Can you ride on a footpath?

Are you allowed to ride a horse on a footpath?

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No, unless permission given (ie its your own land). We do ride on a cut through from a main road to a housing estate though, have been doing this for 20+ years. A couple of years ago a neighbour started a campaign to get horses stopped form using it. I think he must have stepped in some poo on his way back from the pub :D
 
no. Not unless it is your own land, or you have the landowners permission.

Of course there are those places where people have been doing it for years and years. In these situation if you apply to the council there is an outside chance you could get it changed to a bridlepath, but that doesn't mean you should be riding on it now!
 
it is my understanding that you can ride on a foot path if it crosses land you own or if you have the permission of the landowner.
 
Thanks all who have answered so far, I have always been under the impression the answer was no, however, going past a local footpath (and would make an excellent bridleway..) noticed lots of poo which must belong to the local landowners horses I would say now upon some reading.
 
I thought it was a no full stop as it would churn the footpath up. Obviously if its across an open field thats a different question.

Another question - can you push a bike along a footpath? My mum got turned round on a footpath for walking along it pushing her bike. He said self propelled vehicles weren't allowed on them - which seemed odd as this would include prams too..
 
Bikes have no right to be on a footpath either according to the article I just read.

However this is no ordinary footpath, this is 7km of tarmac path! However rules are rules, just left me *again* a bit deflated when looking for places to hack!
 
You can not lead, ride or drive a horse on a public footpath. You can push a wheelchair or a bicycle on a public footpath.

If there has been continuous use of horse riders riding along a public footpath for 20 or more years then you can apply to have it re-classified as a bridleway. Your local county BHS access officer will advise you how to go about it. (You will need to get evidence forms completed by people that have ridden it). Evidence forms available from BHS county bridleway officer.

A landowner can give you permission to ride on a public footpath but can allongside it. If the surface is damages then a claim could be made aainst the landowner/person/people that damaged it.
 
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