RESEARCH ON THE HORSE INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN

The Horse Industry

Until recently horses did not feature in the Countryside Agency's annual report State of the Countryside, a singular omission for the government's main adviser on the countryside. This perhaps goes some way to explaining why the horse is so frequently ignored or treated as an optional extra by both central and local government when it comes to rights of way and access.

This failure was raised by the NFBA with the Minister for the Environment in August 2001. Our former chairman, Sue Carter, wrote to Alun Michael as follows:

‘. . . in its publication State of the Countryside 2001 [the Countryside Agency] fails to mention the horse industry and its importance as an economic generator. As the horse industry is the second-largest land-based industry in the countryside with an annual turnover that now exceeds that of agriculture, this is an extremely serious omission. Obviously, if this sort of information is overlooked by the Government’s own adviser on the countryside, it raises questions about that organisation’s overall competence and perhaps goes some way to explaining the deficiencies in the recent legislation.

While the horse industry continues to contribute to the rural economy, its full potential cannot be realised without provision for recreational access users. Lack of defined bridleway access will inevitably limit equestrian activity, and reduce the economic potential of the area. May we suggest that the House of Commons Select Committee inquiry into tourism would provide an opportunity to discuss the benefits of equestrianism in rural and indeed urban areas. Fundamental to this are the public rights of way network and the failings of the current system for recording public rights of way.'

We are delighted to report that the government has at last set up a horse industry research team, based in the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and we include here the project specification. It may be written in government-speak, but at least it is a start.

RESEARCH ON THE HORSE INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN

SPECIFICATION OF PROJECT

Purpose of research

1. The British Horse Industry Confederation and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with the National Assembly for Wales and the Scottish Executive wish to commission research on the horse industry in Great Britain. The industry makes a multi-billion pound contribution to the economy and attracts well over two million riders. It includes large-scale commercial activities such as racing and sport horses, and also the leisure and recreational use of horses, and ancillary activities like farriery, equine medicine, tack and feed supply (but not betting).

Horse industry strategy

2. The research will underpin the development of a long-term strategy for the horse industry. This will set out a vision of where the horse industry would like to be in ten years, and how the Government can support it in following this path. It will recognise the industry’s existing important contribution to the national economy and especially the economies of rural areas, to the social fabric of rural communities in particular, to the environment and to land management. This will require a clear identification of the industry’s current baseline, especially in economic terms (including turnover and employment) and in terms of the relationship between economic and other factors.

3. The strategy will cover the industry’s capacity for making a still greater economic contribution in rural areas, within a framework of sustainable development. An economically vibrant industry makes possible all sorts of equine activities. The strategy will have regard to Defra’s Public Service Agreement target "to reduce the gap in productivity between the least well performing quartile of rural areas and the English median by 2006 …". It will indicate how the industry supported by the Government can help to promote economic vitality and development, and how we can overcome potential barriers to achieving the vision.

Research

4. The research will be tightly focused on addressing key data and questions for the development of the strategy. It will need to be independent, objective and critical. The project which is the subject of this specification ("stage I") will map the industry and its component sectors, address baseline data requirements, and identify key issues for the preparation of the strategy.

5. Subsequent research ("stage II") will complete definitive baseline data, propose future means of updating it, and if required undertake in-depth analysis of and/or consultation on specific issues. The contract for stage II will be let separately.

Further background

Geography

6. The research will need to have regard to the current and potential contribution of the horse industry and its component sectors:

in Great Britain as a whole;
in England, Scotland and Wales separately;
in rural areas, including different types of rural area (such as urban fringe, upland, arable, livestock);
in the less well performing rural areas in England (for which the least well performing quartile is an indicator);
between different areas of England, Scotland and Wales where the industry makes the biggest impact and has the greatest opportunities;
and its related contribution to urban economies and communities.

7. Where statistics are provided on a geographical basis, datasets should be postcoded where possible and presented at the smallest area level available. Regard should be had to aggregating and identifying datasets in order to aid coherence and comparison with other economic, social and farm-related statistics collated by Defra, its Agencies and others. Similar regard should be had to information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

National equine database and Defra IT strategy

8. An important item of information for the establishment of a baseline for the equine population is that from January 2004 [note: since this report was written the date has been deferred until July 2004] equines will require a ‘passport’. This will identify each animal and show which passport-issuing organisation registered it. Consideration is being given to how to capture centrally the information on equines held by over 60 passport-issuing organisations. The stage I research will need to consider, in the light of the then situation and the timescale for preparation of the strategy, whether reliable output from the database would be available in time to meet some baseline information needs, and if so how it would be used (including conducting pilot studies if feasible). [For example, if information on a section of the equine population were to be available, it might be possible to devise a multiplier to calculate its economic impact.] The stage II research will need to take account of the development of the national equine database, for example in considering how baseline data are to be updated.

9. The research will also need to have regard to the development of a Defra IT strategy. Any data arrangements proposed should be compatible with it.

Scope of stage I research

10. The stage I research will have three components:

to map the horse industry;
to address requirements for baseline data on it; and
to identify the key issues to be considered in the preparation of the strategy for the industry.

11. The objectives of the project will be:

Mapping

(a) To define the horse industry and describe its constituent sectors.

Data

Having regard to the geographical requirements in paragraph 6 above:

(b) to summarise the extent and reliability of existing data on the current economic and other contribution of the industry and its component sectors, and the principal gaps in them; and

(c) to make and pilot proposals for filling these gaps, so as to enable a robust assessment of the industry’s impact to be provided in stage II.

Issues

Having regard to the purpose of the intended strategy for the horse industry (paragraphs 2–3 above), including its primarily economic focus:

(d) to consult the horse industry by:

seeking and analysing the views of a representative sample of industry organisations on key issues for its development over the next ten years, including major opportunities and threats, especially issues affecting the industry’s economic vitality and an increase in its contribution to rural economies and communities (including socio-economic and land management drivers and constraints); and

holding a seminar on barriers and inducements for the equine enterprises to flourish, focusing on aspects critical to the development of the industry;

(e) to compare issues affecting the current state and future development of the horse industry in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland [with which the industry in Great Britain, as well as Northern Ireland, has especially close links] and some other countries (such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the United States), so as to identify promising models for transferring good industry practice and successful Government policies; and

(f) on the basis of available data, industry consultation, and overseas comparisons, to make reasoned recommendations identifying the key issues the industry and the Government need to address in preparing the strategy and how consideration of them might best be advanced.

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