Report - Section 2.2

2.2   Rider profiles

Full details of who rides horses, what people use their horses for and where they ride are provided in Appendix I. Rider profiles, at a national level, can be summarised as:

• Horse riders are predominantly female and predominantly young; Riding does appear to draw participants from across the social spectrum;
• Hacking is the main purpose for which horses are acquired and used ie around a third and 12% for long-distance riding;
• Around three quarters of riders in the countryside use public rights-of-way and woodland is particular popular;
• Very few horse-riders have their horses stabled at home so the large majority has to travel to ride. This a particular concern;
• Distances travelled on horses are relatively short but this may be because of the lack of opportunity (table AI.6).