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Source: Acera Insurance

Social What? 

The horse industry is vulnerable to the vagaries of negative public opinion, just like other activities that involve live animals. However, equestrian activities are especially vulnerable because for many, horses represent freedom, power, and grace. The romantic image of horses galloping across wild plains exploring new horizons persists, although that’s not the reality for most horses. 

In decades past, horses were used for transportation, ridden into war, and pulled plows to earn their keep. But today’s world is different. The perception — by non-horsey and horsey people alike — of how horses are treated, trained and cared for, matters. It’s called social licence to operate or SLO, and it’s an ongoing concern for every aspect of the equestrian world.  

The term may be new, but most people will be familiar with activities that have lost their social licence. Greyhound racing used to be ubiquitous across North America; it’s declining around the world due to concerns about the lives of retired dogs. Whales, belugas, and other large ocean mammals have been popular aquarium attractions for decades; most organizations are phasing them out due to public pressure. Wearing a fur coat was once a status symbol; now, it’s uncouth in many circles due to the suffering of trapped animals. Animals performing in the circus were once common; using animals for pure entertainment is no longer considered acceptable.  

Loss of SLO has affected horse sports, too. Hunting live foxes was part of British culture for centuries; now only “drag” foxhunts exist. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the video of a pentathlon coach punching a horse went viral on media; after 100 years, riding is no longer part of the five-sport event. Whether you agree or disagree with the societal rejection of these activities, these dramatic changes illustrate the power of social licence.  

For centuries, it wasn’t important or necessarily recognized that horses were sentient beings which experienced feelings and emotions. Horse people know better now and recent revelations have upended the horse industry status quo. The public cares how animals are treated and that means societal acceptance of horse care and the use of horses in sport is necessary for everyday equestrian activities to continue. Increased research and knowledge about equine welfare and how horses express pain have driven ethical discussions within the industry. Every aspect of the industry is now under scrutiny by both the non-horsey public and equestrians themselves, and some say, rightly so. 

Concerns include training methods (low, deep and round; behind the vertical), riding ages (two, three, four-year-olds competing; young horse classes), tack (bits, nosebands), hoof care (shoeing), use of artificial aids (whips, spurs), everyday care (the other 23 hours; stalls; hay availability), and more nefarious activities (use of drugs; denerving). The use of horses as sporting “equipment” is unacceptable to some; the thought of horses as “athletes” riles others. As such, equestrian organizations around the world are discussing horse welfare and how to maintain SLO.  

In 2021, Equestrian Canada wrote that “ensuring rules and education are based on current and reputable science-based research” was necessary to protect the SLO of Canada’s horse industry. 

In 2022, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) created an independent Commission to address “current and future concerns related to the use of horses in sport.” In early 2025, a permanent FEI Equine Welfare Advisory Group was announced.  

In 2023, Roly Owers, CEO of World Horse Welfare, made a presentation about SLO at the United States Equestrian Federation’s annual meeting. He explained that the non-equestrian public doesn’t differentiate between horse sports or breeds so if there’s a problem in one horse sport, that’s a problem for all horse activities. If something looks bad to the public, it’s detrimental to the horse industry’s SLO; all horse-related activities have to stand up to public scrutiny. Ultimately, the industry needs to change practices to truly prioritize horse welfare and be able to justify how actions benefit the horse. 

Easy? No. But in today’s world, doing what’s ethically best for horses and proven by scientific research will not only create better lives for horses but help ensure that horse use and sports can continue. SLO is imperative and equine activities that don’t incorporate best practices may simply be cancelled by “popular demand.” 

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