Study Reveals Public Perception of Horse Sport, Equine Welfare

The results of a major study into public attitudes on equine welfare and drivers of trust in UK horse sport have been released by leading organisations in Britain’s equine sector who joined together to commission the research in recognition of evolving social values around the involvement of animals in sport and leisure.

Funded with a grant from the Racing Foundation, the study was initiated by World Horse Welfare who delivered the project in collaboration with British Equestrian (including the Olympic disciplines of British Dressage, Eventing and Showjumping), the British Horseracing Authority, The British Horse Society, Hurlingham Polo Association, the British Equine Veterinary Association and The Pony Club among other organisations.

The largest survey of its kind in both scope and depth, the study was conducted by Australian engagement science specialists Voconiq, who have conducted similar studies for the extractive and livestock sectors.

The research, which is based on more than 5,000 responses, sought to understand not only what the public think about horse sports, but also why they think as they do.

The results highlighted that the UK public:

Recognise the social importance of horses to life in the UK and this was a key driver of trust;
Value procedural fairness(2), regulation, distributional fairness (3) and transparency on welfare as additional drivers of trust – with many of these underpinned by equine welfare standards which play a significant role in shaping their confidence in horse sport;
Have concerns about the welfare of horses in sports but appreciate that welfare is complex and involves more than just preventing harm to horses, and believe it is important that a horse’s whole life is rich, engaging, and dignified;
Feel that horses should have the opportunity to enjoy positive experiences and that their mental wellbeing is as important as their physical welfare (78%+);
Believe that horse sports should prioritise making competitions safer for horses, even if this means sacrificing some of the traditional difficulty or challenge of the sport (69%);
In terms of level of concern, most are worried about injuries or fatalities that occur during competition or training, the fate of horses that are bred for competitive sports but fail to perform well, and the post-competition fate of sport horses.

Jim Eyre, Chief Executive of British Equestrian, said: “We welcome the findings of this research, which is one of the biggest of its kind in the UK and covers our whole sector, from companion horses to those competing across a range of disciplines.

“The confirmation that we still have public acceptance, despite the difficulties that equestrianism has faced in recent years, is very positive.”

“As an industry, we are united by our passion for the horse and everything we do must have the wellbeing of our equine partners at its heart – something encapsulated in our Charter of the Horse. However, we know there is still more we can do.

“Equestrian sport is an ever-changing landscape and, in proactively commissioning a study that encompasses so many of our equestrian activities, we can use these results to guide future work by us and our member bodies. We look forward to safeguarding the place of the horse in society as we demonstrate to the public that they’re right to put their trust in us.”

James Given, Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare at the British Horseracing Authority, and member of racing’s Horse Welfare Board, said:

“There is real strength in coming together as a horse sports sector to share best practice and to address what matters most for the horse and to the public. This research shows that British Racing is on the right track with the work it is undertaking, but there is always more to be done.

“We are already investing in projects around safety, wellbeing, traceability, and supporting thoroughbreds in their life after racing. And, with the launch of HorsePWR, we are transforming how we communicate with the public to help build trust through openness and transparency. Our investment in equine welfare will only increase as we move forward.”

Roly Owers, Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, said, “With society changing around us it is so important that we in the horse world listen to how others see our relationship with horses, so we are delighted that our sector has been so proactive in seeking to understand public views.

“What is especially encouraging is how the sector has come together to learn from these results and is committed to work together to act on them, recognising that building public trust on welfare is about concrete actions and not just about words.”

Tansy Challis, Chief Executive of the Racing Foundation, said, “As part of our commitment to supporting a sustainable future for horseracing, the Racing Foundation is proud to have funded this important research on public sentiment towards horse sports and leisure in the UK.

“This study offers valuable insights into how ethical considerations, environmental impacts, and the social role of horses shape public trust.

“Understanding these attitudes is essential to strengthening our industry’s social licence, enabling us to address challenges and secure public support.

“We hope the findings will inspire meaningful action across the sector as a whole and guide collaborative efforts to strengthen social licence across the equestrian landscape.”

British horse sport has always integrated welfare and safety improvements into its operations, and has increased its efforts in recent years as the values of society – including those involved within horse sport – have evolved, including:

2019 British Racing establishes independently chaired Horse Welfare Board.
2020 British Racing’s Horse Welfare Board publishes welfare strategy ‘A Life Well- Lived’.
2022 British Equestrian supports creation of FEI’s Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission and establishes Equine Welfare and Ethics Advisory Group.
2022 British racing publishes findings of an extensive public and industry consultation regarding use of the whip, resulting in further increased controls on use and penalties for breaches.
2022 British racing changes colour of all fence markers across every racecourse from orange to white based on Exeter University research findings into equine vision.
2023 British racing begins partnership with the Royal Veterinary College on its data-driven Racing Risk Model to inform decision making to reduce risk.
2023 HPA updates its rules around use of whips and spurs and publishes extreme heat guidance.
British Racing undertakes Britain’s first-ever Thoroughbred Census establishing that 80% of former racehorses in 2023 are active and identifiable.
2024 HPA publishes comprehensively updated Welfare Booklet in English & Spanish.
2024 British Equestrian publishes its Charter for the Horse, in collaboration with its 19 member bodies.
2024 The Pony Club passes rule restricting the use of spurs.
2024 British Dressage launches Equine Welfare Action Plan.
2024 British Equestrian establishes the Equine Welfare Steering Group, with a focus on improving regulation, education and communication around equine welfare and wellbeing
2024 British racing launches its HorsePWR communication campaign to enhance openness and transparency regarding welfare in the sport.
2025 British Equestrian’s new federation-wide rulebook, which has been agreed by Council and formally approved and adopted by the British Equestrian Board, will include a whistleblowing policy for all disciplines. The document will be published shortly.

Further developments for 2025 and beyond include updating terms for British racing’s new Horse Welfare Board to lead on development of the next phase of its horse welfare strategy, and British Equestrian implementing the FEI’s action plan for animal welfare.

View and download the full report ‘National Survey of UK Citizen Attitudes Towards UK Equestrian Sport Industries’ and a summary of the highlights here.