How it should be

Background

Within Britain, horse-based sport and leisure is a growing activity. 7% of the UK population, 4.3 million people have ridden at least once in the last year. More than 2.4 million people are regular riders. Over 10 million have some interest in horses. Of the other major sports, only football claims to have more participants. There are now approximately 1.2 million horses in the UK, a 20% rise since 1999. Approximately 80% of riders are female. About two thirds of riders are adults and one third under 16. Nationally, the industry is worth well over £4 billion and it employs 250,000 people directly and indirectly (DEFRA 2004 & BETA 2006). There are major problems for the equestrian world: first, it is highly fragmented, often invisible and therefore it is ignored by government; second, it suffers from a poor public image, one of elitism and expense; third, people assume it is a rural activity. In reality, most riders are urban people and come from all social groups.

There is a long-standing connection between leisure riding and public open space in London. It might be argued, in fact, that leisure riding started 300 years ago in Rotten Row in Hyde Park. With the expansion of the metropolis in the 18th and 19th centuries, provision for riding and carriage driving was common in many of the new parks and other urban open spaces. This spread throughout the world, to major cities such as Paris, New York, Berlin, Manchester and Liverpool. Today, there are more than 80 publicly advertised riding stables within Greater London.

The need for an all-round approach

Urban equestrianism must be seen in a holistic way. More than simply riding or driving horses, consideration must be given to the availability of horses: to stabling; to the provision of all-weather and all season facilities; to the availability of training for riders and horses right up to professional standards. This means a complete package of measures to ensure equestrianism is available to local people. In London, where equestrian facilities have been provided by local authorities, they have been in conjunction with other sports facilities, such as football and cricket pitches (e.g. Epping Forest) or parkland and public open space (e.g. Trent Park, Lee Valley), and are generally listed with other sports and pastimes in guides, reports etc.

Availability and deficiency of resources

Riding, in common with other sports, should be viewed in terms of availability and deficiency of provision in a geographical context. There are places in London where equestrian sport and leisure is no longer available because elements of the package are missing. For example, Peckham Common has good physical facilities, with a horse ride and a sand school, but these are now under-used because of the closure of the local stables. Such closure might be due to land prices and redevelopment, punitive levels of business rates and insurance premiums, retirement of key individuals etc. External conditions also influence horse activity. For example, the growth of road traffic can cut off a good riding area so it is no longer used. Very rarely do facilities close due to lack of demand - but demand might remain latent until new facilities are provided. In the 1990s, for example, two new riding stables opened up on Wormwood Scrubs, one by resuscitating an existing yard and one by building a new facility with the support of a TV programme.

In the absence of licensed commercial stables, people will keep horses in unlicensed yards, of variable standards, or in back gardens and scraps of waste land. The number of recognized and licensed public stables will therefore not reflect the true number of horses within a borough. An informal survey in Ealing identified up to 300 animals.

Accessibility

Accessibility is a key issue in urban riding. Sport facilities should be readily accessible by public transport in order to promote maximum use by the widest social spectrum of users. Given the demographics of participation, this must include school children, working adults and retired people and disabled. Riding is a truly inclusive sport. A substantial minority of Londoners do not own cars and are reliant on buses, trains and tubes. Also, proximity means that local schools, for example, are more likely to use the facilities. Accessibility includes details such as appropriate road crossings to allow horses and people safe crossing at grade.

Integration of riding with other sports

The ability of equestrianism to co-exist with other sports is particularly well illustrated within London. Riding can be seen along side football, cricket, tennis, golf, bowls, childrens’ play areas, ornamental gardens, allotments, SSSIs, conservation areas etc. The Royal Parks are very good example of this.

Integration of equestrianism with landscapes

Integration of equestrianism with landscapes of historic and/or ecological value is also well-illustrated in London. Urban riding occurs within Grade I and II historic landscapes (Hyde Park, Richmond) and in national and local nature reserves, SSSIs, conservation areas etc. Bushey Park is particularly interesting for the sophistication of its conservation management which incorporates riding throughout the year.

High levels of skill

Within London there is a heritage of horsemanship – the body of knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and ride or drive healthy, happy, well-trained horses in an urban environment. It should be remembered that the horse is a highly domesticated animal used to living in proximity to people. This level of skill is passed on to London riders and many professional horse people started their careers in London. One well known Olympic rider, a medal hopes for 2008 and 2012 in London, started with Dulwich Riding School, hacking on the ride in Dulwich Park.

Skills need to be taught. There are employment prospects and internationally recognized qualifications available within the equestrian industry. Many of the London stables and City Farms offer young people, from all backgrounds, an opportunity to work with horses and entry into future careers.

Social integration

Londoners have broad ethnicity and horses are a common link across cultures and languages, within inner city or wealthy suburban estates. Equestrian sport and leisure is excellent in promoting social and cultural integration across all ages, across gender, across race.

Local Government and horses

From 1965 to 1985 when it was abolished, the Greater London Council (GLC) was involved with some imaginative activity to promote equestrian sport and leisure. Not only did it retain the open space riding facilities which it had inherited from the LCC (London County Council) but also opened new facilities on newly acquired sites such as Lee Valley, Trent Park, Havering Country Park and Hounslow Heath. There was a strategic approach to the provision and enhancement of recreational facilities which affected areas such as the Colne Valley and the Havering Ridge. After 1985 London was left without a strategic park authority and this has impacted on the provision of equestrian facilities.

References

DEFRA Strategy For the Horse 2004
British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) Omnibus Survey 2006