Abstract

During the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Sports Forum on April 4th, 2016
an issue was raised by Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat who stated: “People need to
learn to follow procedures. Judges need to learn that, but one thing we cannot miss is
the horsemanship these people should have. Yes we need rules, the rules are black and
white, but we must not forget we have a horse in our sport. A living animal and the
officials must understand the importance of horsemanship.”

However, a comprehensive understanding of horsemanship was lacking and resulted

in the matter often being mystified. Consequently, a study was initiated by the FEI
Education and Standards Department to assist in determining whether the concept of
horsemanship could be defined more substantively and to develop a potential baseline
understanding of the necessary skills, abilities and attributes for horsemanship
competence. An in-depth literature review along with qualitative semi-structured
interviews with one hundred and five individuals from six continents, thirty different
countries, in eight equestrian disciplines and twenty-one different stakeholder
perspectives were conducted to address this subject matter.

Based on these findings, horsemanship competence could be defined as the

utilization of the fourteen elements outlined below.

! Comprehensive Knowledge ! Commitment to the Priority of Equine

! Practical Experience Welfare
! Growth Mindset ! Emotional Intelligence
! Respect for the Horse ! Humility and Integrity
! Ethological Empathy ! Adaptability
! Effective Application of the ! Patience
Learning Theory ! Selection and Treatment of
! Aware and Attentive to Body Support Team
Language ! Development of a Mutual Symbiotic
Relationship
2
About the Author

Stefanie Krysiak graduated from the International Academy of Sports Science and
Technology (AISTS) in Lausanne, Switzerland with a Master of Advanced Studies in Sport
Administration and Technology in 2017 and was awarded the Best Participant Award
based on her academic performance. During her studies, she worked in collaboration with
AISTS and the FEI Education and Standards Department’s on this study to be submitted
for partial fulfilment of graduation requirements.

Originally from Canada, Stefanie has a Bachelor of Commerce, Management and

Economics in Industry and Finance (Co-op) Honours Degree from the University of
Guelph and has acquired major multi-sport Games experience during the Toronto 2015
Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in a multitude of diverse functional areas from finance
to venue management. She is an Olympic enthusiast and also an avid equestrian in the
discipline of dressage.
Table of Contents

ABSTRACT   2  

ABOUT  THE  AUTHOR   3  

INTRODUCTION   6  

RESEARCH  METHODOLOGY   7  
DESIGN   7  
RESEARCH METHOD   7  
SAMPLE   8  
PROCEDURE AND METHODS OF ANALYSIS   9  
LIMITATIONS   10  

RESULTS   11  
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS   12  
COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE   12  
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE   13  
GROWTH MINDSET   13  
RESPECT FOR THE HORSE   13  
COMMITMENT TO THE PRIORITY OF HORSE WELFARE   13  
ETHOLOGICAL EMPATHY   14  
EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF THE LEARNING THEORY   14  
AWARE AND ATTENTIVE TO BODY LANGUAGE   14  
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE   15  
HUMILITY AND INTEGRITY   15  
ADAPTABILITY   15  
PATIENCE   16  
SELECTION AND TREATMENT OF SUPPORT TEAM   16  
DEVELOPMENT OF A MUTUAL SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP   16  

CONCLUSION  AND  DISCUSSION   17  

4
APPENDICES   19  
APPENDIX A- LITERATURE REVIEW   19  
     HISTORY  OF  HORSEMANSHIP   19  
     SOCIALIZATION  INTO  EQUESTRIAN  SPORT   20  
     EQUINE  ETHOLOGY   21  
               HERD  INSTINCT   21  
               BODY  LANGUAGE  COMMUNICATION   22  
               FLIGHT  AND  PREY  BEHAVIOUR   22  
               FORAGE  AND  LOCOMOTION   23  
     WELFARE  AND  THE  FIVE  FREEDOMS   23  
     MORAL  JUDGMENT  AND  ETHICS   24  
     LEARNING  THEORY   27  
     THE  CENTAUR  EFFECT,  HORSE-­‐SENSE  AND  FEEL   29  
APPENDIX B- REFERENCES   31  
APPENDIX C- SAMPLE   34  
APPENDIX D- PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET   45  
APPENDIX E- INTERVIEW GUIDE   46  
APPENDIX F- SELECT QUOTES ON HORSEMANSHIP COMPETENCE   50  
     COMPREHENSIVE  KNOWLEDGE   50  
     PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE   51  
     GROWTH  MINDSET   52  
     RESPECT  FOR  THE  HORSE   53  
     ETHOLOGICAL  EMPATHY   54  
     EFFECTIVE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  LEARNING  THEORY   55  
     AWARE  AND  ATTENTIVE  TO  BODY  LANGUAGE   56  
     COMMITMENT  TO  THE  PRIORITY  OF  EQUINE  WELFARE   57  
     EMOTIONAL  INTELLIGENCE   58  
     HUMILITY  AND  INTEGRITY   59  
     ADAPTABILITY   61  
     PATIENCE   62  
     SELECTION  AND  TREATMENT  OF  SUPPORT  TEAM   63  
     DEVELOPMENT  OF  A  MUTUAL  SYMBIOTIC  RELATIONSHIP   64  
APPENDIX G- SELECT QUOTES ON HORSEMANSHIP TRENDS   65  
     INDUSTRIALISATION  AND  TECHNOLOGICAL  CHANGE   65  
     INCREASED  EMPHASIS  ON  COMPETITION   67  
     GROWING  CRITICISM  OF  EQUESTRIAN  SPORT   70  
APPENDIX H- SELECT QUOTES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HORSEMANSHIP   71  
     HORSEMANSHIP  IS  THE  FOUNDATION   71  
     IT  MAKES  OUR  SPORT  UNIQUE   73  
     WE  ARE  ALL  IN  THIS  TOGETHER   74  
     WE  OWE  IT  TO  THE  HORSES   75  
APPENDIX I- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS   76  

5
Introduction

During the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Sports Forum on April 4th, 2016
an issue was raised by Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat who stated: “People need to
learn to follow procedures. Judges need to learn that, but one thing we cannot miss is
the horsemanship these people should have. Yes we need rules, the rules are black and
white, but we must not forget we have a horse in our sport. A living animal and the
officials must understand the importance of horsemanship.”

However, a comprehensive understanding of horsemanship was lacking and resulted in

the matter often being mystified. Consequently, a study was initiated by the FEI
Education and Standards Department to assist in determining whether the concept of
horsemanship could be defined more substantively and, if so, to then utilize this
information in education for equine community stakeholders including that of FEI officials
such as judges, course designers, stewards, technical delegates and veterinarians in all
eight FEI disciplines. In order to do so, an in-depth literature review as well as qualitative
semi-structured interviews with one hundred and five individuals from six continents,
thirty different countries, in eight equestrian disciplines and twenty-one different
stakeholder perspectives were conducted.

6
Research Methodology

Design
The research being conducted is primarily exploratory in nature, meaning the study is
rather broad in focus with the objective of identifying key variables and collecting insights
on a topic where very little information exists. This exploration will provide a better
understanding of horsemanship and possibly determine the feasibility of a more
extensive study. In order to do so, an extensive literature review was conducted as seen
in Appendix A on page 19 and Appendix B on page 31 as well as the utilization of a
cross-sectional research design. Cross-sectional research involves collecting data of
participants from a sample of the overall population deemed to be relevant to the
research (Gratton and Jones, 2015). In this study, a cross section of various equine
community stakeholders was conducted to acquire a 360-degree view of horsemanship.
The intention was not to generalize the findings to the wider equine community
population but to rather gain an initial understanding of the phenomenon.

Research Method
In order to collect data from this cross-section sample, a qualitative approach was
employed. This approach relies on non-numerical analysis to provide an understanding
and meaning of a subjective experience. Specifically, a semi-structured interview
configuration was utilized as the data collection tool. A standard set of questions was
adopted but with a flexible approach to probe for further clarification or elaboration
(Gratton and Jones, 2015).

The advantage of this approach is that the tool provides data rich results and can
assist in the collection of information concerned with concepts that are difficult or
complex to measure. It provides participants with freedom to answer in their own words,
which can allow for more insightful replies, responses to be put into context and for
unexpected data to emerge. While the results cannot be generalized to the overall
population, the tool can be valuable in developing, refining or confirming a phenomenon
or theory (Gratton and Jones, 2015).
7
 Sample
In the case of this study, the population of interest was
members of the equine community. As a result, the focus was
on selecting participants who could describe, explain and assist
in illuminating the concept of horsemanship. Therefore, the use
of the key informant technique was employed to select
individuals on the basis of specific knowledge that they
possess. In addition, this was supplemented with the method
of maximum variation sampling whereby participants were
chosen to show a full range of experiences, demographics and
perspectives on the subject as seen in Figure A (Gratton and
Jones, 2015).

Ultimately, twenty-one equine community stakeholder

groups were identified as seen in Figure B and matched with
contacts or potential participants. Key informants also lead to
snowball sampling where these initial participants could identify
further potential interviewees (Gratton and Jones, 2015). In
the end, one hundred and five individuals from six continents,
thirty different countries, in eight equestrian disciplines
and twenty-one different stakeholder perspectives participated
in the research study. For a full list of participants please see
Appendix C on page 34.

Figure B
Figure A Identified Equine Community Stakeholders
Infographic of Horsemanship
8
Study Participants
Procedure and Methods of Analysis

1. Once the desired sample selection was completed, potential participants were
contacted regarding the study through email and provided a participant
information sheet as seen in Appendix D on page 45.
2. Meetings were arranged at a time and day convenient for the participant and
conducted either over the phone, on Skype or in person depending on the
individual’s location and preferences.
3. Before beginning, participants were reminded of their voluntary participation, the
audio recording of their interview and assurance of confidentiality.
4. An interview guide of ten questions, as seen in Appendix E on page 46, was
utilized with a mixture of pre-coded and open questions in increasing difficulty. If
needed, further questions were asked in order to clarify or elaborate certain
subject matter.
5. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and collected for further analysis. Note, for
the purpose of privacy, all interview quotes will remain anonymous.
6. Qualitative analysis was then completed through a six step process (Gratton and
Jones, 2015):

a. Data familiarization.
b. Data reduction.
c. Data organization.
d. Data display.
e. Development of codes and themes.
f. Conclusion drawing.

9
Limitations

The foremost concern and possible limitation of this study is the reflexivity of the
researcher such as an equestrian background, personal perspective on horsemanship and
involvement of the FEI. This may, consequently, shape or possibly create bias in the
research.

In regards to research design and method, the utilization of exploratory and

qualitative research is not typically generalizable to the population at large as the sample
size if often too small compared to that of quantitative research. Therefore, diminishing
the possibility of the research being reflective of the entire equestrian community.

In addition, due to the employment of a non-random sampling technique, participant

selection possibilities are reduced and may exclude interested participants or become
affected by non-responses to interview requests. The quality of data then derived from
these discussions is dependent upon responses of the interviewee with semi-structured
interviews allowing for the possibility of variability in the participant’s experience such as
unconscious verbal or non-verbal reactions during interviews.

Nevertheless, these limitations were addressed and mitigated through effective

planning, constant reflection and control mechanisms to reduce potential bias and
variability during the research process.

10
Results

Figure C
Horsemanship Competence
11
General Observations

Despite one hundred and five participants representing twenty-one different

stakeholder perspectives in eight diverse equestrian sport disciplines from six continents
and thirty countries, it was discovered that these individuals did in fact hold universal
values and beliefs regarding the subject of horsemanship. Only the words and
terminology utilized to explain the phenomena varied between individuals. Nevertheless,
the fundamental concepts remained the same and resulted in the formation of fourteen
terms as seen in Figure C, which captured the essence of horsemanship competence.

It is important to note that this horsemanship competence is not simply reserved for
the elite, particular equestrian sport disciplines, specific community roles or the number
of years of equine interaction. It is the combination of all fourteen elements that prove to
be the ingredients for good horsemanship as outlined below. For select quotes illustrating
these elements please see Appendix F on page 50.

Comprehensive Knowledge

While there was a lack of consensus on the fundamental skills needed when first
interacting and beginning to work with horses, the most frequently referenced were that
of safety, horse handling, grooming and blanketing, horse health and riding. However,
most participants would go on to emphasize the fact that horsemanship was a
comprehensive concept and not purely defined by one skill or ability such as riding itself.
In fact, being a good horseman was seen as someone who had base level knowledge in
many different facets of the horse and was able to identify when another member of
their support team was required to address a certain aspect that they themselves did not
have expertise in such as shoeing or veterinary care.

12
Practical Experience
During discussions with participants it was made clear that horsemanship was not
simply just a theoretical principle. While it was important to have a base level of
theoretical knowledge, the aspect of practical experience was essential as well. In
actuality, the development of skills as well as the eye, feel and balance on and off the
horse requires a considerable amount of hands-on practice. Consequently, knowledge as
well as the ability to effectively apply this knowledge in a practical context is crucial for
good horsemanship.

Growth Mindset
Being a good horseman is a lifelong learning process with a few participants stating
that even one lifetime isn’t enough. Consequently, the search for knowledge and the
openness to learn from each individual horse, person, discipline and science was
identified as key in acquiring an effective toolbox for equine interactions. One must not
become complacent but be willing to question, reflect and develop their practices on a
continuous basis.

Respect for the Horse

The foremost belief among the majority of participants was that horsemanship began
with respect for the horse. In this sense, one cannot treat the horse as a thing or an
object on a lower level than humans but as the living, breathing, sentient creature that it
is. This includes avoiding the tendency to anthropomorphize.

Commitment to the Priority of Horse Welfare

The paramount principle of horsemanship for all participants was the horse’s
welfare. Whereby the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of the horse were
placed before that of any human. These actions could range from retiring on course,
knowing a horse's limits and capabilities, avoiding harsh training methods or ensuring
the horse had access to the five freedoms. For further information please see Appendix
A- Welfare and the Five Freedoms on page 23.
13
Ethological Empathy
An exceedingly consistent theme that emerged during the research process was the
idea that a good horseman must be able to understand and see the world from the
horse’s point of view. When individuals were probed to explain this thought further, it
was revealed that they were essentially describing equine ethology such as the horse’s
natural flight response, desire for equine interaction and their natural digestion
process. However, in most cases, participants were not using the technical term but
were instead utilizing the expression ‘understanding’ or ‘empathy’ of the horse’s
natural behaviour, instincts, conditions and social organizations. For further
information please see Appendix A- Equine Ethology on page 21.

Effective Application of the Learning Theory

Similar to that of equine ethology, few participants referenced the technical term
learning theory but instead utilized expressions such as ‘correct timing’, ‘consistency’,
‘structured training’, ‘clear communication’ or ‘how horses think and learn’. In fact,
participants that were conscious of the concept believe many great horsemen apply the
principles of learning theory instinctively or develop a feel for them over time but are
unaware they are doing so. Consequently, when these individuals teach they employ
other terms and expressions to communicate their innate or developed understanding
and feel, which can mystify the process. Nevertheless, being able to apply the principles
of learning theory with an emphasis on positive reinforcement was found to be central to
effectively communicating and training horses both in the saddle and on the ground. For
further information please see Appendix A- Learning Theory on page 27.

Aware and Attentive to Body Language

Horses communicate extensively and subtlety through body language. As a result,
good horsemen were those seen to be able to notice and respond appropriately to the
signals and information provided by the horse. Often this was described as being
‘attuned’ ‘reading’ or ‘listening’ to the horse. This element of body language also applied
to being consciously aware of what one’s own body exhibited and expressed during
equine interactions.
14
Emotional Intelligence

Whether expressed consciously or unconsciously, human emotions affect the quality

of equine interactions. As discussed previously in the element of body language,
horses react to subtle changes. Therefore, being aware of one’s current emotional
state, how this affects the communication with the animal and being able to remain
calm and composed in the situation was believed to be vital to good horsemanship. On
the other hand, bad horsemanship was seen as when emotions were taken out on the
horse such as frustration or anger instead of being addressed in a constructive
manner.

Humility and Integrity

The ability to be ego-free by admitting and taking responsibility for mistakes was an
essential aspect of good horsemanship. Not to blame the horse or believe it is working
against you but to instead look in the mirror to question one’s approach and possible
faults. This aspect also ties in with the previous element of having a growth mindset,
whereby no matter how many years of equine experience one has, there is always room
for improvement. A fundamental belief also held by the majority of the participants was
that the love of the horse must come before the love of competition or any other aspect.
Therefore, one must constantly be grateful for the horse and act with integrity in all
matters.

Adaptability

Knowing what might work for one horse may not work for another, a good horseman
was identified as being flexible in approach and not treating the training and care in a
cookie cutter manner. Instead, it was believed one should be creative and open to a wide
variety of methods to adapt to each individual horse. This was complimented by the
capability to modify actions based on the reaction of the horse instead of being fixed on a
particular predetermined path of development.
15
Patience
In a world with an increasing desire for instant gratification, having the endurance
and capacity to accept delays, set backs and training challenges without the need to
rush or push the development of the horse was recognized as an essential feature for
good horsemanship. In fact, horses do not have the same sense or concept of time
compared to that of humans. Therefore, it was acknowledged that a good horseman
would not place his or her own schedule, future desires or past histories onto the
horse but remain present in the moment.

Selection and Treatment of Support Team

Selecting a support team with the same values and beliefs whether it is a groom,
veterinarian, farrier or other was recognized as a responsibility of good horsemanship.
Equestrian sport is not an individual endeavour and requires the support and
assistance of many experts and professionals. Consequently, ensuring that all
members have the same philosophy in regards to training and care of the horse is
important. Good horsemen were also seen as individuals that were regarded as ethical
and sustainable businesspeople who treated their support members with respect and
dignity.

Development of a Mutual Symbiotic Relationship

In biology, a mutual symbiotic relationship- also known as mutualism- exists where

individuals of different species both benefit from the association of living together
(Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d). During interviews many participants describe this type
of mutual relationship as ‘connection’ or ‘partnership’ whereby the horse benefits from
care and correct training to live a long and healthy life while the human benefits from
the positive interaction. However, this type of relationship takes time to cultivate and
is not simply acquired through riding. Similar to that of natural equine pair bonds,
grooming and time spent on the ground was seen as essential to developing trust,
harmony and understanding.
16
Conclusion and Discussion

In conclusion, contrary to popular belief, there are many commonalities between

stakeholder perspectives on the topic of horsemanship. However, the utilization of a
diverse vocabulary of terminology and expressions tends to mystify the process and
cause confusion. Consequently, after conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews
with one hundred and five individuals from six continents, thirty different countries, in
eight equestrian disciplines and twenty-one different stakeholder perspectives,
horsemanship competence can be defined as the utilization of the fourteen
elements outlined below.

! Comprehensive Knowledge ! Commitment to the Priority of Equine

! Practical Experience Welfare
! Growth Mindset ! Emotional Intelligence
! Respect for the Horse ! Humility and Integrity
! Ethological Empathy ! Adaptability
! Effective Application of the Learning ! Patience
Theory ! Selection and Treatment of
! Aware and Attentive to Body Support Team
Language ! Development of a Mutual
Symbiotic Relationship

It is important to reiterate that this horsemanship competence is not simply

reserved for the elite, particular equestrian sport disciplines, specific community roles or
the number of years of equine interaction. It is the combination of all fourteen
elements that prove to be the ingredients for good horsemanship.

17
 Furthermore, during these interviews, three major trends in horsemanship were
revealed that one must remain conscious of (please see Appendix G on page 65 for select
quotes):

1. Industrialisation and Technological Change

2. Increased Emphasis on Competition
3. Growing Criticism of Equestrian Sport

It is also imperative to remember that this knowledge will not make you into a good
horseman but will rather instead enhance your awareness of how to become one.
Nevertheless, it is paramount to at all times remember the importance of horsemanship
because (please see Appendix H for select quotes on page 71):

1. Horsemanship is the Foundation

2. It Makes Our Sport Unique
3. We are all in this Together
4. We Owe it to the Horses

The outcome of this research was not groundbreaking knowledge. In fact, it was an
amalgamation of both theory and practical experience from equine community
stakeholders. However, this enhanced understanding of horsemanship will have large
implications in the improvement of education, standards and selection for not only FEI
officials but for all stakeholders involved. It renders a clear picture of the necessary
skills, abilities and attributes that had previously been concealed to, thereby, provide a
logical and comprehensible structure to improve horsemanship in all aspects of
equestrian sport.

This being said, further research is necessary in order to fully understand and
conceptualize each of the fourteen individual elements in detail and to develop effective
training and testing methods. Moreover, additional research is also required in order to
confirm and delineate between the two terms of horsemanship and horsemastership as
these can been seen differently in different regions and dictionaries of the world.

18
Appendices

Appendix A- Literature Review

History of Horsemanship
History has often been said to have been written on the backs of horses. While the
exact period of their domestication is often disputed, it is believed to have begun as early
as 3,500 BC. Through this process the use of the horse profoundly and fundamentally
changed the way in which mankind travelled, worked, fought, communicated and played
(MacPhee and Olsen, 2008). While the horse continues to still perform many of these
roles in developing regions, in the industrialized world, they are currently predominately
utilized for recreation and sport. Nevertheless, humans have been captivated and their
behaviour shaped by their close relationship with horses throughout history.

The relationship is often labelled as horsemanship, defined by the Encyclopedia

Britannica as the art of riding, handling and training horses (Casolani, 2015) with the
suffix –ship being used to denote ‘skill, act or power.’ The various techniques for
management and training have been developed and passed down from generation to
generation primarily by word of mouth and literature. In fact, the first recognized study
of the horse-human relationship was by Athenian soldier and historian Xenophon in 350
BC through his treatise known as Peri Hippikēs, translated in English to ‘On
Horsemanship,’ whereby the process of selection, care and training of horses was shared
and explored. This is often referred to as the foundational classical philosophical
framework of horse training (Gilbert, 2014).

However, as society has evolved, so too has the diversity of understanding and
opinions of horsemanship. This diversity corresponds to the wide spectrum of community
stakeholders such as competitive and non-competitive riders, grooms, coaches, farriers
and veterinarians as well as a variety of different equestrian sport disciplines such as
dressage, show jumping, reining and vaulting (Visser and Van Wijk-Jansen, 2012).
Consequently, delineating the art known as horsemanship has become progressively
challenging to define with no academic study ever delving deeply into the precise
classification of necessary skills, abilities and attributes for good horsemanship.

19
Socialization into Equestrian Sport
Socialization into equestrian sport is primarily accomplished through entry into a
riding school or local riding club. In Great Britain, for example, the Pony Club was
established in 1929 to encourage youth, defined as those between the ages of eight to
twenty five, to both ride and provide instruction on proper horsemanship. This has
spread rapidly internationally with Pony Club organizations now existing in over thirty
countries (Gilbert, 2014). Similar programs such as 4-H, Girl Guides/Boy Scouts as well
as national federation certification programs have also grown in importance.

These organizations provide a systematic method to instil a base level of

horsemanship knowledge and skills by encouraging members to progressively learn
about horse care and riding by completing and successfully passing levels both
theoretical and practical in increasing difficulty. However, this framework provides no
guarantee that horse owners or riders will seek it. Some may prefer to have recognized
training while some may shun the formality or simply not have access to the resources
(Birke, 2007).

Consequently, for most horse owners and riders, management experience often
comes informally through a local riding school. These riding schools and practitioners will
differ in their degrees of horse care standards, style and points of view. However, even if
not particularly experienced, they become sources of information. As a result, there is a
large discrepancy in the level of knowledge riders have regarding different topics. In
addition, acquiring these basic skills provides no assurance of the indefinable quality
known as horsemanship (Birke, 2007). In order for this to be cultivated, a rider must
understand the horse’s ethology and learning process.

20
Equine Ethology
Defined as the study of animal behaviour in a natural environment whereby natural
selection has acted to shape behaviour, equine ethology not only describes equine
communication but also their needs, preferences and motivations (McGreevy and
McLean, 2007). For domestic animals the effect of natural selection have largely been
replaced by artificial selection by humans who control access to resources such as food,
shelter and mates (Goodwin, 1999). Nevertheless, ethological considerations include
training and managing equines in a manner that corresponds to these innate and
evolutionary principals, four of which are outlined below.

Herd Instinct

Equines are social animals that prefer to associate with others of their own kind.
Group living is a survival strategy that reduces an individual’s immediate chance of being
consumed as well as increasing the chances that an approaching predator can be
detected. Often the formation of pair bonds, whereby two horses associate closely by
grazing, resting and grooming each other, will take place as an important feature of
social support. Play within these peer groups, especially at a young age, also has a vital
role in equine development. Up to 75% of kinetic activity of foals is devoted to play
which involves learning a set of rules to improve fitness, practice skills and build social
relationships (Goodwin, 1999).

Membership within this group is important for not only survival but also for
development and reproduction. In the wild the social behaviour of a horse, therefore,
functions to minimize conflict within this group. However, unlike wild horses that know
and understand their position in the herd from birth, aggressive agonistic behaviour is
significantly higher in domestic groups due to the unnatural composition of the herd,
frequent changes within the herd as well as spatial and resource constraints (Ward,
2016). Regardless, both wild and domestic horses have a large desire for physical social
contact with others of their species.

21
 Body Language Com m unication

Body language plays a crucial role in the communication and co-ordination of herd
activities. Horses are primarily visual communicators and are extremely sensitive to
subtle changes in the body language of their companions including that of a human
(Waring, 1983). However, while there is an appealing notion that equine social strategies
can be applied to human-horse interactions, the practice is often misinterpreted through
the use of dominance or ‘alpha’ techniques which overemphasize agonistic behaviour in
the maintenance of herd stability (McGreevy and McLean, 2006).

In reality, equine social behaviour is exceedingly complex. Horses are generally a

passive and co-operative species with agonistic behaviour only representing a small
proportion of interactions. Furthermore, Proops and McComb (2012) suggest it is unlikely
horses would not be able to differentiate between cues from a human and those from
other equines as a result of the significant morphological differences between the two.
Therefore, understanding the importance of body language and using it appropriately in
the horse-human relationship is essential.

Flight and Prey Behaviour

As a prey animal, the horse relies on early predator detection and flight as a primary
defence mechanism. Consequently, the physiology and behaviour of horses has evolved
to improve their survival instinct and abilities. This is most notable in the equine sensory
system. For example, with laterally placed eyes, horses have vision of nearly 360° with
285° being monocular (vision using only one eye) and 65° being binocular (vision using
both eyes at the same time). This eye placement provides a horse with the widest
possible field of view but with limited depth perception and a blind spot of 10°. Therefore,
to utilize binocular vision and to see objects currently in a blind spot, a horse will turn
and raise its head for objects in the distance or lower its head for objects closer to the
ground (Griffith, 2014).

This prey behaviour has also programmed horses to remain inconspicuous when in
physical discomfort or pain as this could make them targets for predators. This pain-
related behaviour; however, can often be misunderstood as misbehaviour or
‘naughtiness’ (Lesté-Lasserre, 2016).
22
 Forage and Locom otion

Feral horses spend approximately sixty to eighty percent of a day on feeding, during
which they travel between five and ten kilometres (van Dierendonck and Goodwin,
2005). The equine digestive system, as a result, is designed to process small amounts of
food frequently. In fact horses’ stomachs, unlike our own, produce acid continually and, if
they are unable to graze, the excess acid can cause digestive issues such as ulcers and
colic. This is supplemented by the fact that the health of a horse both physically and
mentally is reliant on constant movement to improve blood circulation, reduce injury and
decrease boredom (Gustafson, n.d.).

Consequently, understanding these fundamental ethological principles of equine

behaviour is crucial when establishing horse management and training practices.
However, human cultural transmission of ideas regarding this interpretation has been
historically associated with rights of passage, social status and domination of man over
animals. This has resulted in misunderstandings about the motivation of equine
behaviour and ethology. Equestrian traditions, which have a basis in establishing a
cooperative relationship rather than asserting dominance, would appear then to more
closely approximate the social relationships such as pair bonds seen in free-ranging
equine society and interspecies play (Goodwin, 1999).

Welfare and The Five Freedoms

Animal welfare is defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association as the state
of the animal. Therefore, protecting an animal's welfare means providing for its physical
and mental needs. This is a human responsibility that includes consideration for all
aspects of animal well-being. However, there are numerous perspectives and
measurements of animal welfare that are influenced by a person's values and
experiences (American Veterinary Medical Association, n.d).

23
 Nevertheless, the Five Freedoms are a set of internationally-recognised general
animal welfare standards and define ideal states rather than standards for acceptable
welfare. They were developed in response to a 1965 United Kingdom report on livestock
husbandry, and were formalized in 1979 by the United Kingdom Farm Animal Welfare
Council (Farm Animal Welfare Council, 2009).

1. Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to
maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including
shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and
treatment.
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper
facilities and company of the animal's own kind.
5. Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which
avoid mental suffering.

Moral Judgment and Ethics

Due to the unique aspect of a sport involving a living creature with no voice of its
own, a horse’s welfare is dependent upon the discretion of its rider. However, since we
are not able to directly communicate to animals, decisions regarding their care are
complex and difficult. Often decisions are not based solely on science as the interests and
values of all stakeholders must be considered and, in some cases, insufficient empirical
evidence exists to even accurately decide whether a practice is right or wrong (Heleski
and Anthony, 2012).

24
 As a result, equine welfare is not a purely empirical matter. Science alone is not
always enough and, therefore, the need for ethical assessment in horsemanship is
essential. An individual’s value framework and ethical motivations will play an important
role in influencing their assessments of horse training and competition practices. This
being said, error, ignorance or lack of effort can undermine moral reasoning (Shafer-
Landau, 2010). Therefore, ethical decision-making assessment tools provide a platform
for enhanced critical thinking. One method of ethical accounting is known as the Ethics
Assessment Process (Campbell and Hare, 1997) involving six major components as
follows:

1. Problem seeing: Identify the ethical problem and identify the stakeholders.
2. Ethical detective work: Fact-finding related to the ethical dilemma/issue.
3. Moral imagination: Envision all possible means that might achieve the goal(s);
serve as potential solutions/ alternatives.
4. Ethics jam: Values are identified and weighed to help assess moral priority.
5. Moral justification: Identify which options are ethically acceptable and also
which are preferable.
6. Moral testing:
a. Harm: Does the chosen alternative do the least harm of the available options?
b. Practicality: Can the decision realistically be implemented?
c. Publicity: Would the decision maker be comfortable with this decision being
published?
d. Collegiality: Can the decision maker defend the decision to his/her peers?
e. Reversibility: Would the decision maker accept the decision for him or herself?
f. Theoretical: Is there an ethical theory that supports the decision?

25
 The primary challenge with such an ethical assessment tool is that they are
dependent on the participant’s input, expertise and biases. Consequently, defining what
is ethical and what is not ethical is often based on subjective judgments (Heleski and
Anthony, 2012). A similar dilemma can also be seen in the measurement of compassion
in nurses and sportsmanship in athletes. While both are believed to be crucial
components of performance, expressing a comprehensive definition and finding reliable
indicators of the trait are challenging. Nevertheless, a Compassionate Care Assessment
Tool (Burnell and Agana, 2013) and a Sportsmanship Attitude Scale (Omran, 2010) could
be formulated based on subjective feedback of patients and athletes.

However, with a sport such as equestrian involving an animal, being able to seek
such feedback is difficult- if not impossible. As a result, the responsibility of ethical
treatment lies solely in the hands of the riders and community stakeholders. They are
the horse’s voice and, therefore, require a strong moral compass to guide their decisions.

26
Learning Theory
This being said, equine ethology does not go beyond that of these hard-wired
physiologic processes (McGreevy and Mclean, 2007). As a result, learning theory itself
has recently emerged from psychology to explain changes in behaviour based on
stimulus-response-reinforcement relationship. This relationship consequently aims to
increase the probability of desired behaviours being performed during a subsequent
application of the stimuli. Fundamentally, learning theory is compromised of four key
principles: habituation, sensitization, classical and operant conditioning (Warren-Smith
and McGreevy, 2008).

1. Habituation/Desensitizing
When an equine stops responding to events or stimuli that would typically elicit
a response. An example of such behaviour would be that of a police horse who,
through training, becomes accustomed to loud noises and moving objects.

2. Sensitization
When an equine increases their response to a stimulus. An example of such
behaviour would be that of an improved and quickened response rate to an aid
such as your leg or hand.

3. Classical Conditioning
This is an involuntary response when an already established behaviour is
associated with a new stimulus or range of stimuli. Ivan Pavlov first identified this
theory in the 1920s when a bell was rung when presenting dogs with food. Over
time, the dogs began to drool as soon as they heard the bell (Pavlov, 1960). This
behaviour is also apparent in equines such as the sound of a feed cart and the
resulting anticipation of food by either nickering or pawing at the ground.

27
 4. Operant Conditioning
The utilization of reinforcement or punishment to trigger and elicit responses.
The timing of these tools is critical in order for the horse to make the correct
association.

Reinforcement is the procedure of providing consequences for a response that will

maintain or increase its occurrence. It can be either positive or negative.

a. Positive: the addition of a something desirable to reward the desired

response such as a treat or massaging at the withers- a technique
proven to reduce the heart rate in horses (Hama, et al., 1996).
b. Negative: the subtraction of an adverse stimulus to reward the desired
response such as the removal of a leg or hand aid.

Punishment is the procedure of providing consequences that reduce the

occurrence of a response.

a. Positive: the addition of an adverse stimulus immediately following the

undesirable response such as physical correction.
b. Negative: the removal of a stimulus immediately following the
undesirable behaviour such as holding back a reward of a treat.

However, the possible limitations of this behavioural science are those that affect the
human-horse relationship that are impossible to measure, define or directly observe such
as love, rapport and empathy. Nevertheless, it provides an essential foundation and
toolbox for modern horse training (Hector and Neave, 2008).

28
The Centaur Effect, Horse-Sense and Feel
The term partnership is utilized across the equestrian disciplines to depict the type of
relationship a rider seeks to achieve with their equine counterparts (Wipper, 2000). This
leads to a form of embodiment whereby the horse and rider become an extension of each
other, which emphasizes the complexity, sensitivity and physical awareness required in
such a harmonious horse-rider relationship. Therefore, the sense of oneness with a horse
becomes the ultimate goal of horsemanship (Brandt, 2012).

The aspiration is to cultivate a special bond through interspecies trust and

understanding. In an optimal relationship, humans understand the horse’s signals and
the horse understands the human’s signals (Wipper, 2000). In a study by Game (2001),
she expressed this connection as the ‘centaur effect’- a mythical creature with the head,
arms and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse. However, in order for this to
be cultivated, the most effective practitioners are those who have the ability to relate to
animals, retain their attention and remediate their behaviour. Described often as ‘horse-
sense’, this manifests as a result of the awareness of domestic horse behaviour to
behave safely and consistently around horses in calm, fluid ways that increases the
control and predictability for the horse irrespective of the horse’s state of arousal and
current environment (Payne et al., 2006).

The effect is quite similar to that of ‘flow’, a mental state of operation in which a
person performing an activity is fully immersed in focus, involvement and enjoyment
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Equestrians refer to this skill and ability as ‘feel’ and it is
developed over time through constant practice and experience with some humans being
more receptive than others. Riders will often describe this feeling during an ideal moment
as effortless whereby the horse seemed to intuitively know what they were thinking and
vice versa (Brandt, 2012).

29
 In reality, many equestrians rely on this sense of feel and lack a conscious
understanding of theoretical principles such as equine ethology and learning theory. Of
206 respondents in a survey connected among accredited equestrian coaches in
Australia, 79.5% considered positive reinforcement to be ‘very useful’ but yet only 2.8%
of these participants could correctly explain its use in horse training (Warren-Smith and
McGreevy, 2008). Instead, individuals have relied primarily on their ability to ‘feel’ which
has been acquired through practice and observation and not on scientific academic
principles.

30
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24 May 2017. <https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/AnimalWelfare/Pages/what-is-
animal-welfare.aspx>.

Birke, Lynda. "‘Learning to Speak Horse’: The Culture of ‘Natural Horsemanship’" Society &
Animals 15.3 (2007): 217-39. Animalsandsociety.org. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Brandt, Carrie Lyons. Flow in Horsemanship: A Qualitative Study on Flow in Icelandic Horse
Equestrians. Thesis. Hólaskóli – Háskólinn á Hólum, 2012. Iceland: Skemman. Web. 01 Aug.
2016.

Campbell, Courtney S., and Jan M. Hare. "Ethical Literacy in Gerontology Programs." Gerontology
& Geriatrics Education 17.4 (1997): 3-16. Web.

Casolani, Charles Edward. "Horsemanship." Encyclopedia Britannica Online.Encyclopedia

Britannica, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
<https://www.britannica.com/topic/horsemanship>.

Cooper, Barbara, Maggie Raynor, and Carole Vincer. The Manual of Horsemanship. 12th ed.
Kenilworth: Pony Club, 2002. Print.

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper & Row,
1990. Print.

Farm Animal Welfare Council. "Five Freedoms." The National Archives. UK Government, 16 Apr.
2009. Web. 24 May 2017.
<http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121007104210/http:/www.fawc.org.uk/freedoms.h
tm>.

Game, A. "Riding: Embodying the Centaur." Body & Society 7.4 (2001): 1-12. Web.

Gilbert, Michelle. "Interspecies Relations in Equestrian Sport." Thesis. McMaster University, 2014.
Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Goodwin, Deborah. “The Importance of Ethology in Understanding the Behaviour of the

Horse.” Equine Veterinary Journal, 31 (1999): 15–19.

Gratton, Chris, and Ian Jones. Research Methods for Sports Studies. 3rd ed. London: Routledge,
2015. Print.

Griffith, Troy. "Horse Vision and Its Effects on Horsemanship." Horse Collaborative. N.p., 7 June
2014. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <http://www.horsecollaborative.com/horses-vision-effects/>.

Gustafson, Sid. "Equine Behavior Through Time." American Association of Equine

Practitioners. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <http://www.aaep.org/info/horse-
health?publication=2539>.

31
Hama, Haruyo, Masao Yogo, and Yoshinori Matsuyama. "Effects of Stroking Horses on Both
Humans' and Horses' Heart Rate Responses." Japanese Psychological Research38.2 (1996): 66-
73. Web.

Hector, Chris, and Roz Neave. "A Fresh Look at the Training Scale With Andrew McLean." Horse
Magazine Aug. 2008: n. pag. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Heleski, Camie R., and Raymond Anthony. "Science Alone Is Not Always Enough: The Importance
of Ethical Assessment for a More Comprehensive View of Equine Welfare." Journal of Veterinary
Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 7.3 (2012): 169-78. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Lesté-Lasserre, Christa. "Behaviorist: Train According to Horses' Ethology,

Cognition." TheHorse.com. N.p., 8 July 2016. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.
<http://www.thehorse.com/articles/37810/behaviorist-train-according-to-horses-ethology-
cognition>

MacPhee, Ross, and Sandra Olsen. "Domesticating Horses." American Museum of Natural
History. N.p., 2008. Web. 01 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/domesticating-horses/>.

Mclean, Andrew N., and Paul D. McGreevy. "Horse-Training Techniques That May Defy the
Principles of Learning Theory and Compromise Welfare." Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical
Applications and Research 5.4 (2010): 187-95. Web.

McGreevy, Paul D., and Andrew N. McLean. "Ethological Challenges for the Working Horse and the
Limitations of Ethological Solutions in Training." ESI Education. N.p., 2006. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.
<http://www.esi-education.com/ethological-challenges-for-the-working-horse-and-the-
limitations-of-ethological-solutions-in-training/>.

McGreevy, Paul D., and Andrew N. Mclean. "Roles of Learning Theory and Ethology in Equitation."
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 2.4 (2007): 108-18. Web.

"Mutualism." Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
<https://www.britannica.com/science/mutualism-biology>.

Omran, Sabry Ibrahim Atiyya. "Construction of Sportsmanship Attitude Scale for Team
Sports." World Journal of Sport Sciences 3 (2010): 1111-116. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Payne, E., M. Boot, M. Starling, C. Henshall, A. Mclean, P. Bennett, and P. Mcgreevy. "Evidence of
Horsemanship and Dogmanship and Their Application in Veterinary Contexts." The Veterinary
Journal 204.3 (2015): 247-54. Web.

Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich. Conditioned Reflexes; An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the
Cerebral Cortex. New York: Dover Publications, 1960. Print.

Proops, Leanne, and Karen McComb. "Cross-modal Individual Recognition in Domestic Horses
(Equus Caballus) Extends to Familiar Humans." The Royal Society- Biological Sciences. N.p., 16
May 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.
<http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/279/1741/3131.short>.

Shafer-Landau, Russ. The Fundamentals of Ethics. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
32
van Dierendonck, Machteld and Goodwin, Debbie. “Social Contact in Horses: Implications for
Human-Horse Interactions.” Animals in Philosophy and Science 4 (2005): 65-81. Web.

Visser, E. Kathalijne, and Elvi E.c. Van Wijk-Jansen. "Diversity in Horse Enthusiasts with Respect
to Horse Welfare: An Explorative Study." Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and
Research 7.5 (2012): 295-304. Web.

Ward, Laura. "The Relationships between Horse Training and Ethology." Minds Alike. N.p., 16 Jan.
2016. Web. 05 Nov. 2016. <https://mindsalikeatb.wordpress.com/the-relationships-between-
horse-training-and-ethology/>.

Waring, George H. Horse Behavior: The Behavioral Traits and Adaptations of Domestic and Wild
Horses, including Ponies. Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Publications, 1983. Print.

Warren-Smith, Amanda K., and Paul D. McGreevy. "Equestrian Coaches' Understanding and
Application of Learning Theory in Horse Training." Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The
Interactions of People & Animals 21.2 (2008): 153-62. Web.

Wipper, Audrey. "The Partnership: The Horse-Rider Relationship in Eventing." Symbolic

Interaction 23.1 (2000): 47-70. Web.

Xenophon. On Horsemanship. Radford, VA: SMK /Wilder Pub., 2011. Print.

33
 Appendix C- Sample

Fédération Equestre Internationale 4* Dressage

Fédération Judge, Fédération Equestre Internationale 5*
Alison Equestre Great Britain, Para-Equestrian Judge, Fédération Equestre
Female Dressage
King Internationale Hong Kong Internationale Technical Delegate, Fédération
Official Equestre Internationale Dressage, Para-Equestrian
and Show Jumping Level 2 Steward

Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Manager for

Fédération
Equestrian Affairs, Chair of the Fédération
Amanda Equestre Para-Equestrian Great Britain,
Female Equestre Internationale Para-Equestrian Dressage
Bond Internationale Dressage Hong Kong
Committee and Previous Chief Executive of British
Official
Dressage 2008-2014

Andreas Trainer or
Male Dressage Austria Chief Rider at the Spanish Riding School
Hausberger Coach

Assistant Professor at Delaware Valley College

Equine Science and Management Department,
Angelo Trainer or United States
Male Jumping British Horse Society Fellow and Head Coach of
Telatin Coach of America
the Delaware Valley College Intercollegiate
Dressage Team

3-Time Olympic Individual Gold Medalist, 2-Time

Competitive World Equestrian Games Individual Gold Medalist,
Anky van Driver, Rider Netherlands 9-Time World Cup Dressage Champion, Fédération
Female Dressage, Reining
Grunsven or Vaulter Equestre Internationale Competitor in Dressage
(Professional) and Reining, International Clinician and Founder of
the Clothing Line ANKY ® Technical Casuals

Competitive
Anna Di Driver, Rider Amateur Fédération Equestre Internationale
Female Dressage Canada
Rezze or Vaulter Dressage Competitor
(Amateur)

Non-
Bergita Recreational Liberty Work and Classic Dressage
Female Competitive Dressage Australia
Shannon Equestrian
Rider

Competitive
Executive Director, American Farrier’s Association
Beth Driver, Rider United States
Female Dressage and Amateur Fédération Equestre Internationale
Daniels or Vaulter of America
Dressage Competitor
(Amateur)

Dressage, Para-
Fédération Fédération Equestre Internationale Director of
Bettina de Equestrian Netherlands,
Female Equestre Dressage, Para-Equestrian Dressage, Reining and
Rham Dressage, Reining Switzerland
Internationale Vaulting
and Vaulting

34
 Teacher and Trainer of French Classical Dressage,
Great Britain, Spent Seventeen Years in Training with Master
Bettina Trainer or
Female Dressage United States Nuno Oliveira, Owner and Operator of Pruyn Stud
Drummond Coach
of America and Founding Member of the Association for the
Promotion of the Art of Horsemanship in America

Competitive
Bram Driver, Rider Three Time Fédération Equestre Internationale
Male Driving Netherlands
Chardon or Vaulter Champion Pony Four-in-Hand: 2011, 2013, 2015
(Professional)

Author of World Class Grooming for Horses,

United States
Cat Hill Female Groom Not Applicable Professional Groom as well as Previous Barn
of America
Manager for Craig Thompson and Mara DePuy

Fédération
Catrin Sweden, Fédération Equestre Internationale Director of
Female Equestre Eventing
Norinder Switzerland Olympic Games and Eventing
Internationale

Competitive
Paralympian and Fédération Equestre
Celine van Driver, Rider Para-Equestrian
Female Switzerland Internationale Competitor in Para-Equestrian
Till or Vaulter Dressage
Dressage
(Professional)

13-time United States Equestrian Federation Four-

in-Hand National Champion, 2014 Fédération
Equestre Internationale World Equestrian Games
Competitive
Silver Medalist, Competition Organizer of Live Oak
Chester Driver, Rider United States
Male Driving International as well as Member of Committees
Weber or Vaulter of America
such as the United States Equestrian Federation
(Professional)
High Performance Driving Committee, Licensed
Officials Committee and the Driving Technical
Committee

International Clinician, Creator of Train The

Chris Trainer or Trainer Certification Program, Owner of Riversong
Male Not Applicable Canada
Irwin Coach Ranch as well as Author of "Horses Don't Lie" and
"Dancing With Your Dark Horse"

Qatar Endurance Committee Technical Advisor,

Fédération
Fédération Equestre Internationale 4* Endurance
Christian Equestre
Male Endurance France, Qatar Course Designer Judge and Technical Delegate as
Lozano Internationale
well as Fédération Equestre Internationale
Official
Endurance Level 2 Steward and Course Director
Fédération Equestre Internationale 4* Judge in
Dressage and Eventing, German National
Fédération
Federation Professional Riding Instructor, Vice
Christoph Equestre
Male Dressage Germany Chairman of the International Group for
Hess Internationale
Equestrian Qualifications and Previous Head of
Official
Instruction at the German National Equestrian
Federation
Claire Associate Equine Bowen Therapist and Chair of the Bowen
Female Not Applicable Great Britain
Harrison Practitioner Therapy Professional Association

35
 Previous Chief Ecuyer of the Cadre Noir, Deputy
Colonel
Trainer or Director of the French National Riding School,
Christian Male Dressage France
Coach Fédération Equestre Internationale Dressage
Carde
Judge and Founder of Allege-Ideal

Colonel
Trainer or Chief Ecuyer of the Cadre Noir and Deputy
Patrick Male Not Applicable France
Coach Director of the French National Riding School
Teisserenc

Connie United States United States Pony Club Instruction Services

Female Educator Not Applicable
Jehlik of America Director
Competitive
Daniel Driver, Rider Colombia, Olympian and Fédération Equestre Internationale
Male Jumping
Bluman or Vaulter Israel Competitor in Jumping
(Professional)
Owner of Dave G. Dawson Farrier Inc., Part-
Owner of B.W.D. Equine Services, Treasure of the
Dave
Male Farrier Not Applicable Canada National Association of Equine Practitioners and
Dawson
Member of the Board of Directors for the American
Association of Professional Farriers
President of Phoenix Performance Products and
David Equipment Tipperary Equestrian Inc., Owner of Anderson
Male Not Applicable Canada
Anderson Manufacturer Farms Ontario Inc. and Anderson Farms Percheron
and Clydesdales
Managing Director of Equestrian Qualifications
Authority of South Africa and Executive
Di Pieterse Female Educator Not Applicable South Africa
Committee Member of International Group for
Equestrian Qualifications
Equestrian Photo Journalist at Eight Olympic
Diana United States
Female Media Not Applicable Games, Co-Organizer of the EQUUS Film Festival
DeRosa of America
and Owner of Press Link PR

Fédération Equestre Internationale 4* Endurance

Fédération
Judge, Course Designer and Technical Delegate as
Dinah Equestre United States
Female Endurance well as an Endurance, Dressage and Para-
Rojek Internationale of America
Equestrian Dressage Competitor and Owner of
Official
Smoke Rise Farm
Emirates Equestrian Federation Head of the
Veterinary Department, Fédération Equestre
Veterinarian Internationale Jumping and 4* Endurance
Dr. Ali Jordan, United
Male or Equine Endurance Veterinarian and Fédération Equestre
Tweissi Arab Emirates
Sciences Internationale 2* Endurance Veterinary Treatment
Official as well as Previous International
Veterinary Clinical Trainer for The Brooke
Dr.
Manager of Research and Education at the Neue
Caroline Female Educator Not Applicable Great Britain
Schule Academy with a PhD in Neuroscience
Benoist

Dr. Veterinarian
Great Britain, Fédération Equestre Internationale Veterinary
Caterina Female or Equine Not Applicable
Switzerland Advisor
Termine Sciences

36
 Equine Veterinarian Based at the Warendorf
Veterinary Clinic Associated with the German
National Riding School, Trained as a Bereiter
(Master Rider), Founding Member of Xenophon,
Veterinarian
Dr. Gerd Author of "Tug of War – Classical Versus Modern
Male or Equine Not Applicable Germany
Heuschmann Dressage", "Balancing Act: The Horse in Sport, an
Sciences
Irreconcilable Conflict?" and "Collection or
Contortion?: Exposing the Misconceptions and
Exploring the Truths of Horse Positioning and Bend"
as well the Documentary "If Horses Could Speak”
Fédération Equestre Internationale Veterinary
Department Director, Previous Chief Veterinary
Dr. Göran Veterinarian
Sweden, Officer of the Swedish Trotting Association and Head
Akerström Male or Equine Not Applicable
Switzerland of the Equine Welfare Department as well as a
Sciences
Previous Veterinary Inspector for the Swedish Board
of Agriculture and Animal Welfare Agency

Director of Studies at The Neue Schule Academy,

Dr.
Physicist, Technical Director of Neue Schule Limited,
Graham Male Educator Not Applicable Great Britain
Inventor of Salox Gold and Owner of Avansce
Cross
Limited and Inventor of Synchronicity
Professor and Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair
Veterinarian United Emerita at Michigan State University as well Past
Dr. Hilary
Female or Equine Dressage States of President of the Association for Equine Sports
Clayton
Sciences America Medicine and Former Board Member of the
American Association of Equine Practitioners

Dr. J. Veterinarian
Professor of Equine and Animal Science at São
Nicolau P. Male or Equine Not Applicable Brazil
Paulo State University
Puoli Filho Sciences
Professor/Equine Extension Horse Specialist at the
Dr. United University of Nebraska, Reviewer of the 4-H Horse
Kathleen Female Educator Not Applicable States of Curriculum and Judge for the American Quarter
Anderson America Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association
and National Snaffle Bit Association

Veterinarian Veterinarian, Author of "Horse Signals", Inventor of

Dr. Menke Female Not Applicable Netherlands
or Equine the Rein Tension Device, Equine Expert at IPOS
Steenbergen
Sciences Technology and Owner of Centaur Consulting

Dr. United
Trainer or Owner, Trainer and Clinician of Dun Movin Ranch
Michael Male Not Applicable States of
Coach and Co-inventor of Equine Hydro-T
Guerini America

Professor of Animal Behavior and Animal Welfare

Veterinarian
Dr. Paul Science at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of
Male or Equine Not Applicable Australia
McGreevy Veterinary Science and Honorary President of the
Sciences
International Society for Equitation Science

Equine Veterinarian, Fédération Equestre

Dr. Sarah Veterinarian Internationale 4* Endurance and Eventing
Louise Female or Equine Endurance Great Britain Veterinarian, Former Team Veterinarian for the
Coombs Sciences British Endurance Team as well as Charity Trustee
for World Horse Welfare

37
 Veterinarian, Equine Studies Program Coordinator for
Veterinarian United
Dr. Sid the Natural Horsemanship Program at the University
Male or Equine Not Applicable States of
Gustafson of Montana Western from 2006-2008 and Current
Sciences America
Equine Behavior Instructor at the University of Guelph

Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre de la

Eleonora Elected
Female Jumping Italy Participate de Monaco and Director of the
Ottaviani Politician
International Jumping Riders Club
Elisha
Female Breeder Jumping Canada Owner of Mountain Creek Sport Horses
Massong
Owner of Normandy Equine UK, Qualified Equine
Sports Massage Therapist, Masterson Method
Veterinarian France,
Elizabeth Practitioner as well as Previous General Manager of
Female or Equine Not Applicable Great
Hiscox Liphook Equine Hospital and Sports Director for
Sciences Britain
Eventing and Vaulting for the United States
Equestrian Federation

Trainer, Instructor and Barn Manager of Pleasure and

United Non-Competitive Horsemanship with a Post Graduate
Emily Trainer or
Female Not Applicable States of Diploma from the University of Edinburgh in Equine
Kieson Coach
America Science. Currently Studying Comparative Psychology
and Behavioral Biology at Oklahoma State University

United Author of World Class Grooming for Horses,

Emma
Female Groom Not Applicable States of Professional Groom as well as Previous Barn Manager
Ford
America for Adrian Iorio and Phillip Dutton
Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 3 Jumping
and Reining Steward, Fédération Equestre
Internationale Reining Technical Delegate, Chief
Executive Officer of the Washington International
Fédération Horse Show, Senior Vice President of HITS, Inc.,
United
Equestre Trustee and Executive Committee Member of the
Eric Straus Male Reining States of
Internationale American Horse Council, Secretary and Executive
America
Official Committee Member of the United States Equestrian
Team Foundation, Secretary General of the Pan
American Equestrian Confederation, President of
Equine Sport Group and Managing Director of Sai Ma
Sports LLC
United
Erica Trainer or
Female Dressage States of Owner, Trainer and Clinician of GotSeat.com
Poseley Coach
America
Filip President of European Horse Services, President-
Equine
Vande Male Not Applicable Belgium Elect of Animal Transportation Association and Equine
Transport
Cappelle Manager for the Longines Masters

Fédération Equestre Internationale Honorary Steward

General Jumping, Fédération Equestre Internationale
Course Director for Jumping Judges and Stewards,
Frances Fédération
Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 4 Jumping
Hesketh- Equestre
Female Jumping Italy Judge, Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 3
Jones Internationale
Jumping and Eventing Steward, Member of the
Triulzi Official
Fédération Equestre Internationale Working Group
Stewards Education System and International
Jumping Official Club

38
 Horse Show
Frank CHIO Aachen Director and Chair of the Fédération
Male Organizer Not Applicable Netherlands
Kemperman Equestre Internationale Dressage Committee

Director of Equine Guelph, University of Guelph and

Gayle
Female Educator Not Applicable Canada Associate Faculty of Campbell Centre for the Study
Ecker
of Animal Welfare

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Advanced

Practioner in Equine Medicine, Horse Trust PhD
Veterinarian
Gemma Student- Dick Vet Equine Hospital, Associate
Female or Equine Not Applicable Great Britain
Pearson Diploma in Equitation Science and Veterinary
Sciences
Liaison Officer for the International Society for
Equitation Science

Fédération Equestre Internationale World

Competitive Championship Individual Bronze Medalist and Team
Gennaro Driver, Rider Gold Medalist, World Equestrian Games Competitor,
Male Reining Italy
Lendi or Vaulter Fédération Equestre Internationale European
(Professional) Reining for Seniors Champion and Fédération
Equestre Internationale Reining Competitor

Youngest Rider at the Age of 14 to Win the Maclay

Horsemanship Finals and Hunt Seat Equitation
Medal Final, Pan-American Team Gold Medalist,
Olympic Team Sliver Medalist, Author of Books such
United
George Trainer or as "Hunter Seat Equitation" and "George H. Morris
Male Jumping States of
Morris Coach Teaches Beginners to Ride", Practical Horseman
America
Magazine’s Horseman of the Century and Has Been
a Competitor, Coach and Chef d’Equipe at
Numerous Fédération Equestre Internationale
Competitions

Guy Trainer or International Horseman, Entertainer, Poet and 2-

Male Not Applicable Australia
Mclean Coach Time World Champion of the Road to the Horse

Fédération Equestre Internationale 5* Para-

Fédération Equestrian Judge, Fédération Equestre
Hanneke Equestre Para-Equestrian Internationale Technical Delegate, Fédération
Female Netherlands
Gerritsen Internationale Dressage Equestre Internationale Level 3 Para-Equestrian
Official Steward and Member of the Fédération Equestre
Internationale Para-Equestrian Dressage Committee

Hugh Scott Horse Owner

Male Driving Great Britain Sponsor and Back-Stepper for Boyd Exell
Barrett or Sponsor

Fédération Fédération Equestre Internationale 4* Dressage

Jacques Equestre Judge, Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 3
Male Dressage Belgium
van Daele Internationale Dressage Steward and Fédération Equestre
Official Internationale Dressage Technical Delegate

Jenny Trainer or
Female Not Applicable Australia Owner, Trainer and Clinician of Jennypearce.com.au
Peaerce Coach

39
 Jill Owner, Trainer and Clinician of Jill Stedman
Trainer or
Stedman Female Dressage Canada Dressage as well as an Ontario Equestrian
Coach
Federation Coaching Examiner

Jillian United States Equine Biomechanics Lecturer and Connected

Female Educator Dressage
Kreinbring of America Riding Instructor

João Master-Chief Rider at the Portuguese School of

Trainer or
Pedro Male Dressage Portugal Equestrian Art and Breeder of Lusitano Horses-
Coach
Rodrigues Coudelaria João Pedro Rodrigues JPR
Certified Master Saddler as well as Founder and
Director of Schleese Saddlery Service Ltd. and
Saddlefit 4 Life. Author of "The Silent Killer – the
Jochen Saddle Canada,
Male Not Applicable Painful Truth of Saddle Fitting" and "Why it
Schleese Specialist Germany
Doesn’t Work and Suffering in Silence – the
Saddle Fit Link to Physical and Psychological
Trauma in Horses"
Competitive
Jody Driver, Rider New Zealand Fédération Equestre Internationale
Female Dressage New Zealand
Hartstone or Vaulter Dressage Rider and Coach
(Professional)
Top 10 Finishes at the American Quarter Horse
Association World Show, National Reining Horse
Competitive
Association Open Futurity and Derby as well as a
Driver, Rider United States
Joe Hayes Male Reining Breeder of Reining Horses and Fédération
or Vaulter of America
Equestre Internationale 4* Reining Judge,
(Professional)
American Quarter Horse Association Judge and
National Reining Horse Association Judge

Lunger and Coach for Wee County Vaulters and

John Trainer or the Scottish Equestrian Vaulting Team as well as
Male Vaulting Great Britain
Eccles Coach Fédération Equestre Internationale 3* Vaulting
Judge, Technical Delegate and Level 2 Steward

Fédération
John Ireland, Fédération Equestre Internationale Director of
Male Equestre Jumping
Roche Switzerland Show Jumping
Internationale
Competitive
Pan American Games Team Silver Medalist, World
Karen Driver, Rider
Female Dressage Canada Equestrian Games Competitor and Fédération
Pavicic or Vaulter
Equestre Internationale Dressage Competitor
(Professional)
Owner and Trainer of Bush Park, 4* Fédération
Keira Trainer or
Female Eventing Australia Equestre Internationale Eventing Rider, Show
Byrnes Coach
Jumper and Medium Level Dressage Competitor

Competitive Paralympian and World Equestrian Games

Lee Driver, Rider Para-Equestrian United States Competitor, Fédération Equestre Internationale
Female
Frawley or Vaulter Dressage Virgin Islands Competitor in Para-Equestrian Dressage as well as
(Amateur) Chef de Mission at the 2016 Rio Paralympics
Olympian, United States Dressage Federation
Instructor and Clinician, Founder of Lendon’s
Lendon Trainer or United States
Female Dressage Youth Dressage Festival and Dressage4Kids as
Gray Coach of America
well as Member of the United States Dressage
Federation Hall of Fame

40
 Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 4 Jumping
Course Designer and Technical Delegate as well as
Honorary Vice-President of Fédération Equestre
Fédération
Internationale Executive Committee. Previous
Leopoldo Equestre
Male Jumping Venezuela Fédération Equestre Internationale Head of Group V,
Palacios Internationale
Vice-President of the Commission for Children,
Official
Member of the Bureau and Jumping Committee as
well as Venezuelan Federation of Equestrian Sports
Board Member and President
Secretary General and Member of Board of Directors
Great Britain, for the International Dressage Trainers Club,
Linda Barn Manager
Female Dressage United States Fédération Equestre Internationale Dressage
Keenan or Owner
of America Competitor, United States Dressage Federation Gold
and Silver Medalist as well as Manager of Layham Hall

United States Editor and Owner of Pro Equine Grooms.com and

Liv Gude Female Groom Not Applicable
of America Previous Professional Groom for Gunter Seidel

Journalist, Editor of Professional Horsemanship

Review and Writer for a Number of Publications
Lynndee United States
Female Media Dressage including Chronicle of the Horse, Dressage Today,
Kemmet of America
DressageDaily.com and The Horseman’s Yankee
Pedlar as well as Owner of Boschee Farm

Fédération Equestre Internationale Director of

Endurance and Driving as well as Previously Serving
Manuel Fédération as Secretary General, Chef d’Equipe and Chef de
Endurance and Portugal,
Bandeira Male Equestre Mission of the Portuguese Equestrian Federation and
Driving Switzerland
de Mello Internationale Deputy Chair of Fédération Equestre Internationale
Regional Group I and Executive Board Member of the
European Equestrian Federation

Managing Director of Peden Bloodstock Assisting in

the International Horse Transportation for the Last
Martin Equine Seven Olympic Games and All World Games Since
Male Not Applicable Ireland
Atock Transport Their Inception as well as Formerly Holding the Chair
of the Animal Air Transport Association Worldwide
Equine Committee
Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 3 Jumping
Course Designer and Judge, Fédération Equestre
Internationale Coach Level I, Fédération Equestre
Internationale Course Assessor, Pony Club Efficiency
Fédération Test Examiner B, Committee Member of the Horse
Kenya, United
Mary Equestre Association of Kenya, International Show Jumping
Female Jumping States of
Blinks Internationale Officials Club: Africa Representative, Fédération
America
Official Equestre Internationale Chairman Group IX as well as
Awarded the 2006 Fédération Equestre Internationale
Special Recognition Award for Outstanding
Contribution to the Global Development of Equestrian
Sport
Previous Groom for Kent Farrington and Lorenzo de
Competitive Luca, United States Equestrian Federation Junior
Mavis Driver, Rider United States Jumper Championship Individual Silver Medalist,
Female Jumping
Spencer or Vaulter of America Fédération Equestre Internationale Competitor,
(Professional) United States Equestrian Ambassador as well as
Managing Neil Jones Equestrian and Gallop Apace LLC

41
 President of Equestrian Sport Productions
Responsible for the Palm Beach International
Ireland,
Michael Horse Show Equestrian Center and Winter Equestrian Festival
Male Not Applicable United States
Stone Organizer as well as Previous Secretary General for the
of America
Fédération Equestre Internationale and Irish
Equestrian Federation

Director of the Kentucky Horseshoeing School,

Member of International Horseshoeing Hall of
Fame and Received the American Farrier's
Association Educator of The Year Award for 2007
Mitch United States and 2011 as well as the Clinician of the Year
Male Farrier Not Applicable
Taylor of America Award for 2012. Past President of the Registry of
Professional Farrier Educators as well as Previous
American Farrier's Association Board of Directors
Member, Equine Research Committee Member and
Education Committee Chairman

Creator of the Equine Training Technique Join-Up

and Monty Roberts Equus Online University as well
as Best-Selling Author of Books such as "The Man
Who Listens to Horses", "Shy Boy" and "Join-up:
Monty Trainer or United States
Male Not Applicable Horse Sense for People", Hollywood Stunt Man,
Roberts Coach of America
Fédération Equestre Internationale Man of the
Year 1997 and Has Assisted Over 3,000 Horses to
Accept their First Saddle and Rider in Front of a
Public Audience

World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses

Nadine South Africa, Project Manager as well as Previous South African
Female Breeder Dressage
Brandtner Germany Warmblood Horse Society Inspector,
Representative and Coordinator

Nayla Horse Show President of Longines CSIO Schweiz St. Gallen and
Female Not Applicable Switzerland
Stössel Organizer European Equestrian Federation Board Member

Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 3 Show

Fédération
Jumping Judge, Fédération Equestre
Equestre Great Britain,
Nigel King Male Jumping Internationale Level 3 Show Jumping and
Internationale Hong Kong
Dressage Steward, Fédération Equestre
Official
Internationale Para-Equestrian Level 2 Steward

Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 4

Jumping Judge and Course Director, Fédération
Fédération Equestre Internationale Second Vice President
Pablo Equestre 2010-2014, Pan American Equestrian
Male Jumping Argentina
Mayorga Internationale Confederation President 2006-2014 as well as
Official Previous Secretary General, Bureau Member and
Disciplinary Committee Member of the Argentine
Equestrian Federation

Founder of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship

Program with over 200,000 Students Taking Part
Trainer or United States
Pat Parelli Male Not Applicable in the Online Learning Program. He Has Presented
Coach of America
in Front of Over 2,000,000 People in 27 Countries
as well as Being in over 1,000 Magazine Articles

42
 Competitive
Fédération Equestre Internationale Dressage
Per Driver, Rider
Male Dressage Sweden Competitor and Trainer as well as Owner of
Waaler or Vaulter
Waaler Farm
(Professional)

Founder and Managing Director of Cavalor,

Member of Fédération Equestre Internationale
Peter Equine Jumping Committee, President of The
Male Not Applicable Belgium
Bollen Nutritionist International Equestrian Organizers Alliance and
President of the European Equine Health and
Nutrition Congress

Fédération Fédération Equestre Internationale Level 3

Radovan Equestre Czech Jumping Judge and Steward as well as Fédération
Male Jumping
Salek Internationale Republic Equestre Internationale Level 2 Eventing, Vaulting
Official and Driving Steward

Olympic Team Silver Medalist, World Equestrian

Competitive Games Team Bronze Medalist, Fédération
Rafeal Driver, Rider Equestre Internationale Competitor in Dressage,
Male Dressage Spain
Soto or Vaulter Spanish National Team Dressage Trainer and Chief
(Professional) Rider at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian
Art

United States Dressage Federation Bronze, Silver,

Competitive Gold and Gold Freestyle Bar Medalist, United
Reese
Driver, Rider United States States Dressage Federation Certified
Koffler Female Dressage
or Vaulter of America Instructor/Trainer Through Fourth Level, Owner of
Stanfield
(Professional) Maplecrest Farm and Co-Host of the Dressage
Radio Show

Fédération Equestre Internationale Reining

Robert Elected
Male Reining Canada Technical Committee Chair and Previous Treasurer
Thompson Politician
of Equestrian Canada’s Board of Directors

International Association of Animal Behavior

Sharon Trainer or United States
Female Dressage Certified Horse Behavior Consultant and Breeder
Madere Coach of America
of Silver Moon Iberians

Trainer, Teacher, Writer, Video Producer, Lecturer

Trainer or of Classical Dressage and the Founder of the
Silvia Loch Female Dressage Great Britain
Coach Lusitano Breed Society of Great Britain and the
Classical Riding Club

Competitive
Sorrel Driver, Rider Fédération Equestre Internationale Eventer and
Female Eventing Great Britain
Porteous or Vaulter Owner of Pentire Sport Horses
(Professional)

Owner and Head Trainer of Beacon Hill Show

Stables, United States Hunter Jumper Association
Stacia Trainer or United States Certified Trainer as well as Serving on Several
Female Jumping
Madden Coach of America National Committees such as The United States
Equestrian Federation High Performance Task
Force and National Hunter Committee

43
 Sven Associate
Male Not Applicable Switzerland Equine Osteopath
Onclinx Practitioner

Competitive Olympian, World Equestrian Games Competitior,

Taizo Driver, Rider Asian Games Individual and Team Bronze Medalist
Male Jumping Japan
Sugitani or Vaulter as well as Fédération Equestre Internationale
(Professional) Competitor in Jumping

Thuy Non-
Khuc- Female Competitive Jumping Australia Recreational Jumping Equestrian
Bilon Rider

Owner of the Legendary Trakehner Stallion-

Timothy United States Windfall, United States Equestrian Federation
Male Breeder Eventing
Holekamp of America Event Owner’s Task Force Member and Breeder of
New Spring Farm

Equestrian Journalist and Award Winning Author

of 8 Books such as "Considering Horsemanship",
"A Horse's Thought" and "Discovering Natural
Tom United States
Male Media Not Applicable Horsemanship" as well as Contributor to
Moates of America
Magazines such as Ranch & Reata, Eclectic-
Horseman, America’s Horse and Western
Horseman

Vera Barn Manager Previous Owner, Barn Manager and Trainer at

Female Dressage Canada
Bowman or Owner Briarwood Stables

44
Appendix D- Participant Information Sheet

Study Title: How can horsemanship competence be defined and objectively measured to improve
the selection and education of FEI officials?

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the various definitions and perceptions of
horsemanship across a diverse range of equestrian community stakeholders. Through this
process, commonalities and differences will hopefully be revealed to supply valuable insight into
the creation of a potential baseline understanding of the necessary skills, abilities and attributes
for horsemanship competence.

Study Participation

The interview should take approximately 30 minutes and will be arranged at a time, date and
location of your convenience. The interview will be divided into three sections. Namely, questions
regarding your basic background profile, your views on horsemanship and, finally, situational
analysis of horsemanship circumstances. All responses will be recorded but kept confidential.
However, participation in this study is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.

Who is responsible for the study?

This study is an initiative by Stefanie Krysiak submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements of the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology Master of Sport
Administration Degree (AISTS MAS). In addition, this research paper is in collaboration with the
education and standards department of international governing body of equestrian sport known as
the Fédération Equestre Internationale’s (FEI).

Contact Details

Should you have questions at any point, please do not hesitate to contact the researcher-
Stefanie Krysiak- through the following email address: [email protected]. Thank
you so much in advance for your time and assistance.

Sincerely,

Stefanie Krysiak

45
Appendix E- Interview Guide

SECTION ONE

Name: ________________________
Gender: Male or Female
Country of Origin: __________________________

Question One (Pre-coded, closed question)

a) Associate Practitioner h) Equine Nutritionist o) Horse Owner or Sponsor

b) Barn Owner or Manager i) Equine Transport p) Horse Show Organizer
c) Breeder j) Equipment Manufacturer q) Media
d) Competitive Driver, Rider k) Farrier r) Non-Competitive Rider,
or Vaulter (Amateur) l) Fédération Equestre Driver or Vaulter
e) Competitive Driver, Rider Internationale s) Saddle Specialist
or Vaulter (Professional) m) Fédération Equestre t) Trainer or Coach
f) Educator Internationale Official u) Veterinarian or Equine
g) Elected Politician n) Groom Sciences

Additional Comments:

Purpose: Group respondent types by their role. Different groups may show different
characteristics; therefore, it is important to have knowledge of which group the
respondent belongs to.

Question Two (Pre-coded, closed question)

How many years have you been interacting with horses?

0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 15-20, 21-30, 31+

Additional Comments:

Purpose: Group respondents by their years of experience in the community as it may

influence their view and level of horsemanship knowledge.

46
Question Three (Pre-coded, closed question)

On average, how many days a month do you currently interact with horses?

0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21+

Additional Comments:

Purpose: Group respondents’ intensity of activity level as frequent content with horses
may influence their view and level of horsemanship knowledge.

SECTION TWO

Question Four (Pre-coded question)

How did you first learn how to interact with horses?

a) Family
b) Friend
c) Local Riding School
d) Pony Club, 4-H, Girl Guides/Boy Scouts
g) Trial and Error
h) Other __________

Additional Comments:

Purpose: A transition question into section two that identifies the socialization process
of horsemanship.

47
Question Five (Pre-coded question)

When beginning to ride, what did you believe to be the top five most important skills to
acquire? Why?

a) Anatomy and g) Horse Handling m) Shipping and

Physiology h) Horse Identification Transport
b) Bandaging i) Lunging n) Safety
c) Conditioning j) Nutrition o) Shoeing
d) First Aid k) Pasture Management p) Stable Management
e) Grooming and l) Riding (walk, trot, q) Tack and Equipment
Blanketing canter) r) Other(s) ________
f) Horse Health

Additional Comments:

Purpose: To identify important top of mind horsemanship skills.

Question Six (Open, probing question)

How would you define horsemanship?

Comments:

Purpose: To explore personal horsemanship definitions of each stakeholder group. This

is a key question of the interview and may lead to further probing questions to the
respondent.

Question Seven (Open question)

What, in your opinion, are the attributes (personality traits) of a good

horseman/horsewoman? Examples: empathy, patience, respect, feel, etc.

Comments:

Purpose: To identify important personality traits (not just skills) needed to be a good
horseman/horsewoman.

48
Question Eight (Open, probing question)

Do you believe there is a difference in the horsemanship requirements of various

stakeholders involved in equine sport? Why or why not?

Comments:

Purpose: To explore personal views of one stakeholder group towards another.

SECTION THREE

Question Nine (Open question)

When observing a horse-human interaction, what do you look for in measuring the
level of horsemanship competence of the individual?

Comments:

Purpose: To understand the mechanics of how horsemanship is analyzed by each of the

stakeholder groups.

Question Ten (Open question)

Can you give me an example of a time when you saw good horsemanship? Can you
give me an example of a time when you saw bad horsemanship?

Comments:

Purpose: To solidify a respondent’s definition of horsemanship through concrete

examples.

49
Appendix F- Select Quotes on Horsemanship Competence
Comprehensive Knowledge
“I look at horsemanship as more of a holistic approach. I don’t necessarily expect
someone who has horsemanship to know everything about the horses but I expect
them to know the basics and be able to identify when we need to call someone in, be it
the farrier, be it the vet or be it the dentist.”

"For me, horsemanship is having a most complete understanding of the horse in

everyway you can be educated. Through proper shoeing, through proper vet work,
proper feeding, a good grooming schedule and if you end up taking your horsemanship
to a level of showing than also having an understanding of your federation and
ultimately the rules and regulations that govern the sport."

"Good horsemanship is a comprehensive concept. It is not a limited concept. It is an

encompassing concept and it encompasses any number of important points when it
comes to interacting with a horse. That at all times safety of the horse and safety of
the people around the horse is in the forefront."

"You’ve got to notice everything. Did that horse have this leg slightly hotter than
yesterday? Was that horse able to eat off the floor yesterday and today it is maybe
struggling slightly? Did he drink more water today than he did yesterday? Is he more
hungry than he was yesterday? Is he sweating in his box today more than yesterday
even though there is really no difference in temperature? It’s all of those little things.
It’s the little things that really add up. It’s like the little pieces of jigsaw that make the
whole picture and the whole picture is the horse."

"A horseman has nothing to do really with competing or not competing. This is
something different. I know a lot of horseman that don’t even compete that are never
in the ring. Horseman are just people that understand horses inside, out. With that
information they know how to work with the horses in order to get them to the point
where they can have their maximum potential to be able to be competitive in
whichever sport you decide- reining, jumping, eventing, dressage, you name it. It
doesn’t really matter at the end of the day, horses are horses. And a good horseman
should be able to interact and work with horses of any discipline."
50
Practical Experience

“Good horsemanship and skills comes with experience. It can’t be taught in a textbook.
It can only be so much on paper and then you actually have to get your hands dirty.
And that only comes with experience.”

"I think it is difficult to having an understanding of horsemanship if you are not

involved directly with horses. If you haven’t ridden, if you haven’t touched a horse, if
you haven’t groomed a horse, if you have never had contact with a horse."

"Being a horseman comes from doing it for years, like an art form. It is not like you
pick up a paintbrush and all of a sudden you are a painter."

"I think horsemanship should be very much linked to practical experience with the
horse. In the best case, really holistic experience. How to take care of the horse, how
to train it, about its health, about its body. It makes a big picture in the end."

51
Growth Mindset

“I think there needs to be an inquisitive nature because that promotes further learning.
How to do more, be more, be better for the horse. Not be rooted in opinion and fact
that we learn without evidence 5 or 20 years ago.”

"And this is for me the point at the end of the day, as a proper horse person you are
never to live one life on earth to understand horses properly. Each horse has his own
personality. Each horse has his own history. The more familiar you are with this, the
more you are a horseperson. But you never ever come to an ideal situation because we
have thousand, millions of horses in the world and you will never be able to understand
all these horses with their special abilities."

"I think horsemanship knows no boundaries or limits, it is a continuous learning

experience. As people are different so are horses. So are horses' reactions. Knowledge
is cumulative."

"They must be very open-minded. Lifetime is not even enough to learn everything
about horses because it is so wide and changing every time and every horse is
different. There is no one way to go, no one system. There are so many disciplines.
Equestrian sport is enormously wide so you are never done learning. You can learn
from all disciplines to improve your own. Be open-minded, look at other disciplines, be
interested in other disciplines, try to learn from them and communicate with them, ask
them how they do it, what they do. To improve yourself it must be more of a basic
instinct from yourself to keep learning and to stay open for it."

"I opened my mind to say I will never know everything. I am still learning. It’s out
there for us. It is waiting for us."

52
Respect for the Horse

"I think horsemanship begins with respect. I never saw a horse as just a horse. A
horse is on the same level as I am. When there is respect you won’t continue to ride
your horse when you feel he is not good. When he is not okay, you go and look what’s
going wrong and why he is doing it."

“Because they (horses) are not machines. They are living, breathing creatures with
their own set of instincts that often come into conflict with what we are asking them to
do.”

"I think a lot of people love to call themselves horseman and that they love their
horses but what they love is to compete and to win or to make a living and make
money and to get fame out of these kind of things. I believe that it is very important
that everybody remembers that base of respect and the knowledge of the horse. We
have to remember that we are dealing with living creatures that deserve respect prior
to their competitive years and after their competitive years are done. The horses are
an extension of ourselves and our best friends. They are the reason that we are able to
do what we do."

"People think that horses are people. We should be aware that they are horses and we
are people. It is something different. Sometimes I think people get too protective or
too careful because they think that the horse is like a person."

"Treat them with the highest respect if you do not know them. Ask the questions you
would to pat a dog or play with a child or anything that doesn’t belong to you. I always
have the respect of asking. As a horse lover, every part of me wants to go stroke their
mane and cuddle them but I love them with respect."

53
Ethological Empathy
“For me, it is having an understanding of horses. Understanding what horses need
innately and that obviously can include things like nutrition and health care and things
like that but also from an ethology point of view- things that are important to horses.
They have hard wired behaviors that in spite of being domesticated for thousand of
years haven’t really changed.”

"I think horsemanship is the conscious act of seeking to understand from the horse’s
perspective how he receives the information on the human endeavor that he is being
asked to collaborate with."

"A very good horseman thinks and feels like a horse. A horse is not acting, it is
reacting to us. It is important that horseman understand that a spooky horse is
frightened and not trying to anger the rider. In 90% of the cases, bad behavior in
horses is our fault."

"To blame a horse for anything at all. It is like blaming the night for being dark.
Because they can only do what is their nature to do."

"Always think from horse’s point of view. That would be our starting point. So it is very
important to understand how horses think, how horses behave, how horses evolve.
Horses are flight animals. We as humans adopted them so we have to understand their
genes. How they think."

"If I am riding my horse in the indoor arena and there is a white bucket over in the
corner, the horse can spook from the white bucket. As a person I am thinking ‘it is a
white bucket, why is that scary, why would you spook from that’ but that is thinking
like a person. If you think like a horse that white bucket wasn’t there yesterday so it is
something new, which may be threatening to the horse as a lion behind the bush would
be. I think one key to being a good horseman is the ability, if you will, to think like a
horse-understand things from the horse’s perspective not from the person’s
perspective. Of course if you did that, that affects everything you do when you work
with a horse and will improve your horsemanship skills."
54
Effective Application of the Learning Theory

“Great horsemen understand there is a relationship between the rider and the horse.
They establish a communication with the horse that is very clear. It is either black or
it’s white. It’s not anything ever in the middle. It is the understanding of the
partnership between the horse and the rider in terms of clear communication.”

"I would also like to say that I operate under the psychological nomenclature of
PICNIC, the learning theory, positive instant consequences and negative instant
consequences- in the absence of violence."

"A lot of people talk about the art of horsemanship and the art of riding. There is a
degree of art in it but actually a lot of is about applying the right pressures at the right
time but also releasing them. All the top riders do but a lot of them don’t know they
are doing that."

"So horses are like computers. They may never do what we want but they always do
what we tell them and what we program them to do."

"When I teach vets the first thing I do is a game. That game would be asking you to do
something and I am not telling what to do. You may grab a bag, I don’t know. If you
are doing the right thing I will say yes, so I am telling yes you are doing the right
thing. If no, that means you have to change and do something else. So if I want you to
hold this bag but I am not telling you. First you may carry the laptop, the chair, I will
say no to you. If you are coming close to the bag I will just keep saying yes, yes, yes
until you carry it. But if I keep saying yes, no, yes, no. You are confused, you will say
please tell me what you want. But if I always keep saying yes, yes you are doing the
right thing. I have to be clear where no, where yes."

55
Aware and Attentive to Body Language

“It is important to understand that we are talking about a language and it is a two-way
language. A horse is speaking to you all the time. They are speaking to you with their
eyes, what they do, how they react to when you ride them, their response when you
ask them to load or do something different when you are out on a trail ride…So it is
important as a person that you understand it is not just your language. It’s their
language. And those two languages need to meet.”

"I think it is the ability to read that horse. Be able to read what he wants, what it is he
needs, what he is feeling and to be able to notice things because he can’t tell you
because he can’t speak and he is outside of his natural environment. You’ve got to
basically be his eyes, his ears, and his speech."

"The first and foremost thing is actually an understanding of how to read the horse-
the signals he gives you and the reactions he will give you. You have to be in tune with
that and you have to be observant to be able to see that."

"I just read their horses. Horses are going to tell you way faster than a human being
how good that person is with a horse. You can tell by a horse that is difficult to handle
and you can tell if that person is instigating that behavior or helping that behaviour."

"That’s horsemanship that you can read the horse’s body language that you are able to
be aware of your own body language. You can read so much in a horse’s body
language and how you approach them with your own body language"

56
Commitment to the Priority of Equine Welfare

"A true horseman would never ever put the welfare of the horse after anything. The
welfare of the horse comes first. Everything else comes second. Even if it means you
are not going to win this, even if it means you aren’t going to make so much money.
The horse’s welfare comes first. And with that in mind, there are not that many
horsemen in the world.”

"It doesn’t matter what rider it is in these moments at the WEG, European
Championships, all these huge tournaments where the pressure is enormous on that
moment. To make a decision for your horse instead for the result that’s what I think is
horsemanship because that’s the moment you understand the horse."

"Putting in mind in every step you do the welfare of the horse should be paramount,
should be first. Without compromising. I may know when we are giving an injection as
a vet we are causing a small pain but we cause a small pain to relive a bigger thing.
You make a judgment as a vet- positive and negative- and it has to be good for the
horse."

"The big thing is that the horse’s wellbeing always comes first. I understand there is a
time and a place to push them a little bit past what their comfort level might be but I
think if you are not a good horseman you aren’t capable of determining what that point
is. That’s where they become stressed, you have problems, they have injuries, you
push them past the point that they are capable of either performing well at or coming

back from just for the sake of your own selfish purposes."

57
Emotional Intelligence

"The greatest and worst thing about the horse is that he’s a mirror. He is a perfect
mirror. If you get up and you scowl and you grump and you cry into a mirror you are
not going to get a happy smiling face on the other side. The way they look at me is
how I judge myself as a horseman."

"We all have bad days. We get news that someone passes away or something else
happened or business issues or something. You have a day where you are just totally
focused on all these problems we have and you are short tempered because you are
anxious, you’ve got problems. A good horsemen recognizes that and says 'you know I
don’t ride today because I don’t want to take this to the horses. I am not in the right
mental space.' That’s a good horseman. Knowing where you are at in your own mind."

"It is that old saying. You have to drop the baggage at the barn door. Good horsemen
are emotionally stable when they are around the horses and that’s what makes the
horses respond well to them. They make quick corrections and move on. They are not
reacting out of anger or their own fear."

“So many people come into the barn and they are blustery and they are all wound up.
Just focused on everything that is wrong with their day, which is a wrong way to enter
a barn. Therefore, I think it is really important that even before we get out of the truck
or where ever you are, you come take a breath. You calm yourself and go into that
work with a horse in a very quiet and very positive mode. I think that’s huge. It
contributes hugely to our message on all levels.”

"The relationship with a horse is a very honest and transparent relationship. You
cannot hide a lot from a horse. They read through everything. Normally, they reflect
what they get."

58
Humility and Integrity

"I love the name horseman because it puts the horse before the man. And I think that
is what we should always do."

“They (good horsemen) all start their work with humility. I never say that, that horse
isn’t good enough. I often say to owners, sponsors and people like that when we are
involved in looking at a horse, I always say I am not good enough to do that with that
horse. I am never going to say the horse isn’t good enough.”

"I kind of get people to take a step for a minute and realize that these animals are
absolutely incredible. They are a gift. They do the most extraordinary things for us. It
is such a privilege. I ask my students to go to their horse’s head and look in his eye
and- they don’t have to say it out loud- more or less say to the horse may I have
permission to ride. They don’t necessarily have to say that but they should have it in
their heart."

"You might be a good business person because you are making a profit but that
doesn’t mean you are a good horseperson because you are cutting corners at the
expense of your clients, of your horses and the people that work for you. As a result,
there is an element of being a smart business person as well. You can’t be a good
horseperson if you don’t have a business that sustains itself in an ethical manner."

"The best way to find the very best horseman in the world, I think, would be to go up
to them and say I will give you as much money as you ever need for the rest of your
life if you will walk away from horses today. The ones that walk away are not real
horseman. And I think that is what a true horseman is. Someone who says I don’t do
this because I am good at it, I don’t do this because people like the way I look sitting
on a horse, I don’t do it because it brings me fame and fortune. I do it because I feel
like half the man without them. A true horseman feels lost without a horse."

59
"The most important feature in my opinion is integrity. The ability stay exactly along
the plan regardless of a person’s emotions, friendships, biases, mood and so on."

"If a mistake is made, first look in the mirror and say what did I do wrong and not my
horse. So evaluate and be very critical of yourself."

"The attribute that in some part of you there is a deep love for the horse. Any
successful horseman no matter his system, what you think of his personality, his
temperament, there is somewhere in him that loves the horse. If you don’t have that
you are never going to make it."

60
Adaptability

“Every horse is different. They require different nutrition, require different handling,
and so on. I have never seen two horses the same. It’s not like they come out of a
manufacturing plant and they are all the same specs, same color with a steering wheel
and a brake. There is no such thing.”

"If you have 30 children in a classroom. You have some that are quick learners, you
have some that are slower learners, you have some students that are really good at
math but not so good at history, and you have other students that are really good at a
another subject. We all have our strong points and our weak points as people. Well the
same is true for horses. So if I ride ten horses today in training, I should not get off the
best horse of the ten that is a quick learner, wants to please, has the mental and
physical ability to be a really great horse but the next one that I get on may not have
that athletic ability. To be a good horseman, I should not carry over ‘well my last horse
learned to do this quickly, why can’t you.’ Every horse is an individual and they have
their individual characteristics, abilities and so forth."

"Openness to variations in communicating with horses- knowing there is not just one
type of training or one way to do something. That there are multiple tools at our
disposal to interact with horses. Be adaptable and flexible in the approach we take with
each individual horse."

"What might be good for one horse might be completely different for another horse. I
can train a 100 horses half pass but I will train it in a 100 different ways but at the end
of the day it is still a half pass."

"Einstein used to say that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and
over and expecting a different result. So if you’ve done things twice with a horse and
it’s not working, the horse is not against you, you just have to change what you are
doing."

61
Patience

"I also believe that if you go at something like you have fifteen minutes to get it done,
it might take you all day. But if you go at it like you have all day, it might be done in
fifteen minutes."

“For sure you have to have patience, things don’t happen one day to the next with
horses. It takes time. If you want to speed up the process, that’s when you start
making mistakes and disrespecting the horse. The education of the horse takes time.
The process of training takes time. The process of healing an injury takes time.”

"As humans we tend to hedge our bets and not live in the moment. We live thinking
about six months from now or a magical plan five years from now."

"I think you have to be willing and know that it’s a journey. It’s not a sprint. You can
do well with one horse but you have multiple other horses. It’s a life long process in
the sense that you build on experiences you have already had."

"Being with the horse at that moment that you are with it. That you actually give your
time and yourself the moment you start to interact with it."

"I suppose the biggest thing is to treat them as if we are going to have them forever. I
think that is the biggest thing because what we are doing today, is it going to be a
detriment to them in the future? If we treated every horse as though we wanted to
have them when they are older like if we treated every car that we wanted to own it in
fifteen years time we wouldn’t drive it so badly."

62
Selection and Treatment of Support Team

"Build up a fantastic team of horsemen around you. What I mean by that is to have
grooms, farriers, the whole team must have the same philosophy that you have based
on the respect of the horse, the knowledge and understanding of the horse, of the love
and understanding of the game.”

"The real horseman is the one that knows how to evaluate a veterinarian and what he
is saying and doing to your horse. And what am I going to do with that to ensure the
right thing gets done to my horse. That’s the test of horsemanship. Horsemanship has
to do with evaluating opinions and performances of others who are providing technical
assistance to you as a horseman."

"It doesn’t mean though that a complete horseman is a real and identifiable thing. I am
not sure there are complete horseman. It’s not just one person. It is the people around
him that are creating this. It is collective knowledge of parents and sponsors and some
of the people that work with him on the farm."

"We have so many owners and officials that quiet honestly never ridden a horse but
they are the unknown soldiers. There are a lot of good riders and a lot of good horse
people that would make lousy officials. It is like any sport where officials, like in the
NBA or NFL or NHL, that haven’t played the sport in their life but understand it and the
rules. Most of the owners of those franchises and teams have never played the sport.
The players themselves are incredible athletes but they couldn’t manage a team; they
don’t have that skill set. It is a very good comparison to the horse world even."

"I would say your communication with the owners, with the trainers, with the riders,
the other officials, your colleagues is part of the horsemanship. It is not only my
relation with the horses. It is the whole equestrian package. This is horsemanship."

63
Development of a Mutual Symbiotic Relationship

“When the rider and horse become greater than the sum of rider and horse as
individuals then horsemanship has been accomplished.”

"What our horsemanship allows us to do is to peel back the layers of possibility that
already exist between the human and the horse. It is already there. The better we
become in our horsemanship, the better we get to uncovering the potential."

"To understand that horse and build that language you need to hand graze them, you
have to take them for walks, you might just hang out and sit on the fence and read a
book while they are grazing but you're near by. It is time you're spending in that
horse’s presence that is not demanding time."

"It’s important to understand that the word equus doesn’t just mean horse; it means
equalize. So when horsemanship is taken to a mastery level, equus happens. The
horse completes us and we complete the horse."

64
Appendix G- Select Quotes on Horsemanship Trends

Industrialisation and Technological Change

"What I saw 30 years ago most of the people that were dealing with horses came from
an agriculture background so they had knowledge about anything taking care of any
animal like the feeding, everything. I think that is where there is a big difference
today. I think a big part of the people riding horses or competing they don’t have this
agriculture background and they don’t know anymore how it is to take care of an
animal. Mainly the common sense about what is healthy for an animal, how do you
take care of an animal, how is an animal thinking, all this. I always say today there are
a lot of people with the horse but there are very few horse people and that actually I
think is because of this farming background of the people. A lot of people today
especially with the ones with a little bit more money they buy horses but they’ve been
living in the city, they never took care of an animal and if they did take care of an
animal it was a dog or a cat."

"I think that we are in an environment where we have less approach to animals in their
natural habitat whether it is for dogs or cats. We try to make them human. We don’t
use them. Before they were working animals but we now observe them in a completely
different way. I mean, I didn’t really grow up in the countryside but now nobody grows
up in the countryside any longer. And people go, I see them up in the riding school up
here, the parents come the children go ride one hour and go off and they use the horse
more like a motorcycle."

"It’s not going to get better. It is going to get worse in actual fact and I will tell you
why. The problem is children are spending so much time wrapped up with all the
modern communications we have got today and are not doing the fundamentals out
there. How many people do you know that actually have a horse in their backyard?
Very, very few. But in the old days, when I was growing up, it was actually quite
common to have a horse in the backyard. That level of basic, basic fundamental
horsemanship is not going to get better. It is going to get worse because of the way
the world is developing. That is a fact. We’ve got to get everybody back to basics."
65
 "The problem is that it is not a problem of the FEI or equestrian sport, it is a problem
in the world. Today the first thing is to appear and to have power and this is the wrong
approach to life, not only equestrian sport."

"They don’t live it like we did years ago. Years ago, we humans lived more outside the
city. Now we are in the city and we don’t go do things outside of the city. In a jungle of
concrete. It is a real problem of the sport."

"I think that in some ways it has decreased. And I will tell you why it has decreased. It
has decreased not because people don’t like horses or care but because people don’t
live with their horses anymore. It’s that kind of society. It’s an urban society. They are
not living with or taking care of their horses any more. And it’s not that they don’t love
them, it’s that they are not put in a situation where they actually have to live with
them. People just aren’t spending the time on the ground, in the horse’s stall- cleaning
it, brushing it, paying attention to them. We have decreased in our horsemanship
because we don’t spend time with horses as much."

"I think because the kids today are so focused on the most part on achieving so many
goals meaning being academically scholastic and being top riders and also maintaining
a social life that the hours spent in the barn is a little bit different from when I grew up
because they are stretched so thin. So I am really trying to pack the most I can in their
hours here but at the same time being very supportive of their academics at school. So
they don’t have the interaction that I would love as far as the care of the horse but it’s
talked a lot during lessons even though it is maybe not as hands-on as I would like."

"Through industrialization people have become more urban. People used to have
horses because they needed horses. Through time, people now have horses because
they want horses not because they need horses."

66
Increased Emphasis on Competition

"My worry is that we are teaching the younger generation how to compete not to
ride. There is very little time to ride. It is very discouraging to me because of my
passion which is teaching and horsemanship to see nice young people, they have deep
pockets; they can buy the best horses in the world; they can buy top Olympic coaches
and they can go to all the top horseshows but that’s a very limited engagement. And
that’s the part that worries me of the future."

"People who learn to ride because they want to compete is not connected to good
horsemanship. I am not against competition, not at all. But the motivation should be,
in my eyes, you love your horse and you love to ride. This should be the motivation to
drive to the barn everyday."

"Gamesmanship, as apposed to sportsmanship, is how do I get that ribbon. We are

certainly seeing gamesmanship increasing. So what can you do to this horse to calm it
down for a hunter jumper or jack it up to get it into racing. I have run into more people
that are at high levels of competition that do not have basic horse care knowledge
because all their focus has been as a jockey on that horse. Just so that you throw them
up on the horse and they go out and get the best performance out of that horse that
they can but they haven’t had a lot of training in the actual day to day care of that
horse. And I know some lesson barns where literally they walk in and the horse is
already tacked up, they get up on the horse, they go do their one hour lesson, they get
off and they go home. And we are seeing that more and more."

"The people we see at these horse shows especially the younger, younger people that
(horsemanship) is going extinct, virtually extinct. It is so focused now on competition
that the real basics of riding is or will be going extinct unless we are careful. And you
take these new countries to horses, countries that don’t have a horse tradition, that is
virtual unknown in those countries. Ireland, France, Holland and Germany that is so
steeped in their history and mentality that is much easier to address than countries like
China."

67
 "You lose the true essence of our sport from all levels of our sport. It is really, really
unfortunate. And the fact that the number of people that attend pony club have just
plummeted and now nobody cares about it. Because the top riders don’t do it anymore,
the teenagers don’t do it anymore, because the teenagers don’t do it anymore, the kids
don’t do it anymore."

"I think with the loss of land and the loss of people taking care of their own horses and
the growing emphasis in some cases on competition, I think we are really losing it
(horsemanship). You have so many people who really have never spent time with
horses, who haven’t time spent time educating themselves about the care of the horse,
the mind of the horse. I see many cases the riders spend no time caring for the horse,
they just ride. And I think that’s a little frightening and a long with it our competitions
are growing and the competitions are getting better and better. But that puts more
emphasis on competition. You know I grew up with my horses in the background and
we played with them. We really learned how horses worked, functioned, thought and
reacted and became part of their lives. As opposed to having them as a means to
success. That scares me a little bit. That’s where you truly get to know and understand
horses."

"I am bit worried. I worry a bit because sport is too important nowadays. For me,
dressage can be well achieved if we can be successful in getting a balance between
sport and art. If we don’t get this balance and, if the sport is too important, the sport
has a tendency to kill the art. And if the art is too important and there is no sport to
give objectives/goals it can be far from the topic."

"So there horsemanship I am not sure with the expectations in sport increasing, I think
we want the best for our horses but sometimes our judgment is maybe clouded by the
ambition that we have in the sport."

68
 "I think that what I see with young people these days coming into the sport or being
involved with horses in general, I am not seeing the same level of passion and love of
the horse that comes from spending time with the horses. And I think it has to do with
not just people spending less time with them necessarily but I also think it has
something to do with our generation with people wanting instant gratification, quick
results. And I think the competitive side of many sports not just our sport. Its more
outcome related than process related. There is not as much quality time spent with just
even simple things of being around the horse, grazing, grooming, interacting with them
on the ground, which is where the relationship begins. That is where a lot of the elitism
is coming from as well too I think as people are coming to a riding lesson, the horse is
already tacked up, they ride the horse, they get off. There is no relationship being
established. I think that is critical and I think that is a bit of a missing link. Time in the
saddle is essential but I think that they go hand in hand. If that relationship on the
ground is established, then the time spent in the saddle is much more meaningful and
much more achievable as well."

"It’s the next generation because they’re just teaching them to compete and compete
and compete and compete and that’s not the base of the sport. That worries me. It’s
about the horse. It’s not about the fancy towns you go to, it’s not about the yachts, it’s
not about the helicopters, it’s not about the VIP seats. That’s not why I do this and
that’s what we are seeing. Because that generation perpetuates to the next
generation."

69
Growing Criticism of Equestrian Sport
"People are being pretty critical on equestrian sports and they say we put too much
pressure on them and we ask unnatural exercises of them. I think at the moment the
basic level of horsemanship all over the world is increasing, it will be much easier for
the general public to understand what we are doing with them, how we are asking it
and they will also recognize when a horse is happy yes or no. Otherwise they will just
scream from the sides. As equestrian sport, we shouldn’t close our eyes to these
criticisms because they have a big voice and they will decide in the future what we are
allowed to do in equestrian sport."

"It’s a balance and also understand the needs for horses to actually perform more.
Horses have lost- I don’t want to say original function because their original function
was to be a horse- but their next original function was in society to be working horses,
cavalry horses and there was always a need for horses. But as industrialization took
over the working function of the horse decreased and it became more leisure animal
and a sports animal. These animal rights activists that are all against sport, if we have
to stop using horses in sport then the horse is going to become an obsolete animal. So
we need to actually further the sport because that is in these days and age the function
of the horse and we don’t want to lose the importance that the horse has. So it is a
little bit of a tricky situation as you want to further it but you don’t want to do it at the
cost of the wellbeing of the horse."

"We always have many, many people that ask to stop everything with horses. Bring
horses maybe into a zoo but don’t use a horse in a saddle or in front of a carriage. And
for me this is very, very important that we realize that our responsibility as humans to
act with horses very, very careful and in a very positive way at home and in front of
the public. In front of the public is especially for the FEI is important. For me, it is very
important that we have this understanding."

"What I am afraid always is this thing goes too over. It should be balanced. If this
balance goes too much on this side of the rider or too much on the side of the horse it
doesn’t work. It has to be a balance like everything in life; it has to be in the middle."
70
Appendix H- Select Quotes on the Importance of Horsemanship

Horsemanship is the Foundation

"Horsemanship is the foundation. The word training is the specialization. So that way
there is a difference, horsemanship is the cake and training is like the icing on the
cake. I can even have cake without icing but I don’t want to have icing without cake or
at least not very much of it."

"Horsemanship is the missing link everywhere. It’s sublime. It’s like electricity- it’s in
the walls, it’s in the wiring, you don’t know it until it’s not working when you go to
switch the thing on and nothing is there. There is different focus, scope and depth. The
more intrinsic your involvement with horses are then of course the more scope and
depth you need. Horsemanship is really the thing that gives you the ability to have a
relationship, communication and negotiation with horses. So the answer is, everything
needs horsemanship."

"Horsemanship is not dependent on the discipline or role you have within the sport but
is something almost like an attitude that can be instilled within all members of the
equine community."

"I think that they (officials) need more horsemanship than the rider does. The rider
gets to spend day after day with his individual horse and gets to create a relationship.
As an official, you don’t know who you are going to be out there with. You need to be
able to read a horse. They are working with animals that they do not know at all and
need to have more horsemanship. They need to know exactly when to step in, where
that horse is looking, when would be the right time."

"If you really want horsemanship it’s got to be deep in your heart and strong on your
mind."
71
 "If I am not setting up a good example, they will not listen to me. They will not trust
me. Even doubt my decision. They will doubt my judgment if I say this horse is lame or
if it is not fit to compete and the horse has to be eliminated. They will see me, how I
am interacting with a horse and while I am evaluating the horse they will doubt my
decision. So we will have to, not only for the sake of giving them a good impression,
also for the sake of the welfare of the horse. We have to approach nicely, in a proper
way. If you have a bit of good horsemanship then the riders and other stakeholders
they’re feeling it."

"Horsemanship is what we have or what we must aim to have. We have it, we are
living in it or it is something we must create or make it more perfect."

"It will be the same for me if I am going to a mechanic, my car is broken, if I see this
person that is trying to fix it is not confident, he doesn’t know what he is doing. I will
say sorry, thank you I will take it to another place. But again, the trainers or riders
have no option. They can’t take it to another vet if I am the official vet of the event.
You have no choice. Also, I am representing big bodies- my national federation, I am
representing the FEI. So as I said, I have to act professionally in every aspect starting
from the way I dress, the way I behave, the way I communicate with the horses."

"In my personal opinion, to be called a horseman is the highest compliment. To be

called a great trainer or a great rider is wonderful but it lacks the stature of the
horseman."

"Let us be led by horsemanship."

72
It Makes Our Sport Unique

"The name horse makes it different than another sport because actually there is an
animal. But it goes a little bit more than that. Horsemanship it is a lot of good values of
some kind of people that we want to spread all over the people that are related to the
FEI. The thing is how can we aim it, to perfect it, to endorse it and to keep it."

"That is what makes our sport so unique. That we try to compete with another
creature."

"We are the only sport. We have a relation and a partner. And that partner is an
animal."

"When you are joining equestrian, you are joining a new world because you are coming
into a sport that has a partner. This is something more unique and different being in
touch with an animal. Riding a horse is more than a sport. And some people may never
understand that."

73
We are all in this Together

"There needs to be a greater understanding amongst us and we need to start lifting the
horse industry up together instead of pulling it down, especially pulling it down from
within. Sure we need to be aware about what’s not right in the industry but just don’t
give it any oxygen. Whatever you add energy or oxygen to is what is going to grow.
We need to put our respect, our care and our finances behind the people who are doing
the right things."

"And at the moment in our sport, people don't want to understand the other. There is
no interest in understanding the problem of the other, what the other thinks. This you
can find at any level with the judges, with the stewards and with the institution. In my
opinion we have to start to look, to understand the people. Why is he doing this? Why
does this happen? What can we do in order to find a solution that is maybe not the
best but good for both of us. Like in a family. If you are married and want to stay
married for a long time you must understand."

"If you love your horse for whatever it does; your horse is important to you as mine
are to me. If that gives you joy and if you’re taking care of your horse and taking care
of its needs, you are important to the horse industry. A little child that chooses to ride
the horse instead of going to other sports or going out. Everyone has a place within
this."

"Everyone has to understand it. We want to get to a solution and for that we have to
work together. All parties start to understand that they need each other. It’s always
your mistake and not mine. It’s not an umbrella over my head and not on yours. We’re
not living on eight islands. We are living on one big island."

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We Owe it to the Horses

"I feel like I owe it to them because they have given me so much."

"This animal is wonderful. Do you realize just how wonderful they are? They are the
only creature in the world that will give us what they do. They will enter into wars with
us, they will accompany us on journeys, they will be manipulated by us, they will be
put into lorries by us. Can you imagine any other animals so willing and so compliant
to do all that? You can force animals to do things but these animals give themselves to
us. The relationship between a person and a horse is very, very intimate and it should
be appreciated. We owe them so much"

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Appendix I- Acknowledgements

This research would not be possible without the vision, support and guidance from
the FEI Director of Education and Standards, Dr. Harald Müller, and FEI Advisor of
Education and Standards, Tammy Thill. I am tremendously grateful to have had the
incredible opportunity to contribute to this highly relevant and exciting topic. Thank
you so much for your trust and supervision throughout this process.

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all research
study participants who graciously donated their time to contribute to this research. It
is through your assistance that this study was accomplished and, hopefully, capable of
improving equestrian sport in the future. It was a sincere pleasure, remarkable honour
and tremendous learning experience to speak with each and every one of you.

In addition, I would like to thank my parents for their unwavering support of not
only this research but also in my pursuit to follow my dreams. Thank you for believing
in me and providing the inspiration to become the best person I can possibly be.

Finally, I would like to thank all individuals who have read this research paper
for taking the time to learn more about horsemanship competence. I truly hope it
changed your life as much as it did mine!

With Sincere Gratitude,

Stefanie Krysiak

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