It feels so bizarre to share something with the world that has lived inside my head, or inside the heads of those who have been kind enough to share this vision with me after so long.
Today I officially launch Equine Qualifications UK CIC (EQUK) – the not for profit organisation that aims to improve accessibility in the equine industry.
EQUK was born from the belief that I have in using education as a catalyst to improve the lives of those who live and work in the horse industry. Over the years I’ve spent around horses, on livery yards and at riding schools across the country, I am not naive to the challenges that exist. I see so many passionate people become disengaged because they don’t know how to move forward, they lose energy or inspiration and they become jaded.
I know the struggles because I experienced them myself. Burnt out from working with horses at 18, I quit the job I loved. An hour into my first shift at my new job (IKEA, of all places), I knew I had made a mistake. I didn’t necessarily want to go back, but I also knew that I had to.
Working with horses for many of us is something that is in our veins. No matter what we do, or where we go, it’s something that stays in us. I was told, as I am sure you have been too, that there was no future working with horses. In what other industry, worth £8 billion to the UK economy every year, would we say that to anyone? For a little context, according to data from the House of Lords Library, the Architecture industry is worth only £3.7 billion annually.
I am sure you know as well as I do the reasons that people say this. People, more experienced than you – either genuinely or by your perception – have told you cynically that you can’t turn your passion into your paycheck, and you certainly can’t do it in the world of horses! If you want to work with horses you must SUFFER every minute! We do it for the passion and there’s no passion without pain!
I used to believe that, but truthfully, that’s what people who want to limit you say.
I believe that there are a lot of reasons for this. However, when you really peal back the many complex layers of classism, elitism and individualistic insecurity – you realise that fundamentally every single person doling out the advice of “this can’t be done” is saying it from a place of having failed at some point themselves and they’re placing a cap on you too. The level at which you envy others is the limit you place upon yourself.
The world is changing and it is healing. More and more of us are going to therapy and breaking generational patterns of trauma our parents and caregivers have passed onto us. This means that more and more of us are waking up to the archaic systems that have governed us for so long, we are challenging the status quo, and we are questioning how we can do things differently.
Because we can. The equestrian industry has to change in order to become more sustainable.
It’s funny, writing this article is a full circle moment for me: the reason I came up with the idea for EQUK was because of a book I read that spoke about how the key to building a successful business was about making it ethical. The concept behind EQUK came from me wanting to make equestrian education more accessible, but launching it as a social enterprise was the key to getting it off the ground. In order to make the equestrian industry more sustainable, it must become more ethical.
If you look at it from an economic perspective, it is a ‘top heavy’ industry with a lot of money at the elite end of the sport. This is one of the reasons that people will tell you ‘there’s no money in horses.’ It’s not that there’s no money, there’s just a perception it is out of reach.
In order for the horse industry to become more economically viable, and therefore sustainable, we must diversify and offer ethical engagement options, and consequently facilitate the spread of wealth. Equine assisted therapy and learning is something which has grown hugely in the last ten years. The BHS submitted evidence to the House of Commons Committees demonstrating the positive impact of equine assisted therapy on young people. The power of horses to positively change lives, reduce crime and combat youth unemployment should not be underestimated.
There are dozens of ways yards can diversify. In one example, riding schools could reduce the physical strain on their own resources (horses and staff), by working with trained equine learning facilitators and benefit the local community by partnering with local youth groups. Another example would be for riding schools to partner with local equine bodyworkers and offer training days for horse owners to learn about exercises and techniques to support their own horses’ physical wellbeing. If there’s one thing we know about the Great British public it’s that we love to spend money on our animals, and so there would certainly be uptake with the right marketing.
I am not alone in saying this. Lucy Katan of the British Grooms Association and Equestrian Employers Association has been advocating for this for years, for working “smarter and not harder.”
Modernisation of a traditional industry should not be seen as a bad thing. There are plenty of practises within the horse industry we have said goodbye to in recent years, and there are plenty more we should be waving off into the sunset. We should all be celebrating opportunities to make things better for our horses, and for ourselves. We all love this sport and the animal, that’s why we are all still here.
So what does all this have to do with EQUK?
Equine Qualifications UK CIC is more than just a database of education, which unless you work in HE, sounds like the most boring thing in the world. It’s an opportunity to help build the next generation of equestrian staff, retain that passion, excitement and love we are hemorrhaging from the industry, and cultivate a more positive future for our horses and for ourselves. It is also an opportunity to facilitate the distribution of wealth and knowledge throughout the sector.
In the early days, EQUK can do proactive, hands-on things to make an impact. It will make it easier for people to find their future educational opportunities. It will provide practical guidance and support to those who need a little extra help or support. It will re-engage people who perhaps do not view education as a positive destination for them. It will facilitate diversity within the student bodies of equestrian educational institutes.
My vision for the future of EQUK though is so much bigger: eventually I would like it to provide financial support for those who have a passion or vision for their own equestrian futures; to help overcome geographical barriers to participation; and help to give equestrian businesses the tools to upskill their staff in a way which creates financial sustainability for generations to come.
I can hear the cynics already. “How are you paying for all of this, dear?”
Universities, colleges, and education providers all have marketing budgets. Every business, every charity, no matter how small, have marketing budgets. The thing with marketing budgets is that they are incredibly easy to piss up a wall (quite literally). A college could spend £600 on a bus shelter ad that someone will forget about the minute they sit down and open TikTok, or they could spend it listing on EQUK for a whole year and help fund the modernisation of one of the industries it is producing workers for. It’s a no-brainer, if you ask me.
According to my research and using the EQUK business model, if every single equestrian education provider invested the bare minimum into it, it would raise a six figure sum in the first year in advertising revenue. Small providers pay less, big providers pay more, but even the big providers will be paying a drop in the ocean compared to the amount of money they sink into some websites.
According to the Guardian some universities and colleges have six figure marketing budgets. This is no bad thing, but let’s loop back around to a point I made earlier about wealth distribution: in order for economies to be sustainable, there must be cash flow at every level.
The educational industry is one of the largest contributors to the UK economy, and it is intrinsically linked to every sector, which means it has a degree of responsibility. By institutions offering a share of their marketing budgets in a mutually beneficial way (because EQUK definitely serves their needs too – to grow student numbers strategically), it has a positive impact on both individuals and organisations within the equestrian industry. The majority of institutions listing on EQUK will do so for less than £3000 a year, and for that they receive search engine optimised listings, connection to an engaged and niche audience, and proactive, targeted outreach work. It can do a lot more too – Education Providers can sign up using the button below to receive their starter pack and introductory presentation.
Over the last year and a half I have spoken to a lot of people and sent a lot of emails. Many of them have never been replied to. Some of them were dismissive. A few gifted me their time and expertise, for which I am eternally grateful.
I know that it is now time for hard work of a different kind to begin, but it’s an experience I am energised and excited at the prospect of. It is also a moment to reflect on the journey that has been – one that has been very personal, challenging, tiring, and lonely at times. I have had to trust only myself, and sometimes in blind faith, on more than one occasion.
In the words of someone very wise, and very kind, who was one of the first to take me seriously, competence really does follow preference.