Is the equestrian community an inclusive one?

forelegs

forelegs

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Hi all,

I am currently conducting research for my dissertation, on equestrian communities (I'm studying BA Geography at Exeter University) and would really appreciate some of your thoughts.
Do you think that the horsey community is inclusive and welcoming?
At what moment did you feel included in the equestrian community?
Do you have any experiences of feeling excluded from the horse world?

Please do discuss and share experiences on this thread, it will help hugely with my research. Also, if anyone would be willing to have a chat with me about their personal opinions on the nature of the equestrian community, or would like more information on my dissertation, please PM me, I'd be eternally grateful!
 
It's the same as anything really. Depends on the individuals involved!

I know equestrians have a reputation of being cliquey, and in some places this is true, but actually in recent years I've had nothing but good experiences :) Admittedly I'm not a people person, prefer just hanging out with my horse, so if I was being excluded I'm not sure I would notice...
 
It depends very much on your definition of 'inclusive' and what you mean by 'community'.
Small groups of people, such as those on a livery yard may consider themselves to be a community but equally others may consider the whole of the equestrian world, including racing, professional and amateur owners, competitors and those whom we tend to call 'happy hackers', people who ride at RS and RDA riders, and drivers of various kinds, from carriage driving to the travellers who participate in road racing as the community.
As far as I can see the only thing that all those equestrians have in common is the ability to spend a certain level of money to follow their interest.
 
I might be getting the wrong end of the stick here as mother in education, but are you talking about inclusion in terms of dis/ability/ race/ orientation etc or in some other way?

I can't speak to having direct experience regarding race/ ever seen an incident of racism. However I do think equestrianism is a very visibly inclusive industry of both differently abled/ para riders (and differently abled people using horses for non riding therapy) and for inclusion of sexual orientation. I also think a lot of people on the autistic spectrum find fulfillment in equestrianism but that's always a tricky one to quantify as much high functioning autism goes undiagnosed beyond "social oddness".
I think it does help that it has many eloquent and high-achieving riders from both sectors. Although it is a bit of a disgrace Lee Pearson didn't get a NY honour but that's hardly the equestrian communities fault.
Sorry if that's a bit garbled?
Yes
Initially, mucking out at stables with bunch of other children. Aged 5? Not much cliqueness in shovelling the proverbial.
No, although I have had to opt in and out as work, finance and family allow, like most!
 
I am not quite sure what you mean by "inclusive" either, but if we are thinking about disabled riders, then I would say that riding has been in the forefront of inclusion. Riding for the Disabled has been going for years, and at Badminton for as long as I can remember there was a special parking area for the disabled so they could get up close to the action - all those people with riding injuries, I suppose! Injured servicemen from both World Wars returned to the hunting field with suitable horses and adaption of saddles.
 
Every group excludes. A competitive, athletic group may exclude more than most. In the sense of being selective. However on another level it may be more inclusive than your thesis envisages for it hangs on the quality of an animal human relationship. Horses or dogs may relate well to humans who find it hard to feel included in human networks. Mary Wanless somewhere describes how the slowest and least able rider at the back of the class establishes an alliance with their slow RS horse agreeing that neither will cause trouble for the other. That has stayed in my mind ever since. That the cob on which I was failing in lessons was my friend and on my side. Tho the teacher was not. If one has the horses as willing partners, their co operation and recognition, any human social or sporting exclusion becomes insignificant. There is something very basic and animal and pleasurable about relating to a horse.
 
In my experience you would be hard pressed to find a less inclusive group. Being harsh, judgemental and petty comes as second nature to a very significant proportion of horsey types - just look at some the posts one here. I have ridden all my life and have always chosen to distance myself from horsey people except on a one to one basis.
 
It's far to big a "community" to generalise. There are people who will feel excluded no matter what and plenty who will fit in with whatever group they are with. As pansymouse said, you only need to look at the posts on the H and H forum to get an idea.
 
My current yard is inclusive and encouraging to novice owners. It's a large facility with all sorts of owners who do just about everything from hunting, dressage, XC to hacking, driving and those who just enjoy horsecare without riding. The YO also mentors new owners, helping them find the right horse and ongoing advice. We have owners who are wealthy and owners who keep their horses on a very low budget.
Generally, those going to their first outings in their chosen field, come back enthused and wanting to do more, so I think we're fortunate in having a good local community.

What is noticeable is the lack of ethnic diversity. Although horse riders/owners come from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds, there are still few people from ethinc groups. I don't think this is confined to equestrianism specifically, it seems to be true of most sports in the UK. Sport is such a great medium for making communities inclusive, that the few projects currently running are doing a great job but funding and awareness is the major drawback.
The Emile Faurie Foundation is one example that attempts to encourage people into the sport by enabling local projects to reach people who might never get involved otherwise.

We're all able to make equestrianism more inclusive to everyone, whether its just chatting to people who stop to pat your horse, to being thoughtful to other road users or being a mentor to someone who would like to be more involved. We can do more and if we do, it has to be good for the horses themselves.
 
dogatemysalad said:
My current yard is inclusive and encouraging to novice owners. It's a large facility with all sorts of owners who do just about everything from hunting, dressage, XC to hacking, driving and those who just enjoy horsecare without riding. The YO also mentors new owners, helping them find the right horse and ongoing advice. We have owners who are wealthy and owners who keep their horses on a very low budget.
Generally, those going to their first outings in their chosen field, come back enthused and wanting to do more, so I think we're fortunate in having a good local community.

What is noticeable is the lack of ethnic diversity. Although horse riders/owners come from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds, there are still few people from ethinc groups. I don't think this is confined to equestrianism specifically, it seems to be true of most sports in the UK. Sport is such a great medium for making communities inclusive, that the few projects currently running are doing a great job but funding and awareness is the major drawback.
The Emile Faurie Foundation is one example that attempts to encourage people into the sport by enabling local projects to reach people who might never get involved otherwise.

We're all able to make equestrianism more inclusive to everyone, whether its just chatting to people who stop to pat your horse, to being thoughtful to other road users or being a mentor to someone who would like to be more involved. We can do more and if we do, it has to be good for the horses themselves.
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I think that inclusivity of ethnic diversity depends very much on where you live. Here in the NW we have a huge variety of ethnic and religious groups. When I was teaching riding I taught the able-bodied, people with physical/mental shortcomings and everything in between, people of Asian descent, people of Jamaican descent, people from council estates, people from very well off families. I think the ony group I didn't see represented was the Chinese/Far East. I think that now people don't see interracial families as so shocking now, you will see more "not entirely white" children being involved in riding. It doesn't necessarily have to be all about money because I know plenty of local people who are horse owners and are funded entirely by the benefits system, and plenty of others who scrimp and save and go without in order to ride .

Now if I was still living in Cornwall my observations would no doubt be entirely different.

As to whether the horse community is exclusively heterosexual, that is just ridiculous. What on earth difference does your bedroom activity have to do with riding? It's absolutely no-one's business what you get up to in private anyway. As long as it doesn't involve animals or childen I really don't care and I'm definitely not interested. People are what they are and you can no more help being gay than you can being left-handed.
 
I think it depends on disclipline

I actually think the happy hackers have it worst. I feel more at home amongst show people than I do visiting a local livery yard!
 
As someone with a human geography PhD, I'm somewhat mystified by this question. There is no equestrian community, but communities, and "inclusive" and "exclusive" are difficult define, unless you are using them in a limited way, i.e., how accessible it is to people with disabilities. But feeling included in or excluded from a group is a matter of perception, of an individual's experience. Each person's experiences will be different and it depends on your personality, the yards you've been on, the personalities of people you interact with, the discipline you do, your own riding goals, and a million other variables. The horse riding community is too big and too disparate to say much more than that.
 
fatpiggy said:
I think that inclusivity of ethnic diversity depends very much on where you live. Here in the NW we have a huge variety of ethnic and religious groups. When I was teaching riding I taught the able-bodied, people with physical/mental shortcomings and everything in between, people of Asian descent, people of Jamaican descent, people from council estates, people from very well off families. I think the ony group I didn't see represented was the Chinese/Far East. I think that now people don't see interracial families as so shocking now, you will see more "not entirely white" children being involved in riding. It doesn't necessarily have to be all about money because I know plenty of local people who are horse owners and are funded entirely by the benefits system, and plenty of others who scrimp and save and go without in order to ride .

Now if I was still living in Cornwall my observations would no doubt be entirely different.
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That's good to hear but it wasn't my experience in Leicester where the White British population is less 45%. I only once recall seeing an Asian family at a RS and never saw anyone from another ethnic group on a livery yard. It's always puzzled me as to why as the city is a very successful example of an ethnically inclusive community.
 
There is a very good book written by a social anthropologist who studied the racing world. That should help you.
I'm not sure what you mean by "Equestrian Community" though. It can be quite specialised e.g. dressage, show jumping, endurance, racing and I think inclusion depends on your level of interest.
 
forelegs said:
Hi all,

I am currently conducting research for my dissertation, on equestrian communities (I'm studying BA Geography at Exeter University) and would really appreciate some of your thoughts.
Do you think that the horsey community is inclusive and welcoming?
At what moment did you feel included in the equestrian community?
Do you have any experiences of feeling excluded from the horse world?

Please do discuss and share experiences on this thread, it will help hugely with my research. Also, if anyone would be willing to have a chat with me about their personal opinions on the nature of the equestrian community, or would like more information on my dissertation, please PM me, I'd be eternally grateful!
Click to expand...

I can only speak from my own experience - my OH's grandaughter is mixed race, I take her to my yard, she has ridden, watched polo & gone to hunt meets on foot, every horsey person we have come across has been very welcoming & friendly.
I have also taken a Nigerian friend out with the hunt on bike hound exercise, he loved it & again everyone was welcoming to him.
 
MerrySherryRider said:
That's good to hear but it wasn't my experience in Leicester where the White British population is less 45%. I only once recall seeing an Asian family at a RS and never saw anyone from another ethnic group on a livery yard. It's always puzzled me as to why as the city is a very successful example of an ethnically inclusive community.
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I suppose that could be because Asian people traditionally don't have pets (for whatever reason) although there does seem to be a rising trend in them owning particular types of dogs up here, sadly using them for illegal pursuits :( If you were say, growing up in Ireland as a non-native, you wouldn't necessarily want to take up or get your children to take up, Irish dancing if you had no previous experience of it, despite the fact that many neighbours took part in it.

I do think times are changing and the ethnic communities are trying new things and enjoying them. We are always told how going walking in the countryside is a very white middle class thing, but one day when I was for a pootle not so far from Oldham, I passed lots of Asian people doing the same with their families and clearly having a nice afternoon out together. Now I might suggest that sarees and sandles weren't the ideal outdoor clothing but they did brighten up the landscape!
 
I'm an horsey geography teacher! Feel free to send me a pm and I'll send you my number if you are looking for someone to speak to on the phone.

In answer to your questions I think it very much depends on things like personal location, size of yard, whether you compete or not, whether you have your horse at home, whether you want to get involved in BHS / local riding clubs , I would also imagine you would get different answers from people who have had ponies as children and those who come at it as adults. I would be very interested to here what you are specifically researching!
 
I keep my horses at home and have very little interaction with any other horse owners near where I live because I have no reason to. I therefore do not belong to a "horsey community". I compete sometimes at dressage, but I do not hang around socialising with other competitors as I do not have the time - there are always jobs at home to do.

OP - What would I have to do be considered "inclusive"? Go and chat with horse owners nearby? Hang around at competitions chatting? I don't understand how the original question applies to me.
 
tescoexpress said:
I keep my horses at home and have very little interaction with any other horse owners near where I live because I have no reason to. I therefore do not belong to a "horsey community". I compete sometimes at dressage, but I do not hang around socialising with other competitors as I do not have the time - there are always jobs at home to do.

OP - What would I have to do be considered "inclusive"? Go and chat with horse owners nearby? Hang around at competitions chatting? I don't understand how the original question applies to me.
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Does the mere fact of you having a horse mean that you are perhaps part of the horsey community, even though you don't see yourself as participating in it?
You are certainly part of an online equestrian community through here!
 
I find it very inclusive all the horsey people I know welcome anyone and everyone with a horse and many more besides in an attempt to encourage more horse activity. There is a shallow group about that think they are better than everyone else but in the main everyone is friendly and supportive. I am not sure if that is because our group is friendly and inclusive or it is the whole community but largely speaking even the competitive people will chat and be friendly if you start the conversation and don't interrupt their concentration. I am often looked at as if I have two heads because I speak to strangers After all we have a common interest and as long as you are not rude what is the harm
 
BlairandAzria said:
Does the mere fact of you having a horse mean that you are perhaps part of the horsey community, even though you don't see yourself as participating in it?
You are certainly part of an online equestrian community through here!
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I can accept the second part - the online community. However, I cannot be part of the first community as I do not in any way interact with the people in it.
 
Why would the equestrian community be seen as not inclusive ?
There's no prohibition on anyone owning or riding a horse. There's no need to be qualified, professional or trained. Clubs and venue's generally have open memberships. Like every sport, there is a cost involved but it's still possible to enjoy horses through work or volunteering.

Perhaps then, exclusion is a matter of perception. Some people find it difficult to be part of a group for various reason's or chose not to.
If a particular community is cliquey, generally, you just look for another group that is better.
 
MerrySherryRider said:
That's good to hear but it wasn't my experience in Leicester where the White British population is less 45%. I only once recall seeing an Asian family at a RS and never saw anyone from another ethnic group on a livery yard. It's always puzzled me as to why as the city is a very successful example of an ethnically inclusive community.
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Perhaps horses and riding just don't appeal to the majority of non-white people? Just because they choose not to ride it does not mean they are excluded.
 
From a different perspective I have felt since falling into the world of harness racing myself that it very inclusive.

The sport welcomes all people from all walks of life. I'm talking about regulated and official harness racing (under British Harness/Irish Harness/Wales & Border Counties rules). There's a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities involved, as well as different ages (drivers ranging from 16 to 75) and different occupations. There's professionals and amateurs competing alongside each other and if you turn up at a meeting having never been before (whether it's with horses or not) then people do their best to help you out/explain what's happening.

Incidentally the governing body that we race under does very little to encourage new people into the sport and does not provide much in the way of information for someone looking to buy a horse/trainers details etc but if you speak to people who actually race then they will bend over backwards to point you in the right direction.

I wasn't born into the sport (as many people are as it is very family-orientated) but have always felt as though I fitted in and was made to feel welcome.
 
Caol Ila said:
As someone with a human geography PhD, I'm somewhat mystified by this question. There is no equestrian community, but communities, and "inclusive" and "exclusive" are difficult define, unless you are using them in a limited way, i.e., how accessible it is to people with disabilities. But feeling included in or excluded from a group is a matter of perception, of an individual's experience. Each person's experiences will be different and it depends on your personality, the yards you've been on, the personalities of people you interact with, the discipline you do, your own riding goals, and a million other variables. The horse riding community is too big and too disparate to say much more than that.
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I agree with this. Everyone started talking about diversity and I was thinking "what equestrian community?". It's a huge range of people from all walks of life, with the full range of negative and positive qualities people can posess.

There is not even a common love of horses. Some people are involved with horses for other reasons eg: as a status symbol, the horse as a means to compete, as a way of exploring the countryside, to have an excuse to leave the family and grab a moments "me-time" whilst feeding the horse, perceived cheap/easy childcare for the kids who can be left at the yard all day each weekend, for exercise in the fresh air, to join in with partners or children who ride. There are those who consider horses part of the family in the same way others consider dogs to be so, then there are those who when money gets tight its the horse that goes and they don't even question it.

Feeling included. Hmm. I think "happy hackers" can get a raw deal. They are often viewed as somehow lacking as horsemen and people, void of ambition or courage and only partly competant. The equestrian equivalent of being asked your job and replying "oh I'm only a housewife/mother" as if those things aren't important and don't matter. Many who hack are competent riders capable of dealing with more everyday riding difficulties effectively and with confidence than someone who has only ever ridden reasonably well schooled horses and who competes successfully, neither are lacking its just a different skill set (unless someone does both).

There is an image issue that if you ride cobs or ponies you must be "just a happy hacker", not capable of riding something "better" with more "blood"/talent (because of course no cobs or ponies ever have talent :tongue3: ). I'm an experienced rider and owner and I can teach well, but due to what I ride/own, I've met people who have judged me lacking and not bothered to ask my opinion even when they've desperately needed help, because they presume I couldn't possibly have anything useful to say.

There are those who exclude, or presume a lower level of knowledge, due to the clothes or brand names one may wear. There can be a lot of snobbishness amongst equestrians, but is it any greater than the snobbishness found in non-equestrians? I'm not sure.
 
Horsemadsmother said:
I think it depends where you are. In Jersey your face either fits or it doesn't and that about sums it up.
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That sounds very difficult. What do people do if their face doesn't fit? It can be like that on some livery yards, but there's always the option to move your horse to another yard in the area, in that situation. Do people in jersey find themselves giving up horses altogether?
 
marmalade76 said:
Perhaps horses and riding just don't appeal to the majority of non-white people? Just because they choose not to ride it does not mean they are excluded.
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Exactly and depends on which part of the equestrian sport we're talking - polo (which we pretty much borrowed from India) probably has the highest percentage of non-white participants compared to dressage for example.
 
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