Anger over proposed ‘canter ban’ on bridleways

A speed limit on horses in the Lake District has been met with rage by riders.

Proposals to stop horses cantering on tracks are being amended by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) after protests.

The authority is putting together a draft code of conduct for the way public routes in the Lake District are used by horse riders, walkers and cyclists.

The initial leaflet sent out for consultation suggests riders should go no faster than a trot and a horse should be moved away from the road or track “before it dungs”.

Sheelagh Myers, who runs Bigland Hall Equestrian in Cumbria, said farmers have been telling riders it is illegal to canter on the bridleways and stopping access following the distribution of the leaflet.

Mrs Myers said the leaflet had been “thrown together without proper consultation”.

Dave Robinson, of LDNPA, said the wording will be amended to “ride at a speed appropriate to the path surface and local conditions”.

Mark Weston, the British Horse Society’s (BHS) access director, said: “Horse riders will want to adjust their speed as appropriate to all the circumstances at the time.”

The BHS is responding to the consultation on the code of conduct, which is open until

20 June.

This article was first published in Horse & Hound on 12 June 2014

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