There aren't enough bridle paths

The BHS? You could try contacting them for starters, Emma.

Your local Parish Council - they have responsibility for rights of way, footpaths and bridleways that fall within their Parish boundaries. You could attend your next Parish Council meeting and ask them to help you.

I live in southeast kent and there are not many bridle paths around , I think something should be done about this. But who will do something about it .

Yeah that is quite true there Nikki :/
Just wish we had more freedom to go riding :)

Here here, Vicki!

There were 'legs before wheels', and if 'people' didn't keep building houses and tarmacing bridle paths and green lanes, our community would be a lot happeir and safer.

Quite, but with bigoted people who are eaten up with misguided jealousy, what can you expect !

Oh now thats not fair at all, I think we all have a right and these anti-horserider folk need to stop and think about it

I know Kayy, but according to the anti-horse riders on here, then that means you should give up your sport ... because it so cruel to take horses on the road !!

Well I live in Scotland and its getting harder and harder to find Bridlepaths anywhere now :/

Well said, exracerfan. It sounds an absolute nightmare for you. I live in Northamptonshire and we are so lucky to have benefitted for more than a decade now from the set-aside scheme. This has actually come to an end now, but the land that was set aside now falls under the Stewardship Scheme, if the farmer wants to belong, and luckily our's does. So I think it is until 2012 that we will continue to have the joy of being able to ride off road. If and when the Stewardship Scheme comes to an end, then it will be back to long road rides unfortunately to reach the bridleways round here.

Try asking your local council????? Dont be daft. Have you tried to do that? In Derbyshire, you can kill yourselft trying to get the council to listen. We have been trying for years to get one path put back to bridleway status after it was downgraded to a footpath about 20years ago. They would sooner listen to locals comments like "Oh I dont want my daughter to step in horse muck", rather than get horses off the deadly main road it runs off. I used to regularly ride it over 30years ago and it was the landowner that got it downgraded. Erewash riders club have been lobbying the council for at least 6years to my knowledge with no success. It is just despicable that horses and riders get absolutely nowhere when they desperately need somewhere to ride in safety.

Matt - you need to learn the Highway Code mate. Us Horseriders respect those kind drivers that actually slow down for us. Do you want us to dismount, come up to your window and say "oh by the way, cheers for slowing down there..." I don't think so. I totally agree with all your guys down there, there isn't enough Bridle Paths and nowadays some car drivers speed up past you which is just awful esp when you have a youngster.

Matt : that "hand waving" as you describe it is probably the rider saying thank you !!

Jeez, you anti horse people !! You moan if we don't say thank you, you moan if we do. You think that somehow we all miraculously are able to keep our horses conveniently close to bridleways and fields that we are allowed to ride in. Don't you think that such places might be a tad oversubscribed? Round here, all the liveries that have access onto bridleways and set aside are heavily oversubscribed with long waiting lists.

The Highway Code states that drivers must pass horses SLOWLY. It does not state that you are allowed to drive past at the speed limit for that particular road.

I suggest you do the same ... follow the Highway Code when you drive past horses and then everyone will be happy. You will be happy because the nice horse rider will thank you, the rider will be happy because you have respected his/her right to use the road and the police will be happy because they won't have to book you for breaking the law.