Emirates Equestrian Federation denies social media reports about horse attacks, calls for more accuracy

President of the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) Major Gen Dr. Ahmed Nasir Al Raysee has categorically denied claims made by a post in a personal social media account about attacks inflicting serious physical injuries to horses, saying that following further investigations, it was revealed that the image posted and broadcasted was for a horse outside the UAE.

"The account that had broadcasted the image publishing wrong information about a rider attacking a horse in an inappropriate manner after losing a certain ride. Such allegations are baseless and there is absolutely no evidence of such an occurrence; which contradicts the policy of the EEF based on the integrity and welfare of horses, which ranks as a top priority of the EEF, Al Raysee stated that the It is imperative, he said, to observe high levels of accuracy in handling such sort of images and verifying the source and identity before reacting to it and rushing to inappropriate blaming of entities. "It is obvious that the tweeter lacks the bare knowledge of procedures, regulations and laws enacted to protect horses and their welfare. The initiator should have provided documentary evidences of the information posted, if any; which indicates that this person has neither knowledge about horse-racing nor horse protection."

The EEF official called upon social media activists "not to follow information initiated from accounts of anonymous persons who have no competence to judge such issues." Such a practice, he said, can lead to legal questioning, especially if the issue relates to the reputation and history of the equestrian sport in the UAE; a unique legacy and true culture of our ancestors.

"We have got in place working models that reject any violations or breaches of horse welfare. In all events, our riders demonstrate superior handling of horses and exhibit brilliant models of horsemanship attributes, thanks to their conviction of the role and importance of the sport to the Emirati community; which has a strong equine passion. Such a legacy speaks volumes of the elevated awareness and genuine passion in the hearts of citizens towards horses as they are integral part of our civilization and heritage.

We keep equidistance in dealing with all parties, and commit ourselves to the implementation of the law; which is the core job of the EEF, and we cannot tolerate any breaches that may hinder the progress & practice of this authentic sport. If spotted, however, the EEF would be the first to ban and tackle it in a sound manner to avoid future recurrence," Al Raysee concluded.