What Does Social Licence Mean for Horse Riders?

The Horse

The needs and wishes of horses will always come first. At the centre of equestrian sport and leisure, the community of horse lovers and the horse industry is our beloved population of horses. At the centre of my world as a coach, rider and human being you will always find horses.

My promise to every horse I connect with begins with friendship based on trust, empathy, patience and communication. This leads to an intuitive connection with horses and the development of a harmonious partnership.

What is Social Licence to Operate?

First, what is Social Licence to Operate (SLO) and why should we pay attention to the debate?

When I originally wrote this article in 2022, Social Licence to Operate was a hot topic following research and peer-reviewed papers examining increased scrutiny of equestrian sport and how it is perceived by the general public. There were concerns about what this might mean for the future of horse sport, horse ownership and ultimately the keeping and riding of horses. These were the headlines I was seeing.

What did the survey say?

In 2022, Horse & Hound reported on an independent survey of 2,057 adults, representative of the UK population in gender and socio-economic background, commissioned by World Horse Welfare.

94% had little or no recent contact with horses and 45% had never had any contact. 
52% felt horse welfare should be prioritised more in communications and 60% said there should be more safety and welfare measures in place in horse sports.

Firstly, I took comfort from the fact that 55% of the population had some, if not recent, contact with horses. I wanted to know more about their experience. How did they personally define contact? Had they met and handled horses? Had they seen them out and about — a police horse on duty, perhaps, or a competition broadcast on television?

What about the 45% who had never had any contact? Were they curious about the questions? Did they ever wish to meet a horse? If they knew no one with horses and scrolled past equestrian content they chanced upon, what would it take for them to find out more about horses?

Would they, for example, be willing to read or watch something that helped them understand why the Highway Code had recently been updated, or gave them a few more insights into the world horses experience?

Rider Responsibilities 

Thinking back to before the term SLO appeared on my radar, my rider responsibilities to my horse were set in stone by my family, coaches and peers. The education system for horse lovers has always pressed upon me the non-negotiable horses first rule.

Why did I use the term Guardian and why did I bestow it on our equine stakeholders?

I view a Guardian as a protector, a listening ear, a connection to knowledge and wisdom, maybe even an evolutionary link between past and future generations. A Guardian has true and clear values and expectations. These might seem to be attributes of the human half of the partnership, but ask someone who has observed a herd of horses with hay to eat and it will be clear to see the horses have expectations too!

Sometimes a Guardian is loud and assertive, sometimes quiet, reflective and thoughtful. If it seems fanciful to assign a horse this title, please spare me a moment to elaborate on relationships where there are conversations without words, unspoken shared decisions and friendships that might be hard to fathom if you have yet to meet a horse or talk to a horse person who can articulate the importance of the horse in their life.

To serve our friend the horse, we agree to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing and to manage our expectations of how they might answer our questions or respond to the routines we provide, with fairness and empathy.

To protect the horses and horse sport of the future, we must also show the wider public and those who might oppose horse ownership that the connection equestrians share is a love, a duty and a responsibility to our collective global herd.

What does Social Licence mean to me as a coach and rider?

I believe strongly that there are challenges ahead for horse lovers and future generations who feel the magnetic pull to nurture and hang out with horses, to build a partnership where a horse willingly shares our dreams and challenges. The issue of Social Licence matters for the sake of the next generation of horses.

Who can advocate for horses better than the community who love and serve them? Whose voice might best represent these horses to those who have yet to explore the horse world? To those who may or may not be curious about what it takes to care for a horse, yet are uncertain that horse sport should continue?

What can horse riders, coaches and others whose lives are entwined with horses do to present the case for the horses of the future?

In nearly every moment of my day I hope to have a horse nearby to talk to or spend time with. I shrink from the idea that horse lovers of the future might lose this connection, the chance to form a bond, to share a horse’s life.

So, I think it’s vital that we listen to the concerns and curiosity of those who wonder why.

The strongest stakeholder in the Social Licence debate is, of course, the horse. I think anyone who doubts the voice, opinions or needs of a horse might yet change their perspective when we share the horse’s voice.

Horses do speak. For those who have yet to hear them, we can attempt to translate. We can offer insights into their world, their routines and their habits. We can honour our horses with the high standards of care and horsemanship we deliver today and share for the future.

How do we stay relevant?

We stay relevant for future generations by demonstrating, discussing and explaining that the guardians of Social Licence now and in the future are our horses. In equestrian sport, our horses rightly have a choice and always the “last word” when they decide to share their time with us.