It is widely believed that horses were first ridden around approximately 4500 BC, long before they were driven, and from then on horses have played an important part in human history across the world, in warfare, transportation, trade and agriculture.
The field of Equestrian sports in modern times contains a variety of different sports including Horse Racing, Dressage and Para-Dressage, Show jumping, Polo and Endurance Riding.
Trail riding, sometimes called horse or pony trekking, is a great way to start in Equestrian sports, and involves riding outdoors along nature trails and roads as opposed to riding in an enclosed arena.
There is public access to horse trails across the country and many stables and riding clubs offer both guided and independent riding opportunities.
The British Equestrian Federation
The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) is the national governing body for horse sports in the UK, affiliated to the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sports.
The BEF is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of 4.2 million riders, vaulters and carriage drivers in Great Britain via 18 independent member bodies.
Equestrian Participation & Demand in Wiltshire and Swindon
‘Take Back the Reins’ (TBTR) is a new initiative from The British Equestrian Federation. It involves running affordable courses aimed at new and former riders to refresh their skills and regain confidence with horse riding. This report aims to identify the current participation and demand for equestrian sport in the Wiltshire and Swindon CSP area, as well as looking for areas that contain a high density of target audience residents.