Imagining Future Technology of the Horse Industry and Equestrian Sports

Abstract: Equestrian sports are amongst the largest sports and leisure activities in Sweden. One of the major reasons for engaging with horses is the bond to the horse. Just recently technology has found its way into the horse industry which otherwise is a very traditional sport. This paper explores possible consequences technology may have in the future in the environment around horses and on the horse-rider relationship. The exploration was done by combining auto-ethnographic research and a co-speculation workshop. The ideas that were gathered were then the starting point for the creation of a design fiction, in which the ideas were developed and explored. The design fiction also serves as an approachable way of mediating the consequences of technology to the equestrian community. The imagined technology for equestrian sports had both positive and negative impact on the sport and the relationship between horse and human.