From work horse to hobby horse: some impacts of equestrian pursuits

on the British countryside

Rhys Evans* & Alex Franklin**

* Integrate Consulting, Scotland ** BRASS, Cardiff University

INTEGRATE CONSULTING specializing in multi-method social research,

policy analysis, evaluation & training

Equine Knowledges

• Introduction (AF)• Theory/ Collective Actions (RE)• Embodied practices/ A personal

narrative (AF)• Conclusions/ Beginnings (RE)

Equine facts and figures

The horse industry is a significant economic force– Its gross output is £3.4billion– It employs up to 250,000 people directly and indirectly– 2.4 million people ride– 11 million people have some interest in the horse

industry and 5 million an active interest– the horse population is at least 600,000 and could

total nearly 1million

[Strategy for the Horse Industry in England and Wales 2005]

‘Status’ of the horse

• Agricultural Animal?

• Pet?

• Companion Animal?

• A Production (or Consumption?) Animal?

Equine landscapes

‘Local planning authorities should set out in their development documents their policies for supporting equine enterprises, whilst maintaining environmental quality and countryside character.

These policies should… facilitate the reuse of farm buildings for small scale horse enterprises that provide a useful form of farm diversification’

[PPS7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas (2004)]

Equine landscapes

Welsh Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside,

Carwyn Jones: “From equine sports and tourism to education

and breeding specialties, the horse industry is increasing in its importance both to the Welsh economy and to the people of Wales”.

[Press Release 06/12/2005 ‘A Landmark Achievement for the Horse Industry as its first ever strategy is launched today’]

Equine Knowledges

• Other new ‘Knowledges’ studied by geographers– Ramblers– Sporting Estates– Automobile Landscapes

Socio-natures

• Urban visions – Rural Practices• Geographic Imaginaries of Rural Idyll• Embodied Practices • Affect, in dream and practices

Henri Lefebvre

• The Production of Space

• Practices which produce and reproduce places and knowledge about them

The Production of Space

• spatial practices• Actual Equine pursuits

• representations of space• Regulation• Planning• Changing Models of Rural Development• Political economics

• representational spaces• Equine dreams• Cultural icons • Affect

Actor Network Theory

• Callon, Latour, Law and others

• Material and semiotic—performative/affective

• Horse and rider make an entity, an embodied experience with values

Equine Maintenance

• Livery• Access• Stabling• Turnout• Social

Equine Use

• Facilities

• Hacking

• Training

• Competition

The Production of new rural spaces Factors:

• Regulation Of Equines:• passports• bio-security• manure management• breeds• Association

Factors 2

• Regulation– Of Rural Space

• Multi-functionality• Environmental Regulation

Factors 3

• Regimes of Production– Sectoral Change in Rural Activity

• primary to tertiary

– consumption of rural goods in place– higher value-added activities – new or alternative supply chains

• Wider economic changes– greater disposable income– increase in size of market and supply

Human influence on the landscape

• Embodied perceptions and practices of riders

• Holistic Horse/Rider entity

Embodied perceptions and practices of riders

• Practical movement– challenges– ease– competition for use of space– variety

Embodied perceptions and practices of riders

• Sensory– visual perception/Scopic Regimes – olfactory– noise/aural– tactile

Embodied perceptions and practices of riders

• Safety– competing use of space:– temporality

• days of the week,• hours of the day• month of year

– horses shying or spooking– Risk Management

Equine Knowledges

Producing new Landscapes in the UK countryside