CENARBA and the Royal Spanish Equestrian Federation open a path for collaboration to join forces on equine welfare
EXPASA, as a member of the National Reference Centre for Animal Welfare (CENARBA), and the Royal Spanish Equestrian Federation (RFHE) held an institutional meeting on Monday 23 March with the aim of building bridges and moving towards a collaborative framework on equine welfare.
This meeting marks a first step towards establishing possible joint lines of work, sharing experience and strengthening institutional cooperation in an area that is strategic for the present and future of the equestrian sector.
During the meeting, the RFHE highlighted the work carried out through its Horse Welfare Committee, a body that drives initiatives, recommendations and good practices aimed at ensuring the protection, health and proper treatment of equids in the sporting arena.
For its part, EXPASA set out the importance of CENARBA as a leading technical and scientific pillar at national level on welfare matters. This National Centre is made up of the IRTA-UAB-EXPASA consortium and is designated as the National Reference Centre for Animal Welfare by the Official State Gazette, establishing itself as a key instrument for strengthening a consistent, scientific and coordinated approach to applying EU and national animal welfare regulations.
Within this CENARBA framework, EXPASA contributes its experience in the direct management of the equine sector and in developing innovation and applied-knowledge projects, helping to put into practice the technical and scientific criteria promoted by the Centre.
Both EXPASA and the RFHE agreed on the need to foster a stable collaborative framework that allows them to join forces, create synergies and move forward in a coordinated way on actions related to equine welfare, including areas such as training, outreach and the development of shared standards.
With this first step, the RFHE and CENARBA express their willingness to work together towards an equestrian model based on excellence, sustainability and respect for animal welfare.