Man's (or woman's) best friend?

They are regularly hurt by them, don't always trust them, and often have to lie in order to spend time with them, but 63 per cent of all riders say they prefer the company of their horses to their partners.

Although 87 per cent of riders say their horse can be "temperamental" and almost half have been quite badly injured, 72 per cent of riders admit that they tell their horse their problems, rather than their partner. And the national survey, compiled by Gallop magazine, shows that 90 per cent of women riders say they would rather have a new horse than a baby.

Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) say they wish they could take both their partner and horse on holiday, while half admitted to having sneaked off work for a secret rendezvous with their horse.

Perhaps not surprisingly, 53 per cent of partners were said to be jealous of the relationship. With good reason: almost half of all riders say if things came to a head they wouldn't be able to decide between their partner or horse. A quarter would definitely choose their horse. Jojo Moyes