Bridleway petition..please read and sign if you haven't already

There is a path near me which could easily become a bridlepath with the removal of one of those metal "lean in" barriers, but the COunty Council refused to removed or replace it. Might take the farm jack up there one night and prise it apart...
 
Done. I truly hope this petition is taken seriously and they improve the bridleway network, if not in my area then hopefully at least somewhere else.
 
Signed but most councils will tell you they are cash strapped having no money to provide new routes. They can't even maintain the existing ones, I have had a moan at them recently about the state of our local ones as well as riders going off the bridle paths where ever they want, having half a ton of horse cantering at you through woods on a footpath is no fun and I get told if the riders continue to abuse the local countryside then they will close the existing routes so riders (round here anyway) have to take some responsibility too.
 
cremedemonthe said:
Signed but most councils will tell you they are cash strapped having no money to provide new routes. They can't even maintain the existing ones, I have had a moan at them recently about the state of our local ones as well as riders going off the bridle paths where ever they want, having half a ton of horse cantering at you through woods on a footpath is no fun and I get told if the riders continue to abuse the local countryside then they will close the existing routes so riders (round here anyway) have to take some responsibility too.
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Unfortunately councils can't just 'upgrade' footpaths to BWs without consultation and there are nearly always objections from other user groups and land owners which can cost kkkks of £s - as you said councils are cash strapped, and will be more so with new govt. Way forward is, instead of 'moaning' offer to help. With path clearance, maintenance, consultations, advising on equestrian needs. Join a local BW group - or form a new one. Also build friendly links with other users like MTBs. They have much greater no's than riders and are also vulnerable road users. Much of the conflict between users is based on ignorance. Oh, and of course sign the petition!
 
Signed, but I can't see this ever happening in a million years. Here's hoping though.

Seriously thinking its a possibility that me and my horse will be road kill the amount of near misses I've had lately (and next to the smashed up car will be a nice big footpath with a 'no horses' sign)
 
There are now so few safe public off-road ROW that footpaths should default to dual use with landowners given right to appeal on reasonable grounds at their cost. One-liner bill through parliament. Minimal fuss, minimal public cost.
 
Nice idea there pennyturner.

Local to me is a bridleway that a landowner has tried to concrete over. Various letters have batted backwards and forwards and he's being allowed to not only get away with the initial works but somehow or other the borough council are ending up potentially spending council tax payers money to re-surface the whole length of it. I say potentially, because the fight goes on even though the parish council have OK'd it as suitable - despite their being no consultation there are plenty of riders who aren't giving up. The whole issue is completely out of order, but guess what the landowner has a history of this sort of thing and is a firm friend of many councillors at borough and parish level - need I say more?
 
The New Labour Tony Blair government did a great deal of good regarding access for riders, including the riding routes included in the Higher Level environmental scheme (scrapped by the last Government) and the formation of Local Access forums and the the requirement for county councils to do Rights of Way Imrovement Plans - although they didn't provide any money for the improvements!

If you have a path that you think might be improved you can apply to the BHS for a grant of money towards it.

What I find so frustrating and disappointing is studying the map and seeing where bridlepaths end, and then join up with footpaths - obviously at one time the whole length was a bridlepath, but maybe with parish boundary the status changes.
It is also interesting to see how some parishes have many bridlepaths and others hardly any or none. At one time there would have been many everywhere, but in 1949 it just depended WHO was collecting the information for the new Definitive Maps as to whether the path was recorded as a bridlepath or footpath.

Nice one pennyturner - do you have a local MP who comes up on the Private Members Bill list you could get interested?
 
And another thing - there are so many cyclists around there is a lot of money going into cycling routes. Riders have never, ever got their act together to speak with one voice. If all riders joined the BHS there would have so much more money to use and a proper representation of the riding public behind them. But how many dressage, show jumping, even eventing people don't bother to join as they think the BHS doesn't do anything for them!

I think it is comparable to the BASC shooting people being far more organised than the hunting lot.
 
cremedemonthe said:
Signed but most councils will tell you they are cash strapped having no money to provide new routes. They can't even maintain the existing ones, I have had a moan at them recently about the state of our local ones as well as riders going off the bridle paths where ever they want, having half a ton of horse cantering at you through woods on a footpath is no fun and I get told if the riders continue to abuse the local countryside then they will close the existing routes so riders (round here anyway) have to take some responsibility too.
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This is my experience - the riders around here have completely wrecked multi use PROW for other users.
 
I completely agree 100% with Orangehorse - riders moan but do absolutely nothing.
If you want more off road riding then join the BHS as they are the only national organisation to represent horse riders and carriage drivers.
If every rider in the U.K. joined the BHS then they would have a far more powerful voice when negotiating with central and local government for improved off road riding.
The equestrian industry is the second largest land based industry to farming yet get nothing from government. Cyclists get a fortune through Sustrans.
Support the BHS by becoming a full member and they will be able to support you.
 
oldjumper said:
Unfortunately councils can't just 'upgrade' footpaths to BWs without consultation and there are nearly always objections from other user groups and land owners which can cost kkkks of £s - as you said councils are cash strapped, and will be more so with new govt. Way forward is, instead of 'moaning' offer to help. With path clearance, maintenance, consultations, advising on equestrian needs. Join a local BW group - or form a new one. Also build friendly links with other users like MTBs. They have much greater no's than riders and are also vulnerable road users. Much of the conflict between users is based on ignorance. Oh, and of course sign the petition!
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For your information that's exactly what I did as I work part time FOR the council as well as being involved within the local equestrian community but again was met with apathy and "we can't maintain the bridlepaths (over grown) because the birds will be nesting" yes they would be in the Spring/Summer but this was in November/Winter!
I have offered advice and help but they just don't want it, they use "contractors" to maintain the parks and open spaces, last lot left the gates unlocked and then the park was full up the next day by numerous travellers caravans who also wrecked the woods and park by racing round on motorbikes and cost the council in baliffs and rubbish removal fees.
I am heavily involved in safety and campaign groups as well as making first aid and safety products for riders and I have signed the petition if you read my post you would have seen that.
 
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Signed, I was given a telling off for taking my youngster down a footpath. I know It was naughty of me, but the footpath links and follows on directly from the bridlepath, it brings you across a path set far away from crop fields , through a path made in the middle of a crop field by the farmer and out in to the village. The alternate route, the one we are supposed to take is ride your horse down an extremely busy A road that comes straight off the motorway, and then rejoin the bridlepath at the end of the road. that to me sounds like suicide ! But there you go... guess it's better to risk lives than walk your horse down a rarely used path away from the motorway traffic
 
This petition was actually started in our local town of Wokingham where all the riders HAVE got together to protest at the fact there are so few bridleways, yet so many housing developments going in with NO off road provision being added whatsoever but of course the council could easily afford it with all the Section 106 money coming in from the new houses, and it would be so much safer given how built up and how many cars there are round here, combined with the fact Wokingham has one of the lowest proportions of bridleways to other routes in the country. The Wokingham Bridleways Group put on a spectacular march round the town with around 40 horses being ridden through the town photos here: http://www.waynejonesphotography.com/wokingham-march-around-the-town which completely made the point safely (as it was so well organised) causing just enough disruption (about as much as a bad traffic day) to be noticed.

So please do sign the petition!
 
Hoof_Prints said:
Signed, I was given a telling off for taking my youngster down a footpath. I know It was naughty of me, but the footpath links and follows on directly from the bridlepath, it brings you across a path set far away from crop fields , through a path made in the middle of a crop field by the farmer and out in to the village. The alternate route, the one we are supposed to take is ride your horse down an extremely busy A road that comes straight off the motorway, and then rejoin the bridlepath at the end of the road. that to me sounds like suicide ! But there you go... guess it's better to risk lives than walk your horse down a rarely used path away from the motorway traffic
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Farmers, by law have to make "paths" through their crops for ROWs.

The compaction made by a horse is much more of that made by a person - compaction in soil is a nightmare for farmers and boggy footpaths are not fair to those who are legally allowed to traverse them. Too right you got told off - you were in the wrong. Your arrogance limits horse riders as a group - farmers are not here to act as your gatekeepers to a good hack.
 
Looking at this: http://www.bhsaccesssouthwest.org.uk/RiddenPaths.php and this: http://www.bhsaccesssouthwest.org.uk/DefinitiveMap.php it may have formerly been a bridleway and a right of way. Also, it says it is not illegal to use a footpath on horseback, possibly a civil offence of trespass if no unwritten right of way or criminal damage if any is caused but it seems many footpaths are former bridleways, so may be a right of way to it if you can show it has been ridden.

A major part of the problem is the general public seems to be becoming less and less tolerant of horses and riding, sadly.

Edited: reply to Hoof_Prints
 
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You are right about it being a civil offence to use a footpath on horseback.

Also, do not forget the Trails Trust who have published a book with details on how to get footpaths made into the bridlepaths, easy if the landowner agrees, but the councils can be sticky as they then have to take over maintenance.
Trails Trust have created 80 new bridlepaths in the Mendip area.
 
petition signed. Please everyone when you sign the petition please fill in the comments column with something to the effect of ===there have been x No car /horse related accident locally (or in county / city) in the last month, lets get them thinking. (honest figures only please).
 
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