Jessica Gives Up

[PeterNatt]

If proof were needed that England's bridle paths need to be protected, please click on the link below. The lovely Swiss Long Rider, Jessica Bigler, has been forced to end her travels round Britain and Ireland and continue her ride in France. "All the bridleways are closed or overgrown, everything is fenced, private, mainly I have to walk on tarmac roads . . . I am returning to France, where everything is open and easier to travel with a horse!"

http://www.thelongridersguild.com/bigler.htm#new

How shaming for Britain!

 

[Jellicle]

What a shame!

 

[alicedove]

How maddening and depressing. Lets all move to France (I think the French may something grumpy to say about that)

 

[PeterNatt]

It is a great shame but demonstrates how much we need to integrate and link the bridlways of this country together so that we have a complete off road network.

 

[Walder]

we run a riding track group in our area to try to stop the big landowners shutting down routes - its a nightmare, they put up gates on routes that have been used by riders for 30 years with no thought for anyone. We battle against closure all the time - so far we are just about winning but one day we will loose and our rides will come to an end - As you say Peter its shaming for Britain

 

[Donkeymad]

It is disgusting and just shows we must all, regardless of our discipline, do our duty and fight to keep our bridle paths open.

 

[PeterNatt]

The problem is that the majority of horse riders do not appreciate how valuable the resource of off road riding is and the amount of work that is done by a very few number of people to keep the system open and open new routes.

 

[BridlewaysRule]

Another problem, as I am sure you are aware, Peter, is that I know of more than one rider who has offered their help in the ROW fight, only to have their offer ignored or even rudely dismissed by the powers-that-be in their particular area.

This is not conducive to good relations between official bodies and ordinary riders, and I think it says a great deal about these people's commitment to the ROW system, that they keep "coming back for more".

However, it does beg the question of how many OTHER people this has happened to all over England and Wales, who have then been put off helping, or offering to help, ever again.