Lojsta moor on <strong>the</strong> isle of Gotland is <strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>al environment of <strong>the</strong> ”Russ”, our native Swedish pony. The horse <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sweden</strong> today The horse has an <strong>important</strong> place <strong>in</strong> Swedish society. The mix of horses and people leads to widespread socialis<strong>in</strong>g, and its place <strong>in</strong> free time activities and sport is perceived as very mean<strong>in</strong>gful. The horse carries with it a sense of history, culture and commitment. The horse <strong>in</strong>dustry is also of substantial economic importance. Includ<strong>in</strong>g money betted on trott<strong>in</strong>g and horserac<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustry has a turnover of at least 20 billion crowns. <strong>Horse</strong>s also contribute to preserv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> open countryside and have become a mean<strong>in</strong>gful source of <strong>in</strong>come with<strong>in</strong> agriculture. <strong>Horse</strong>s graze from land equivalent <strong>in</strong> size to 600 000 football pitches, or an area half as large as all <strong>the</strong> arable land <strong>in</strong> Skåne! The majority of all horsefeed eaten is also Swedish. With <strong>the</strong>ir great <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> numbers <strong>the</strong> horse has <strong>in</strong> many cases replaced <strong>the</strong> dw<strong>in</strong>dl<strong>in</strong>g number of cows <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Swedish landscape. Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> last few decades, <strong>the</strong> equestrian sphere <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sweden</strong> has ra<strong>the</strong>r briskly developed to become a field of great diversity. When it comes to traditional horse sports, <strong>Sweden</strong> can po<strong>in</strong>t to great <strong>in</strong>ternational success with<strong>in</strong> trott<strong>in</strong>g and horse rac<strong>in</strong>g. But <strong>the</strong>re have also been developments <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r areas. For example, never before have <strong>the</strong>re been so many different breeds of horses <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sweden</strong> as <strong>the</strong>re are today. Nor have <strong>the</strong>re been so many <strong>in</strong>fluences on rid<strong>in</strong>g techniques and horse rear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>–</strong> from far and wide, and from history itself. Traditional areas such as trott<strong>in</strong>g, horse rac<strong>in</strong>g, show jump<strong>in</strong>g, dressage, event<strong>in</strong>g, and carriage driv<strong>in</strong>g amongst 2 The horse <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sweden</strong> <strong>–</strong> <strong>more</strong> <strong>important</strong> <strong>than</strong> <strong>you</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k o<strong>the</strong>rs have been jo<strong>in</strong>ed by rid<strong>in</strong>g trips, Icelandic horse rid<strong>in</strong>g, Western rid<strong>in</strong>g and joust<strong>in</strong>g. Even classical dressage, with <strong>in</strong>spiration from <strong>the</strong> horse tra<strong>in</strong>ers of <strong>the</strong> Baroque era. For many people with a passion for horses today, it is about a choice of lifestyle, often with a special slant or type of horse as a part of <strong>the</strong> experience. For o<strong>the</strong>rs, horses are a part of <strong>the</strong> quality of life desired for <strong>the</strong>mselves and <strong>the</strong>ir families. This pattern is also evident <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r countries, not least <strong>the</strong> EU. In this, <strong>the</strong> age of <strong>the</strong> adventure-holiday, <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> horse tourism is also on <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>crease. Many people have discovered <strong>the</strong> extra dimension ga<strong>in</strong>ed through comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g horses with free time or holidays. It’s all about spend<strong>in</strong>g time toge<strong>the</strong>r and experienc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> great outdoors from horseback or carriage. Also popular are wilderness rid<strong>in</strong>g, courses <strong>in</strong> rid<strong>in</strong>g or horse-care and such. The pattern is similar on <strong>the</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ent. Our sparsely populated land and <strong>the</strong> vary<strong>in</strong>g Swedish landscape, from cultivated land to areas of wilderness, are attractive assets to this country. The horse tourism <strong>in</strong>dustry <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sweden</strong> is start<strong>in</strong>g to organise itself, entic<strong>in</strong>g tourists from both here and abroad. We have a lot to offer and potential for <strong>more</strong> to come. The majority of adult Falabella horses grow no higher <strong>than</strong> 76 cm tall and weigh between 36<strong>–</strong>45 kg. Pictured here with a Shire horse.
The horse <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sweden</strong> <strong>–</strong> <strong>more</strong> <strong>important</strong> <strong>than</strong> <strong>you</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k 3