Sport horses may need to be ridden and competed to enjoy their best lives – but how do we show the public and ourselves that our horses enjoy what they’re doing? The others were public acceptance and scrutiny, the influence of money and economics on horse sport and welfare, and governance, “whether equestrian sport is structured to generally protect horses”. Professor of veterinary ethics Madeleine Campbell said public focus on involvement of animals in sport has become “quite incoherent”. Essentially, providing we get that right, social licence will be maintained.”Speakers agreed that if horse sport waits for the public to act, it will be too late. And that’s obviously a very good and clear justification to the public about why it can be ethically acceptable to involve horses in sport,” he said.