Friday, 21 June 2024
Great Britain is home to an estimated 27 million people who have an interest in equestrian activity, contributing to a sector with an estimated economic value of £5 billion annually (BETA National Equestrian Survey 2023). But beyond these impressive numbers, we all know how beneficial horses and equestrian activity can be for our physical and mental wellbeing. The activities encourage us to embrace the outdoors, connect with nature and create meaningful bonds with horses and fellow equestrians.
Earlier this year, British Equestrian put out a tender for a ‘Call for evidence’ project to explore the social value of the equestrian sector. We’re pleased to announce the commissioning of Sport and Recreation Alliance, in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, to conduct this review.
This research marks a crucial first step to enable British Equestrian and our member bodies to strengthen the narrative with key stakeholders such as UK Sport, Sport England, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by highlighting the benefits of participating in equestrian activities.
A comprehensive search of academic literature from the world’s leading journals has begun which will provide us with a strong baseline of evidence. However, this will not cover the extend of so-called ‘grey literature’ that is held within British Equestrian’s stakeholder groups and is not necessarily in the public domain. Examples include, but are not limited to:
To provide a feel for the sort of data we need, the table below provides an overview of the types of social impacts that we’d like to collate.
We invite you, with individual research or organisations and centres, to share any evidence you hold that could contribute to make the case for assessing the social value of equestrian sport.
Please send any relevant publications or data via email to British Equestrian’s Insight and Research Manager, Abigail Bevan abigail.bevan@bef.co.uk by close of business Thursday 04 July 2024.
The table below provides a high-level view of the themes and potential outcomes that can be achieved. We’re particularly interested in uncovering examples and evidence specific to equestrianism in the widest sense; on horse, off horse, volunteering, employment and so on:
| Physical wellbeing | Mental wellbeing | Individual development | Social and community development | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-level outcome (Sporting Future/ Get Active) |
(a) Increase in percentage of population in England meeting the Chief Medical Officers' guidelines for physical activity (b) Decrease in percentage of population in England that are physically inactive |
Improved subjective wellbeing | Increased levels of perceived self-belief and ability to deliver | Increased levels of social trust | |
| Sport England Social Value Model |
Reduced risk of:
Improved good health Increased risk of injury (participants) |
Relatively high life satisfaction (participants and volunteers) |
Improved educational attainment (participants aged 11-18) Enhanced human capital (average additional salary for graduates) |
Reduced criminal incidences among young males (aged 10-24) Improved social capital to communities (social networks, trust and reciprocity) Non-market value for sports organisations utilising volunteers |
|
| Other generic possibilities |
Improved:
|
Increased:
Decreased:
|
Increased:
Decreased:
|
Increased:
|
|
| Equestrian-specific examples |
“Physical activity and sleep improvements in a group of equestrian therapy volunteers: a pilot study” |
“63% of RDA volunteers felt less confident when sessions stopped during lockdown” | “Reducing the incidence of domestic violence: an observational study of an equine-assisted intervention” | “…improvements seen in building relationships, empathy, and social-emotional ability in carriage-riders with complex needs” | |