Number of riding schools grow at a canter, despite losses

Equestrianism - the art of horse riding - is no longer novel in China's capital, which now boasts about 60 riding clubs that attract thousands of enthusiasts wanting to saddle up.

Equestrianism specifically refers to the skill of riding or driving horses and is the only event at the Olympic Games that involves a partnership between man and animal.

The sport has long been thought of as a noble one reflecting its practitioners' identity and social status but, with the rise in living standard and people's change in attitude toward the sport, equestrianism is more affordable and more trendy than it has ever been in Beijing.