The most recent BETA National Equestrian Survey (2005/6) indicated that:

• 43% of GB households (11 million) have a household member with some form of interest in equestrianism (includes racing) 

• 4.3 million people have ridden  in the previous 12 months (that is 7% of the population)

The 1999 estimate was 2.4 million, indicating a substantial growth

• 65% of equestrian participants are from socio-economic groups C, D, and E 

• 75% of horse riders are female 

• 31% of horse riders are aged under 16.    18% are aged 16 - 24yrs. 

• The urban-rural split is 50:50 

• Horse owners, carers, and riders in Britain spend more than £4 billion per year in gross output terms 

• There are 1.3 million horses in Britain 

• They are owned or cared for by 720,000 people, or 1.2 per cent of the UK population 

• The average annual expenditure per privately owned horse is £2,166 

• Leisure riding is the main equestrian activity, showing an increase of five percent in just over five years 

• Riding has become far less seasonal: 95% of riders now ride all year round, compared with 61% in 1995.

• In 2006 the number of officially recorded road accidents in which a person was injured and a horse was involved were: three fatal, 26 serious, 95 slight (DTR 2009) 

• The number of equestrian road accidents voluntarily reported to the BHS in 2006 were three riders killed and 22 injured;  19 horses killed and 32 injured 

• 80% of the road acidents involving horses which were reported to the BHS were on minor roads. 

• The BHS considers that road accidents are significantly under-reported

• The majority of equestrians require off-road routes for their leisure sport

• Shortages of places to go riding and/or lack of opportunity are identified as the deterrents for greater participation in equestrian leisure (BETA Survey 2006).

• Of the 188,700 kilometres of  Public Right of Way in England only 22per cent carry rights for horse riders.  Carriage drivers can only use the five per cent that are byways and restricted byways.  Most of these paths do not link to form an off road circuit.

• Of the 33,000 kilometres of Public Rights of Way in Wales, only 21 per cent are byways and restricted byways.  Most of these paths do not link to form an off road circuit.

• Of the 153,246 hectares of land made available for open access by walkers in England under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, only 0.24 hectares has also been made available to horse riders.  The proposed Marine and Coastal Access Bill does not provide any new statutory access rights for equestrians in England and Wales.

Sixteen years later in January 2024 – December 2024 the British Horse Society data, records that:

3,118 road incidents in which:

• • 58 horses died.  

  • 97 horses injured.

  • 80 people injured because of road incidents

  • 81% of incidents occurred because a driver passed too closely or too quickly.

https://www.bhs.org.uk

 We want our bridleways back.

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