The FEI in partnership with #WeRideTogether, has developed an online safeguarding training course accessible to riders, coaches, grooms, parents, officials, administrators and volunteers at all levels of horse sport. The course is designed to raise awareness about harassment and abuse while offering guidance on how to protect yourself and others.
The course provides basic awareness on safeguarding participants against harassment and abuse, explaining why safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It also provides guidance on the actions we can each take to protect ourselves and others.
The 90-minute course is free of charge, is available on FEI Campus and is accessible to all. It is aimed primarily at athletes, coaches, grooms, parents, officials, administrators and volunteers from recreational to elite level sport. Currently available in English, the content is expected to be translated into other languages over the coming year.
The course participants will:
- Develop a greater understanding of how and why abuse can take place in equestrian sport
- Learn about the impact of power imbalances on relationship dynamics
- Have the language to identify healthy versus unhealthy relationships
- Gain an understanding of the different types of abuse including the patterns and warning signs of grooming
- Receive specific, actionable ways to prevent misconduct and abuse from occurring in the equestrian sporting environment
- Receive a list of tangible educational resources that can be distributed to all members of their sporting community
The FEI is committed to taking action to encourage a culture of respect and understanding. Organization officials want to help ensure equestrian sport can be enjoyed by all in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment. The FEI Policy on Safeguarding Participants against Harassment and Abuse was introduced in 2019 and in recent years a number of awareness-raising initiatives for National Federations have been implemented. This safeguarding course builds on these initiatives.
The course can be found here
If you have any questions, comments or would like to provide feedback on the safeguarding course, please email safeguarding@fei.org