The Crusaders horses galloped back onto One New Zealand Stadium tonight, just weeks after chief executive Colin Mansbridge insisted it couldn’t be done.

Nearly a month ago, Mansbridge announced the horses would be retired, citing safety concerns. At the time he assured fans the club had exhausted every option.

“We’ve tried our absolute best to make this work, and we want our Crusaders whānau to know we have left no stone unturned,” Mansbridge said then. “Ultimately, safety must come first, even when the emotional cost is high.”

But that position changed.

The horses were back as part of the match day experience tonight, after the club landed on a series of relatively straightforward fixes.

“With more time available, the horses have now been carefully tested at One New Zealand Stadium,” Mansbridge said.

“This testing allowed all parties involved to identify and address specific risks that couldn’t be fully assessed prior to Super Round.”

The entry and exit tunnel has been moved from the northeast corner to the loading dock because the original tunnel was too low for the horses to safely fit through.

Rubber flooring has been laid in the tunnel to stop the horses slipping on concrete. Rope barriers have been added to prevent them exiting through the wrong tunnel.

The horses also completed two laps instead of the usual three and remained in a continuous canter, as stopping increases the likelihood of them becoming unsettled. Their speed was carefully managed around the corners to navigate broadcast camera placements and to keep them off the field of play.

Despite the shift in position, Mansbridge defended his initial call to retire the horses.

“The decision at the time was the right one with the information available,” he said.

“Prior to Super Round, as a club, time simply wasn’t on our side. Without the opportunity to properly test the horses at full capacity in the stadium before such a major event, it would have been irresponsible to have them feature.”

“We said we would engage our fans on what a new match day ritual could look like. They made it very clear to us how they felt after we announced the horse’s retirement. That gave us an opportunity post Super Round to look at this again.”

Mansbridge said the club had since continued working with its horsemen, operations teams and key partners.

“Key stakeholders leaned in, and everyone involved accepted that some operational compromise would be required. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to safety,” he said.

“This outcome shows what happens when multiple people take responsibility and they care enough to keep working at it.”