At CAVALLUNA, we are animal lovers ourselves and fully understand that people care deeply about the welfare of horses. That’s exactly why we strive for complete transparency — to openly share how our horses live, are trained, travel, and, most importantly, how they are gradually accustomed to the show environment. Our goal is to present our horses as carefree, happy, and graceful – something that would simply not be possible if they were suffering, frightened, or stressed.
We occasionally receive critical remarks from PETA Germany/Austria concerning horse care and welfare at CAVALLUNA. As we cannot and will not let the so-called facts presented by PETA about CAVALLUNA and our horse management during the tour stand unchallenged, we would like to provide some clarifying words:
The well-being of our animals is always our highest priority. This is not just an empty phrase, but a fact — the horses are considered part of the family in every team and are trained and cared for with great dedication and passion over many years.
To ensure the animals' well-being, a range of measures are taken: animal welfare representatives and independent official veterinarians examine all horses, donkeys, and ponies, as well as the stable tents, transport vehicles, and riding equipment — and this happens in every single tour city. Every detail is thoroughly inspected, and only if the checks are satisfactory to all parties involved is the show allowed to take place at that venue.
Aside from this external oversight, CAVALLUNA itself does everything possible to ensure the animals' well-being. During the week, the horses live in the so-called CAVALLUNA stables — a centrally located equestrian facility where they enjoy access to paddocks and pastures, with plenty of time for relaxation and free movement. They are stabled next to the same "horse neighbors" each time and cared for by their familiar handlers.
The same care applies to the mobile, heated stable tents set up in each tour city over the weekends: the box sizes in these tents meet all German stable standards, and larger horses — such as Shire Horses or other heavy draft breeds — are provided with double-sized stalls to ensure sufficient space. Even in the tour cities, the horses are always stabled in the same order to maintain their routine and comfort, as horses are creatures of habit.
Before each show, riders take their equine partners for walks, grazing, or allow them free movement in the warm-up tent — ensuring that the horses get ample exercise and downtime even on show weekends. Transportation from the CAVALLUNA stables to the event venues is done in professionally equipped horse transporters that fully comply with animal welfare laws. The stables’ central location keeps travel distances as short as possible, and depending on the journey length, additional breaks are scheduled. Our horses are experienced travelers who are accustomed to transport and do not find it stressful.
Now, regarding the show itself: most of the CAVALLUNA horses are stallions, and anyone who has worked with stallions knows they naturally enjoy presenting themselves. Only animals with the right temperament and character are selected for the show — those that are both proud and self-assured, yet calm and composed.
You cannot force a horse to perform gracefully and willingly — not with coercion, food deprivation, or any other methods that violate animal welfare. It is simply impossible to present a horse in liberty work or any other riding discipline if the animal is not willing to cooperate.
Our aim is to enchant audiences with beautiful scenes and magnificent horse breeds. If a horse were scared or suffering, even a layperson could easily see it in its body language and expression.
Once a horse is found that naturally enjoys posing and is eager to learn, it is trained over many years to prepare for the show environment. Through months of gentle and empathetic training, the animals become familiar with bright lights, music, applause, and more. Additionally, in every tour city, the riders give their horses time to get used to the new surroundings.
As for sound levels, CAVALLUNA uses an audio system that provides the audience with a full sound experience, while the volume inside the arena remains at room level for the horses. This is made possible through convex speakers aimed away from the arena and toward the audience. Also, since liberty trainers communicate with their horses verbally during performances, louder sound levels in the arena would be neither practical nor possible. Applause is taught to the horses as positive reinforcement during training and is perceived as such during the shows.
As PETA correctly notes, horses are flight animals. The horses that perform in liberty dressage have every opportunity to walk away from their trainers — who work without ropes, halters, or bits and have no physical control over them. The same applies to ridden horses: a 1.2-ton Shire Horse can easily overpower its 50 kg rider if it feels uncomfortable or stressed.
The fact is, the kind of cooperation between horse and human that we showcase can only be built on years of trust and friendship — nothing else.
Occasionally, some animal rights activists spread sensationalist claims without proper background knowledge or making any effort to inform themselves thoroughly. However, for all animal lovers who have a genuine interest in the welfare of CAVALLUNA’s horses, we are always open to dialogue. We warmly invite you to visit us during the show, backstage, or at our CAVALLUNA stables. We are happy to give tours, answer questions, and show firsthand how our animals are cared for.
Warm regards,
Your CAVALLUNA Team
