Petplan Equine survey reveals habits of UK horse owners
The 3 greatest concerns of horse owners in 2014 are the cost of keeping a horse, the cost of vets fees and road safety, so says a new survey by Petplan Equine.
And the equine insurance provider has launched a new equine infographic to display the results.
Designed as an “easily accessible and colourful information tool” the infographic is aimed at horse owners and was compiled from results from a recent survey commissioned by the company.
The survey was undertaken to understand the needs and concerns of the average horse owner in 2013/2014 to enable Petplan Equine to provide the best service for its customers.
“Petplan Equine is dedicated to helping its customers care for their horses,” said the company’s Charlotte Collyer.
“We were delighted by the response to our survey, which identified some very valuable information that we have incorporated into the infographic.
“We hope that it will prove to be a useful online tool for anyone wanting information about some of the key areas of horse management as well as a good source of statistics regarding the modern horse owner.”
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From 1,235 people who responded to the online survey, Petplan Equine has generated a guide to the average horse owner in the UK — who is female, aged 40-49, in full-time employment and spends up to 39% of their income on their horse.
They have been horse owners for more than 10 years and have one horse, plus a dog and/or a cat. They spend 2-4 hours a day with their horse, which is part-stabled at a DIY livery yard, and they ride 4-6 days a week. They use their horse mainly for hacking and some dressage, have access to bridleways and an arena and would travel up to 25 miles for a competition or activity.
39% say the major cutback in spending has been on riding lessons. While road safety was one of the 3 greatest concerns of horse owners in 2014, 92% have never been involved in a road accident with their horse. The survey found that 84% of owners have their horses insured.
The new equine infographic is available on the Petplan Equine website.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.