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visitors belonging to all types of tourism. Henceforth we mention only the status of the
riding tourism. The riding tourism includes all branches of „riding and coach driving
seasonably or systematically pursued by tourists in their spare time, for hobby, for
maintaining their own health on their own at their own costs” (Fehér and Kóródi 2007).
According to the publication prepared by Magyar Turizmus Zrt. and Hungarian
Tourists’ Association (2006a) the touristically qualified riding establishments and
services presented in Table 1. can be found in Hungary.
Riding services can be divided into 3 groups according to their frequency (Fehér and
Kóródi 2007):
• frequently, generally offered services (e.g.: riding, riding education, lease keeping,
riding tour, coach driving, camping, accommodation and catering)
• often, but not generally services offered (e.g.: cross-country riding, show jumping,
dressage, competition, presentations, hunting and riding)
• rarely offered services (e.g.: visiting horse-breeding establishments, military)
Within the riding tourism active and passive services can be distinguished. Active
services are e.g. riding, riding education, western riding, coach driving and other
equestrian sports. Passive services are mainly presentation, e.g. presentation of races,
equestrian archery, coach driving presentation, five-in-hand and equestrian acrobatics.
Hungarian riders’ characteristics, like horse-herders’ attractions and five-in-hand
mean a special attraction both for Hungarian and foreign tourists. Horse-herders used to
guard herds of horses in the open air all the year in the plain. Nowadays horses are
rarely kept in such a way. Horse-herders maintain the tradition concerning their tools
and clothing. They use special horse-accessories, like saddles without girths and shortstock
ornamental long whip. The „five-.in-hand”, „Koch-five-in-hand” or “Hungarian
post” are daring equestrian attractions: the horse-herder is driving five or more horses
standing on the back of the last two horses.
Several groups of interest, e.g. hobby riders and their companions, persons
pursuing and organising equestrian sports, horse-breeders, resp. participants of riders’
performances, riding tours and camping are touched by the riding tourism. Furthermore,
groups rendering services connected with equestrian sports, e.g. persons or enterprises
following trades connected with horses. People belonging to different groups of interest
can be basically squaded into two big groups (Incze and Hevessy 2007). The first
groups is formed by persons touched rarely or as complementary activity by riding
services. The second group includes persons being engaged with horses as main
activity.
Nowadays riding tourism information is easily accessible in Hungary. Actual
riding services are published by different types of media, such as periodicals, radio, TV,
advertisement newspapers and Internet. The Internet is probably the most tailor-made,
because it offers the most flexible searching possibilities.
Enterprises rendering different riding services are co-ordinated by the Hungarian
Non-Profit Association of Riding Tourism (MLTKSZ). Aptitude test of horses as well
as the management of the horseshoe qualifying system belongs to the tasks of the
MLTKSZ. The “horseshoe” indication promotes the orientation concerning the quality
of different services. The indication of the quality extends from one to five horseshoes
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