Are we acting in a reactive rather than proactive way to try and find a solution?
Of course, the welfare of the horse is of utmost importance, but even as equestrian sports keep raising the goalposts to meet public approval, are we actually trying to change the way the public view horse sport?
Role models
Top level riders, who rely on the sport for their livelihood, need to be encouraged to engage more with the public. The public actually have no idea on how much work it takes to reach the top. In a social media driven world, it is critical that public perception of equestrian sports is more positive. As it is the top competitors who receive the most media exposure, it is important that they encourage young people to interact.
Where are the future equestrians going to come from?
Make equestrianism more available to the public. This is being negatively affected by the astronomic costs of insurance: riding schools are closing down. Children who would have loved to become involved with learning to ride, can no longer step into the sport. Why do the governing bodies not combine to see if this can be addressed? If future generations of potential horse riders cannot even start, then will be no future for equestrian sport. If there are no people coming in at the grassroots level, then where will the followers of equestrian sport come from?
Allow the public to see “behind the scenes”
Create an atmosphere of transparency to encourage public trust.
Demonstrate amount of care involved in horse ownership. It is often the grooms who need to become involved here, as it is one of the most important ‘behind the scenes’ roles, and demonstrates the dedication and care that is involved with horse welfare. The public have no idea how horses are cared for. I cannot remember ever seeing an insight into the work of a groom being highlighted on social media – other than the negative side regarding low pay, long hours and poor living conditions. Good grooms are a critical influence on horse welfare in the equestrian industry.
Public Involvement
Encourage public involvement in equestrian sports, rather than making it seem more and more elitist. To witness the rapid decline in the public’s interest in equestrian sports, is alarming. Surely it is important that the equestrian community at large should be asking “What can we do to improve?”, rather than “how can we fix an issue”.
Is Livestream actually the right move?
Due to the loss of almost all TV coverage, livestream has now taken over. Whilst this may be positive in terms of a revenue stream, it also seems to create a scenario where many people select all the negative pieces (often out of context), to repost on social media, with the intention of causing outrage. Negative content attracts big numbers.
