horsescotland’s vision is to empower equestrian sports nationally
- kirstenmbinnie
- Mar 30
- 3 min read
horsescotland collaborates with The Equine Times to support equestrianism
horsescotland is the national governing body for all equestrian sports and activities in Scotland working towards empowering Scotland to become a leading, inclusive nation for equestrian sports and all related activities.
On this page each month, readers will be able to find information about horsescotland, its aims and how it supports riders, clubs and organisations to improve their standing in equestrian and Scottish sport.
horsescotland represents, supports and collaborates with around 60 member bodies across the equestrian community in Scotland.
Members range from the governing bodies for equestrian disciplines including dressage, eventing and showjumping to welfare and charity organisations, such as BHS Scotland and World Horse Welfare, to individual clubs, and corporate and community partners across the country.
Education and Development Manager, Wellbeing and Protection Officer, Emily Smith said: “We have a small but mighty team working within horsescotland who comprise of a core staff team of three people, led by our CEO Sonya Campbell Perry, and a further three individuals contracted in specialist roles within the organisation.
“Together, we are working towards increasing participation, access and diversity within equestrian activities, delivering coach education through the Scottish Coaching Certificate and developing educational opportunities across the sector.
“We support member bodies with their projects and compliance, leading the way in the governance of Scottish equestrianism, ensuring safeguarding and protection of children and adults at risk within the sport and supporting riders to develop and excel through the Athlete Development Pathway.”
Examples of this in the North-east include coaching opportunities with Lorraine Buchan near Peterhead where participants can further their coaching skills and gain advanced qualifications.
In the next few months horsescotland will launch their new strategy setting out their ambitions and areas of focus for the next 10 years.
Emily added: “At horsescotland we are delighted to be collaborating withThe Equine Times and the team look forward to sharing news, events and updates with readers throughout the year.”
Non-executive directors wanted
horsescotland is currently seeking to recruit three new non-executive directors to the board. The available positions are:
· Finance Director
· IT and Digitisation Director
· Welfare Director
As the organisation prepares to launch the 10-year strategy, the board wishes to appoint individuals who have strategic experience and a strong desire to support and set the direction for horsescotland to help deliver the strategy which will ensure success for horsescotland, member bodies and equestrianism in Scotland.
The role description and how to apply is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tSbD7WK0IAB3Tr0ktLnLb3sERm9WY70f/view?usp=sharing
Applications close at 23:59 on Friday 3rd April 2026.
Equine coaching masterclass
horsescotland, in collaboration with the Scottish Equine Coach Assembly, are bringing the horsescotland Equine Coaching Masterclass to the Scottish National Equestrian Centre on 29th and 30th September 2026.
The event brings together a multidisciplinary team of leading practitioners to deliver an integrated approach to equestrian performance.
It will combine technical coaching, rider development, sport science and welfare – showcasing riders from the horsescotland Athlete Development Pathway as they progress through a structured, high-performance environment.
This event is ideal for:
· Equestrian coaches and trainees
· Riders looking to improve their performance
· Support teams (physios, trainers, psychologists)
· Anyone involved in high-performance equestrian development
· Riders looking for more information involving horsescotland’s Athlete Development Pathway
An opportunity to see how a fully integrated team works in practice when developing both horse and rider performance in line with modern, research-led coaching approaches, tickets for the event will be available later in the year.
Upcoming coaching courses
horsescotland is running Scottish Coaching Certificate (SCC) courses at Levels 1 & 2 throughout the year.
The SCC Course Guide, dates for upcoming courses and application forms can be found here: https://www.horsescotland.org/coaching
The dates which still have spaces are:
12th February to 21st May - Level 2 at Breconbeds Equestrian, Annan, SW Scotland.
16th March to 14th June - Level 2 at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, NE Scotland.
18th May to 2nd July - Level 1 at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, NE Scotland.
9th July to 20th August - Level 1 at Breconbeds Equestrian, Annan, SW Scotland.
17th August to 28th November - Level 2 at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, NE Scotland.
10th September to 10th December - Level 2 at Breconbeds Equestrian, Annan, SW Scotland.
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To get in touch with the horsescotland team contact them via email at info@horsescotland.org or at the office on 0800 488 0232. The website is www.horsescotland.org
You can connect on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/horsescotland1/
Or on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/horsescotland/
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