To have confronted these horse riders and report to council

[Hottesttrikeintown]

My dad lives in a seafront house. There’s a row of housing, a road, a grass walkway (the green) and then the beach. He is mobility impaired and uses a scooter or wheelchair

The green has a big sign saying (amongst other things) no horseriding. That’s been the case since he’s been there (about 7 years) and presumably before.

There are always people riding across the green to get to the beach. Not just to cut through but right the way along (about a mile)

I’m pretty live and let live and not generally one to report petty violations however anyone who lives near a riding spot will know that it churns up the ground and makes it muddy. This has meant that the green is often pretty much impassable for my dad on his scooter (and presumably others). There’s also a lot of horse shit.

Yesterday a woman was riding on it with her daughter and literally went directly past the sign saying no riding. I don’t like confrontation but care about my dad’s enjoyment of his home so said (politely) that the green is no horseriding and she may not be aware of the impact on disabled residents etc.

She screamed at me that she’d been riding here for 20 years so has a right too and it didn’t affect the ground (to be fair it didn’t today as it’s been so dry but it’s a cumulative effect of loads of riders). I said I’d report her to the council as we’re sick of it and she responded saying if I reported her I’d be putting her daughter’s life at risk as she’d have to ride on the road to get to the beach.

I just left it as I was annoyingly getting tearful (as I said I have a real thing about hating confrontation - it makes me cry for some reason) but I did report to council.

Wibu?

Just noticed the incorrect use of too and can’t correct

It is the council's job to balance the needs of horse-riders and other users of public spaces. Why not contact a local councillor to make them aware of the issue as it impacts on your Dad. Perhaps an accessible path could be made through the green or another way of accessing the beach could be identified for horse-riders.

Who has put the sign up is it the council or just some random that could effect the enforcement.

Also if you are saying people can't use horses on there I am not sure people should be using scooters also.

The council

I am sympathetic and think that you were right and she was rude. However, I doubt that the council will be interested and probably feel that the signs are the extent of their responsibilities. Do they cause more damage than the wheels of a mobility scooter? Could you take photos of any damage, or of the riders, for the council? Approach the stables directly to raise awareness?

You are completely right, OP. Some people are very selfish. Your father should be able to use his scooter. How dare the woman shout at you when what you were saying was in line with the rules?

Similarly, others should respect horse riders in areas that they can ride in.

Hope it’s sorted and you feel better soon. x

Photo of sign. Scooters and wheelchairs are fine

Have you made sure it isn't a bridleway on os maps? You get see them free on Bing maps.

I can understand the riders not wanting to use the roads tbh. Most drivers behave poorly towards riders & horses. Mostly because they don't understand, but some because they are dicks. The riders may be using it to show prior use as part of the bridleway registration going on right now.

The road her daughter would be riding on is a B road. And if her daughter would be at such risk that the mother cannot negate then she shouldn't be riding.

Also they can get to the beach without it. I’ve drawn a terrible diagram! They go all round the green rather than just cut through it. The arrows show the route they went

Agree with poster who said that council should be approached to make a bridle path across the green so that horse riders can access the beach. It doesn’t seem fair to just ban riders from the whole area.

Are you positive there’s no bridle path and she’d just strayed off it?

Could she and her daughter have been lost or following a trail hunt? (Many hunts go off the trail as the horses follow hounds and can be unstoppable).

Did you spook the horses by confronting her?

It was very rude of her to scream at you.

But rightly or wrongly I think many riders get annoyed at being told to ride on the road, plus she may not have realised the damage to the grass and how that impacts mobility scooters. If they were walking (rather than galloping and flying over fences) she probably couldn’t see the issue.

Not a bridleway. It’s specifically no horseriding

I think a lot of posters are missing the point here. Riders choose to ride. People in mobility scooters do not choose to use mobility scooters, they have to use them to leave the house. Of course scooters should have priority. YANBU OP and I’m sorry this rider upset you when you were just looking out for your dad.

It’s unbelievable that some people will defend the indefensible when they’ve been caught out doing something that they blatantly shouldn’t do.

I’d report and keep reporting every time you see someone breaking the rule, you need to make a nuisance of yourself so that the council will do something. I’d even take pictures and forward those to the council as well. I’m sorry you and your dad have to deal with such selfishness.

YANBU she should stick to the rules decided by the council. You are in the right and well done for challenging her. Generally I find people get the most angry when they know deep down they are the ones in the wrong. She might disagree with the rule but she needs to challenge the council on it.

What I am thinking is that the council will have money in a pot for disability access so they could be persuaded to lay a strip of mesh or plastic on the green so that there will be an accessible route across the turf even if bikes, horses, etc are taken over it. It's human nature to take shortcuts and its almost impossible to stop people unless you put up fences or barriers which would spoil the look of the area.

And as someone else mentioned, a lot of bridleways have been removed to enable housing developments, so there’s a huge movement within the equine community to get bridleways re-installed.

Most riders avoid roads if they can as even the most bombproof pony can panic if a driver overtakes at speed or blasts the horn.

I’m not saying she was right, just that I can see both sides here.

They def weren’t lost. She said they’ve been doing it for 20 years. I waited until they had stopped before approaching. I used to ride (so don’t hate them ) and they weren’t spooked.

She couldn’t have missed the sign especially for 20 years) and I didn’t tell her to go on the road. They can get to the beach without going round the green - although unless they have stables within a seafront property they would have to go along a road to get to the green!

If there is a sign no horse riding would there be a bridle way.

Where do all these horses come from? Assume they have had to come down a road to start with

The sign looks official enough so as she rode straight past it, she is in the wrong. If you were polite in pointing this out you are not being unreasonable. However, a bridleway is needed here for the safety of horse-riders. This will be within the remit of your underfunded County Council or unitary authority. I'd try contacting them but don't expect anything to happen anytime soon.

I'm a horse rider and YANBU OP

It’s possible a bridleway has been removed for housing and ironically I would support a campaign to reinstate one. There are tracks that allow cars (though are barely used) that could be repurposed

Rather than specifically reporting that rider I think you should contact council disability team - they have a responsibility to maintain access for disabled residents so they need to come up with a plan that works for everyone . Take photos of when they ground is churned up.

I'd also think about contacting your parish and district counsellors.

Make it somebody else's problem.

I would definitely speak to the council. They need to come up with a solution that works for everyone - maybe a tarmac path for wheelchair users and a green alongside for riders. It’s not fair on your dad and others with mobility impairments to have the path become unusable, and it’s not great having horses on roads if it can be avoided.