Has the BHS lost its way ?

ester said:
Obviously we have a LOT of development round here and 2 or 3 BHS access people are totally on it, but I don't always associated them with BHS as its just that they are great people. I do presume when they are in planning meetings it might help that they can say they are BHS representatives.
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I believe that for issues affecting ROWs, ie that might affect access rights/routes, that BHS is a statutory consulted. I guess this would include planning applications that might require rerouting or otherwise affect usefulness of a route.
 
Orangehorse said:
This is the problem - if ALL riders in the UK were members of the BHS then it would have enough money to pay people a proper wage to do these jobs instead of relying on volunteers whose commitment and expertise will vary.
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Looking at the books you could say they had enough money if they focused on core issues, instead of trying to be a 'charity' that mainly supports in practical way pro riders, the main pathway being towards training for competition. I have not looked at the web site for a couple of years, but when they updated the pro side, they left the rest, which just about sums up their attitude. Then there was the expanding in to China, WTF.
Some of the volunteers had 'worked' for them for years and had hands on experience of dealing with welfare issues. There offices are huge and yet I have visited other horse national organisations that somehow manage to work from a converted house or on an industrial estate.
 
cremedemonthe said:
In the past I have tried to get the BHS involved to open up a bridleway route for local riders near my home.
No BHS local rep was interested coming out to meet me to walk the route, tried 2 or 3 times but nothing so gave up.
Oz
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Years ago I rode in an area with very few bridleways. One of the other liveries contacted the local BHS rep to ask about trying to get some more paths opened up or changed from footpath to bridleway. She was dismissed with the comment 'It's no use trying - you won't get anywhere'.
 
Chianti said:
Years ago I rode in an area with very few bridleways. One of the other liveries contacted the local BHS rep to ask about trying to get some more paths opened up or changed from footpath to bridleway. She was dismissed with the comment 'It's no use trying - you won't get anywhere'.
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That just about says it all really!
 
Chianti said:
Years ago I rode in an area with very few bridleways. One of the other liveries contacted the local BHS rep to ask about trying to get some more paths opened up or changed from footpath to bridleway. She was dismissed with the comment 'It's no use trying - you won't get anywhere'.
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So you wanted a BHS person to come along and wave a magic wand and produce a bridlepath. It IS almost impossible to do this. I speak as having been on the BHS committee, the LAF committee and a bridlepath group for more than 25 years.

The local Council does have the power to do this, but they are reluctant without landowner co-operation. Believe me, there are many BHS volunteers around the whole country who are lobbying fiercely through Local Transport Plans to get horses included and bridlepaths created. Now, you knew this, didn't you?

The only group I know that has done this on any great scale is the Trails Trust, they have created 80 new bridlepaths, mostly by upgrading footpaths to bridlepaths. But, but, but, but - when they were doing this they had a pot of money to use. Since that source of funding has gone the creation of bridlepaths has slowed right down.

Although - watch this space.

Working on bridlepaths is heartbreaking stuff, it can really get to you.

So those of you criticising the BHS should get stuck in and join and find out how you can help instead of standing and looking on.
 
Orangehorse said:
So you wanted a BHS person to come along and wave a magic wand and produce a bridlepath. It IS almost impossible to do this. I speak as having been on the BHS committee, the LAF committee and a bridlepath group for more than 25 years.

The local Council does have the power to do this, but they are reluctant without landowner co-operation. Believe me, there are many BHS volunteers around the whole country who are lobbying fiercely through Local Transport Plans to get horses included and bridlepaths created. Now, you knew this, didn't you?

The only group I know that has done this on any great scale is the Trails Trust, they have created 80 new bridlepaths, mostly by upgrading footpaths to bridlepaths. But, but, but, but - when they were doing this they had a pot of money to use. Since that source of funding has gone the creation of bridlepaths has slowed right down.

Although - watch this space.

Working on bridlepaths is heartbreaking stuff, it can really get to you.

So those of you criticising the BHS should get stuck in and join and find out how you can help instead of standing and looking on.
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No - I didn't expect a magic wand - and nor did the person who asked- but it was her attitude towards the person that enquired that irritated me. Speaking to someone like that hardly encourages them to become part of the fight to get more paths created, or, to contribute to the BHS to help them achieve that goal.
 
Chianti said:
No - I didn't expect a magic wand - and nor did the person who asked- but it was her attitude towards the person that enquired that irritated me. Speaking to someone like that hardly encourages them to become part of the fight to get more paths created, or, to contribute to the BHS to help them achieve that goal.
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No, that's true. She was very likely fed up with banging her head against a brick wall. It can get to you.

Believe me, there ARE many, many, many dedicated and hard working BHS people who are working on behalf of riders just for the good of it. They spend HOURS and hours of their time. If they weren't there, if they weren't looking into things affecting riders and bridlepaths there wouldn't be the small successes that there are now.

I am sure that when your local bridlepath assocation asks for volunteers to help clear a bridlepath, or fill in a DMMO form, or help research you will all spring forward and offer your time.

There are some magnificant examples of bridlepath work going on around the country, just it needs someone in your area to help start something going.
 
Orangehorse said:
No, that's true. She was very likely fed up with banging her head against a brick wall. It can get to you.

Believe me, there ARE many, many, many dedicated and hard working BHS people who are working on behalf of riders just for the good of it. They spend HOURS and hours of their time. If they weren't there, if they weren't looking into things affecting riders and bridlepaths there wouldn't be the small successes that there are now.

I am sure that when your local bridlepath assocation asks for volunteers to help clear a bridlepath, or fill in a DMMO form, or help research you will all spring forward and offer your time.

There are some magnificant examples of bridlepath work going on around the country, just it needs someone in your area to help start something going.
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I appreciate that it must be a difficult role but it will hardly encourage people to offer help with opening up more bridleways if the officers show such a negative attitude. And just for your info - wherever I've been on livery I have always belonged to my local bridleways group. I've spent many happy Sunday mornings cutting back vegetation on paths.
 
Chianti said:
I appreciate that it must be a difficult role but it will hardly encourage people to offer help with opening up more bridleways if the officers show such a negative attitude. And just for your info - wherever I've been on livery I have always belonged to my local bridleways group. I've spent many happy Sunday mornings cutting back vegetation on paths.
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Its fun, if hard work for a few hours, and you get to know all the local riders too.
 
Chianti said:
I appreciate that it must be a difficult role but it will hardly encourage people to offer help with opening up more bridleways if the officers show such a negative attitude. And just for your info - wherever I've been on livery I have always belonged to my local bridleways group. I've spent many happy Sunday mornings cutting back vegetation on paths.
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Well, that’s most positive and encouraging, because (sadly) horse riders as a user group have the worst reputation in this respect.
Whereas cyclists typically mass-up support and fundraise via social media, often for routes in completely different localities, you find riders insufficiently motivated to even sign a petition brought to their yard, never mind actually start a campaign themselves.
As for rocking up to clear bridleways - they’ll be competing, training, poo picking, polishing the saddle - any excuse - and altho all those activities might need doing, volunteering involves giving up your time for whatever cause. Disproportionately and notoriously self-centred, unfortunately.
One entitled darling actually objected to a RoW clearance taking place, because she liked to ride down that path Sunday mornings and the work party would frighten her horse....true story.
 
The attitude shown on this post by volunteers would have me running for the hills, not offering to help out :oops:
 
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In some ways it's a shame that the pressure to get routes recorded on the definitive map by a certain date has been eased into the future. It was certainly that pressure and my decades of riding in my area that got me off my armchair to get the 2 routes recorded that I did, as I mentioned above.

It is possible to DIY route changes/additions with a little help from the BHS 'experts' if you make the effort as an individual. I did my two despite running my own yard/farm and having a full time job at the same time.

The thing I couldn't get the BHS to help with was to apply pressure to get a local country road with a 60 mph speed limit reduced to at least 40mph. It didn't fall into the RoW brief for their local person who wasn't therefore 'interested'. There are 5 largish yards, including mine at the time, that came out directly or adjacent to this lane and it also had 2 or 3 bridlepaths coming out onto it.

In the end I tried to tackle the speed issue via another route. I joined my local residents association, became a committee member and then secretary. I used this to apply pressure to local councillors about the speed limit as they attended the monthly residents association meeting. I didn't succeed before I had to sell my place due to ill health, which also meant that I couldn't take on the secretary role any longer either. A few years later the speed was in the end reduced but it took years.

I suppose what I'm really saying is that if it is important to a group of you then get together and work at it. Look at other ways to tackle the issue rather than via the BHS and accept that local gov. is both broke and very slow to respond. Perhaps contact a local cycle group and join forces, particularly a cycle group that is into off-road cycling and not road racing. Off-road cyclists can't use footpaths either......
 
SEL said:
Me too!

We clear back 2 of our local bridleways without making a song & dance about it plus contacting the council where needed.
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Yes, well, a Friends Of group doing litter picking, pruning etc including on the bridleway: so also contacted local yards to ask for help.
Not a single rider turned out (in contrast with other users); but the said inconvenienced madam actually contacted the Council to try and get it cancelled.
PROW Officer (who have to sanction RoW volunteers) told us this, and as someone who also rides, toe curling in the extreme.
 
To be fair to the Bridleway officer regarding the speed limit, this wouldn't be their area, that would fall to the Road Safety person.

Undoubtedly there are some BHS volunteers, ie. bridleway officers who rub people up the wrong way, sometimes I grind my teeth in frustration.

But what most ordinary riders don't seem to appreciate the immense amount of sheer hard work they put in.

I know we all would like more bridlepaths, links between existing ones, avoiding busy roads, changing a road crossing to a different place, altering the route, let horses use footpaths - but you need to know and understand the legal difficulties involved.

Until the law is altered (and how much political will would there be for this?) we are stuck with the current legislation, which every agrees needs reforming, but that would be a massive task too.

The Trails Trust in Somerset are having some success with this, and they publish a book on how they set about it, but when they were doing this they had some funds available so they could pay for the engineering work and payment to landowners.

Just for interest the book is called "creating Multi-user Public Rights of Way - A Guide for Local Groups." It was published with support from Natural England and DEFRA too. They are currently working with Natural England and DEFRA on other projects.
Anyone can be a member for a small annual subscription.
 
Another decline on the exam/education side I saw in passing this week. You used to have to have had completed your full first aid and safeguarding courses before taking the PTT/Stage 2 coach, as part of being a safe baby coach/instructor, and then got you into the cycle of renewing every two years. That requirement has now been binned entirely, unless you want to join the APC list once you've got your 3 coach...
 
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We managed to get the speed limit lowered on the road outside the yard and also the weight limit for vehicles lowered. This was over 25 years ago now but we had to go through the council I think. The BHS ROW volunteer helped us with this. I don't remember the details but imagen procedures have changed since then.
 
What happened to BHS Riding Road Safety training courses and awards? I wonder why they scrapped it completely? I still have my RRS badge! Proudly gained 30 years ago.

On the back of reading this thread I looked through the Ride Safe handbook - Ride Safe award is recommended to riders in the Highway Code.
Riding road safety advice from the BHS has not progressed at all, and really needs updating.
 
Breather said:
What happened to BHS Riding Road Safety training courses and awards? I wonder why they scrapped it completely? I still have my RRS badge! Proudly gained 30 years ago.

On the back of reading this thread I looked through the Ride Safe handbook - Ride Safe award is recommended to riders in the Highway Code.
Riding road safety advice from the BHS has not progressed at all, and really needs updating.
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You have to do the Ride Safe award, varying levels too. Only the silver level is required as part of the Stage 1, and it's far more simulated, than the original R&RS. Vividly remember some old bat in her tweed shouting at someone for signalling with their whip in hand 😂
 
Mant years ago I attended BHS Meetings of the Horse and Pony Breeds Committee Chaired by the magnificent Pat Campbell a new CEO came into the BHS and could not accept that the members of the committee had presentations by expert people and then went away and explained to their Governing Body and they made a decision as to the policy of their Society would adopt.
The new CEO of the BHS could not accept that the H&PBC did not decide the policy of its members but their governing bodies not the Policy of the BHS CEO. So she closed it down,
 
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