The disqualification of Sapphire at the FEI World Cup Final in Geneva based on findings of hypersensitivity is not intended to punish but to protect, according to officials of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

The 14-year-old Belgian warmblood mare, equine partner to two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward (USA), is perfectly sound, has no pain, and requires no treatment, U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) team veterinarian Tim Ober, DVM, reported.

"She's naturally sensitive, and that's the type of horse we look for in a show jumper," Ober said April 20 from Zurich. Horses vary greatly in their levels of sensitivity to touch, even in extremely similar circumstances, he said.

Video recordings of the clinical exam show that Sapphire reacted by withdrawing her limb seven out of 57 times that pressure was applied to a one-centimeter diameter area of her front legs, said Ober. This occurred four times on the left and three on the right during the second examination by Paul Farrington, DVM, FEI-appointed veterinarian and member of the event's thermography team. The FEI decision focused on the left leg only, Ober said