During the 2026 Nordic Championships at Margaretehof, the Swedish Icelandic Horse Association (SIF) continues to develop and test various methods and tools to strengthen horse welfare and safety at competition venues.
Riders, grooms, and others responsible for a horse during the competition have the opportunity to fill out a self-assessment form regarding the horse’s stay at the venue. The questions cover areas such as the stable and competition environment, the horse’s behavior and general condition, as well as opportunities for movement, social contact, rest, and recovery.
Ethologist Ronja Berg, MSc, is on site during the Nordic Championships week together with a group of pilot observers to test the further developed welfare protocols during various competition stages. Ronja also visited last weekend’s National Team Championships (LAG-SM), though on her own without any observers, to test protocols adapted for team competition formats. The protocols have now been adjusted based on experiences from LAG-SM as well as a previous pilot at the Sport Championships (Sport-SM).
All pilot observers undergo an internal digital training program and subsequently test their knowledge on recorded material. At the competition venue, randomly selected horse-and-rider combinations from various disciplines and competition days will be observed.
The observations are documented without names or other directly identifying details regarding either the combinations or the observer. The purpose is not to judge or single out individual riders or horses, but primarily to test and develop the protocols and the observers’ working methods. This will form the basis for how the continued work develops this autumn, involving both education and information campaigns for several different target groups.
Together, the self-assessments, pilot observations, and the warm-up checklist will provide a broader foundation for identifying what works well and what can be improved in the competition environment and in ongoing horse welfare efforts.
Following the Nordic Championships, the tools will be evaluated before undergoing further testing. The experiences will also serve as a basis for the continued development of training programs, routines, supporting materials, and a future organizer’s handbook.
The warm-up checklist, which was also utilized during the Sport Championships earlier this summer, will be used during the championships as well. It provides support for monitoring horse behavior, rider influence, safety, and conditions in the warm-up area.
The work on the welfare protocols is carried out within SIF Competition and SIF Education, with financial support from the Swedish Animal Welfare Association (Svenska Djurskyddsföreningen).
Participants at the Nordic Championships can access the self-assessment form via a QR code at the competition venue and through SIF’s information channels.
For questions regarding the project, please contact Project Manager Sabina Anderberg at sabina.anderberg@icelandichorse.se
Here you find the original article in Swedish: https://www.icelandichorse.se/nyheter/nyheter/2026-08-05-valfardsprotokoll-och-sjalvskattning-testas-vidare