Platformed risk culture
Youth equestrians’ framings of falling off the horse on TikTok
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22419620 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Klara Boije af Gennäs (0000-0001-7315-0411, Malmö University, corresponding author), Lovisa Broms (0000-0002-3496-2940, Malmö University), Susanna Hedenborg (0000-0002-4802-9932, Malmö University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Review for the Sociology of Sport (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1012-6902 • E-ISSN: 1461-7218 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10126902261465896 |
| OpenAlex | W7168390967 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Equestrian sport is inherently high-risk, and falling off the horse constitutes the most common mechanism of injury and long-term impairment. While previous research has examined the physical causes and consequences of falls, less is known about how young equestrians make sense of risk and attribute meaning to falling. This study therefore explores how equestrians construct, negotiate, and normalise risk in contemporary digital environments. Using online ethnography, 61 posts and 6723 comments associated with the hashtag #ridingfails on TikTok were analysed. Field notes were thematically synthesised into composite narratives and interpreted drawing on Goffman's frame analysis in conjunction with concepts of social media logic. The findings indicate that falling off is framed as an expected and routine aspect of equestrian practice, shaped by cultural ideals of resilience and toughness. At the same time, these experiences are keyed as ‘failures’ through #ridingfails, while more serious injuries are largely absent. Rather than being solely negative, falls are also framed as markers of progression and are frequently accompanied by comics. Moreover, through processes of fabrication, falls are sometimes transformed into entertainment, illustrating how visibility, popularity, and connectivity shape platformed risk cultures and equestrians’ understandings of failure and inherent risk. These keyings are, however, contested by ‘TikTok trainers’, who offer unsolicited advice on riders’ performance, technique, and competence, and in some cases raise concerns regarding horse welfare. Overall, the study demonstrates that risk in contemporary equestrianism is shaped through deeply mediatized framings in which platform logics intersect with cultural ideals. These findings highlight the importance of developing safety interventions that resonate with young riders’ lived and digitally embedded risk cultures.
Falling (accident) · Field (mathematics) · Frame (networking) · Habitus · Horse racing · Meaning (existential) · Narrative · Psychological intervention · Psychological resilience · Agriculture and Farm Safety · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Veterinary Equine Medical Research
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |