Report - Section 5.1

5.1   Riding and social issues

There is an increasing awareness that the interaction between horse and rider/handler is beneficial in many ways, especially for physically or mentally handicapped people. There are 600 Riding for the Disabled groups nationally and well over 25,000 children and adults enjoy the experience of riding or carriage driving each week. Many centres quote breakthroughs with children, especially those with speech difficulties. Several new equestrian establishments have been set up to help socially deprived and disturbed teenagers gain confidence with beneficial results.

Horses teach communication. The range of riding activities is wide and there is something for everyone within the disciplines. It is physically challenging and teaches children the importance of being responsible for the care and wellbeing of another living creature and the satisfaction of developing a partnership.

The Pony Club, the junior off-shoot of the British Horse Society, which caters for children with and without their own ponies encourages members to take progressive tests in horse care and riding. There are 300 centres nationally which cater for 40,000 children between the ages of 4-21. The average membership of a Pony Club district is 112. The Pony Club enables children from all backgrounds to enter into the Pony Club system of progressive examinations in Pony care and riding.

A new scheme, subsidised by Jeep and Horse & Hound takes a mechanical horse into Primary Schools to give children a taste of what it feels like to ride. This scheme has government approval and indeed the Sports Minister gave children vouchers to enable them to have free riding lessons.

There are three Pony Club districts in East Sussex (8 in Surrey, 7 in Kent and 5 in West Sussex). With the recent introduction of Pony Club approved riding schools, which cater for non pony-owning children, the membership of the East Sussex district of the Pony Club has risen from 120 to 165 in one year. A new Pony Club approved riding school is in the process of construction near Battle in East Sussex. Other opportunities have been developed for children to team up with riding stables and acquire skills for later horse ownership.