Bridleway puzzlement

[Zaphodsotherhead]

I've been taking my dog walking down a nearby bridleway very occasionally, because there are sometimes sheep on an adjacent field. Obviously she is on the lead whenever stock are about, but the main part of the track is fully fenced and stockproof, so we've been walking that bit off lead.

Today I went past and someone has stuck a 'No Dog Walking. This is a bridlepath for horses only' on the gate. My understanding was that bridleways are public rights of way and that you can't restrict who uses it to the extent of saying 'horses only'.

I won't be walking my dog down there again, obviously, someone clearly feels very strongly about it, but is it legal to stop dog walkers? There are no signs on any of the gates saying dogs must be on a lead or anything but we've got lambing sheep around, so dogs should be on leads pretty much everywhere here anyway.

You are allowed to walk your dog on a bridleway but it should be on a lead. I know many people will put the dog on a lead only if they meet a horse, but it is very scary when a dog gets excited an jumps at a horses legs or worse. There are also horses that are not good with dogs and will kick out if they are anywhere near. On our local bridlway we often meet professional dogwalkers with 5 or 6 off lead and not in control. It is frightening

NoMorePolitics - which is why I walk my dog there. Because I can have her off the lead - I can see if there is anyone else on the track, it's a direct line of sight to the river.

Not all bridleways are twisty little lanes. Round here there are lots that are flat and straight (and great for a canter because you can be sure there is nobody up ahead!)

As a horse owner and dog owner a dog has to be under close control, not necessarily on a lead. Mine will walk to heel past horses and sheep as they've been brought up with them and are well trained. They do not need to be on a lead just because it is a bridleway and there may be a horse on it. I've also had dogs trying to grab my horses tail when riding, they are the ones that should be on a lead full stop.

Bridleways for everyone, but I’d keep your dog on a lead.

I say that as someone who’s horse was attacked by a ‘well trained’ off the lead collie who we had passed almost daily for 18 months with no problems.

One day it had a problem and I was left with a upset horse and a substantial and totally avoidable vet bill.

I've had an email back from the local Paths Officer to tell me that I am perfectly within my rights to walk my dog down that bridleway - which is nice. They aren't doing site visits at the moment because of CV-19, but when they do they will be paying the farm owner a visit and asking them to take the sign down.

I'm too much of a wuss (and have plenty of other places to walk) to take her down there at the moment, but we will be walking down there again once the sign comes down!

Keep walking.

Fuck that I’ll be keep walking your dog down there and bring a sharpie with you next time you go and write on their official sign that they are incorrect about dogs being out to be walked on bridlepaths

We don’t have a dog but we walk along the path at the back end of our village every day during that time I’ve also never seen a horse coming through but there’s a lot of horse poo everywhere so they clearly do it’s full of people getting their daily walk with and without dogs

I did think about passive-aggressively printing out the Paths Officer's email and laminating that, then sticking it up on the gate next to the 'No Dogs' sign, Figgygal...

But I'm very findable and traceable and don't want to get a 'reputation', so I shall be complying with the sign for now. If someone doesn't want me that badly, then I'm not going to go trampling around and rubbing their nose in it. Once the sign is gone I can plead ignorance if someone tries to confront me (but will have the email from paths saved on my phone to whip out as proof if necessary).

Here’s the BHS guidance on bridleways - www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/common-incidents/cycles

Pedestrians are allowed to walk dogs on bridleways, there’s always loads of dog walkers on our bridleway.

We have had lots of issues with off lead dogs hassling horses though. My daughter was riding on our local one last summer and ended up with a Jack Russell hanging off her pony’s tail

Cyclists are supposed to give way to riders and pedestrians on bridleways

There's no such thing as a "trackway" on OS maps.
If it marked as a track, there is not automatically any right of way. Right of way is denoted by public footpath, bridleway, byway or road.
On the orange maps rights of way are in green. On the pink maps they are red. If it's marked as a track (not in green or red) there isn't necessarily a right of way.
If it is actually a bridleway then there's an automatic right for walking and dog walking. Dogs don't generally have to be on a lead as long as under control.
If so, suggest report to public rights of way office (they have a very interesting facebook page for rights of way geeks like me!)

Sorry op didn't see your update - sounds like a good outcome!

@Zaphodsotherhead
I would print and laminate the letter from the Paths Officer with the words ' this is the law / by-law , the above ( dogs not allowed ) note is just a opinion ' and nail it to the same post

If the OS map shows it as a track rather than a bridleway or footpath, chances are it's a permissive bridleway and you have no rights to use it at all. Does it have official Public rights of way signage at either end ?

I too would print out the email (omitting any personal details), laminate it and stick on-top of the other sign! Cheeky guys!

*gits 🙄

Watching - it's not the personal details on the email I'd worry about, it's that anyone would know it was me who'd put it there and I am fairly distinctive and well known locally. I don't want to cause bad feeling among local farmers and/or horse riders with it bouncing back on my head!

@Zaphodsotherhead But how would they know it's you, if you very quickly pop a pre-printed, pre-sellotaped note on the bottom of the sign when it's really quiet then immediately hop back in your car and drive away. Then come back a few days later to walk?

Probably the farmer as he/she may have lost lambs to loose dogs or due to lockdown people have been letting their dogs shit on the bridleway and not clear it up? Nothing worse than scraping dog crap off hooves!

You are absolutely entitled to ignore the notice on a public bridleway. I'd just ignore notice and crack on.

I am also a dog & horse owner/rider.

Jeez, there’s no need to do anything to some batshit sign someone’s put up. Don’t deface it. Don’t stick things to it. Don’t ‘have a word’ with someone about it. Just ignore it. They’re in the wrong, not you. Walk your dog as normal.

It's probably been put up to deal with others who think their precious mutt is 'just playing' with the sheep, not those who have the sense of responsibility to put theirs on a lead.

No, not legal. But the Law clearly doesn't seem to be understood a large number of complete arseholes, going by the numbers of sheep attacked every single year - if they don't know that a dog can do catastrophic damage because 'he's so lovely and friendly', they aren't going to know that the person putting up the sign is lying.

Personally, much as I love dogs, I think that a sign reminding people that it's perfectly legal to shoot loose dogs in a position where they could worry livestock wouldn't be going too far. And the suffering that is caused by the dogs would tempt me to say 'The dog is only going to get shot because I'm not allowed to shoot the arsehole responsible for the dog'.

But I've had to see what the result is of said dogs and restrain myself from telling stupid people what I think of them when they simper about how 'natural' it is for their unnatural mutant creature to 'run free in the fields' and how it unreasonable the farmers are to expect to keep animals in the fields they like walking through. And I've seen dogs harass horses before now.

In short, it's not you that's the problem. It's not the farmer being a dickhead. It's morons who won't properly control their animals that are the problem.

Unless your dog is horse-proof, I'd always recommend keeping them on the lead on a bridleway. Some horses are really spooked by dogs.

I was very lucky when my last two dogs were puppies, I was friends with someone who had the sweetest, gentlest horse who was steady as a rock and liked dogs. Both mine were socialised with her horse when they were tiny puppies and never barked or chased them. Even off lead they would sit by my leg and wait at the side of the track for horses to pass.

It's astonishing really, because they were complete bastards with cats, sheep and poultry and had to go on the lead if within 100 yards or them.

For those with horses who aren't good with dogs it's sensible to work on desensitising with your horse. I've seen awful accidents caused by horses being spooked by various things and have had several horses in for reschooling after such experiences. The responsibility also lies with the horse owner to ensure their horse is as safe as possible in public. The public will soon lose patience if riders are too precious about sharing spaces.

It's lambing season. Give them a break for now.

It’s just some angry twat with too much time on their hands. People get weirdly possessive over their roads/paths. Look at the amount of people who think it’s illegal for other people to park on the road outside their house.

Haven - there are very few people who go along that road even in cars. I run down there about twice a week and see NOBODY. Not even on a horse. My guess is that they've seen me on the track with my dog - and it's a very close, very rural community - they will know who I am and, if they don't, they can find out.

They would know therefore, that I had been the one to stick the notice up (or take their notice down). And then they may well start slinging metaphorical muck around about me.

I know it's lambing season McSnuff I'm right in the middle of lambing territory. It still doesn't give them the right to 'close' a public right of way to everything except horses. If they must do something, a note to say 'sheep lambing, please be aware - dogs on leads only' or something like that, not 'No Dogs Allowed'.