ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE MODERN

DAY RIDERFreja Woodward, Rebecca Webb and Kate Douglas –

DalaReaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DF.

INTRODUCTION

• An estimated £7 billion from the equine industry is contributed to the British economy (BHIC, 2015)

• However, in the last 4 years there has been a decrease in riders from 1.6 million to 1.3 million (BETA, 2015a) and alongside it, a decrease in riding schools (BETA, 2015b)

• Yet there are still riding schools thriving and succeeding where there are others failing (Pearce and Michael, 2006)

CURRENT LITERATURE

Riding schools have been recorded as early as 1565 when the Spanish Riding School was believed to be established (SRS, 2015).

Riding schools cater for 96% of the 2.7 million riders in UK (BETA, 2015c).

Currently there are 895 riding schools and over 2000 instructors registered with British Horse Society (BHS, 2015) and over 300 riding schools registered with the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS, 2015).

The number of riders have declined in the UK from 3.5 million in 2011 to 2.7 million riders in 2015 (BETA, 2015c).

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To identify strategies used to attract and retain

customers in a new and an

established riding school in North Staffordshire.

To suggest the most successful methods used,

that other businesses could then adapt and

apply themselves.

Investigate what riding schools will be like in

2026 based on proprietor and

customer predictions.

CASE STUDIES

RS1

• Established for more than 15 years

• Operates 7 days a week• 1:1 lessons only• In house competitions • Loyalty benefits in operation• Caters for all ages

RS2

• Previously operated solely as a competition venue and arena hire.

• Riding school established just over 12 months ago

• 1:1 lessons, small groups and other activities such as pony club available

• Specific activities for different ages

• Hire of school horses for competitions

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Method Process

Questionnaires

• 14 questions • Both establishments visited on up to four

separate occasions for roughly 3 hours each time

• 44 questionnaires were completed altogether • RS1 = 20 responses, RS2 = 24 responses

Proprietor Interviews

• 1 interview completed for each proprietor• 1 at RS1 and 2 at RS2• Conducted separately and answers were voice

recorded. • Lasted approximately 15 minutes.

Focus Groups • 1 focus group at each establishment• 2 – 4 participants• Lasted for approximately 10 minutes.

All data collection methods approved through an ethics committee

QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS

Question RS1 RS2What is your gender?

80% female20% male

96% female4% male

What age did you begin to ride?

70% 12 years or under15% 13 – 16 years5 % 22 – 30 years5% 31 – 45 years5% 46 – 55 years

100% 12 years and under

How long have you been riding at this establishment?

Average of just under 2 years

Average of 10.6 months

Do you have a horse or pony in your care?

35% yes65% no

35% yes65 % no

Fig 1- Amount of times par-ticipants (n=20) ride in a

typical month (RS1)

Once a week or more Every other weekOnce a month Less frequently

Fig 2 - Amount of times par-ticipants (n=24) ride in a typ-

ical month (RS2)

Once a week or more Every other weekOnce a month Less frequently

35% of participants at RS1 and 62.5% of participants at RS2 stated that this did not change throughout the year

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Fig 3 - Reasons as to why the establishment (RS1 and RS2) were chosen by clients (n=44)

RS1 RS2

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PROPRIETOR INTERVIEWS – RS1

In your opinion, how do you think riding schools in general will be in 2026? Already changing due to the recession, ones that survive provide good customer service,

quality horses and perceived value for money Change of customer views – more aware of welfare and legislation Diversification in riding centres – tack shops, pony parties, petting zoos, moving away

from riding and more contact or encounters with horses. Corporate training and therapies for conditions.

Where do you think this riding school will be in 2026? Increased competition sizes along with more in house shows. Development of cross country course later this year for summer cross country Development of the current business to continue to succeed

PROPRIETOR INTERVIEWS – RS2

RS2

In your opinion, how do you think riding schools in general will be in 2026? Fewer riding schools but better in quality teaching and horses, options for hacking Better care and customer service Moving away from stereotypical training Riders need to feel like they have learned a lot in the sessions that they have

Do you have any plans to improve or introduce new activities in the next 10 years? Increase riding school uptake including pony club and young rider groups Increase opportunities for competition – university competitions More activities such as pony days, birthday parties, hacking and cross country More stables for more horse stables – initially 6

CUSTOMER FOCUS GROUPSShould have

improved accessibility to

adults – specialised groups for adults as it is focussed towards

children

Increase in safety procedures –

health and safety will have a negative

impact

Increase in the use of technology – use of video playback and

screens to view videos on

Similar to how they are now – unsure of how they will change

Standard changes that adhere to the changes in quality

Accommodate for increased fitness and increased

awareness of fitness in

riding

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO THE INDUSTRY?

Marketing techniques used to attract younger customers should be aimed at the parents. Potential to attract older clients

Family influence considered – RS1 family discount for example Location of the riding school could be utilised to not only attract

local customers but also customers further afield. Customers believe health and safety regulations and increased

cost will have a negative impact on riding schools. Proprietors shared these views.

Proprietors believed their most successful loyalty schemes were ones that offered a financial benefit. This was reflected by customer views.

Customers views of horse welfare standards are changing.

CONCLUSIONS

• Understanding the value of customer feedback can be invaluable to a riding school.

• Value for money will become increasingly more important therefore making discounts important to clients.

• Considering family influence, knowledgeable staff and locality of a riding school will be vital in both attracting and retaining clients.

REFERENCES British Equestrian Trade Association (2015a) National Equestrian Survey 2015 shows increased

consumer spending [On-Line] Available at: http://beta-uk.org/pages/news-amp-events/news/national-equestrian-survey-2015-shows-increased-consumer-spending.php [Date accessed 11.3.16]

British Equestrian Trade Association (2015b) Reversing decline in rider numbers tops the bill at BETA Conference [On-Line] Available at: http://www.beta-uk.org/pages/news-amp-events/news/reversing-decline-in-rider-numbers-tops-the-bill-at-beta-conference.php [Date accessed 10.3.16]

British Equestrian Trade Association (2015c) Market Information [On-Line] Available at: http://www.beta-uk.org/pages/industry-information/market-information.php [Date accessed 10.3.16]

British Horse Industry Confederation (2015) Equine Sector 2015 General Election Manifesto for the Horse Manifesto

British Horses Society (2015) Equestrian Statistics [On-Line] Available at: www.bhs.org.uk/our-charity/press-centre/equestrian-statistics [Date accessed 10.3.16]

Pearce, J. and Michael, S. (2006). Strategies to prevent economic recessions from causing business failure. Business Horizons, 49(3), pp.201-209.

Spanish Riding School (2015) The turbulent history of the Spanish Riding School [On-Line] Available at: http://www.srs.at/en_US/die-bewegte-geschichte-der-spanischen-hofreitschule/ [Date Accessed 10.3.16]

ANY QUESTIONS?