Various verges!

Do you ride on verges?

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moley087

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Hi all,

Is it just me or are verges getting more and more dangerous? Litter strewn, long grass and potholes?!? I'm currently writing an article on bridlepaths in the UK and was wondering if this is a localised issue or national.

Have attatched a poll. Please, please take time to vote on it, would be eternally grateful, also add any comments/stories which you might think useful. Can anyone beat the shopping trolley (asda, which is 10 miles away!) complete with naughty magazines which i found?!?

All the best,

Ben
 
I am in North York Moors National Park. Our verges are pretty good give or take the odd bit of tourist litter in the summer but we check them regularly to ensure they are safe. People round here tend to respect the countryside. We are lucky!
 
I'm in East Yorkshire, and the verges round here are OK. The only issue we have is the drainage channels - my horse copes fine getting through/over them, but my friend's TB does not and falls down them!

We have a lot more litter in the summer though :-(
 
I voted for preferring not to ride on verges.
I am in West Yorks. When we got our first horse, almost 40 yrs ago, I rode on almost every verge I came to, usually at a canter. Admittedly this was partly teenage carefree-ness but there was much less traffic in those days. We used to ride up the main road and canter on the verges where there was one. The verges were well-maintained then, litter-free with bushes etc trimmed back.
Now those same verges have almost disappeared in the undergrowth and are litter-strewn. These days I ride defensively, only using the verges as an emergency escape route.
 
I'm in Oxfordshire.
If you can find one without hidden glass, cans or trash.
not forgetting the hidden drainage ditches!

It's a also a good way of encouraging 'some people' to speed past you faster and closer than if you were on the road!
 
I'm in Somerset and I have noticed in the past ten years a definite deterioration in our verges. Many now have holes and litter, or are overgrown and dangerous. Another issue is that when the farmers dredge the ditches they just put all the earth back on the verges so instead of nice flat, safe and definitely canterable verges, we have dome shaped ones (if that makes sense). The few that are still nice I use with pleasure. I love cantering on them as my TB automatically does his dressage rocking horse canter, as opposed to the loony canter I get in fields :rolleyes:
 
I'm in essex, and round the hacking routes I've used there haven't been any verges. I've stopped in lay-bys, driveways to let cars past though. I'd rather not ride on them if I can help it.
 
I prefer not to but I will do if I know it's safe and I need to (e.g if I'm letting a car pass on a narrow lane) Most of the verges around me are quite wide and flat. I'm in Leicestershire. :)
 
I live in North Cumbria and most verges at the mo have a grit pile on every few metres!

I only use verges to pull over for cars and im always careful as they have rabbit holes on etc
 
I'm also in north Cumbria, around me there is only 1 bridleway which is pretty much a bog all year round. So if I want to go any faster than a trot I have to use the verges, I do check which are safe to use first.
 
Couldn't really vote, no verges around the hacking routes that I use. If there were and I knew them to be safe ie 'rabbit hole and litter-free', I would happily use them.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
I voted for preferring not to ride on verges.
I am in West Yorks. When we got our first horse, almost 40 yrs ago, I rode on almost every verge I came to, usually at a canter. Admittedly this was partly teenage carefree-ness but there was much less traffic in those days. We used to ride up the main road and canter on the verges where there was one. The verges were well-maintained then, litter-free with bushes etc trimmed back.
Now those same verges have almost disappeared in the undergrowth and are litter-strewn. These days I ride defensively, only using the verges as an emergency escape route.
Click to expand...

Almost exactly the same for me (especially the cantering :)) but I'm in Herefordshire.
 
Ours have drainage chanels - which my pony is good at getting over. There is very little litter (tends to be more beer cans on road than on verges). I tend to stick on road but the verges (which I check first) can be good for a quick canter.
 
I'm in west Kent, right on the border with Surrey and Sussex. It is quite hilly round here and there are various spots where you have to go on the verge as it is too slippery on the road and you slide down the hill! (even with road nails in!) I would generally only walk on the verge but there is one section of really wide, flat grass that is good for a canter!
 
Hey girls (and the occasional guy!)

Many thanks for all the replies so far, very useful helping build a national picture!

I really need more votes (100+) so just bumping this up to the top of the forum board!

Happy new year, i'm off to ride for the first time in about 2 weeks!
 
Have voted - prefer NOT to use verges - mainly because around me in Hampshire the few verges in my hacking vicinity tend to be someone's property and I am sure they do not want hoof prints on their mowed grass - it is bad enough that people drive over them!
There are single track roads around me so the only time I will use a verge is to get out of the way when drivers don't know the WIDTH of their cars (how often do you see that!). I have Hi-Viz strips on both leather stirrups of my western saddle - driver's eye height.
 
If I am on a road, I never ride on verges. Mainly because, as I was taught a long long time ago in my bicycle riding safety lessons, that it is better to stay on the road. If you ride on verges etc, cars wont know when you are coming off the verges etc and so all those years ago I was taught if your on the road stay on the road!
 
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