Swiss officials have enacted a law prohibiting the use of hyperflexion (also known as rollkur) in that country.

The law applies to competitive events as well as training sessions, said Regula Kennel, communications director of Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO).

Originally proposed in 2008, the ban was approved in October 2013 and took effect on Jan. 1. Article 21 of the Ordonnance sur la Protection des Animaux states that it is forbidden to “require the horse to maintain its head and neck in hyperflexion (rollkur).”

The country’s refers to a description of rollkur provided by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) in the FSVO’s explanatory statement for the law. The FEI describes the practice as “a dressage method compromising the animal’s welfare,” the statement read