Changing Hearts and Minds in the Equestrian World One Behaviour at a Time

Abstract

Equestrianism is currently facing a range of pressing challenges. These challenges, which are largely based on evolving attitudes to ethics and equine wellbeing, have consequences for the sport’s social licence to operate. The factors that may have contributed to the current situation include overarching societal trends, specific aspects of the equestrian sector, and factors rooted in human nature. If equestrianism is to flourish, it is evident that much needs to change, not the least, human behaviour. To this end, using established behaviour change frameworks that have been scientifically validated and are rooted in practice—most notably, Michie et al.’s COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel—could be of practical value for developing and implementing equine welfare strategies. This review summarises the theoretical underpinnings of some behaviour change frameworks and provides a practical, step-by-step approach to designing an effective behaviour change intervention. A real-world example is provided through the retrospective analysis of an intervention strategy that aimed to increase the use of learning theory in (educational) veterinary practice. We contend that the incorporation of effective behaviour change interventions into any equine welfare improvement strategy may help to safeguard the future of equestrianism.

Awareness, experiences, and opinions by owners, breeders, show judges, and veterinarians on canine Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)

“…With these disagreements between stakeholders, a multi-stakeholder approach and barriers analysis, aimed to determine the barriers among stakeholders to the desired change [46], would enhance the implementation of feasible strategies to urgently improve the health and welfare issues related to extreme conformation. As concluded by Wolfram et al (2023) [46], behaviour change can be a challenge even when there is abundant scientific evidence to support the need for a change. Hence, other factors than knowledge or capability are required, such as opportunity and motivation [47].…”

“…Hence, other factors than knowledge or capability are required, such as opportunity and motivation [47]. Multi-stakeholder collaboration is needed [16,48], in which each stakeholder group contribute by tools in their possession [46], for example by: Veterinary organisations/veterinarians by their capacity to recognise clinical signs and thereby contribute to a screening of suitable breeding stock. Cynological organisations/breeders by knowledge about the populations at risk, potential to implement guidelines, and arrange for screening of breeding stock.…”

Pro-Environmental Transformation of the Equine Sector—Facilitators and Challenges

“…There is a need to understand how people define and reason in relation to pro-environmental behavior changes to build structures that support pro-environmental transformation in many areas. A review by Wolframm and her colleagues points to the importance of behavior change in the equine sector for equestrianism to flourish [ 13 ]. They work with the COM-B model and the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and focus on ethics and equine wellbeing.…”

A Delphi Study to Determine International and National Equestrian Expert Opinions on Domains and Sub-Domains Essential to Managing Sporthorse Health and Welfare in the Olympic Disciplines

“…Horse sports are popular worldwide and provide spectator enjoyment, benefits to human mental and physical health, and contribute substantially to national economies [1,2]. However, the high-risk nature of equestrian activities and the potential of injury or fatality in human and equine participants, alongside increasing public scrutiny of the potential impact of equine management and training practices on equine welfare, resulted in equestrianism's social license to operate (SLO) being questioned [1,3,4]. High-profile horse fatalities, examples of poor horse welfare at leading events, and television documentaries highlighting negative practices in the industry (e.g., The Final Race, Australia; The Dark Side of Racing, UK) reported in the mainstream press and openly discussed on social media channels fuel this debate [4].…”

“…How horse welfare is valued is primarily determined by the people who manage horses and the decisions that they make [4,8]. Rapidly changing societal values called into question many traditional equestrian practices, such as restricted turnout, and equestrianism's SLO [3,8].…”