Be Horse Aware!

In racing we have Drinkaware as a valued partner to promote responsible drinking and Gambleaware to assist in sharing messaging around safe, enjoyable betting, but what about being horse aware?

A campaign launched by the trade bodies representing Britain’s racecourses, owners and trainers is to be launched with that very message—Be Horse Aware!

The Racecourse Association (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) and National Trainers Federation (NTF) have jointly adopted the Be Horse Aware campaign, which aims to increase awareness of being around horses and highlighting simple measures that can be taken to avoid unnecessary accidents in and around equine areas.

The Be Horse Aware campaign draws together existing best practice and guidelines into a unified, collaborative message to ensure the safety of all who come into contact with horses on a raceday, particularly those who may not be aware of the dangers posed by horses.

Outlining the key elements of the campaign, the RCA’s Racecourse Services Manager Holly Cook says: “The main principles are already in place and now we turn our attentions to how they are reinforced and how everyone involved can get behind them. The more we are working together and supporting each other, the more effective these principles will be.

“Each of us has a role to play: the racecourse as the venue and the owners and trainers as the keepers of the horse. The RCA will work with our members to implement the policies, and our partners at the NTF and ROA will work with their members to ensure their support. As a collective, it makes implementing an essential campaign like Be Horse Aware so much easier.”

As part of the collective of stakeholders promoting the campaign, the NTF’s Chief Executive Rupert Arnold added “it is important for everyone who comes close to the horses on a racecourse to be aware of the potential for accidents. By highlighting the risk areas, the Be Horse Aware Campaign will enable everyone to enjoy the racing experience safely.”

Campaign Golden Rule #1—Keep clear of equine areas unless you have a legitimate reason to be present

A key part of Be Horse Aware is to reinforce the safety messages aimed at the most popular areas where horses and humans come into contact, namely the Pre-parade Ring, Parade Ring and Winner’s Enclosure.

Cook explains: “Observations of the Parade Ring and other equine areas has revealed that the spaces are becoming more and more cramped. Aside from impacting on experience, this has serious safety implications.

“Being invited into these areas is a real privilege and one of the best parts of being involved with a horse. We want to ensure that the reality of this experience matches up to the expectation and that those who need to be there as part of their jobs are able to do so.

“As a next step, we want Parade Ring safety officers to feel they have the authority to ask someone who shouldn’t be there to leave. We all have a role to play in implementing this change.”

Such sentiments are echoed by Charlie Liverton, Chief Executive of the ROA. “The ROA and RCA recognised that over the past few years the number of people in parade rings has increased to a level where, on occasions, it could be dangerous” recalled Liverton. “Owners are clear in their view that access to the parade ring is central to the enjoyment of their day and the Be Horse Aware campaign should help to ensure that the experience is enhanced and made safer.”

Campaign Golden Rule #2—This is no horseplay: under 12s are not permitted into equine areas

Behind the campaign is a new code of best practice. The code has been agreed by the RCA, ROA and NTF boards following discussion by the RCA’s Technical Group—a collective of racecourse Clerks representing racecourses across the country. The BHA’s raceday operations team and lead inspector of courses, Richard Linley, have also ratified it.

Part of this code is a rule that has been in place for some time—prohibiting young children from entering equine areas. Be Horse Aware reinforces this message, and with good reason.

“We want children and families to have a fun and memorable experience at the races” explains Cook “and the last thing we want is for a day to be ruined by an accident with the horses. As a mother of two young children myself, I know how excited they can get in these situations. This rule is in place to protect children and ensure their safety.”

Cook concedes that accidents in Parade Rings specifically have been few and far between but is clear that a pro-active stance is the right one.

“People are becoming more conscious about the danger of an incident occurring,” she says. “This is a high-profile area, a vital part of the raceday, an amphitheatre filled with the anticipation of a winner. It needs to be managed as such.”

“Anecdotal reports suggest that the present instruction is not always adhered to. This is a great opportunity to reinforce the guidelines and make it very clear to everybody what’s required.

Campaign Golden Rule #3—Spread the word—Be Horse Aware!

The next steps for Be Horse Aware are to share the campaign across the sport and the underlying code of best practice to key stakeholders. Communicating this effectively will be vital, says Cook.

“There are two parts of sharing this information we need to consider. One is getting the message across to the connections of horses about the campaign itself but more importantly their responsibility in upholding it.

“The ROA has been a great partner in initially approaching us to participate in Be Horse Aware and also to support its messaging.”

As well as the standard methods of sharing campaign messaging such as posters, social media and good old word of mouth, the RCA and ROA will be making the most of existing infrastructure to offer a more tailored invitation to Be Horse Award.

“We have plans in place to extend the PASS system, which generates an email that goes to every registered owner when a horse is declared, telling them about the declaration and that tickets are available to book. At this time we will be able to share a personalised Be Horse Aware message in advance of the raceday.”

To learn more about the campaign and read the full Code of Good Practice, please click here.