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.

[JaffaMyCake]

Can I just point out that this woman is probably used to being moaned at for riding on the road and holding up traffic - she can't keep everyone happy!

[JaffaMyCake]

So hold on, is it a footpath or a piece of pavement next to the road?

[Kasterborous]

Thank you Shrugges Yes I meant pavement, and yes i had to stand on the road, while just managing to keep DD's pushchair on the pavement.

[saintlyjimjams]

A lot of bridleways were downgraded 'officially' to footpaths because local councils couldn't afford the upkeep for bridleways so you can now have a historic bridleways labelled incorrectly as a footpath.

Personally I'm all for safety. If the road is very busy & the path next to it is safer I'd have no problem meeting a horse rider on there providing they were riding sensibly.

[Incapinka]

Heat does funny things to people! If it is what I am imagining its probably not actually classified as a proper footpath. More like a track people can use to cycle, push buggies and possibly ride horses along to avoid the road. Is it marked with yellow footpath markers or is it a footpath in your eyes if that makes sense. Some drivers are so lethal that I would prefer to sensibly ride along a track rather than risk the main road...

[Shakirasma]

OP YANBU

Horses should not be on a regular footpath any more than a bike should.

My DM is petrified of horses, having had a nasty experience may years ago, and she would probably have ended up in the road on fright if confronted by one on a footpath unexpectedly. Fortunately it's never happened because the scenario in your op is very unusual.

I know people love their horses but I am amazed anybody would think a horse should be ridden on the path and not the road.

[saintlyjimjams]

Oh pavement? Ok no they should have been on the road. I also assumed you meant a public right of way footpath. I have never seen a horse on a pavement before

[Kasterborous]

It's a pavement that goes past two schools and shops.

[BartyFottom]

If it's a proper pavement, YANBU.

[SoupDragon]

YANBU. A horse should not be on the pavement in the same way as cyclists shouldn't

[BartyFottom]

Unless it was a hobby horse. Or a rocking horse.

[JaffaMyCake]

If you meant pavement then I retract my previous statement and YANBU, unless the speed limit was above 40mph or you were on a bend.

However in my experience, riders don't generally go on the pavement without good reason, so maybe you should cut her some slack!

[Shakirasma]

When I say footpath in my post I do mean Tarmac pavements along the roadside.

[SoupDragon]

And they shouldn't be on a public footpath either for the same reasons. It seems pedestrians are indeed the lowest of the low.

[piprabbit]

We get horses on the pavements (tarmac strips for pedestrians next to the road) and the horses do great piles of poo which cover a large area of the pavement.

I assume the owners take them out for walkies to make a change to thrashing the poor beasts around the local streets attached to a racing cart thingy.

[OldMacEIEIO]

Some horses have feet. There is a stallion in a field near me that has two feet at least. possibly more

[burberryqueen]

horse and rider should have got out of your way not the other way round, as they are not really supposed to be there.

It is hard for riders tho to access bridlepaths sometimes.

[Twattybollocks]

Yes you are correct, they shouldn't have been on the path, and she certainly should have gone onto the road to pass you. My old horse was bombproof and I still wouldn't have let someone push a pram past him at close range, or walked him past one if he was close enough to kick out at it.
Next time please do stand your ground, and ask her politely to move onto the road. Pavements are for pedestrians.
I say this as a horse owner with 20 years experience of riding on the roads, yes I have ridden on pavements and on grass verges when the traffic or the road is bad, but I always move onto the road if we meet pedestrians as I realise its safer for me and the horse to be walking on the road than it is for the pedestrians

[maddening]

Yanbu - it is ridiculous that she expected you to move a baby on to a main road while she rode her horse on the pavement. The horse rider was a twat and should not be there unsupervised if unable to manoeuvre the horse on to the road to avoid pedestrians - particularly with vulnerable children.

[quoteunquote]

and this is one of the reason why a lot of the permissive pathways are been closed around here and else where,

Humans not being able to share with others.

we have a lovely long route alongside the river near here, land owned by a client of mine, who has kindly kept it open to the public, there is no right of way,

but because walkers constantly get cross about other uses, or livestock, the estate is withdrawing access.

I appreciate that this is a pavement, but really what harm was it causing other than offending your sensibilities?

ring and ask your local council if horses are allowed.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

"the estate is withdrawing access."

good luck with that.

"but really what harm was it causing other than offending your sensibilities?"

you mean other than the danger of the baby/child making a noise spooking the horse and either the parent or the child getting kicked?

[Kasterborous]

I wouldn't have any issues on the kind of path you describe quote but it was clearly a pavement and I had to stand on the road.

[ComposHat]

Glad to see rhe mumanet horsetapo are out in force.

op jave you not realised that horse riders are never in the wrong and everyone wlse should never access the road or footpath in case the horsrs spook?

[pinkandpurplesparkle]

Yanbu. As a horserider who does a fair bit of hacking on roads, there is very little that would ever persuade me to use a footpath. The only possible occasion that I can see would require this would be if there was a very large vehicle coming towards us (or from behind) and I had to get out of the way for safety. However, if a pedestrian, and especially a pedestrian with a child, happened to be on the path, it would be inconceivable to put them in danger by riding on the path. Item 54 in the Highway Code says "You MUST NOT take a horse onto a footpath or pavement, and you should not take a horse onto a cycle track," so the answer is there.

Having said all that, some horseriders are rude. They should be on the road - simples.

[sonlypuppyfat]

I live on a normal road in a built up town houses both sides cars etc and they come down our paths so bloody stupid but then they use the excuse horses were here before cars BS do they pay road tax. Its bad enough dodging dog mess never mind great piles of horse shit