Public Right of Way Across my Horses Field Outraged

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Charmel

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I have a public footpath that runs onto my driveway past two of my smaller fields and straight across the middle of my 14 acre field. I have kissing gates that are on the driveway and 2 large farm gates alongside them which I have had to padlock as people insisted on using the farm gates on the drive and to the field rather than use kissing gates provided. Some also proceed to walk all around the field with their dogs off the lead whether I am currently growing for hay or grazing horses or sheep in there!!!! Not picking up their dogs mess and littering. some will even will have a wander in the other fields using the excuse they want to walk their dog but their scared of the horses so want to use other field!!!! It drives me insane. Straight line across and thats it not all over the land. I am ranting but its the inconsiderate few who make me mad. there are some considerate ones who know how to use paths in the countryside properly but its the ones who also park across my entrance and leave their cars there while they use my land that I pay for that get to me. I have put up signs, a map showing route, dont feed horses keep dogs on lead, pick up dog mess but they just ignore them any advice anyone......
 
That's the down side of buying land that has public access over it unfortunately. The only thing you can do which you haven't already is to apply for a route change, however this is very tough to do and will cost you money. I had a couple of fields when I lived in England which had public footpaths running through them. I just fenced off the public footpath bit so that they couldn't wander all through the fields.
 
Fence the path! That'll really give them something to moan about. People have such a cheek. If you can afford to fence the path and split the field I would, it'll keep people and their dogs away from your animals.
 
I'm not sure if this is right but you maybe able to get the public right of way re-routed i.e. round the edge of your land instead of through it. I think if you plead you case well enough it could be possible that way walkers can't wonder across your land If you fence instead.
 
Def Fence the pathway off and put signs up...you can also talk to your local public footpaths officer and tell him the problems you're having, they are usually very helpful in these situations
 
I am afraid that there will always be the inconsiderate few who are irresponsible and fail to compy with the country code.

My only advice is ensure that your horses are up to date with their tetanus jabs as one of the locals horses was bitten by a dog and sadly got Tetanus.
 
Ladyinred said:
Put up a sign. 'Please keep to the designated footpath. Loose dogs may be shot.'

It might work, who knows.
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I know farmers are allowed to do this if they are worrying the animals..if they continue to ignore then wait for one of the culprits to turn up, hide behind a hedge (or whatever) and fire some blanks (not necessarily at them) or create a noise very similar to that of gunshot....even if they don't think they are at fault they will at least get the message that they are not welcome, or at least reconsider this as one of their "favorite" routes ;)
 
I can understand how annoying and frustrating this must be for you we are very lucky to hve a network of footpaths and right of ways for people to use, just a pity some folks abuse them and frankly I'd avoid land with rights of way across it like the plague! Bit of a boot on the other foot, two of my local bridleways are made unrideable by local horse owners, one has a succession of gates that are poorly maintained and virtually impossible to negotiate if there is more than one horse, the other goes down the edge of a field in which there is a herd of horses. Attempts to negotiate a way of making these bridlepaths safe to use has been met with a blank, despite the fact that both help riders to avoid busy roads. It's not just dog walkers who are inconsiderate.
 
LittleRocketRider said:
I know farmers are allowed to do this if they are worrying the animals..if they continue to ignore then wait for one of the culprits to turn up, hide behind a hedge (or whatever) and fire some blanks (not necessarily at them) or create a noise very similar to that of gunshot....even if they don't think they are at fault they will at least get the message that they are not welcome, or at least reconsider this as one of their "favorite" routes ;)
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Or most likely report you to the police for shooting near a public footpath and you will end up losing your shot gun licence...
 
Oldie48!
I would suggest that you communicate your problems with the local County Councils rights of way officers and ask them to resolve the issue by getting the gates changed to be being more hore rider friendly (can be opened and closed from horse back) see www.centrewire.com and also get the bridleway post and railed and Equi-fenced so that the horses in the field are unable to make contact with riders or horses using the bridleway.
Failing this contact your local BHS Access officer who will be only to pleased to assist you.
Good luck.
 
Electric fencing, with the right caution notices will help with those that can't keep themselves on the footpath. If you have post and rail fencing, just add a strand across the top of the posts and one along the bottom to keep the doggies where you want them and not where you don't. I've had to do this all round my field to stop the 'leaners' who try to feed the neds despite the notices and the doggy people who just let them off. We get the odd pooch get lucky now and again that gets through the fence, but more often than not they stay where I want them to be - on the path. Yes, I get the occasional irate dog owner if a dog touches the fence and gets a shock, but my usual retort is that it wouldn't have happened if they'd had control of their pet.

I also have occasional trouble with badly parked cars blocking my one and only entrance, but a good old holler at the owners if I catch them soon puts them off doing it again! Actually I only resort to shouting at them if they can't get it into their thick heads that unless they know more about my horses or my diary than I do they can't know whether I'm expecting a vet, farrier or going out/coming back riding.
 
Thanks I'll try that although contact with BHS Access officer over bridleway through horse field was not helpful, told there was no problem unless there was a stallion in the field!
OrangePepper said:
Oldie48!
I would suggest that you communicate your problems with the local County Councils rights of way officers and ask them to resolve the issue by getting the gates changed to be being more hore rider friendly (can be opened and closed from horse back) see www.centrewire.com and also get the bridleway post and railed and Equi-fenced so that the horses in the field are unable to make contact with riders or horses using the bridleway.
Failing this contact your local BHS Access officer who will be only to pleased to assist you.
Good luck.
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Fence it off with post and rail and netting so dogs can't get through. It'll also mean no one can ever turn round on you and say your horse kicked them etc.
 
Motion triggered CCTV. Then start hanging up a rogue's gallery of transgressors.

I have caught several dog walkers cutting across my fields marked between 2 footpaths and told them off. I even caught one letting her 3 dogs off the lead and throwing a ball for them in the middle of a hay field. I told her it was a crop field not a public park.
 
Ladyinred said:
Put up a sign. 'Please keep to the designated footpath. Loose dogs may be shot.'

It might work, who knows.
Click to expand...

This sort of notice isn't allowed as its deemed to be threatening behaviour unforunately. Especially as you aren't allowed to shoot dogs for being loose, they need to be chasing or attacking animals and being in the act of attacking at the time and there being no other way to stop it. All 3 have to apply for a defence to prosecution.

Horses are included in the Act even tho in other respects they aren't considered agricultural so the defence is available in respect of shooting a dog in the act of horse worrying.

But I think in this case the only long term solution is to fence off the nuisances who won't or can't use footpaths responsibly from the horses. Contact your roW officer, they can advise and also may even be able to help source funding for reduced cost gates etc.

You can use electric along footpaths but you lose more field that way and it is very disliked by walkers and dog walkers ESP as it means they can't really have the dog off the lead, so it's better to avoid if possible. NB if you do use it it must be signed every 25 metres, you can get little plastic signs that hang on the electric line.
 
You can apply to route the FP round the outside edge of the field and then fence it off.
The Bhs will advise you about the procedure ,but it's not quick.
 
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