Are you a concerned parent whose child just started riding? A coach hoping to bring best practices to your team? A passionate rider at a beloved, longtime barn, looking to protect your “happy place” for decades to come?
At #WeRideTogether, they’ve got a resource for that.
Since 2021, #WeRideTogether has been working hard to promote healthy sports through proactive abuse prevention efforts. The goal: to make safeguarding practices in sports as common and intuitive as brushing your teeth in the morning or clicking your seat belt when you get behind the wheel.
It’s that easy, too. Safeguarding simply means taking actions to ensure participants are protected from harm. That includes abuse, violence, and neglect. It means proactively creating safe and healthy sporting environments by providing clear and standardized expectations on behavior, protocols and relationship dynamics.
Most importantly, it means empowering coaches, trainers, parents, and athletes with the tools to prevent misconduct before it happens.
Because it is happening.
We know that more than 50% of athletes experience abuse in sports. We know that 13 to 15 is the average age for a first incident of verbal, physical or sexual abuse in sports. And we know that authority figures and peers, such as coaches, trainers, sporting staff and teammates, are the most common perpetrators of abuse.
Now, who is responsible for safeguarding?
Everyone.
We all have a role to play in creating and maintaining safe, healthy, and fun athletic environments. And there are many different (and simple) ways you can do your part—and #WeRideTogether is here to help.
For barns—Set the stage for safety with #WeRideTogether’s free resources. Add Safety Pledges your annual athlete and boarding contract packet. Hang Code of Conduct signs up in your barn, tack rooms and arenas. Educate your teams with the Safeguarding & Prevention 101 discussion guide.
For athletes, coaches, and parents—Looking for resources, education, and safeguarding support for your barn and/or team? Reach out to #WeRideTogether! From Coach Athlete Relationship Dynamics (C.A.R.D.) diagrams to best-practices pledges, bystander intervention took kits, and conversation guides, #WeRideTogether has an ever-growing library of actionable, survivor- and trauma-informed resources that you can take back to your own barn. They also provide prizes and event support, as well as fun barn giveaways, to promote healthy sport in simple, engaging ways. And did we mention everything #WeRideTogether does is free?!
For athlete organizations—There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to this education, and that’s just the point. #WeRideTogether works with athlete organizations and governing bodies to advocate for creative, current, and impactful tools to better serve their members. From grassroots organizations to international federations, #WeRideTogether provides consultations, education, safeguarding support, event support, and custom resources—free of charge.
For horse shows—Event partners like Thunderbird Show Park, Desert Horse Park, Traverse City Horse Shows and Rebecca Farms are helping raise awareness and foster important conversations through community building efforts and popular fundraising classes for #WeRideTogether. If you are a part of a horse show, club, or event and want to improve safeguarding efforts (ranging from signage, PA announcements, prizes, safeguarding policy, and more), reach out to #WeRideTogether!
To inquire about any of the options listed above, email info@weridetogether.today.
These are just a few of the ways #WeRideTogether can support your safeguarding efforts. #WeRideTogether provides additional support for survivors and their loved ones, too.
In three years, #WeRideTogether has made massive strides in making sport safer for all. But there’s so much more work still to do. Join the cause and support every athlete’s right to learn, play, and compete without the fear of abuse!
When you support #WeRideTogether, you support healthy sport.