THE NEW ANIMAL WELFARE REGULATIONS FOR THE PALIOS WERE PUBLISHED

The Decree of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers was published in the Official Gazette of 10 March (click here to read it), setting out the requirements for the safety, health and well-being of athletes, athlete horses and the public, in public events or events open to the public involving the use of equines that take place outside authorised facilities or races. That is, the Palios. Within this decree there are a whole series of regulations that aim to safeguard the safety of the participants and to protect the regularity of the competitions, even if they are of a historical nature.
The Decree also refers to the activity of the Masaf in relation to the control of the tracks on which the competitions are held, precisely to guarantee the protection of animal welfare.

In particular:
1. The General Directorate for Horse Racing of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry shall publish on its institutional portal within thirty days of the publication of this decree the list of the technicians of the tracks.
 

2. The training of new track technicians is established by decree of the Director General for Horse Racing of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry in consultation with the Director General of Animal Health of the Ministry of Health within ninety days of the publication of this decree, kept constantly updated and made public through the institutional website of the competent Ministries.
 

3. The track's technicians who, at the time of entry into force of this decree, have performed said function pursuant to the Ministerial Order of 21 July 2011 and subsequent amendments, shall be included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 of this annex.
 

4. The mayor or prefect must contact a track technician using a copy of Annex 3 of this decree.

Article 5 is also interesting, which states
1. In the events referred to in art. 2, paragraph 1, equidae that are not yet four years old on the date of the event may not be used.

2. In events involving speed races, understood as performances in which victory is awarded only based on the speed of the equines, horses of
thoroughbred English breed cannot be used.

3. The harness and equipment to be used, including shoeing, must be suitable to prevent injury, pain or suffering to the animal. To this end, the use of
protection for the limbs of the equines, upon specific indication of the veterinarian in whose presence the event takes place. The choice of shoeing to ensure the safety of the equines
takes into account the specific characteristics of the terrain where the event takes place.

4. The equines used in the event must have the appropriate physical and psychological constitution to perform the task required of them. 

5. The organizing body guarantees the presence of a veterinary surgeon for the duration of the event and the preparatory tests. Before the event, the veterinary surgeon will carry out a general objective examination of the animals, assessing their condition, also based on the health documentation provided, carrying out, where necessary, a more in-depth examination or further checks to admit the equids to the event, also in accordance with the provisions of art. 6 of this decree and ensures, among other things, what is established in paragraphs 6 and 7.  The choice of equines, of the harness, of the equipment and of the shoeing to be used, as well as the subsequent admission of the animals to the event, must be carried out by the same equine veterinary doctor.

6. In order to be admitted to the event, the equines must be in good health and regularly identified and registered in accordance with current legislation. These requirements are verified by the veterinarian of the local health authority responsible for the territory and by the equine veterinarian.

7. The organising body must guarantee the safety of the jockeys, the equines and the public throughout the event and an adequate rescue service must be provided for the equines as established in appendix 4 of this decree, including the availability of a veterinary facility for the equines.

8. The following jockeys are not allowed to the events: jockeys who, in the previous five years, have been convicted of crimes against animal welfare, as covered in Title IX-bis of Book II of the Penal Code, for the offence under Article 727 of the penal code, as well as jockeys who have been subject to disqualification or suspension by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry or by the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation or by Fitetrec-Ante or by a sports promotion organisation, also recognised for equestrian sports for the period of effectiveness of the suspension. 

9. Jockeys must wear adequate head and body protection in accordance with that authorised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry or by the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation.

10. The local health authority for the area shall ensure that a veterinarian is present during the event and the trials, and shall send a technical report, compiled on the basis of Annex 1 to this decree, within seven days of the end of the event, to the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna - Reference Centre for Animal Welfare, which, by 30 November of each year, sends a report containing an evaluation of the data collected to the General Directorate of Animal Health of the Ministry of Health.

11. The Ministry of Public Health publishes statistical data on the events covered by this decree on an annual basis.