The British Horse Society (BHS) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) have launched a new resource to help promote safe off-road riding on military land.
The “Riding on MoD land” page contains information about accessible riding routes, plus safety guidance. The idea is that riders can use it alongside the public safety information on the GOV.UK website for details on where to ride safely, restrictions, and links to check firing times.
“While the primary use of MoD land is to enable military training, we are committed to maintaining publicly accessible areas, some of which provide ideal horse-riding opportunities,” said James Nevitt, senior public access and recreation advisor at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
“We encourage horse riders to access MoD land when and where it is safe to do so, and we’re excited to be working with the British Horse Society to increase awareness of how to access our estate safely. We hope this guidance is well received and that riders continue to enjoy using MoD land.”
The MoD owns and maintains hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, which are primarily used for military training.
For example, on Salisbury Plain Training Area in Wiltshire, the Imber Range Perimeter Path provides a 50km circular mixed terrain route. It follows the perimeter of the Imber Firing Range Danger Area and has views of the Westbury White Horse.
Otterburn Training Area in Northumberland spans more than 22,000 hectares, parts of which can be accessed for riding, alongside the moorland birds, ravens and even wild goats.
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The Epynt Way in Powys has 65km of off-road riding within Sennybridge Training Area, featuring views across to the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons, the Cambrian Mountains, and the Carmarthenshire Black Mountain.
When military training is not taking place, there are opportunities for riding, cycling, walking, climbing – or even just driving on military roads.
BHS director of access Mark Weston added: “A lot of much needed safe off-road riding is available on the MoD estate across the nations, and it is really important that horse riders know how to access this safely.
The new ‘Riding on MoD Land’ page on our website provides just that advice, at the click of a button. We are pleased to be working with the MoD to produce this valuable information resource.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
