Health Safety & Welfare Update - March

Your membership is about more than participation, it’s about support, safety and putting horse welfare first. This update from the Health, Safety and Welfare Team shares practical information, clarifications and improvements designed to help you compete with confidence, make informed decisions for your horse, and access support when you need it. Thank you for the role you play in keeping our sport safe. 

Incident Reporting – Your Reports Make a Difference

A sincere thank you to everyone—riders, coaches, officials, medical providers, clubs and organisers—who continue to submit incident reports through our Incident Reporting Form (Form 08), often within 24 hours.

Because of your commitment:

• Reporting rates for serious incidents have steadily improved over the past three years

• Reports outside of competition (non comp) have increased from 31% in 2023 to 39% in 2025

This matters because your reports trigger action.

They allow EA to:

• Follow up with injured members and offer support

• Identify new or emerging hazards

• Improve safety systems across all levels of the sport

The Form 08 can be accessed here:
https://form.jotform.com/202477282848061

Helmet Tagging – What You Need to Know

Thank you for your patience while we roll out green helmet tags across the country. An initial supply has now been delivered to your State Branch, with more tags already on order to ensure ongoing availability for members.

As part of your membership, EA works to provide clear, consistent safety standards, so you can compete with confidence knowing your equipment meets current requirements.

The helmet standards graphic on our website HERE has been especially helpful for members navigating the changes.

Important clarification for members:
If your helmet is marked as meeting any two of the accepted standards for January 1, 2029 and beyond, and carries a recognised quality testing mark, it can be tagged green immediately and used in competition.
If you’re unsure about your helmet or want help checking compliance, our Safety Team is here to support you at [email protected].

Retirements and Withdrawals – Supporting Good Decisions

We often hear “what a shame” when a rider retires or withdraws. Through a horse welfare lens, these moments often deserve a very different response: “Great decision – the athlete is putting their horse first.”

Recognising an off day and choosing not to push on is strong, responsible horsemanship. Your membership supports a sport culture where listening to your horse, reducing risk, and protecting long‑term wellbeing are valued decisions.

Thank You

Your decisions, your reports and your commitment to horse welfare are what make safety systems effective.
Please continue to submit reports promptly and reach out whenever you need support. Together, we are working to keep our athletes, our horses and our sport safe.

The Health, Safety and Welfare Team
[email protected]