Horse in field with bridleway - wwyd

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MyBoyChe

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Tried a new route yesterday. Bridleway at one point went through a field with a mare and foal in it, then through to a field with 1 young horse in it. As we weren't quite sure what went where and as the mare and her foal were at the furthest point from the track we rode through, when we got to the next gate it was obvious the track went through a field with 1 youngish horse loose in it who was running up and down, and as my little mare will kick out if she feels threatened we turned back rather than risk it. At this point someone appeared from the buildings close by and said she would rather we didn't ride through where the mare was. I pointed out we were following a new route and had assumed that as there was a clear bridleway through it she must know her mare was happy for people to ride through. The reason we turned back was because the young horse was clearly inquisitive and was likely to cause an accident. To this she replied "well he isn't mine so I don't much care but it's your risk". I was a bit gobsmacked at this but before I could say anything she then said if we wanted to carry on this route we could divert through her yard and round the edge of a grass field which would pick up the track after the youngsters field, so I left it at that and carried on. Was I wrong to risk riding through a field with a mare and foal in it. Had they been close to the gate I wouldn't have gone through tbh, but as I said they were at the far edge and well off the track.
 
You weren't wrong, if it was a public bridleway. She wasn't wrong in putting the horse in there either.

I take the view that during the summer months more animals will be turned out, and you have to make your own decisions about whether to ride through them or not. I doubt every landowner is going to put your hack at the top of their priority list, if there are stock in fields I generally go elsewhere.
 
No you weren't wrong to ride through if it's a public bridleway.

Some friends of ours have a bridleway running through one of their fields and they do put mares and foals in, the only thing we do at that time is put polite notices on the gates asking people to please make sure that the gates are closed and requesting that they don't canter across the field.
 
I'd probably have checked at the nearest house to see what they suggested first but I've never encountered a mare and foal where the bridle path wasn't fenced off by electric fencing while the youngsters were being grazed.
I hope the owner has public liability insurance. If the woman is using the fields temporarily, she could put up a sign offering the alternative route without too much difficulty. However, if its a problem, a phone call to the Rights of Way officer would ensure the bridle path was kept free of hazards.
 
amymay said:
Personally I wouldn't ride through a field with strange horses in it. Bridleway or not.
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This is what I would do :)

But if shes let your ride around via her yard, perhaps you could ask her if you could do this whilst the horses are currently out?

Just a thought :)
 
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Just remembered, I have ridden through huge meadows with large herds of coloured cobs and youngsters, and also on mountains with loose horses but that's never been a problem as the horses have plenty of room and are generally not bothered. Paddocks with a single mare and foal might be different though.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Just remembered, I have ridden through huge meadows with large herds of coloured cobs and youngsters, and also on mountains with loose horses but that's never been a problem as the horses have plenty of room and are generally not bothered. Paddocks with a single mare and foal might be different though.
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Me too. But I think that is an entirely different situation to the one the op describes.
 
amymay said:
Personally I wouldn't ride through a field with strange horses in it. Bridleway or not.
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Neither would I but then I wouldn't leave my horses, especially a mare and foal, with access to a bridleway. If I were the landowner I would have fenced off the bridleway for the safety of all concerned.

ETA I do think that some landowners put stock in fields with paths in, to discourage the public from using said paths. If safe access becomes an ongoing problem, I would ring the Access dept of the local council.
 
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Impossible answer to this really. As has been pointed out you are in the right but so are the owners. I have an inquisitive youngster and a bridleway running through the field so have electric fenced off part of the field so he can't follow riders. But for the summer only. Come October I'm afraid he will be turned out in the whole lot. Most of the people who ride round here seem to roam wherever they like anyway as their YO is landowner/family, so I don't think they can complain too much. The hunt are completely fine with him and have made several comments about how good he is when they ride through.

To be fair she did offer you an alternative route to avoid the youngster, which she didn't have to.
 
amymay said:
Me too. But I think that is an entirely different situation to the one the op describes.
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Yes, I agree. Problem is that if you are mid route, a detour could add several extra miles and maybe cause you to ride a road that isn't safe. It depends what local routes are like. I know the pain of trying to get home before dark or when the weather turns bad suddenly. There are many reasons why having to re route could be a risk.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Yes, I agree. Problem is that if you are mid route, a detour could add several extra miles and maybe cause you to ride a road that isn't safe. It depends what local routes are like. I know the pain of trying to get home before dark or when the weather turns bad suddenly. There are many reasons why having to re route could be a risk.
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Oh I agree.
 
Used to keep my horses on livery in a field with a bridleway through it. It wasn't used that much as the path connecting to it was a bit overgrown, that was until hunting began! They thought nothing of coming through with my horses in the field. YO did try to warn me if they were likely to be about so I could keep my horses stabled, but occasionally we had no prior warning.
 
although entitled I do think it's pretty irresponsible for the owner to turn out a mare and foal without fencing the bridleway off - though I wouldn't want elec fencing out with a foal either.
 
thanks all. It was more her attitude tbh that I found a bit odd. I have no idea whether she lives in the house or just rents the field (don't know the landowners in that patch). I would have thought that as she offered the riding round the edge option she would have put a notice on the field gate asking people to take that route whilst the mare is out, it seemed as if she only offered it because I was barefaced enough to ride through. She may not even have the authority to suggest it. Next time I go that way, and I will do because it was a really nice, safe route on the whole, I shall use the diversion if the horses are in either field and see if anyone challenges me. I wouldn't normally ride anywhere other than a marked route. Tbh the alternative is easier as it avoids 3 gates and is slightly shorter, it simply goes around the edge of a grass field rather through the middle of 2 fields and rejoins the track. I might give the rights of way officer a ring for their take on it.
 
I will never understand this. If I had a field with a bridleway running through it I would fence my horses off from it - just for pure peace of mind that they were safe.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Yes, I agree. Problem is that if you are mid route, a detour could add several extra miles and maybe cause you to ride a road that isn't safe. It depends what local routes are like. I know the pain of trying to get home before dark or when the weather turns bad suddenly. There are many reasons why having to re route could be a risk.
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Yes indeed - locally there are two routes which are nice and which I would ride often if not for two fields (one on each route) which have several nosey horses in. One belongs to a racing yard and is chock full of very bouncy TB yearlings. I never even contemplated going through the gate - they all hoolied over to say Hi when I arrived at the gate. The other which has three bored looking geldings I have once ridden through as I was a fair way from home with no sensible diversion and I couldn't see another option. Another has one horse and it right slap bang in the middle of a popular and good route - this I do ride through as its only to cross a corner but I lead through always as it has two very rickety gates into and out of the field which can be hard if the resident horse is trying to socialist with yours! On long trail rides out in wales I have much more often ridden through horses - some wild ones on the moors some in fields but often with 16 miles to cover and no clear other options you just have to go on with caution.
 
Trouble is you're both right I guess. Personally I don't ride though fields with horses in them, my horse gets terribly riled up and I wouldn't want to upset anyone else's turned out horses. However ...... It is a public bridleway and so you are perfectly entitled to ride there. It was good of her to give you option of riding through her yard. Perhaps if you happen to see her again you could suggest she thinks about some signage to let other riders know it's okay to do that. Like an arrow or something. I don't know if that's a possibility/allowed?
 
I don't think I would have ridden through, even though you are within your right to do so.
I'd be too worried about the risk of injury to my horse, or the horses in the field.

I think I would pop round to the yard on foot, and ask them if they would be happy you using the alternative route, to avoid there being any problems :)
 
We have quite a few fields in the area with bridleways through them, my girl is now totally used to riding through herds of cows, sheep, llama's and horses.

The field that I mentioned earlier that belongs to a friend and has a bridleway we did look into getting the bridleway bit fenced off - the bridleways association demand a 4m wide path to be fenced, we were not allowed to used any form of temporary fencing (ie electric) the only fencing allowed was stock fencing or post & rail - both very expensive - to which the bridleways ass would not contribute a penny. The route of the bridleway through this particular field is over 400m but it's a 12 acre field. The decision was taken to carry on using the field as it was with the bridleway.

The mares and foals soon get used to riders coming through and we do put some signage up asking people not to canter and for the most part people do oblige. We've never stopped anyone from riding through and never had any issues.
 
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