Belonging and the Future of Equestrian Sport: Why Culture Matters More Than Ever

Across the equestrian community, there is a growing recognition that the challenges facing the sport are not uniform across levels. At the top of the sport, rising costs, travel demands and the financial realities of elite competition continue to place pressure on riders and owners. Yet these factors do not fully explain the shifts seen within riding clubs and grassroots environments. Here, the trends point toward something different. Beneath the familiar logistical concerns sit deeper cultural dynamics that influence how welcome, confident and supported riders feel in their everyday participation.

Over the past three years, international involvement in FEI disciplines has remained broadly steady, while membership across several national federations has increased. British Equestrian reported an 11.7% rise across its member bodies between 2023 and 2024, signalling strong interest in the sport as a whole. However, many local organisers describe inconsistent entries, volunteer shortages and, in some cases, noticeably quieter arenas or reduced interest. The data suggests the appetite for riding remains strong, but what is shifting is not the desire to take part, but rather the experience young riders have within the sport’s social and cultural environments.

The Pressure Many Young Riders Describe is not the Pressure of Performance

Spend any weekend at a Pony Club show or a riding school, and you will hear a familiar message from younger riders. Their anxiety is rarely about the height of the fences or the difficulty of the dressage test: It is about being watched. Being judged. Being recorded. Being commented on afterwards.

The ‘always on’ nature of digital culture has created an invisible audience that follows riders from the warm-up ring to the lorry park and back to their own bedrooms. Every mistake feels permanent. Every imperfect moment feels like something that could be turned into content. Studies into youth behaviour across sport show that negative feedback online has a measurable impact on confidence, and equestrian environments are no exception. As a result, many children and teenagers with big dreams for themselves and their ponies are growing hesitant to compete because the social pressure feels heavier than the competitive one.

The Digital Echo-Chambers Shaping Participation and Public Trust

In recent years, the relationship between online behaviour and participation has become impossible to ignore. Social platforms reward emotional intensity, so controversial clips, negative interpretations of training or isolated welfare incidents travel faster than balanced explanations. This creates echo chambers where groups reinforce each other and conversations often split into simplified pro- or anti-positions.

These dynamics do not only distort public understanding of equestrian sport but also place greater pressure on riders themselves, and particularly young competitors who fear becoming the subject of online commentary. When negativity spreads more readily than nuance, confidence weakens, community cohesion fractures, and the sport’s Social License to Operate becomes more vulnerable. What happens on screens inevitably affects perception of what happens in the arena.

Culture is Not Created by Rules, But By People

The narrative that declining entries at grassroots competitions are caused solely by logistical strain is incomplete. Riders at every level describe something more emotional and far more human: A sense that commentary has become harsher, that comparisons are now public rather than private, and that misunderstandings spread at extraordinary speed. The equestrian world prides itself on values such as partnership, empathy and respect, yet these values are tested most when digital culture accelerates judgement faster than understanding.

What has become increasingly visible is the frequency and ruthlessness of commentary left not only on the channels of professional riders but on the social media profiles of children, teenagers and aspiring amateurs. These comments are often written by inexperienced riders themselves, or those with less experience with high-level sport, echoing the views they see online without the context or knowledge to understand the impact. The result is a cycle of negativity that gives disproportionate attention to perceived faults, imagined wrongdoing or quick critiques of welfare, technique or rider choices. This persistent critical tone does not support development. It narrows the sport’s focus to what is wrong rather than what can be learned, built or encouraged.

This environment makes me reflect on a simple truth: If someone has nothing kind to say, perhaps it is better to say nothing at all. Riders, particularly young ones, develop through support, thoughtful guidance and the space to make mistakes safely. Harsh online commentary does not create better riders, but riders who will slowly fall out of love with their passion and sport.

Federations and clubs also have a role to play in shaping this culture. While many work hard to promote positive behaviour, compounding this is a striking lack of accessible, reputable educational content that sits in the middle ground. Most material that gains traction online lives at one extreme or the other, creating polarised conversations rather than informed ones. Young riders and fans are therefore left without reliable sources that calmly explain training principles, welfare contexts or the nuances of horse behaviour.

It takes remarkably little to unsettle an equestrian fan online, a striking irony in a sport built on trust. We have reached a point where public disagreements in comment sections can overshadow the substance of the sport itself, and if we allow these patterns to continue, the erosion of interpersonal trust will not just affect individuals - it will undermine the culture that sustains the entire sporting industry.

A Kinder Sport is a Stronger Sport

Research across Olympic and recreational sports consistently shows that belonging is one of the strongest predictors of long-term participation. Riders who feel supported by their community are not only more likely to stay in the sport, but also more willing to push themselves, take healthy risks and bounce back from the inevitable setbacks that shape equestrian development. Confidence grows where people feel safe, and confident riders are the ones who become the future athletes, volunteers, organisers and role models that the industry depends on.

A supportive culture does not dilute ambition or competitiveness. It strengthens both. When riders know they will not be shamed for trying, or for getting it wrong on the journey to getting it right, they develop more resilience and better long-term skills. Environments that prioritise kindness create room for experimentation, for honest conversations, for vulnerability and for the incremental growth that high performance ultimately requires. This is how equestrian knowledge is passed between generations: Through riders who lift each other up, trainers who offer feedback with clarity and compassion, and parents who champion effort as much as results.

The most powerful drivers of participation are often the least visible, such as a coach who frames mistakes as progress. In many clubs and local groups, this kind of support thrives, but the challenge is that many riders, especially children and adults who only spend a few hours a week at their riding school, turn to online communities for the rest of their equestrian education and belonging. And it is often these digital spaces that feel the least constructive. Top-level sport is admired but can feel distant and unobtainable, while peer-to-peer commentary online can be quick to judge, misinterpret or tear down. For those who ride infrequently or without a strong in-person network, this negative online culture can quickly become the dominant one.

If the sport wants stronger riders and stronger retention, it needs stronger communities. And stronger communities are built through simple acts of sharing real stories, honest experiences and the true spirit of what it means to be an equestrian athlete. This will have a more lasting influence than any policy or strategic intervention.

The Future of Equestrian Sport Depends on the Voices Around the Arena

The mixed picture in participation data tells an important story: Interest in equestrian sport remains strong. Horses continue to capture imaginations, and young people still want to ride. But what they need is an environment that supports them not only as athletes but as people, and a sport that is digestible and accessible, promoted through storytelling that creates fans rather than tells stories purely focused on results.

The energy of bustling showgrounds, the excitement of warm-up rings and the sense of shared purpose that defines equestrian life do not happen by accident. They are built through thousands of everyday interactions, from early morning lessons to late evening yard checks. When those interactions prioritise kindness, understanding and community, participation and interest in sport rises. When they are shaped by fear of judgement or amplified negativity, arenas fall quiet, even when the love of the horse remains.

Protecting the future of the sport means recognising that culture is not a soft concept, it is infrastructure. It is part of welfare, part of development, part of sustainability and part of the sport’s long-term social license to operate. And it is shaped by each of us, every time we ride, speak, post or support someone else.

If we want to see more young riders step forward, we must give them a sport that feels like a place they truly belong.