EYLE - 1 year anniversary

Equestrian Young Leaders Europe (EYLE) is delighted to commemorate the first anniversary of its official launch. This milestone marks a year of incredible achievements and growth for a community that now boasts over 300 enthusiastic young leaders from Hungary, Norway, and Bulgaria. These young equestrian leaders are actively participating in various activities, learning key equine lessons and developing their interpersonal and leadership skills.

The inception of EYLE was made possible through the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) with funding from the EU Erasmus+ programme.

EYLE is based on existing programs from Sweden and the Netherlands where it has been clearly demonstrated that children can develop their personal and leadership skills through work with horses. The role of animals, particularly horses, in aiding interpersonal skill development - such as communication, assertiveness, problem-solving, and empathy - has been well researched. Recognizing the power of horses to drive social progression, EYLE aims to provide a structured program that can be used across Europe, offering a clear pathway for children and young adults to develop themselves. The programme was initiated in 2022, and the three pilot countries worked together with the EEF and the Swedish and Dutch national equestrian federations to bring together all the existing knowledge and create EYLE and prepare for its live launch in autumn 2023.

"We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished in just one year,” said Teodor Sheytanov, Secretary General of the European Equestrian Federation. "The dedication and passion of our young leaders are truly inspiring. We extend our deepest gratitude to the National Federation teams at each of our three pilot countries, and our experts from the federations in Sweden and the Netherlands for their unwavering support, which has been instrumental in our journey."

The EYLE program consists of four levels of activities, with different badge topics to work through and complete. The badges include stable management, pasture care, horse welfare, horse behaviour and communication and sustainability. The goal is for our young people to gain key learnings to look after their horses, the management of the whole stable complex and be equipped with the leadership skills to take this knowledge forward for their futures.

Young children begin their program focusing on communication, self-reliance, and operational skills. As they age, the program challenges them to expand their activities to develop critical thinking, problem solving and negotiation skills, all key components of strong leaders.

The programme is being followed by the Open University of the Netherlands (OU) who are researching the potential impact the programme has on the young peoples social development and ability to create meaningful change.

Ildikó Böszörményi, an EYLE leader in Hungary, is already seeing the positive impacts.

“The materials build on each other as the themes progress. I notice in the children and riders that they are consciously attending the riding school. They know the place and the course of everything. They see and recognize the problem or notice the good. In every way, it strengthens conscious and logical thinking. The children's handling of horses has also visibly improved, they recognise the connections and have increased their independence in feeding and training, or in health and husbandry issues."

This feeling is echoed by the parents of the young leaders,

“My child has found the EYLE programme to be great fun, she looks forward to every session. I am sure that it is important for children to have a programme like EYLE, which has goals and a development programme. It might be a bit early to say after these 6 months, but she has gained such confidence to go to the stables and so I clearly see that this can transfer to school and socially too.” – Ida Trosby Borlaugh, Norway.

The journey of EYLE is far from over. As we look ahead, we remain committed to empowering more young people through equestrian sports. Our goal is to expand our reach and continue to provide opportunities for youth to develop leadership skills, forge international friendships, and contribute positively to their communities.

Velyana Zhelyazova, Secretary General of the Bulgarian Equestrian Federation has found it is a great benefit for their federation:

“EYLE is proving to be a fantastic asset to the Bulgarian equestrian federation's youth development program. With six clubs enthusiastically participating, and two already welcoming their second cohort of young leaders, the program's positive impact is undeniable. The progamme not only empowers them with a sense of responsibility and initiative but also strengthens our clubs by cultivating a new generation of passionate, engaged members. EYLE provides parents with the assurance that their children are gaining invaluable life skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, all within the context of their passion for equestrian sports.”

If you are interested in learning more about the EYLE programme and offering it in your country, please reach out to Development@euroequestrian.eu