To think that horses shouldn't be on footpaths.

[Kasterborous]

I was out walking down the footpath yesterday with DD in her pushchair and this woman riding a horse appeared on the path in front of us. It wasn't a path down a country lane or a rural area. I moved out the way because I had DD with me, if it had been just me I would have stood my ground. It's not a one off either because there have been piles of horse poo on the path in the past too. I can see they don't want to be on the road either but a footpath is not for horses.

YABU, the lack of bridle ways in the UK is shocking. It's not as if the woman was full pelt galloping down the footpath . Don't really understand why this has annoyed you given that you probably had to move all of about 3ft.

Also to have "stood your ground" had you not had DD, really? So what would you have expected the woman to do?

I stand by what I said, I would have expected her to go on the road.

are you certain it was definitely not a bridle path as well? They may have every right to be there

What Jaffa said.

I would've expected her to go on the road too. It's called a footpath for a reason.

It was a footpath running along side a main road, no way on earth was it a bridle way.

Many footpaths are also bridleways. Unless they have a stile or kissing gate (which are horse isn't going to negotiate) I suspect they had every right to be there.

How on earth would you have stood your ground? You don't really want to frighten a horse out hacking tbh - it's not a very sensible thing to do.

YANBU

Lack of bridleways is a separate issue and doesn't justify riding on the footpath. And personally I would rather see money invested in more cycle paths than bridle ways because a bike is a far more realistic mode of environmentally friendly transport than a horse

What if the horse had got spooked and run at us, it happens. That's what scares me when I have DD with me.

Yanbu. The footpaths through our local woods are ruined in wet weather by horse riders who won't keep to bridle paths.

Horses have feet!

By realistic, I mean accessible to the general population

What if I passed you on the path and you got spooked and rammed the buggy at me?

Sure it happens

Was it actually a problem for you or do you have a thing about rules?

I quite like meeting horses while out and about. I haven't a clue whether the paths I meet them on are bridlepaths or footpaths.

So all footpaths along main busy roads are bridleways?Not being arsey just curious.

You would have expected her to go on the road? Still don't see how that relates to "standing your ground", they can't magically morph onto the road if you won't move out of the way

So was it a track running alongside the main road? If so I am with the horse rider. I wouldn't want to ride along a main road either. And it's not as though she galloped over you and caused a near miss.

I wouldn't have spooked the horse or rider, I'm not cruel.

janey I don't really think a horse is a "mode of transport"..... It is a leisure activity.

And if you had stood your ground and she decided to stand her ground too what would have happened?! All sounds a bit childish. Maybe its the heat...

No it wasn't a track, it's a Tarmac footpath that is clearly a footpath.

I probably am being a bit childish, I do hate this heat.

So is cycling a leisure activity- and you're not allowed to cycle on footpaths either. My point was in response to the 'not enough bridle ways argument. I'm just saying that I would prioritise more cycle ways over bridle ways because your average joe bloggs doesn't own a horse

Horse's dont have feet they have hooves.

I think some people are confusing 'footpath' with 'pavement'. What I assumed the OP meant was not that she was walking through a field on a right of way when she met the rider, but that she was walking along a pavement and met a horse and rider coming towards her on they've net, so she had to step out onto the road...?