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| Introduction | Rationale | Extent | Information | News | Opportunities | Index |
| Increasing Access for All | Promoting Safety | Meeting Local Needs | Economic Development |
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| Bobbie Matulja, Proprietor, Bridle Rides Ltd |
On the continent, long distance riding is a rather popular activity, and
the British Horse Society receives requests from France, Belgium and the Netherlands
for maps of promoted routes in this country. The National Bridleroute Network aims to
ensure that routes are provided throughout the United Kingdom.
In Britain, companies like Bridle Rides have started to
provide services to riders by providing a booking service so that
riders start their holiday with the right maps for their journey,
have all the bed and breakfast (horse and rider!) taken care of, and
can even have their belongings moved between staging posts for them while
they are riding the scenic route. [1] The success of
ventures like these demonstrates that in some parts of the country at least,
there is sufficient infrastructure to enable safe off-road riding to be promoted.
The development of the National Bridleroute Network will increase
the riding and commercial opportunities.
Tack shops, vets and blacksmiths Although riders will aim to
take everything they need on their rides, there will always be a need for
emergency items. A shoe may be lost, or a rub may need some attention.
A head collar may be forgotten or lost. The businesses that serve the needs of
local riders will see an increase in levels of custom as a result of their
proximity to the National Bridleroute Network. While the first edition of the
Peterborough Green Wheel map showed where cycle shops were in relation to the
cycle routes, the second edition will be showing tack shops and places to keep
a horse overnight, as well.
Alterations to the Common Agricultural Policy and attitudes to farming
subsidies are leading to marked changes in the rural economy.
The Government has already announced measures to help farmers diversify
into other activities. The creation and promotion of the
National Bridleroute Network will provide another source
of income to farmers who wish to provide overnight stabling
or grazing and value-added facilities for riders.
Other rural workers, from blacksmiths to forage merchants
could expect to benefit from greater numbers of riders passing
through their areas. As the National Bridleroute Network
is also open to cyclists and walkers, there is great scope for
bed and breakfasts, hotels and pubs
to take advantage of the additional trade opportunities presented.
Above: Riders call at
the local pub half way through a day ride with Bridlerides.
There are many ways in which the local economy can benefit from increased numbers of
walkers, riders and cyclists passing through. Where parts of the National Bridleroute
Network join areas of poor equestrian access opportunities to good pockets of
bridleways, the Network will also enable these new areas to attract a permanent
horse population. The development of the local economy due to cyclists and walkers
is well known, but equestrian development has been
studied less. The following examples show just some of the ways in which the local
economy can be stimulated and developed as a result of the National Bridleroute
Network.
Hitching Rails One of the key means to encouraging riders to stop at a pub is
the provision of either hitching rails to allow the horses to be tied up, or better still
the provision of tie-up facilities within a small paddock, so that riders are more
comfortable about leaving their horses for a while.
The picture shows how a pub
in Hertfordshire, just 400yds from the H25, has provided hitching rails for the
benefit of local and passing riders. Children from the Beer Garden were interested in the horse too!
Equestrian Bed and Breakfast The increasing popularity of riding holidays
means that there is a need for places to stable horses overnight.
The sales of the British Horse Society's book Bed and Breakfast for Horses
[2] demonstrate the increasing popularity: over
half the print run of the seventh edition has been sold in just five months.
But an increase in the numbers of riders passing through an area doesn't just
provide increased custom for the obvious businesses. Riders, and the walkers
and cyclists also entitled to use the National Bridleroute Network, will need
the usual facilities: they will use the local shops; they might want somewhere
to go in the evening after they've dealt with their horses; and restaurants
and pubs can expect to see increased custom too.
Right: A National Park Trail Group drops
in to chat to the local tourist information office, Brecon. (Photograph courtesy Transwales Trails)
1. Bridle Rides brochure.
2. Bed and Breakfast for Horses, 8th edition. British Horse Society, 2001.
© 2000-5 The British Horse Society.
updated November 2007