Equestrianism in the UK has reached a “pivotal moment”, research has found, as work is ongoing to support its “sustainable, inclusive and socially valuable future”.
British Equestrian (BEF) has published its 2025 “state of the nation” report, the third annual overview of the sector. The report takes in research and information from the BEF, its member bodies, partners and other organisations in sport, health and education.
“This year’s report is evidence that equestrianism has reached a pivotal moment, with participation and social impact evidence on the rise,” the report states. “Equestrian activities deliver significant health, wellbeing and inclusion benefits, while reaching groups often underrepresented in other sports.
“But it also highlights real pressures, with rising costs and fewer local facilities restricting growth and accessibility, as well as increasing welfare and social licence scrutiny.
“The message is clear – equestrianism matters more than ever, but protecting its future will require care, investment and clear evidence of the positive impact horses have on people’s lives.”
The report found that equestrian participation and engagement continue to grow. There has been a 16% increase in BEF member body members, for example, to 295,965 in total, and a 21% increase in social media followers, to more than 2.3m people. But equestrian businesses, charities and the workforce are under pressure.
“Rising operating costs and workforce challenges continue to impact riding establishments and community facilities, threatening local access if not addressed,” the report states.
Social value
A big focus in the BEF state of the nation report 2025 is on social value; H&H reported that major BEF “power of horses” research had found that equestrianism generates £1.2bn in social value every year.
BEF insight and research manager Abbie Bevan, who spoke about the social value research at the launch event last year and highlighted the need to communicate this value to Government, told H&H the picture is overall a positive one.
“This is a retrospective of last year and we can only take it year by year, but at the moment it’s showing there’s a lot of opportunity across the federation with our member bodies,” she said. “That’s what the power of horses research showed us. When we align a lot of the findings of that and the work that’s done in riding schools, there’s a huge amount of opportunity for us to align with Government agendas, on health, wellbeing and social connection.
“This is a reflection on what has been but with the idea of helping us navigate forward as well.”
Ms Bevan explained that it can be difficult to keep up with all the different research and work being carried out; pulling it together helps keep the sector on track and relevant, and to compare equestrianism to other sports and wider trends.
“There are elements of keeping us accountable, but also giving us a bit of a direction; what areas could we focus on next and are there opportunities for us to learn from other sports?” she said.
The BEF state of the nation report sets out the evidence of equestrianism’s relevance to society and the need to protect the sector through “collaboration, investment and improved insight”.
Ms Bevan said that as well as ongoing work with its funders and investors, the BEF is working internally and with specialists to put together its requests to the Government.
BEF state of the nation: work goes on
“There’s a lot of work going on behind closed doors at the moment, but exciting things are to come; that’s essentially the summary,” she said.
The BEF is also working towards its next Sport England funding cycle and “constantly improving” data collection, including research on the workforce.
“Looking ahead, British Equestrian will continue to harness the power of evidence, by developing research and data to better understand the sector and support year-on-year tracking of participation, workforce sustainability, welfare and social impact,” a BEF spokesperson said.
“Set against national evidence of declining physical activity, widening inequalities and growing pressures on health and education systems, the report demonstrates how equestrian activity can contribute to preventative healthcare, social connection and positive life outcomes across all ages.”
BEF head of development and inclusion Rebecca Gibson added that the report shows equestrianism’s status as “far more than a sport”.
“The evidence demonstrates its ability to deliver meaningful social value, improve wellbeing and reach people who are often missed by other forms of physical activity,” she said. “By placing data and insight at the heart of our work, we can better protect the future of the sector, support our communities and ensure horses continue to enrich lives across the UK.”
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