News

British Equestrian reports on a year of progress for its Horses For All strategy

Monday, 03 February 2025

British Equestrian, in partnership with our 20 member bodies, is pleased to share a comprehensive progress report marking the first year of our Horses For All strategy. Launched in December 2023, the strategy represents a federation-wide commitment to fostering a more inclusive and accessible equestrian community for everyone. 

The Horses For All strategy was developed following a pioneering research project exploring the engagement of historically underrepresented communities in equestrian sports and activities. This research, combined with an independent culture health check and an organisational review, shaped a vision for the future – an equestrian sector that is truly representative of society, where everyone feels valued, safe, and has a sense of belonging. 

This 12-month progress report showcases the significant strides made across the federation to implement the short-term actions outlined in the Horses For All strategy and DIAP. These initiatives reflect the collective commitment of British Equestrian and its member bodies to embed inclusion into all aspects of the sport, with every effort guided by a shared vision and mission. 

Showcasing our commitment

As part of bringing the strategy to life, a number of initiatives and projects have taken place over the past 12 months. These include: 

• Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP): Finalised in September 2024, the DIAP addresses barriers to participation and promotes diversity within British Equestrian, its member bodies, and the broader equestrian sector. The plan also reinforces British Equestrian’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within its own organisation. 

• New British Equestrian rulebook: A revised rulebook, which includes enhanced anti-discrimination policies, is in the final stages of development and will be implemented across the federation shortly. 

• Urban Equestrian Centre Network: This initiative is building a supportive network, enabling urban centres to share best practices and collaborate on improving accessibility and inclusion in equestrianism. Further development of the network included identifying additional centres through the updated ‘Find a Centre’ tool on the British Equestrian website. 

• Safe to Play platform: The successful launch of the Safe to Play campaign has streamlined the reporting process for safeguarding, making it easier to report concerns. This is aligned with the research recommendations to harmonise policies and reporting systems. 

• Training initiatives: An 18-month equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training programme has been delivered in collaboration with Inclusive Employers, targeting Board members, leadership teams and staff across the federation. This lays a strong foundation for an industry-wide initiative. 

• Enhanced data collection: Work to integrate diversity indicators into membership systems is well underway, helping to create a more representative and informed equestrian community. 

Mandana Mehran Pour, Head of Participation and Development at British Equestrian commented, “We are incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made over the past year and deeply grateful to our member bodies and the EDI Working Group for their dedication and collaboration in driving this work forward. Together, we are taking meaningful steps toward a more inclusive equestrian community where everyone has the opportunity to experience the incredible impact of horses. While there is much to celebrate, this is just the beginning. We are excited for the journey ahead and remain committed to making lasting change.” 

Read the full progress report