Horses blocked from bridleway

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Delta99

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This article is in the local paper this week:

"Horses will be prevented from traipsing down a bridle path after claims they were frightening children and dogwalkers. Kissing gates have been installed to stop horses and their riders using this path.....
... (councillor) added : 'It's good the gate has been done. We had numerous complaints from people walking down the bridle path to feed the ducks and also people with dogs. The horses coming down there were causing a problem. It makes it a lot safer for dog walkers and children.'

Errrr... has the world gone totally mad? It's a bridle way???!!

So, basically we have to put up with dogs and children running up to our horses and frightening them.... but we're not even allowed on bridleways anymore now??

Will send a copy of this article to the local BHS person and also send letters to the council and the local paper.

It's not actually a bridleway that affects me but I really feel quite strongly about this as there are so few bridleways left as it is.

Any other ideas what could be done?
 
This must have been going on for a long time? These things usually have long consultation processes....?
 
Almost sounds like a case of sour grapes. Has a horsey person upset a council person somewhere along the line?

What happened about the plans to convert x number of miles of footpaths to bridleways? Maybe no-one told your local council.
 
If it a bridleway its a bridleway it's unlawful to block it contact the BHS countychairman and BHS headquarters bridleway office.
There is a set process that has to be followed to lawfully close a bridleway.
You need to start mustering your forces ie getting a list of as many people as possible who will support you.
 
Delta99 said:
This article is in the local paper this week:

"Horses will be prevented from traipsing down a bridle path after claims they were frightening children and dogwalkers. Kissing gates have been installed to stop horses and their riders using this path.....
... (councillor) added : 'It's good the gate has been done. We had numerous complaints from people walking down the bridle path to feed the ducks and also people with dogs. The horses coming down there were causing a problem. It makes it a lot safer for dog walkers and children.'
Click to expand...

*Laughed:p

So sorry, but my boy and me would terrify the local kids and dog walkers!
- But we do it deliberately.. *evil grin!*
Kissing gates are so irritating though..
This is bad...
But....

Some kissing gates up here are not bolted on just hung on- so hop off the pony, tie up the pony, lift the gate off... and away we go!! :D:D:D

But it wasn't me *ssssh* :rolleyes:

- but then again Scotland is a free country landwise.. I don't think England is no?
 
According to Wikipedia:

A public bridleway is a way over which the public have the following, but normally (only 'normally' because of Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 at s56(1)(b) ) no other rights:

to travel on foot and
to travel on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals of any description along the way.

Note that although Section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 permits the riding of bicycles on public bridleways, the act says that it "shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists". Thus the right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion.
Click to expand...

Ramblers.org.uk

Public bridleways are open to walkers, horse-riders and pedal cyclists
Click to expand...

British Horse Society contacts:

By Phone

Access and Rights of Way, and EMAGIN 02476 840515
Click to expand...
 
I would go with it sounds like sour grapes. I get thoroughly irratated by these people who assume they can do what they like in public office.
However, they recently downgraded a by way, so no vehicles have access to it, which is great, as the vehicles had made the area impassable. This does need challenging though, or we will start to loose more and more ground.
 
Lintel said:
*Laughed:p

So sorry, but my boy and me would terrify the local kids and dog walkers!
- But we do it deliberately.. *evil grin!*
Kissing gates are so irritating though..
This is bad...
But....

Some kissing gates up here are not bolted on just hung on- so hop off the pony, tie up the pony, lift the gate off... and away we go!! :D:D:D

But it wasn't me *ssssh* :rolleyes:

- but then again Scotland is a free country landwise.. I don't think England is no?
Click to expand...

Mike and Bob the "nota"cob set off for bonny Scotland!:):):)
 
I'm sure that's illegal. I would definitely be contacting the BHS and any other local horsey groups. Do you have any groups on Facebook? If you could get a lot of people involved you might be able to get them to back down.
 
Fools Motto said:
HATE those kinda gates. I'd get an angle grinder to it ... shhh I didn't say that out loud!
But, on a bridleway?? Seriously? What is this world coming to?
Click to expand...

The local "kind travelling fellows" will probably have done this before the weekend to weigh it in for scrap!
In all seriousness if this really is a bridleway the actions of the council are terrible.
 
bikerchickone said:
I'm sure that's illegal. I would definitely be contacting the BHS and any other local horsey groups. Do you have any groups on Facebook? If you could get a lot of people involved you might be able to get them to back down.
Click to expand...

Oh if they have blocked it unlawfully they will have to back down at first at least it does not mean they wont attempt to close it .
 
You need to get all the shetties and other small ponies in the area to go through it on mass :D they must be able to get through the wide bit.
 
Could someone tell me where this public right of way is and then it will be easy to determine of what status it is. i.e a public footpath, a bridleway a byway or a white lane?

If it is in fact a bridleway, byway or white lane then the metal cycle barriers are deemed under rights of way law to be an illegal obstruction and should be immediately removed.

Peter Natt BHS Bridleway Officer - North Hertfordshire
 
PeterNatt said:
Could someone tell me where this public right of way is and then it will be easy to determine of what status it is. i.e a public footpath, a bridleway a byway or a white lane?

If it is in fact a bridleway, byway or white lane then the metal cycle barriers are deemed under rights of way law to be an illegal obstruction and should be immediately removed.

Peter Natt BHS Bridleway Officer - North Hertfordshire
Click to expand...

Excellent an expert on the case.
 
PeterNatt said:
Could someone tell me where this public right of way is and then it will be easy to determine of what status it is. i.e a public footpath, a bridleway a byway or a white lane?

If it is in fact a bridleway, byway or white lane then the metal cycle barriers are deemed under rights of way law to be an illegal obstruction and should be immediately removed.

Peter Natt BHS Bridleway Officer - North Hertfordshire
Click to expand...

Ha Peter was gonna suggest they contact you the good advice you gave me protected our bridleway and put the farmer on the right track:D:D
 
according to the comments on the bottom of that article it is not a bridlepath anyway and is a non story....
 
Is this bridleway in the area Cobsunshine lives? :p

Sorry couldn't resist. Seriously if it is a bridleway the council can't just close it to horses. I don't know if it's still the case but it used to be for a bridleway to be closed it had to be proven that no horses had used it for a certain amount of time (can't remember how long exactly)
 
PeterNatt said:
Could someone tell me where this public right of way is and then it will be easy to determine of what status it is. i.e a public footpath, a bridleway a byway or a white lane?
Click to expand...

The link to the news article seems specific in location - it would be interesting to know if it is actually a bridle path in the first place or if it's just being termed (inaccurately) as a bridle path... All a bit confusing...
 
If you search for Spennells on an online OS map, you'll see the area. It looks like the path is a bridleway at one end but the extension that links it up with Stanklyn Lane is a footpath. So they've probably put the gate where the bridleway finishes - horses can still follow the bridleway around Spennells estate but they can't pick up the footpath to Stanklyn Lane.

Issues like this are why it is so important to try and upgrade those paths where there is historic horse use.

If there's a riding school nearby that might have compounded the problem. People may have turned a blind eye to the odd horse but large groups of horses coming out every hour on the hour may have narked Joe Public. We've got a similar issue locally with some permissive paths where a local cycling group is petitioning to have horses banned as heavy/careless use by three local riding schools is really churning the paths up (and they are - they are sooo rutted it's untrue).
 
you cannot ride on a footpath it's illegal, so fair enough. Even if it's been used for 20 years or more by horses the county council has to go to court to pass any order. A case near us has now been granted and has taken 15 years to get through because the council didn't have the time or money to go to court even though the evidence was there.
 
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