Angry farmer

[lachlanandmarcus]

I think a lot of farmers are more worried about the fly tipping and off road motorbike damage that comes when there is access big enough for horses to get in than they actually are about the horses, tho they dislike not being asked first.

One thing tho, I know a lot of people think OK I wont ride on the fields when stuff is growing and then really go for it once it is stubble. Bear in mind that these days the grain crop the stubble is from often has an undersown crop of grass, Which will get ruined by hooves, so it makes is esp important to check if its OK with the farmer.

I know a lot of people also dont want to ask if they are just doing it atm and getting away with it cos they are worried about the answer being NO. But in the long run, all that means is that farmers will hate horseriders and shut them out as it solves the other problems too like the motorbikes and the flytipping if they do.

 

[monkeybum13]

I believe someone mentioned earlier in the thread that free maps showing bridleways can be found online, I think they mentioned search with Bing.

Yes, if you search for maps on Bing Maps you can convert the maps between road maps, OS maps, aerial view etc etc so you really can't go wrong and it doesn't cost a single penny.

 

[jrp204]

It would be nice if some of the payments that farmers got from the taxpayer contributed to stretches of headland for riding on, rather than just for birds and wildlife (who don't contribute to the tax!!)

But I know that we as a group are right at the bottom of the pile.

The whole point of having to leave headlands is to help conserve the farmland birds etc, if you start riding on it you will be destroying nests and disturbing the wildlife.
As riders you are not at the bottom of the pile, you have chosen an activity that results in the need for somewhere to ride, why does have to be a farmers land? If he chooses to let people ride on it fair enough but what happens if there is an accident? Liability etc, not a road i want to go down. We have enough to pay for without having to take out extra insurance to pay for someone elses hobby.
I appreciate the 'right to roam' in scotland but at present we are not in that situation and hopefully it will stay that way.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

1. there is no such thing as setaside any longer
2. that lovely grassy strip down the edge of the field is probably an ELS strip and if you are caught on it he will lose a quarter of his annual SPS payment.
3. It's not his problem that someone died on the road
4. take a bottle of wine round to his house to appologise, now that things have settled down, and ask if you are able pay to use a farm track to avoid the industrial estate.