Report - Section 2.3

2.3   Participation in riding in the South East Region

The national picture for riding is misleading for the South East. Riders are strongly represented in the London and South East Region. In the National Equestrian Survey 1999, 37% of all riders recorded were in the region, compared with 33% ofthe UK population.

The unpublished Rights of Way Use and Demand Study suggests that this representation is even stronger when the capital is excluded. They found that the highest rates in England of household participation in horse-riding are from the East of England (8%) and the South East sub-area (7%).

Horse-riding participants in the GHS 1996 are too few to be included in the regional analysis. However, participation rates in sporting and physical activities in general are higher in the South East than nationally. 67% of the South East population had taken part in sport or physical activity in the 4 weeks before survey, compared with 64% nationally; 48% had taken a walk of 2 miles or more compared with 45% nationally.

In 1998, there were 1883 riding establishments licensed by local authorities in the UK. (There are 720 riding establishments approved by the British Horse Society; BHS approval is not mandatory.) They can be involved in any combination of the following activities:

• Riding instruction;
• Livery;
• Hacking/trekking; and/or
• Holidays.

45,000,000 ‘paid for’ riding lessons are taken each year.