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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have confronted these horse riders and report to council

94 replies

Hottesttrikeintown · 17/04/2021 08:36

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?

OP posts:

NVision · 17/04/2021 09:09

Horseriders are very selfish. Why isn't there an expectation of them to take a bin bag and a shovel instead of leaving massive piles of poo on the road to get spattered up peoples cars?

Wildswimming3 · 17/04/2021 09:09

@CrazyThrees

I'm a horse rider and YANBU OP

I am too and agree YANBU. We all have to ride on a road at some point, the pony club teach children how to ride on the road safely. If you see her again I would point this out to her!

Original poster

Hottesttrikeintown · 17/04/2021 09:11

Just to be clear it’s not a path. It’s a green

OP posts:

Original poster

Hottesttrikeintown · 17/04/2021 09:13

You can get onto the beach without using the green. My dad can’t go on the beach (it’s pebbly so impossible) so the green is as close as he can get which is why it’s sad when he can’t use it.

OP posts:

DinosaurDiana · 17/04/2021 09:14

We have horse riders who ride around our local park. I’ve reported them umpteen times but all the council do is put up a laminated sign for a couple of weeks.

CirclesWithinCircles · 17/04/2021 09:14

@NVision

Horseriders are very selfish. Why isn't there an expectation of them to take a bin bag and a shovel instead of leaving massive piles of poo on the road to get spattered up peoples cars?

Oh gawd, theres always one, isn't there?

Horses = vegetarian = poo harmless.

And I really don't fancy the risk of a horse getting loose, after being dismounted to flap a bag and a shivel around its legs.

IMNOTSHOUTING · 17/04/2021 09:14

Of course riders don't have a god given right to access every tiny corner of the country. They're making the green unusable for the people who actually live there. That is presumably why the council decided they couldn't ride there.

WombatStewForTea · 17/04/2021 09:16

I'm a horse rider and yanbu and she was rude.
I do however understand the not wanting to ride on the roads if there's an alternative route as drivers can be so careless around horses. Honestly reporting to the council (or stables as someone else suggested) is unlikely to achieve anything

fuzzyduck1 · 17/04/2021 09:17

Horse owners have to pick up there poo from their stables and their paddocks but the6 are quite happy to let their horses poo all over public areas. That’s my pet hate. Report them

DinosaurDiana · 17/04/2021 09:17

Horse poo on pavements 😡😡😡

Nannewnannew · 17/04/2021 09:25

@BusyLizzie61

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.

I live on a B road, 30 mph speed limit, but unfortunately it doesn’t stop some drivers racing past at 50-60mph during the day, and even faster at night. It’s terrifying.

OP, the horse rider was unnecessarily rude and I hope you get some help from the council.

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 17/04/2021 09:25

As above you need to make some form of record and photographs to fill out any complaint.

fuzzyduck1 · 17/04/2021 09:25

Does this woman come a the same time? Pitch a load of tents on the green before she gets there. see if she complains about them?

babbaloushka · 17/04/2021 09:26

@fuzzyduck1

Horse owners have to pick up there poo from their stables and their paddocks but the6 are quite happy to let their horses poo all over public areas. That’s my pet hate. Report them

Agree, selfishness. Report, report, report OP. You don't have to put up with their egocentrism.

iseeu · 17/04/2021 09:31

From the diagram it looks as though the horseriders could ride right at the edge of the green, still breaking the rules but if they rode down the edge straight from the road to the beach it would cause less damage - instead they ride all aver the place, unnecessary diagonals. I am normally live and let live but that would make me annoyed too. As would the screaming and shouting about me trying to kill her dd.

It might be that the riders are not aware of the impact on disabled people, they haven't thought it through.

spotcheck · 17/04/2021 09:36

@ThisIsSylviaDaisyPouncer

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.

Hear hear! And last I checked, scooters don't leave large piles of droppings

paintfairy · 17/04/2021 09:43

I ride and I have to say that roads are lethal these days. So if she's doing to avoid roads then I half get it. Having said that- I'm a wimp and would not ride anywhere i knew I wasn't allowed, in case I got shouted at! (I'm the same when walking on footpaths too, to be honest). Whilst it's dry there is no harm to the ground, but I agree that when it's wet (unless it really is the odd one or 2) that it will definitely make it more muddy than people walking. I can't believe she shouted at you though- knowing she was in the wrong. Rude. Perhaps she was riding there long before signs went up? But even so. I'm not really sure who would do anything about it though- for them to allow scooters through they can't put gates up etc that would stop horses? Worth trying the council though. At least make them aware.

IMNOTSHOUTING · 17/04/2021 09:46

I don't really care about horses pooing on a road but obviously it is an issue on a public green, where children want to play, people walk and have picnics etc.

FlamingoQueen · 17/04/2021 09:50

Personally, I would keep reporting every incident to the council and also ask them if they are liable if your Dad damages his scooter whilst riding over land that horses have damaged? Perhaps try and get a photo of a horse near the ‘no horses’ sign and post on social media. Is there a local group that may help you fight it? Makes me so cross that some people just do not give a toss about others (and I like horses)!

Parker231 · 17/04/2021 09:52

It’s irrelevant if the alternative is the horse riders using a road. The sign says no horses. Disabled access and enjoyment should always trump someone wanting an easier route for their horse.

CounsellorTroi · 17/04/2021 09:56

Horses = vegetarian = poo harmless.

Many humans are vegetarian/vegan. Would you be happy for them to poo outdoors and not clean it up?

ancientgran · 17/04/2021 09:56

@rawlikesushi

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?

Well the mobility scooters don't leave piles of shit so that's a bonus.

Panticus · 17/04/2021 09:57

Another horse rider here. YANBU.

FlamingoQueen · 17/04/2021 09:59

I didn’t think horse poo was harmless. Am sure if the horse is given a certain type of worming treatment and a dog ate their poo (gross I know - you haven’t met my dog!!) then it could seriously harm the dog.

LordEmsworth · 17/04/2021 10:01

You didn't confront her so stop worrying about "hating confrontation". Talking to someone politely, asking someone to do / not to do something, pointing something out to them - those things are not confrontation.

I'd happily report it to the council and in future I'd be taking pics of people breaking the rules and sending them to the council. While being entirely polite, smiling, and telling them I was doing it for that reason. And I'd keep pestering the council if they didn't help...

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