Contribute to our mission of improving horse welfare

The equestrian sport world is facing many challenges across the globe.  There is increasing concern about the welfare of horses used for sport and recreation as our understanding about horse welfare, behaviour and health has grown.

For the past 20 years, the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) has sought to support and share the latest scientific research about horse welfare, behaviour and learning abilities, training methods, housing and management as well as research about the people who care for, manage, train and compete with horses.

Our mission is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of advances in equitation science research which will ultimately improve the welfare of horses in their associations with humans. Over the past few years, it’s a mission that increasing numbers of horse owners and enthusiasts have signed on to as our membership numbers have continued to grow.

To support ISES as it works to fulfil this mission is the governing Council – a group of people who meet regularly to collaborate on a range of projects to share and communicate equitation science, support the wider equestrian community to improve horse welfare, influence policy and provide expert advice to industry bodies and gatherings.

The Council is made up of people from a wide range of backgrounds, including scientists who are actively undertaking research, students, veterinarians, trainers/coaches working in the industry and horse enthusiasts with an interest in media, communication, education, management and IT as well as a range of other skills and experiences in the equine and wider worlds.

In 2025, we are looking for new members to join us at this critical time in the history of equestrian sport.  Our currently vacant roles are:

• Junior Vice President (JVP; Trustee)
• Membership Secretary (Trustee)
• Media Officer
• Education Officer
• Research Officer
• Governance Officer

Each of these roles has a specific focus like media/communications, research or education, however our team is highly collaborative and we share ideas across our areas of responsibility.

We are currently reviewing our strategic plan which means that by being nominated to join the ISES Council in 2025, you could contribute to the future direction and focus of ISES for the next five years.

What does being on ISES Council involve?

Council meetings are held every two months via zoom. During those meetings we discuss a variety of topics, from the strategic to the administrative – always focussed on how we can best serve our members and horses. In between meetings our sub-committees work on specific projects, such as new media content, website updates or new policies. This can include additional meetings or other contributions of time to deliver a specific project outcome.

In addition to the Council meetings, some members of the Council have additional roles as designated “Trustees” as stipulated in the 2017 Constitution. Of the currently vacant roles, the JVP and Membership secretary are Trustee roles. Trustee meetings are held every other month.

Considering nominating?

We are currently calling on all ISES members to consider what they could contribute to our mission of improving horse welfare, including nominating someone or yourself for one of the vacant roles on the ISES council.

ISES Council is a warm and friendly group and we benefit from members who have a wide range of experience in both the equestrian and wider worlds.  Although our focus is scientific, we are all passionate about how to share the science to the wider equestrian community, and to do that effectively we need the input of people from all walks of the equestrian life, so to speak.

The positions will be voted on immediately prior to the upcoming AGM which is being held on the 27^th of May 2025. To be eligible for nomination to role you must be a current member of ISES. ISES Membership