussing the role of horses in sport.

This was launched at a conference in Rome, and brought together legal experts, vets and international equestrian authorities to discuss the consequences of this change in the law and call for broader discussion of horse welfare in sport.