Equestrian sports and the social licence to operate

Equestrian Sports
and the
Social Licence to Operate
Julie Fiedler
Equestrian Australia
National Health and Safety
Online Conference
1 December 2021

I acknowledge and pay respect to First Nations peoples of
many countries and cultures, whose dreamings and
spiritual connection with animals and country are of more-
than-human meaningfulness, which may hold different
values to western cultures, and westernised knowledge of
sentience, agency, anthropomorphism and the human and
animal connection to each other and to country.
This presentation was prepared on the traditional lands of the
Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people, Werribee, Victoria. Australia.
Acknowledgement
Equestrian Sports and the Social Licence to Operate 1 December 2021
#futurehorse

In the horse industry for over 35 years in a range of roles
including equestrian coaching and Executive Officer for Horse
SA (20 yrs) which involved industry-government interface on a
range of topics including recreational trails, biosecurity, safety.
Present: Volunteer roles as Secretary, Animal Emergency
Incident Management (ANZ). Member Skills Impact Animal Care
& Management Committee, which involves work associated with
training package projects on topics such as human safety, horse
welfare and incidents involving large animals in the workplace.
Undertaking a PhD relating to sports horse welfare which will
help to inform organisations policy, practices and the social
licence to operate (SLO).
About
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-fiedler-07126918/

Agenda
1. About social licence to operate
• Digital hoofprints
• Social licence to operate
• What horse people say
2. Towards solutions
• Safeguarding
3. Equestrian sports and the social licence to operate

Digital
hoofprints

Technology in a social setting has
impact.
Sport fans and bystanders use
technology to put
themselves into the ‘game’.
Information and opinion about horses is
traded like currency.
Digital
hoofprints
PYT
Photography

When ‘negative’ or misleading stories go viral…
 Reputations can be rapidly ruined
 It may lead to an overarching body intervening
 Supporters may turn their back and walk away
Reflecting on my own digital hoofprint.
Digital
hoofprints

..the social (public) acceptance…
…which awards a licence (giving community consent)
..to an organisation to operate (undertake its activity)
Social
Licence
to
Operate

 Legitimacy
 Credibility
 Trust
Social
Licence
to
Operate
For the social licence to operate –
the most important element is public trust.
We must ensure that what is said
‘could be done’, is in fact, ‘done’.

Trust is no longer assumed to ‘just happen’
because the organisation has ‘good’ governance,
people and practices.
Trust has to be revisited every day as part of a
relationship ‘with’ the public.
Social
Licence
to
Operate

Recently, the #futurehorse project asked…
How do you think social licence to operate
relates to your selected racing,
riding, sports or tourism activity?
What
horse
people
say…
#futurehorse project
Supervisors: Professor Josh Slater
Dr. Sarah Rosanowski, Dr. Margaret Ayre
& Dr. Simon Firestone (Chair).
University of Melbourne
Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences

“It doesn’t” (ID 20)
“Unsure” (ID70)
“It is a valued component of what
makes up society however it should
come from understanding and science
not the beliefs of a minority” (ID319)
What
horse
people
say…

“Every horse sport needs to meet the social
expectations of people not just within their sport
but increasingly importantly those looking at it
from outside.
The ability to meet expectations of the general
public in regard to the treatment of horses is
essential in sustainability of the sport”. (ID 120)
What
horse
people
say…

5%
Coded to other
categories
62%
Agree SLO is
important, relevant to
my horse activity.
13% The public don’t
understand my horse
sport. It is none of
their business.
13%
SLO is important but it does
not apply to my horse sport
or activity
7% SLO is not relevant
or unsure
#futurehorse - Social licence and horse activities
What
horse
people
say…
Question: How do you think social licence to operate relates to your
selected racing, riding, sports or tourism activity?

Social licence…
 Means different things to different people
 Provides an opportunity to reflect on the
equine industry e.g. balancing business
sustainability with welfare while engaging with
the public.
What
horse
people
say…

Understanding about animal welfare is..
moving away from the traditional goals of
prevention of cruelty
towards expectations of providing minimum
standards of care in a more holistic and active
concept of welfare, known as safeguarding.
Safeguarding

Fiedler, J., Slater, J., Rosanowski, S., Ayre, M. (2021). Adapted from UK Government Care Act (2014)
#futurehorse project: Safeguarding horse welfare in racing, riding, sports and tourism

Safeguarding

Incident Management
Racing and equestrian
sports are an example
where:
 Decision-making by
interprofessional
teams about welfare
is dynamic.
 Decisions are made
‘in view’ of a virtual
and present public.
.
Safeguarding

Safeguarding Biosecurity
Each individual horse owner contributes to
safeguarding our national herd.

"A particular field of interest of mine is how sport can utilise
its profile, its platform, its social influence and its social
licence to bring really important social change”
Craig Foster, 2021
Equestrian
sports
and
SLO

In development:
An ethical framework –
a decision-making tool for horse sports and activities.
Equestrian
sports
and
SLO

Equestrian
sports
and
SLO
‘The social licence to operate is probably
becoming the most important priority on our “to
do” list. The FEI Board will need to think how to
tackle this but I also invite you to provide us with
your input and suggestions.’ I. de Vos (2021)

 We all contribute to the equestrian sports
social licence to operate
 Public trust is built on credibility and legitimacy
 Safeguarding is a shared responsibility.
 Social licence can be viewed in a positive
light, as a driver for change.
Wrapping
up…

Further
reading
Anonymous. (2021a). Afghanistan: Craig Foster explains how he helped large group of
women footballers escape the Taliban. Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 October from
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/28508/12398653/afghanistan-craig-foster-explains-
how-he-helped-large-group-of-women-footballers-escape-the-taliban
Anonymous. (2021b). EAD Response Agreement. Animal Health Australia
https://www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/what-we-do/emergency-animal-disease/ead-
response-agreement/
Anonymous. (2021c). FEI HorseApp. Federation Equestre' International. Retrieved 24
November from https://inside.fei.org/hub/it-services/mobile-apps/%20fei_horseapp
Anonymous. (2021, 13 November ). Report on the joint World Horse Welfare and Royal
Veterinary College workshop on the ethical framework for the use of horses in sport.
https://www.igsrv.org/report-on-the-joint-world-horse-welfare-and-royal-veterinary-college-
workshop-on-the-ethical-framewo
Anonymous. (n.d.). Pocket Guide for Antimicrobial Use in Horses. University of Melbourne.
Retrieved 23 November from
https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/605843/AGVIC_AVPG_Equine_6PP
G_DL_A4Version.pdf

Campbell, M. (2021). An Ethical Framework for the Use of Horses in Competitive Sport: Theory and
Function. Animals, 11(6), 1725. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061725
de Vos., I. (2021, 17 November 2021). Opening Speech of FEI President, Ingmar De Vos FEI GA 2021 - FEI
Extraordinary & Ordinary General Assemblies, Belgium.
https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Opening%20Speech%20IDV%20-%2017%20November%202021.pdf
Farm Biosecurity Program. (2018). Horses. Farm Biosecurity Program.
http://www.farmbiosecurity.com.au/industry/horses/
Heleski, C., Stowe, C., Fiedler, J., Peterson, M., Brady, C., Wickens, C., & MacLeod, J. (2020).
Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis
on a US Perspective. Sustainability, 12(5), 1-23, Article 1706. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051706
Longstaff, S. (2020, 18 February 2020). Simon Longstaff on Trust | Q+A [Interview]. Australian
Broadcasting Commission. https://youtu.be/tqGN8t3ZDBw
Somerville, E. (2021, 14 November 2021). Federal funds used to spur on horse tracing
recommendations. ABC Goulburn Murray. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-14/horse-traceability-
funding-boost-animal-welfare/100619030?
Further
reading

Contacts
Julie Fiedler
jmfiedler@student.unimelb.edu.au
Professor Josh Slater
jdslater@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Sarah Rosanowski
s.rosanowski@gmail.com
Dr Margaret Ayre
mayre@unimelb.edu.au
University of Melbourne
Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science
250 Princes Rd, Werribee, Australia
https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au/research/groups
All images iStock unless indicated.
Thank
you

Equestrian sports and the social licence to operate

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