Research - Part 2 (take 2!) Please read

What are your views on your local bridleways?

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moley087

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17 October 2010
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Hi all,
Some of you may have read my last post regarding dirtbikes on bridleways. I thought i'd widen this poll, following feedback i've had on H&H and also YourHorse forums, and see what people generally think about their local bridlepaths. Please vote on the poll and add any comments as well, all feedback greatfully recieved especially related to the maintence of them!

Ben Scott
 
I've lived in various places, so differernt answers:
- Berks: numerous bridleways, amazingly well maintained, council very quick to respond to problems, farmers extremely accommodating would often allow permissive paths in fields to avoid roads.
- North Yorks: some bridleways, but many tarmaced over to allow access for vehicles, council totally unconcerned with access.
- Shrops: almost no bridleways, the only one available closed off by landowner, council couldn't care less
- south of France: paths everywhere, huge number of bridleways compared to the UK, no one seems to mind where you ride.
 
There are literally no bridleways where we are! There's a fairly big forest that has only a couple of pathways, which horses are allowed on and I'm yet to find a way to get there without going down a path we aren't allowed on. Of course, cars and dirtbikes can go wherever as far as I can tell. The marked bridleways we do have are a few hundred yards long, poorly maintained (I can't get through some as they are so overgrown) and take a lot of hacking on the road to get to. I give up and stick to the roads or, shoot me down, go in the forest regardless.
 
We have a reasonable amount of bridleways here - one only just a couple minutes down the lane. Unfortunately one of best ones is partly permissive and riding there is not allowed in the winter months. However, we are fortunate enough to be allowed to ride in nearby private woodland, which minimises the amount of roadwork we have to do.

As for maintenance of the bridleways, none seems to be done at all! We had a situation where one bridleway became unusuable because a bridge on it had deteriorated so much it was totally unsafe, but the council took years and years to fix it!
 
perthshire - miles of off road tracks - no specific 'bridleways' - limited access through shooting season but rest of year amazing hacking
 
We have a lot of very good bridleways that are easy to ride and circular. However, we do have to ride 2 miles on road to get to any of them, though some of the roads are designated Quiet Roads, my only gripe are the main road surfaces which are slippery even in dry weather.
Using the bridleways locally does mean a ride is a minimum of 7-8 miles unless we go for a quick leg stretch of 3 miles and turn back on ourselves.
 
Our bridleways have good and bad points!
The good point is there is a circle hack that leads to and from our front gate for about 1 1/2 hrs which can be extended into a whole day hack quite easily.
HOWEVER, this hack has only become available to us recently as the farmer who owns the field we have to cross (still part of the path) refused us access for several years as he didnt want horses in his fields, even on the set a side.
We have recently been given access again but we have to walk through his field on a TINY set a side next to a ditch it is a bit dicey when on a spooky pony like mine. BUT after that there is a lovely few empty fields and a unused lane for a few miles.
So good and bad really, would prefer a better hack for sure but its better than nothing!
 
Bedfordshire (north) miles and miles of bridleways! So so very lucky

WE can make up lots of loops by crossing a road or just going a small distance to link another huge one-no problem for us as lots of hi viz and good drivers (luckily)

One question though! How is it the farmers can 'plough in' the bridleway and you then have to make the track again-thought that wasn't allowed????
 
We have a few alright bridleways here in maidstone, kent. I have to cross an a road to get to them though. if I hack for about 40mins up a massive hill there are a few more that are better, but that extends my hack to 3-4 hours at least. I went along on of the nearer ones today and the farmer had totally ploughed it up - normally a nice wide track around one edge of his field where the bridleway is. As he'd ploughed it, he'd dug up all the flints and my newly barefoot horse really struggled! Few days off now as is a bit sore
 
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