Slippery sleeper bridge on Bridleways

[mustardsmum]

Local bridleway bridge is made of sleepers that have become really slippery in wet weather. Requested local council resolve after two of my horses slipped badly at Christmas. Council went to land owner and told them to make it safe so local land owner has covered bridge in chicken wire. I am concerned this is not the right surface for horses, anyone have any experience of chicken wire on sleepers to make them less slippery? I did request grip strips, but apparently, although happy to take our council tax, they are not so happy to part with it to maintain the highways and byways and said strips were too expensive.....

 

[eggs]

We put chicken wire on our slippery wooden muck heap ramp and it works really well. Caveat though is that is for humans and not horses but it certainly does stop the slip.

 

[AmyMay]

You could volunteer to replace the chicken wire yourself with something more appropriate.

 

[Meredith]

Have you a local Bridleways group?
Check with BHS.
If there is one they should be able to help

 

[mustardsmum]

@Amymay tbh, its the landowners responsibility to maintain any ROW on their land, not mine. Although I am happy to go along to help clear bridleways (and do) I am not keen to start messing around with something structural like this! I would then be liable if something happened, which as its not mine.... My question is more a general does the chicken wire work and have others found its ok with horses walking over it? I just have visons of shoes being caught but that could be an over active imagination!

Good idea about checking with BHS, and that it worked on a wheel barrow ramp. I guess they have come up at lease tried to resolve the issue, we will see how it works out...

 

[Pinkvboots]

I wouldn't want to walk horses over any sort of wire really especially shod ones.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I wouldn't want to walk horses over any sort of wire really especially shod ones.

This!
Chicken wire isnt strong enough for horses hooves and the weight etc. It is very brittle and I would imagine it will only take a couple of hooves to walk over it before it starts disintegrating

 

[PeterNatt]

It is the Highways Authority (Rights of Way Department) of your local authority which is responsible for the surface of the Bridleway.

Contact your local BHS Bridleway Officer who will be only to pleased to assist you.

We had a slippery bridge and we cremoved the debris and cleaned the surface which did the trick. It may be worthwhile to power hose it if that does not work. Alternatively the wood may need replacing. Netting or weld mesh is not suirtable for bridges which are crossed by horses as their feet (shoes) may become caught in them.

Take a look at this link: https://www.bhs.org.uk/go-riding/leaflets-and-downloads/