Evolution and Innovation
Horse owners in particular often fall victim to anthropomorphism, projecting human emotions onto their horses. Our human misconception that horses are large slightly silly humans rather than an animal who has evolved over 55 million years causes some of the greatest challenges to equine welfare. We expect horses to conform to our traditional model even if they may be damaging to them both physically and mentally. As we understand more about our equine counterparts it is incumbent on us to move towards practices centred around the horse’s needs rather than exclusively suiting our own. With some research and innovation traditional systems can be adapted to better meet the specific evolutionary requirements of the modern horse. The greatest issue for equestrian professionals is time, in the past when there was greater staff availability it was easier to devote the bulk of our effort into our equine charges. Now with an industry wide labour shortage and increased legislative requirements much time and effort is taken up with administration rather than horse care.
Traditional language limitations
Equine professionals are often very unaware of how what we say is perceived by spectators. Much of the language used around riding horses sits back pre-1982 when corporal punishment was legally removed from schools in Ireland. This old style language centres around making the horse do it rather than moving forward in partnership. How would you react hearing someone instructing you to “kick” your dog? I think most people would be pretty horrified yet it is a term that is still mainstream in equi-sport. With an increasingly aware public with constant access to camera and internet one wrong move or word can go vital! Innovating new language which is more horse friendly should be a priority in how we sell our sport. One of the terms we use instead of “kick” is “bump” which has more acceptable connotation and less violent tone. Evolving our language is not a strange concept in the corporate world but as an industry we lag behind citing tradition instead of progression.
Improving the narrative
Unfortunately improving our practices in the arena and in the stable is simply not enough in the modern age. Social media is the now well established shop window for content creators and businesses. A shocking majority of equine businesses only use their social media to sell their wears missing the key purpose; giving special insight, point of view and behind the scenes understanding engaging the public emotionally rather than commercially. Of course commerciality is important but it should form a more ancillary component of the content we share. Developing a strategy for the image you want to project is critical. With the help of marketing adviser you can develop a narrative strategy which can assist you with a bank of keywords which can inform your content. Remembering that very few businesses are in fact unique what your client is buying is – YOU! This can only happen if they know who you are and they feel they can have a place in your world.
The future
The future of our sport and our industry hinges on our ability to grow and develop and understand how our sport is perceived from the outside. As the public’s perception of our sport comes into sharper focus it gives us a great opportunity to pivot the ship onto a new course that centres more around the horse’s needs rather than our own. With innovation our future is bright and the opportunities are exponential with the right help and advice.
