COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020; the United Kingdom (UK) implemented quarantine measures shortly afterward, resulting in rapid changes in how owners managed and interacted with their horses. This study provides a rapid analysis of the initial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak ...

In the UK, March 2020 was a time of great uncertainty as COVID-19 became increasingly widespread. The government responded by making suggestions about how people could reduce the risk of spread on 16 March, moved swiftly into closing schools on the 18 March before announcing a mandatory lockdown on ...

This special issue is an effort to bring ethics again to the fore within the leisure research community. The issue begins with a critical commentary that addresses leisure and ethics in relation to social media and blogging. The next six articles deal with: (1) the relevance of virtue ethics to...

Spurs are traditionally worn by riders to enable more precise stimuli or 'leg aids' to be applied, prompting for changes in locomotion, activity, or direction of the horse. Equestrian competitions have seen eliminations and horse welfare concerns raised because of the presence of blood on the horse ...

Changing social values and new technologies have contributed to increasing media attention and debate about the acceptable use of animals in sport. This paper focuses on the use of the whip in thoroughbred horse racing. Those who defend its use argue it is a necessary tool needed for safety,...

Equestrian trail riding is a popular recreational activity but can expose horses and riders to arboviral diseases, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV). This study uses a geographic information system (GIS) -based risk index model to measure and map risk associated with EEEV...

The popularity of equestrian sports provides an increasing market for horse gear or tack. While manufacturers have launched new designs to enhance the safety, comfort, effectiveness and esthetics of their products, few items of tack have been evaluated quantitatively. Nosebands are not an essential ...

Although there is a growing body of research on public social practices related to the use of mobile phones, internet terminals, and laptops, there are few integrated analyses of the uses of multiple interactive technologies in public settings, and especially those involving sports. This article...

Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) and equine piroplasmosis (EP) are triggered by tick-borne pathogens - the intracellular bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum and the intracellular Protozoa Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. These pathogens attack cells in the blood stream and cause similar...

This study aimed to assess (i) COVID-19 transmission prior to and following spectator events and (ii) methodological approaches to capturing event-related transmission during the spectator return. Local authority population transmission rates were used to identify higher transmission areas, which...