Horses and the environment: friend or foe?

“The horse IS good for the environment.” asserted Ruth Dancer, Director at environmental sustainability consultancy White Griffin. at our recent annual conference. Addressing a global audience of almost 1,000 people, including Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Ruth also pointed out that there are already many existing environmental positives in the way horses are kept but wondered, “Perhaps where we are going wrong is to forget its job in nature and instead giving it the name of athlete.”  

That horses, people and the environment shared ‘One Welfare’ was highlighted throughout the conference – as well as how the horse world had a huge opportunity to make a significant positive difference to the environment.  

Recognising the interconnectedness of all the rich tapestry of topics covered, our Chief Executive Roly Owers acknowledged that there are no clear-cut answers:

Our President pointed out:

The One Welfare concept was shared among other topics covered, including the environmental impact of horse sport, the challenges of climate change faced by working equids around the world and the communities who rely on them, the use of horses as a vital conservation tool and how we can improve the way we keep, travel and compete horses for the benefit of all.

And with social licence being a hot topic with regards to our relationship with horses and their welfare, Irish Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Agriculture with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, reminded us that it also obligates us to be environmentally responsible. Cautioning delegates, she said:

Recognising the interconnectedness of all the rich tapestry of topics covered, Roly concluded:

We would like to thank the headline sponsor of the Conference, The Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust, and our supporters, the Horserace Betting Levy Board and Equine Register.