Turnout On Fields With Bridleways?

SuperH

SuperH

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We have a bridleway running through our top three fields. These are usually used for our milking herd but it is too wet for them and they are inside at the moment.

My turnout field (no bridleway) is currently under a river and is knee deep in mud.

The driest field is one of those the bridleway runs through. Can I turn my horse out on that? Do I need to fence her off the bridleway? What is the law on this?

I know this isn't the point but giving you a picture - the bridleway is rarely used (it doesn't go anywhere other than to a main road and is very wet, I assume this puts most people off), I think someone has ridden through twice so far this year and at a weekend.

I wouldn't like to ride through a field with a loose horse so should I keep her off it? Or could I give her supervised turn out and catch her if someone turned up? There is always someone about but wouldn't necessarily see someone on a horse turn up if they came from the top rather than the bottom. I wouldn't put her there at a weekend anyway as this is when it seems to get used.

Anyone any experience with this? Advice gratefully received.
 
It sounds very unlikely that someone will ride through if you have only seen two people ride through so far this year, however, I would still fence the path off just to be on the safe side and then turnout as normal :)
 
As a BHS access officer, I have raised this issue with my local council Rights of Way department. As far as I am aware there is no law against mares and geldings being in a field with a b/w through it, only stallions.
But as you said, you wouldn't like to ride through a field with other horses in it.
My gelding is a mare magnet:p and if there were other geldings in a field which may be possessive over them, I would be in trouble and would be worried about me and my horse being kicked so it would put me off.
If there was only one horse, I would probably risk it but round here, we have b/w with herds of horses running loose on them, stallions and mares :eek:

So basically, if you can, I would fence off just for your peace of mind;)
 
We have a field bridlepath we ride on which sometimes has horses turned out on it.
Although we groan when we see them out I've always accepted it as it is someones grazing land after all.
If I were you I'd be more concerned about gates being shut correctly if it leads to a main road?!
 
Even if there is no requirement to tape it off, I would as I would be worried about the horses getting out if someone was faffing about at the gate and they slipped through at the same time.
 
As long as your horse does not pose a threat or intimidate members of the public using this public right of way then there are no issues.

However if your horse poses a threat or intiidates anyone using this public right of way then this can become an issue. If there is a problem then a member of the public may bring it to your attention or even inform the local access officers of the local County Council in which case they would contact/visit the landowner concerned and try to resolve the issue.

Were the issue can not be resolved then the district council can use the enviromental bill as ammended to take action against the landowner.

As far as fencing is concerned I always reccomend heavy duty post and 3 rail fencing with Equi-fencing placed on it. (Equi-fencing is a tight form of sheet netting). The advantage of this is that a horse can not kick through the fencing and neither can dogs get through.

If you use electric fencing this should be marked with the statutory yellow signs every 10 metres and must be kept well clear of any gates so that there is no chance of anyone coming in contact with it when opening and closing the gates. Electric fencing should be kept 1 metre away from the sides of the public right of way.

Hope this helps
 
Thanks for all the advice. Not decided what to do yet.

Not worried about her getting out, to get to the main road she would have to come back through the yard and a mile down our drive and there is no way she would go past her stable, all the cows and hay barn without stopping for a snack! Going up the other way there are three gates she would have to get through and then another farm and about a mile to the road after that.

There is no way my husband will put post and rail fencing down his cow field just to turn the pony out. Will have to have a think.
 
I would use temporary electric fencing set well back from the defined width of the bridleway, with the signs every x metres as per the rules. And make sure I had a shed load of liability insurance.

I def wouldnt turnout in this scenario without both of those
 
Depending on the layout of the field, I'd be inclined to do a single strand leccy fence along one side and keep your horse in that part of the field. Just as much for your horses safety (what if they went to say hello to an intruder and got a cow kick for their efforts?!).

Otherwise perhaps put a notice on the gates either end with your mobile number - at least then if the person wanting to use the bridleway is concerned then they can alert you and you can catch your horse while they cross the land. Hopefully things will dry up and it will only be a temporary measure anyway.
 
Not quite the same, but I have a footpath running through the middle of my field. I've just ran electric down either side - my two graze one side and a girl with two ponies grazes the other. Can you do something similar?
 
We have a footpath through middle of our field no problem with horses but network rail want to move it, as it leads to go directly over 3 lines of busy track, to directly in front if a gate which horses hoon through sometimes and we are against moving footpath.
 
Is there a rule on the type of electric fence that can be used? Or can it be any as long as it is signed and the correct distance away?

The bridleway officially runs along the hedge so would be not too bad to fence off. I just don't know how I would make a 'gateway' into it as when we use electric fence we never put an access point, just stretch it across to strip graze.
 
We have a b/w going through one of our fields. It is not fenced off.
None of the horses, mares and young stock, bother to go near any riders going through.

I also have my older horse keeping a yearling company and their field has a b/w going through it and they rarely go near the gates. One woman did complain that there were horses grazing when there was a b/w going through the filed but by the time several people had told her to either lump it or not ride through there, she has shut up!

Most of the people who told her what to do have regularly ridden through and never once encountered the loose horses.
 
Op you would if using fencing need to be able to do it in a way which meant that there were only gateways to the field parts, not across any part of the bridle way route other than those existing as it would be classed as an obstruction. If that wasn't logistically possible then the fencing couldn't be used. Bear in mind that a notice with mobile no 'if concerned' might be construed as acknowledgement that horses in the field are a potential nuisance or might attract dodgy callers. Also you couldnt guarantee to be free to come.I would stick to a notice if you jave any, saying ' please close the gate - animals grazing'
 
All you need is a bungee gate for each strand of electric fencing. It's pretty easy to work out how to set it up. Just tape off a reasonable width of bridleway, with a gate at one end. I'd use two strands, but then my mare is a bit of a limbo dancer.
 
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