Do bridleway gates have to be accessible on horseback?

paddy555 said:
what is the definition of "openable"? many gates have catches halfway down the gate. Perfectly openable from a 14hh pony, not so easy from 16.2. some of ours are have good catches and can be easily opened yet you have to get off for them as the angle of the gate to the wall doesn't allow you to get close enough to get the horse's head over. I don't think riders can expect to be able to open every gate.

A gate that one rider can open may be difficult for another. My very experienced horse has worked out ways to deal with the most difficult gates yet my youngster is still a way off from doing all of them mounted.

I think if I had 14 gates in half a mile it would just be quicker to lead for that stretch. To me riding is a physical activity and I need to be able to do and cope with whatever the ride throws at me. I can't expect someone to have designed every gate so that I can do them mounted.
Click to expand...

I think the issue of what is openable is very relevant; what is openable to one rider probably isn't to another; that depends on so many factors - so how do you work out what is the best way to ensure that? I do think that, in part this is what puts landowners off putting horse friendly gates in; inevitably, if they do this either the gate will be left open or someone will find that it is not, in fact openable for them. Gates drop and deteriorate too and farmers/landowners are often consumed with really 'immediate' tasks so gates and access are not always top priority even if they know that access is needed and must be granted. I completely understand about gates being a pain or making riding more frustrating - I have ridden with much older riders, very small and not very confident children and with people with significant disabilities. In those instances it is generally understood that someone should help with gates. Certainly I wouldn't think it advisable for anyone who can't safely dismount and remount to do gates/lead to ride alone so there should usually be someone to help. I have thought about this a fair bit lately as a local rider who is unable to dismount and remount found herself unable to help an elderly gent who had had a nasty fall (he was walking not riding!). The rider had to ring for help but it kind of scandalised the local community that a horse rider simply couldn't dismount safely (this rider has some physical issues that make it difficult for her). Although everyone is aware of her physical issues there was still a good degree of comment about that, with lots of non-horsey folk being astonished that anyone would get on a horse if they couldn't easily get off and remount :(

I think there is more of an issue with tracks being blocked or overgrown to the point of inaccessiblity - there are bridleway access groups that can help with that and here we keep our most local bridleway cut back in a very informal way. Is that possible for any of your local tracks?
 
spacefaer said:
Friend of mine was very proud of having worked with the local bridleways access people (a voluntary group ) to get every gate on a designated route "openable" by riders - trouble was, she rides a14hh Fell that she does trec on. I have 17.2hh hunters.
I have to get off for every gate on this route as while the catches are easy to use and the gates swing perfectly, they're all below my foot when mounted. While I can get back on, it gets very tedious - this route is very gate-full - think 21 gates in and out of small fields in a 20 min ridden section.
So - while the gates are all technically openable - I never use the route
Click to expand...
This is why I carry a hunting whip if I go off my local patch, to deal with gates and their catches, the extra length to my arm with the horn leg on the end is a blessing :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top