Ms Maneesha Shanker, 22, manager of Gallop Stable at Horsecity, says horse-riding in Singapore is getting more accessible and affordable and no longer a membership-only activity.
Gallop Stable, which started in Pasir Ris in 2003, is one of the earliest facilities here to offer non- membership-based horse-riding classes. Due to rising demand, it has since opened three more branches - in Horsecity, Punggol and Johor Baru.
Gallop Stable, Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre and National Equestrian Centre do not require membership for participation.
Their fees start at between $50 and $90 for a 45-minute class a person for a group class, and between $70 and $150 a person for a one-to-one 45-minute class.
Bukit Timah Saddle Club is membership-based, but it started offering horse-riding activities to the public in 2014.
Mr Anthony Lowry, 38, general manager and a head coach at Bukit Timah Saddle Club, says the Singapore Youth Olympic Games in 2010 helped give a boost to the horseriding scene here.
After the games, about 35 new horses entered for the competition were sold to the riding clubs here and this "provided a much-needed increase in the horse power available in Singapore".
Ms Nadia Chen, 30, sports development manager at the Equestrian Federation of Singapore, adds that the stone gold and one bronze medal) and then in Singapore in 2015 (one gold and three silver medals) also made people more aware of the sport and that horses and stables can be found in Singapore.
Mr Lowry says the number of riding lessons taking place at Bukit Timah Saddle Club has more than doubled since 2010 and it now has more than 450 riders a week.
Meanwhile, Singapore Polo Club in Mount Pleasant Road conducts 3,000 to 4,000 rides a month, and Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre has seen more than 2,300 riders pass through its doors since it opened in November 2009.
National Equestrian Centre, a riding school under the Equestrian Federation of Singapore, started with 20 to 30 students in 2011 and now has 120 to 150 students.
Besides expatriates, more Singaporeans are signing up, say clubs here. While many riders are schoolgoing children, there are also parents who pick up the sport after seeing their children enjoying it, or because they want to ride as a family.
Some working adults ride to de-stress.
It helps that the centres offer myriad activities to cater to different interests and levels, from beginner to advanced.
Riders can choose to attend individual or group classes, and also ad- hoc classes or a four- to 10-session course. There are also classes on horse care and stable management. Inter-club competitions are held as often as twice a month.
Singapore Polo Club recently started a quadrilles class, where horse-riding is synchronised to music.
Most riding centres also offer photo shoots on horseback for wedding couples and organise birthday parties for children.
Bukit Timah Saddle Club and National Equestrian Centre conduct one-off and weekly pony camps and lessons for those aged three to 15, to teach horse-riding and care of horses.
The centre also takes pony roadshows to schools, community clubs and other public spaces where people can groom and feed ponies as well as ride them.
Ms Hannah Sin's daughters, Grace, 11, and Joyce, eight, started horse-riding when they were seven.
Grace, an animal lover, asked Ms Sin to let her learn horse-riding after she read about it in books. Late last year, she began competing in dressage events at interclub competitions organised by Bukit Timah Saddle Club and is looking forward to learning how to jump.
Ms Sin, a 39-year-old housewife, says horse-riding has made her younger daughter more confident and outgoing.
"In the past, she always stuck to me even when we went to the playground, but now, she's more willing to interact with other children," she says.
Enjoy the ride