have you ever reported a bridlepath

[westparc]

the gates around by us are getting so bad now there getting dangerous and i want to complain but dont know who to and whether there is any point.
i wanted to know if you have ever complained and has there been any response (i cant ask the farmer nicely because hes a bit funny)
and also the cattle on the feilds are dangerous
i was going to do something about it last year but decided not to go on that ride to save the hastle, but why should i have to ride on the road, which its forcing people to do

 

[horserugsnot4u]

Yes I have and generally get a good response and action taken. You need to contact your county council, usually there is an email or phone number on their website. Give them the location and description of the problem and point out potential dangers, particularly for horse and riders.

 

[Kaylum]

Yes your local BHS bridleways officer will give you loads of info and as said the council.

 

[Upskyc]

as others have said, but I want to know, what do you want done with the cattle?
Do you think they should be got rid of for you?

 

[olop]

Last winter (2009) our 1 & only bridleway (when I lived in Berks) was blocked halfway down by a tree, I rang the council & the next day it was gone.

Definiately report your issues - they do take them seriously

 

[NeilM]

I've reported problems on three different bridleway and in two different Counties.

Burnt out car was removed after 36 hours, not bad as it was reported on a Saturday.

Ropes tying a gate on a bridleway shut were removed (gate still needed a dismount to close, but at least we could get through it).

Last one is being investigated, but was acknowledged very quickly after reporting.

All were reported to the rights of way departments of the Councils involved.

 

[westparc]

thanks for your responses
the cattle charge and swarm the horses is there any thing saying what stock can go on a bridle way?

 

[monkeybum13]

Yes, my local bridleways officer must be sick to death of me.

Bad gates are a bug bear of mine. If you ever have an accident with a gate (I have had several) then log the details on www.horseaccidents.org.uk

 

[Orangehorse]

A farmer can turn out his stock into a field crossed by a bridlepath, and generally cattle get much quieter as the grazing season goes on. So for a week or two they get very excited when they see a horse, and then gradually don't bother. However, there was a bridlepath round here and a herd of dairy cattle crowded round the gate and damaged the rider's saddle and spooked the horse as well, and the County Council made the farmer put up more fencing to keep the diary herd away from the bridlepath.

The moral to this, is contact the Rights of Way department and make your concerns known, and then follow it up. You should be given a reference number so don't give up if nothing happens within a reasonable time.

 

[NeilM]

Bad gates are a bug bear of mine. If you ever have an accident with a gate (I have had several) then log the details on

I've never been injured by a gate, but I've sworn at quite a few, especially when riding around Clatworthy lake near Exmoor

 

[monkeybum13]

I've never been injured by a gate, but I've sworn at quite a few, especially when riding around Clatworthy lake near Exmoor

They are evil things. My mum seriously damaged her leg on one back in August last year and she's still suffering from it. It was on a narrow metal gate with springs that closes very quickly.

OP, out of curiosity where in the country are you?

 

[NeilM]

They are evil things.

I reported one on Exmoor that was not even on hinges, just tied with bailing twine at one end and held to the gatepost with barbed wire on the other. And this on land that belonged to a rider who supports the local hunt!

On the plus side, my lad is now brilliant at gates and can even open and close them himself, provided I unlatch them. OK until he decides to have a laugh and repeatedly moved backwards and forwards opening and closing a gate while keeping me from latching it shut, bl00dy comedian

Those damn springs are a menace, I had to dismount and put all my weight against one to keep it open so that my OH could ride through leading my lad; that's just ridiculous

 

[monkeybum13]

I love horses like yours. The horse my mum now rides is like that, he will happily close and open any gate. He does the comedian bit too! Cheeky sods.

I have issues if I dismount. I'm 5'4 horse is 16.3 and I have dodgy hips that pop out

 

[NeilM]

I have issues if I dismount. I'm 5'4 horse is 16.3

I'm 6'1" and skinny, he's 14.2hh and stout. Still not fun dismounting a remounting a dozen times in one ride.

My OH lost her rag and said "I might as well have strapped the saddle on my back and gone for a bl00dy walk" that made me laugh; oops wrong reaction

 

[monkeybum13]

Hahahaha!


I wish all gates were proper hunting gates with decent latches. Nice gates that you push open, they stay open, you turn around and push shut. Simple.

Shame life is never simple!

 

[PeterNatt]

If a gate on a bridleway can not be easily opened or closed from horseback then under rights of way law it is treated as an obstruction. You should report it in writing to the access department of your local County Council. Send them a letter enclosing a map which shows the exact location of the gate by Royal Mail Signed for Delivery to ensure that there is no doubt that they have received it. Ask them to respond to you in writing. If you do not hear from them within 14 days then write again.

As regards the cattle if they continue to prove to be a problem then your local district council can use the Enviromental Bill (as ammended) to compel the farmer'landowner to fence them away from the bridleway.

 

[tibby]

I have a yearly problem with my local bridlepath, every year the landowner ploughs and drills closer to the hedge, this reduces the width to about 4ft instead of the 3metres it is supposed to be. I have contacted the bridleways officer at the council on several occasions, he told me to ride on the crop at the bridleways narrowest point!! I also have trouble with overhanging trees and shrubs which grow through the boundary wire, this means that from April till October I cannot use the bridleway on anything over 14hands even then I have to lay along the neck to get through! The council never have any luck getting this sorted, these trees and shrubs belong to a parish counciller, who when he brought the property put the boundary fence up, only trouble is you cannot get a tractor with a hedgecutter down the track as it is not wide enough therefore the hedge and trees never get cut.

 

[Echo Bravo]

Tibby have a word with said Parish Councillor, if he's still one after last week as he should the law about letting trees and shrubs overhang to public right of way, you could ask county council to clear the bridleway and they then bill the owner.

 

[mon]

Bedford council and BHS was a waste of time recently, when reported bridleway problems on a railway bridge, and only repairing bridge not got funds to make sides 1.8m high, so if they can get away with it why should they bully landowners or farmers into maintenance?

 

[Clava]

I have reported 5 bridlepaths (byways actually), organised meetings with RoW Officers, organised an action team, held a village meeting and after a year of work transformed unuseable routes with ruts like these...

Here are the photos, look at the first ones to see how they were.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saveourbyways

general info
http://www.emcat.info/

and a film! (I'm with the pony)
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/countryside/sgs/sgs-access/sgs-video.htm