Equine athletes and interspecies sport

This article draws on a range of sociological literature including studies of sport, subculture, interspecies relationships and animal advocacy to understand the social processes that have contributed to the horse being defined as an athlete in equestrian sports. Using a combination of qualitative i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International review for the sociology of sport Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 632 - 643
Main Authors:	Gilbert, Michelle, Gillett, James
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	London, England SAGE Publications 01-10-2012
Subjects:	Aesthetics Indexing in process Modern Society Social Processes Sports Subcultures Values interspecies relationships classification equestrian sports
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	This article draws on a range of sociological literature including studies of sport, subculture, interspecies relationships and animal advocacy to understand the social processes that have contributed to the horse being defined as an athlete in equestrian sports. Using a combination of qualitative interviews and archival analysis, we identify trends in the equine industry that have provided the foundation for the emergence of a new type of equine athlete – the sport pony – in the context of late modern societies. We conclude by arguing that the popularity of the sport pony is a reflection of a general trend within the equine industry placing value on athleticism and esthetics.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	1012-6902 1461-7218
DOI:	10.1177/1012690211416726