Press Release

WARR LEADER+ PARTNERSHIP - EQUESTRIAN STUDY - PRESS RELEASE

The Equestrian Study commissioned by The High Weald Bridleways Group and carried out by The Tourism Company in partnership with The High Weald Bridleways Group under the WARR Leader + Partnership Funding is available electronically via Adobe Acrobat Reader as a PDF File entitled"HWBG & Leader+ Scoping Equestrian Study".

How many horses in 43 Leader+ Parishes?
How safe are the roads in East Sussex for horse-riders and other leisure users
Who will train the young riders of tomorrow?
What are the job in the equestrian industry?
What has the recycling industry got to do with horses?
How can farmers join in and earn a better income from equestrian tourism?
Why have 13 Projects for the Quiet Roads Initiative been ignored?
Which is the fastest growing interest in equestrian pursuits?

• 54 Countryside Stewardship Schemes in East Sussex and only 5 provide Equine Access.
• Horse owners and riders spend £32 million in East Sussex annually.
• 33% of horse-riders are aged 5 - 15 but riding schools in East Sussex have closed or suffered from rates and overheads creating waiting lists for lessons in some areas.
• 500 miles of bridleways in East Sussex (250 in L+ Area) means 500 (250) acres of access: the size of two medium farms. Half are unusable.
• 24,000 acres have come out of agriculture between 1998 and 2000 .
• 60% of recent farm sales in the High weald AONB have gone to "life-style buyers" wanting recreational and amenity opportunities.
• 114 Farms in East Sussex analysed by Sussex Enterprise show only 1 involved in tourism, but 20 farms intending to develop holiday enterprises.
• 37 farms in the same Study plan to develop equestrian businesses.
• Hadlow College have expanded their Equine Department by 20% p.a. over the last five years.
• 53 people out of 77 in the Riders' survey have been involved in road accidents or near-misses.

The Equestrian Study contains original data and research (HWBG Parish Horse Count and Riders' Survey, Sussex Enterprise Farm Surveys) and is the currently most up-to-date picture available of the Equestrian Industry as an economic contributor to the survival of the Rural Economy.

Local authorities, Government Agencies, Private and Public Partnerships, the Tourism Industry, Village Action Plans, Farmers diversifying under RES Grant Aid, Voluntary Groups involved with Bridleway access: all involved in Rural Regeneration stand to gain by the findings of this Report.

We would like to record our grateful thanks to the European Agriculture Guidance and guarantee Fund of the EU and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for their part-financing of this important Scoping Study and the generous sponsorship of Sussex Enterprise and Angela Hirst Chartered Surveyors.