British Horse Society (The)

Name

British Horse Society (The)

Legal name

The British Horse Society

Website

https://bhs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Charity Membership Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592), Other Insurance Funds (525190)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Sport/Show Horse Training & Performance Programs (AFAEAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Equine Veterinary, Welfare & Anti-Doping Services (MPAEADAJ), Equine Care & Stable Management (EDAOAOAE), General Liability Insurance (FSAJAKAD)

Keywords

• Equestrian charity membership
• Horse rider insurance
• Equestrian education qualifications
• Horse welfare advocacy
• Bridleway access rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Kenilworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership subscriptions with multiple tiers (Gold, Silver, Friend, Family, Ireland, International). Gold membership includes public liability insurance up to £30 million and personal accident insurance up to £10,000. Membership runs for 12 months with payment via Direct Debit or single payment.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from members and supporters, including one-off donations, regular giving, and legacy gifts in wills.
3. Insurance Partnership Revenue: Partnership with Howden Insurance Brokers for horse rider insurance. BHS is an Appointed Representative, earning revenue through insurance product distribution to members.
4. Education and Qualifications: Revenue from professional qualifications and career pathway assessments for equestrian professionals, including coaching credentials and stage certifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The British Horse Society provides tiered annual memberships (Gold, Silver, Family, Friend, Ireland, International) bundled with public liability insurance up to £30 million and personal accident insurance up to £10,000, a 24/7 legal helpline, professional equestrian qualifications through BHS Career Pathways, recreational awards, the Horse i incident reporting app, and advocacy for equestrian access rights and horse welfare across the UK.

Product overview

The British Horse Society operates as a membership-based organization offering a unified portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on equestrian safety, welfare, and education. The core offering consists of tiered membership programs (Gold, Silver, Family, Friend, Ireland, and International), each bundled with specific insurance products including public liability (up to £30 million) and personal accident coverage (up to £10,000). Member benefits include the 24/7 Legal Helpline, Horse Sale Agreement Service, and subscription to British Horse Magazine. Education and qualification products include BHS Career Pathways with professional qualifications, Challenge Awards, and Ride Safe Awards. The organization also operates the BHS Approved Centres accreditation network, British Riding Clubs organization, and supports the Changing Lives Through Horses social program. Insurance products are distributed through a partnership with Howden Insurance Brokers, while the Horse i mobile app enables incident reporting for safety advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gold Membership The primary membership tier for horse owners and riders, providing up to £30 million public liability insurance, up to £10,000 personal accident insurance, 24/7 legal support helpline, and access to BHS Career Pathways.
• Silver Membership A membership option for horse lovers who want to support the charity without needing insurance coverage, providing access to member benefits and events.
• Family Membership Membership designed for families who own or ride horses, providing comprehensive coverage including public liability insurance, personal accident insurance, and all Gold membership benefits for multiple family members.
• BHS Friend Membership A premium membership tier offering all Gold membership benefits plus an additional charitable donation to support BHS's equestrian welfare work.
• Ireland Membership Specialized membership for horse owners and riders living in the Republic of Ireland, providing access to BHS education, qualifications, and equestrian community benefits.
• International Membership (Full and E-Membership) Membership for horse owners and regular riders outside the UK and Ireland, including subscription to British Horse magazine and access to world-renowned education and assessments overseas and in the UK. International Full Membership at £92/year and International E-Membership at £56/year.
• Public Liability Insurance Public liability insurance included with Gold membership, providing up to £30 million coverage for third-party injury or property damage arising from horse ownership, riding, or carriage driving for recreational purposes. Distributed through partnership with Howden Insurance Brokers.
• Personal Accident Insurance Personal accident insurance included with Gold membership, providing up to £10,000 coverage for accidental death, loss of limb or sight, and permanent total disablement.
• 24/7 Legal Helpline A 24/7 legal advice phoneline service operated by Epoq Legal, providing expert guidance on equestrian issues including buying, selling or loaning horses, contractual disputes, wills, and personal legal matters.
• BHS Career Pathways and Professional Qualifications World-leading professional qualification pathways enabling progression in equestrian careers through industry-recognized stages, assessments, and accreditations for coaches, grooms, and riding instructors.
• Ride Safe Award A safety certification recognized in the Highway Code that gives riders confidence to ride in common environments including roads, rights of way, agricultural land, and beaches. Available at Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels.
• Challenge Awards Skill development awards open to all equestrians, covering riding knowledge and practical abilities. Includes Ride Safe, Road Safety, and Care awards with progressive Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels.
• BHS Approved Centres A network of vetted riding centres and livery yards that meet BHS standards for safety, welfare, and quality, providing accessible equestrian experiences for members and non-members.
• Horse i App A mobile application enabling riders and carriage drivers to quickly report equestrian incidents and near misses directly to BHS for safety data collection and advocacy purposes.
• British Riding Clubs (BRC) A national network of British Riding Clubs with over 34,000 members, offering training, competitions, and support for equestrian enthusiasts through the BRC framework.
• Ride Out Fund A funding program providing grants for projects that open and restore safe off-road equestrian routes across the UK.
• Changing Lives Through Horses A BHS-supported initiative helping children and young people develop life skills through interaction with horses, having supported over 4,900 young people.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,000+ horses and people helped through horse care and welfare work in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SustranscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024BHS has a Memorandum of Understanding with Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, to collaborate on multi-user routes and active travel planning that includes equestrian access. The MOU formalizes joint working towards mutually identified goals for improved access.
• Howden Insurance BrokerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBHS is an Appointed Representative of Howden Insurance Brokers Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Howden provides horse rider insurance products distributed through BHS membership, including public liability and personal accident coverage.
• Epoq LegalcoreTechnology or IntegrationEpoq Legal operates the BHS 24/7 Legal Helpline service, providing experienced legal professionals who give expert advice on equestrian issues, buying/selling horses, contractual matters, and personal legal issues. Epoq is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
• James Cowper - Business SupportminorOthersBHS partnered with James Cowper business support to provide a helpline assisting members with VAT and tax queries, either for personal or business purposes.
• Landmarc Support ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmarc operates the Defence Training Estate (DTE) National Service Centre 24/7, providing a single point of contact for users of MOD land. They manage estate infrastructure and respond to incidents, damage reports, and queries from equestrians using MOD training areas.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Horse Welfare: World Horse Welfare is a UK equine welfare charity directly comparable to BHS in its focus on horse welfare, rescue, advocacy, and supporter-funded operations, with overlapping donor and volunteer constituencies.
• Redwings Horse Sanctuary: Redwings is a major UK equine welfare charity operating sanctuaries and welfare programmes, directly comparable to BHS's welfare team responding to 10,000+ inquiries annually and its advocacy role.
• The Pony Club: The Pony Club is the UK's largest youth equestrian organization, directly comparable to BHS in its membership-based structure, charitable mission, network of riding centres, and delivery of equestrian qualifications and awards for children and young riders.
• British Eventing: British Eventing is a UK equestrian membership organization running competitive events; directly comparable to BHS in its event-led membership model and its engagement with the same rider community.
• British Equestrian: British Equestrian is the UK national federation for equestrian sports, directly comparable to BHS as a membership-funded body overseeing equestrian access, welfare, safety standards, and representation to FEI and government.
• Riding for the Disabled Association: RDA is a UK charity using horses to deliver education and therapy, directly comparable to BHS's Changing Lives Through Horses programme and its network of approved centres delivering structured equestrian activities.

Regional players

• Horse Sport Ireland: Horse Sport Ireland is the national federation for Irish equestrian sport, directly comparable to BHS as a membership/qualification body but operating in a different national market where BHS already runs an Ireland membership tier.

Others

• Howden Insurance Brokers: Howden is BHS's insurance distribution partner; it is comparable as the upstream provider of the £30M public liability product that anchors Gold membership, and the partnership is central to BHS's value proposition.

Emerging players

• Horse & Hound (Future plc): Horse & Hound is the UK's leading equestrian media brand; it competes for equestrian mindshare and content engagement rather than membership, but it overlaps on coverage of welfare, access, and rider safety topics central to BHS.

Broad incumbents

• Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI): FEI is the global governing body for equestrian sport; it operates at a much broader scale than BHS but is comparable as the upstream rule-setter and event-sanctioning body that BHS qualifications and BRC competitions ultimately feed into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/TheBritishHorseSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBritishHorseSociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/britishhorse
• TikToktiktok.com/@britishhorsesociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/british-horse-society-the-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about British Horse Society (The)