Social Media Influencers in Equestrian Sport

Abstract

The study analyzes and explains the impact of social media influencers on stable cultures in Sweden and Norway, contributing to the understanding of the complex relationship between equestrian sports and social media—a relationship that is important for the welfare of horses. Since equestrianism is one of the most popular sports in Sweden and Norway, influencers' social media communication greatly impacts followers' perception of the human-animal relationship. Despite the popularity of equestrian sports, studies thereof are rare, and research combining equestrian sports and social media is almost non-existent, making this study important and relevant. The analysis focuses on the six biggest equestrian influencers in Sweden and Norway and their social media accounts. Goffman's (1967) micro-sociological perspectives, alongside previous research on social media, are used to discuss knowledge exchange, co-creation of authenticity and intimacy and sponsorship and advertisement. The influencers mainly focus their communication on horse-related issues, and their (and their followers) love of horses create the intimacy needed as a base for other messages (perceived knowledge and advertisement). The intimacy and authenticity are strengthened in the interaction between followers and influencers, and the latter receive positive feedback for their way of handling their horses' lives. The expressive order of stable culture(s) is seldom questioned and the acceptance of this order is likely to make the commercial endorsements less visible and more convincing.

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

“…Although not commented on by the interviewees, equestrians in other studies point to the importance of social media in their everyday life around the horse [ 50 ]. It is likely that equestrians’ consumption patterns are affected by social media influencers in the equine sector advertising products claiming that these will improve horse welfare.…”

Accessibility, Agency, and Trust: A Study About Equestrians' (Online) Learning Repertoires

“…According to Nagy and Neff ( 2015 ) imagined affordances helps us to understand the complex nature of the relationship between humans and technology and offers a framework for studying the gap between users' experience of technologies and the features or qualities of the technology. As discussed above, there are studies on how equestrians in different countries and contexts search for, and prioritize knowledge about horses and riding obtained online (Bolwell et al, 2013 ; Byström et al, 2015 ; Lofgren et al, 2016 ; Dashper, 2017 ; Hii et al, 2020 ; Broms et al, 2021 ; Radmann et al, 2021 ), but there are no studies on how equestrians navigate the cultural and social aspects in the equestrian community on the one hand and the features and qualities offered to equestrians, on the other hand, through technology. With our results on equestrians' online repertoires and further discussion in connection to imagined affordances, we argue that we have taken a first stance toward new ways of understanding in what way equestrians shape their media environments, perceive them, and have agency within them.…”

“…On the other hand, the data, together with previous research, indicates that many equestrians see ICTs as important platforms for discussing and exchanging information about horses and riding (cf. Byström et al, 2015 ; Dashper, 2017 ; Broms et al, 2021 ; Radmann et al, 2021 ). Many participants in this study see ICTs as an ideal place to get inspiration from other riders and to stay up to date with what is going on in the equestrian world.…”

“…Another study shows that intimacy and the common love for horses creates intimate bonds between equestrian influencers and their followers. By sharing pictures, videos, and comments on their everyday lives, equestrian influencers produce knowledge about equestrianism and share information on how horses should be cared for (Radmann et al, 2021 ). Byström et al ( 2015 ) analyze how safety aspects are communicated by Swedish equestrians on ICTs.…”

The Role of Mass Media in Promoting the Dual Career of the Performance Athlete

“…Sports and social media have developed in a perfect symbiosis as a result of technological development. Thus, the modern media landscape presents new sports and modes of interaction in the sports field [ 11 , 12 ]. With the advent of television, the relationship between sports and mass media is becoming closer and closer.…”