Sustainability in equine industry in Finland

First of all, at the moment there are no reliable tools to measure how huge carbon footprint is in the equine industry. Although, the European Equestrian Foundation (EEF) have started to create a measurement tool with it's partners to clarify the size of the carbon footprint. Especially in training up to international sport, that includes all trainings, feed and waste production. International sport includes a lot of travelling around the world, but at lower levels it has been organized online competitions that doesn't include travelling.

International events are one of the main engines in equine sports. The events could also be considered as samples of our industry to the people who are not familiar with horses or equine industry. FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) has been looking for different ways to help create positive environmental legacies. This also came to realization in the Tokyo Olympics 2021, when they re-used an older equestrian venue, instead of construction to a new area. FEI has also released a Sustainability handbook for event organizers since 2014. The handbook describes eight of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable development goals which can be implemented in the events. The event organizers get guided step by step how to take action and create their own sustainability plan to their events. It is recommended that event organizers concentrate on the development on few areas and implement them successfully. This will also bring awareness to audience, to other partners and sponsors that we care about our environment and our industry and work hard to improve.

In Helsinki International Horse Show, the event organizers were cooperating with the energy supply company Fortum and used horse manure to create electricity to the event for five years. The manure used were produced by the competition horses from the same event. The event organizers also have a very ambitious concept to develop Helsinki Horse show to the most ecological horse show in the world. The use of horse manure as a renewable energy source has accomplished positive recognition internationally. It has also considered to be as something to develop in the future, because it has beneficial effect, not only to the equestrian events, but also to the other communities and households.

Unfortunately, in Finland there are no longer possible to use horse manure as energy source. Most of the horse manure were burned in bio power plant at Järvenpää, but after Fortum sold the power plant, it is not possible to utilize horse manure as energy source. One of the reasons to end the burn of horse manure was, that some of the power plants considered that the process was too challenging to implement. However, horse manure is possible to produce near by the power plants and other nations have thought that this is an excellent idea.

In Finland some equine companies have made changes in their daily routines and invested in more environment friendly resolutions. For example, at Vihti Dressage center, they have installed solar panels on the top of their stable roof, so that they can create their own energy supply from solar energy to their needs. Horse feeds are delivered near by the local farmer, to minimise the emissions and also to support local entrepreneurs. Horse manure is also used as fertiliser to the fields. When the indoor or outdoor arenas surface needs to be irrigated, the irrigation water is leaded from a pond at the facilities.

Other more affordable and easier ways to execute sustainability in everyday life at the stables are listed in the Horse & Hound article; How all equestrians can help make the world greener place. I consider that these are very practical advice, and I have worked at stables that have already executed some of these advice into practice. As mentioned in the article, using rainwater to irrigation, switching hosepipes to buckets when washing your horse and setting up areas to separate waste, are all cost-effective ways to implement sustainability at the stables.

All in all, the people in equine industry are hard working and very passionate. We should increase research, to gain more knowledge of different options and resolutions of how to develop more environment friendly ways to function in our industry. Hopefully the industry invents completely new ideas to protect our environment that are useful to other industries as well. We love our horses and want the best for them. In this case, we need to work hard to maintain a healthy planet and environment for our horses and everyone else. In my opinion the work has already started and we are on a right path. After all, we have the best ambassador for nature, the horse.

Originally this was a school assignment, written in spring 2023.