Protecting equestrians and horses through sustainable practices
Sports and other responsible contacts with horses are fantastic activities to introduce people to the equestrian environment and create new advocates for horse welfare. However, unmanaged actions can severely impact the animals and the image of our passion.
The SEI is a proven sustainable management approach that leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts of equestrian activities. It aims to protect horses through friendly guidelines that promote sustainable practices. It provides our activities with a common standard and a robust compliance assessment system.
The SEI encourages and empowers equestrian centres and communities to reduce pressures on our activities by presenting practical, low-cost alternatives to reduce, minimise or ban harmful practices, improve strategic thinking and optimise resources.
Become an SEI Member
“It has been proven that humans believe in the bond with a horse. Regardless of what country a person comes from, how much money they earn, their age, gender, discipline or experience with horses, people consider their bond with a horse a unique experience.”
“We are working towards a future where responsible and friendly practices are standard across the equestrian industry.”
Mission Statement
“To protect horses and their relationship with humans by establishing and implementing friendly guidelines to promote sustainable equestrian activities.”
Established 2023
Who is part of the SEI Network?
SEI is the world’s first independent verification programme that demonstrates a responsible, positive impact between Horses and Humans, applying SEI membership standards for any horse-related activity anywhere.
SEI memberships are managed through a centralised platform: the SEI Hub. This allows all participants to quickly access an action plan, a range of sustainable solutions and best practices by connecting with other participants and conservation experts through the Community Forum.
There are two types of membership – Participant and Verified.
PARTICIPANT
SEI Participant Membership
As the demand for sustainable practices increased, SEI launched the ‘Participant’ membership to make SEI available to any horse-related organisation anywhere. This allows all equestrian centres, breeders and stables to join the SEI network and implement positive changes.
SEI Participants commit to applying the SEI Standard. However, each SEI Participant’s sustainability journey is self-managed online. This includes a comprehensive self-assessment of the operation’s sustainable practices, which generates a personalised score and an annual action plan.
SEI Participant is self-assessed, expansive and inclusive, so there is no minimum score requirement. SEI Participant membership is your organisation’s first step towards sustainability. These organisations have a specific Digital Participant logo highlighting this difference with SEI Verified membership.
SEI Verified Membership
Participants in the SEI Standard who wish to achieve SEI Verified will receive annual in-person assessments by a professional assessor. Your equestrian organisation will have met all the requirements set out by the SEI Standard within your evaluation, achieving a responsible level in the equestrian operations and activities it delivers.
Organisations that qualify as Verified by the SEI Standard will be rewarded for their performance. They provide greater transparency for the public to understand where an organisation is on its sustainability journey and its achievements. Organisations achieving SEI Standard Verified Membership will present their achievement with the SEI Standard Verified logo plaque.
VERIFIED
How to Become SEI verified
To obtain SEI Verification, your organisation must first become an SEI Participant.
Let’s assume your organisation is confident that it meets all SEI requirements. In that case, your organisation can request a visit from one of our professional assessors to conduct an on-site verification against the SEI Standard. The assessor will first review your self-assessment before the on-site visit takes place. Our assessor will discuss an appropriate date for the SEI on-site verification only if the self-assessment is acceptable.
WHAT ARE THE SEI STANDARDS?
SEI focuses on four key pillars: environmental stewardship, responsible horse welfare, community engagement, and progress. SEI seeks to create a harmonious relationship between equestrian enthusiasts, horses, and the natural environment through these pillars.
The SEI Standard sets out criteria in 10 themes for equestrian organisations to adopt.
The SEI Standard encompasses best practices and considers the role of managers, operations, staff, tenants, customers and visitors. SEI was designed around the welfare of horses; therefore, the SEI Standards apply to all equestrian-related activities and events.
HOW CAN YOU USE SEI MEMBERSHIP?
TENANTS, CLIENTS & VISITORS
Choose a place to practice sport or stable your horse with an SEI member.
Provide feedback (positive or negative) to the equestrian organisation to increase and improve demand for sustainability.
Take the SEI e-course to improve your knowledge of sustainability.
Always follow and demand SEI best practices while riding.
EQUESTRIAN ORGANISATIONS
Talk to your operation manager or owner about becoming an SEI member.
Always follow the SEI Standard when managing your organisation and staff.
Take the SEI e-course to improve your sustainability knowledge.
Use the SEI posters and resources to teach your tenants, students, customers and visitors to follow the SEI good practice guide.
OWNERS AND MANAGERS
Register for an account on the SEI Hub network.
Have your staff take the SEI e-course.
Use SEI-provided materials to promote your membership and engage your tenants, students, customers and visitors.
Use SEI posters and resources to address specific sustainability issues.
Aim to achieve SEI Verified status in your operations.
GOVERNMENT
Adopt the SEI approach within your jurisdiction to improve the sustainability of your operations and the local community.
Use SEI results to demonstrate commitments made in multilateral environmental and sustainability agreements.
Develop the capacity of field staff to implement sustainability standards in collaboration with the horse industry.
Promote sustainable best practices in the Equestrian Industry to create measurable improvements.
Provide tools to support harmonised compliance with sustainable activities by the equestrian industry.
Use SEI standards to raise the bar for your equestrian operations policy.
Use SEI data to inform and reinforce your environmental and sustainability standards.
ENQUIRIES
If you would like to find out more about SEI, please get in touch with us at
info@sustainable-equestrian.org
SEI| Sustainable Equestrian Initiative
Nicolaes Maesstraat 2, 1506 LB Zaandam
0031-(0)85-301 0650
KvK 67691951
info@sustainable-equestrian.org
Power by | Green Partner B.V. | The Netherlands