Government Minister admits "riding facilities and associated trades have considerable economic importance to the countryside."

Says Bob Milton, "Perhaps we should tell some of the planning authorities, the Highway Agency and Natural England."

It all began with Bob Milton requesting that riding be included in the Government's definition of sustainable transport.

If the Government had agreed, this would have opened up a whole new range of benefits to riders.

But the Government didn't agree.

Says Jeremy Hunt, Member of Parliament for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport, "Sustainable transport is seen as methods of transport which enable easy access to jobs, shopping and leisure facilities, whilst horse riding is viewed as a form of recreation rather than transport."

But he added, "Policies do, however, support equine enterprises, providing for a range of suitably located recreational and leisure facilities and the needs of training and breeding businesses that maintain environmental quality and countryside character."

In fact, Bob Milton's enquiry produced an even greater endorsement of the importance of equine enterprises to the rural economy from  Bob Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government.

He said sustainable transport was seen as methods of transport which enabled easy access to jobs, shopping and leisure facilities whilst horse riding was viewed as a form of recreation rather than transport.

He did, however, stress the "considerable economic importance" of "riding facilities and associated trades" to the countryside.

To read the letter from Jeremy Hunt, Member of Parliament for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport, click here

To read the letter from Bob Neill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government, click here