Thursday, 17 September 2026
As part of National Inclusion Week, British Equestrian is pleased to launch the sector’s first Equestrian Community Engagement Guide.
Designed to help riding centres and other equestrian establishments to create welcoming environments where more people can discover their passion for horses, the guide has been developed in partnership with Inclusive Cultures, British Horse Society, RDA and other member bodies through British Equestrian's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group.
It forms part of British Equestrian's Horses for All strategy, which aims to break down barriers to participation and widen opportunities to engage with horses and equestrian sport.
Centres can use the practical advice within the guide to strengthen ties with their local community and ensure that activities are welcoming to all, whether they’re beginning to engage with wider groups or want to build on existing good practice.
The self-led toolkit covers key areas including:
The aim is to help organisations to review their current approach and identify improvements that can improve the experiences of participants, volunteers, employees, spectators and visitors.
By helping centres engage with a wider range of people, British Equestrian hopes to support a stronger, more connected equestrian community, where everyone feels they belong and has the opportunity to experience the unique benefits that horses can bring.
Amy Dobbins, Project and Inclusion Coordinator at British Equestrian, commented, "We’re very pleased to launch our Community Engagement Guide which has been shaped by a combination of insight from within equestrian and expertise from outside the sector.
"Thanks to Jamie Hooper from Inclusive Cultures for bringing his wider community engagement and inclusion expertise to the project, alongside our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, including Ellie Vajčovec DEI, Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager at British Horse Society, and Jess Cook, Head of Participation and Programmes at RDA, and the equestrian centres who generously shared their ideas and experiences.
"Everyone’s insight has been invaluable in helping us create a relevant, practical guide and we hope it inspires simple actions that can help more people feel that they belong in our equestrian community."
The Equestrian Community Engagement Guide is available to read, download and print here.