Poster 18

With the modernisation and urbanisation of horsekeeping, the roles of knowledge and expertise have transformed. Traditionally, the role of tacit, practical knowledge has been strong and expertise has been based on long personal experience. Today, horse owners are mostly urban inhabitants who keep their horses in rural areas for recreational purposes. As they typically have no connection to traditional horsekeeping, they have to acquire information from other sources. As a response to the demand, various forms of knowledge and expertise are created with regard to horsekeeping. The expertise is not limited to professions or institutions but is socially constructed, contextually relative and influenced by varying interests. This sub-study is part of a doctoral thesis on the transformation of horsekeeping in Finland, where privately owned riding horses have become increasingly popular.

The study is based on the qualitative interviews of nine Finnish horse owners. The informants are all female, aged between 20 and 60 and have different levels of education and experience with horses. They are involved with horses not only as owners, but also as, for example, yard owners and riding instructors. The interviews were conducted in Finland in 2007. They lasted one and a half hours on average. The interviews were analysed thematically.

The research results indicate that the urbanisation and commercialisation of knowledge and expertise in horsekeeping have produced a series of problems. The question of how and where new horse owners could acquire an adequate level of practical knowledge remains open. The role of experts such as riding schools, trainers and livery yards as providers of practical knowledge should be strengthened and, at the same time, it needs to be ensured that these professionals also have an adequate level of expertise.