Surrey* hates mountain bikers too: horse riders object to new trail at Leith Hill

Sounds like it would be very frustrating if someone organised a mass 'slow ride' along the bridleway one Sunday morning...

It seems pretty suprising that the BHS were not aware of the development vua the Local Access Forum at which most new R.O.W developments are discussed and where, from my experience in Herts, a lot of communication between different user groups takes place. The BHS tends to be well represented in these groups and they are very effective at going through the arcane rituals of getting new bridleways made.

Early engagement certainly helps to inform both sides of things which affect other trail users.

I have nothing against horses, just the people on them.

I too cannot understand the deference and respect the equestrian lobby get. They are human beings who have chosen to ride a horse much as we are human beings who ride a bicycle. No more, no less.

Don't mess with money I suppose.

Yeah, let's close the MTB trail so the MTBers have to go "whizzing along" "an established sunken horse track" instead of having the horses and their riders kept well out of the way by having separate trails :roll:

What I can't understand is that the BHS etc object to a Mountain Bike Path "next" to a Bridleway...given that since 1968 it has been legal to cycle on a Bridleway, you would have thought they would have welcomed the segregation ???

If I was cynical I might think that the objectors were really more concerned with the Plebs from the city coming near their houses? Mind you that particular objection around cyclists has been around since Victorian times

I wonder what the number of users are for both activities on the land. I would have thought that the number of cyclists compared to horse riders would be many times more.

"jumping ramps above horses’ heads"

Sweet air though. At least the mtbers (presumably) won't be shitting all over the trails for everyone else to trundle through..

surely a planning order was drawn up and the relevant "Public Notices" published both on the land itself and in the press. The horseriders have only themselves to blame for not spotting them. There's no legal requirement to personally drop a copy off with every tom, dick and harry unless someone who lives there is directly affected

This entire story is utterly bizarre when you consider that the nextdoor forests of the Hurtwood estate have horses, walkers and mountain bikers all happily rubbing along with each other on the same land. The difference ? The Hurtwood estate is privately owned and has been opened up to public access and access rights determined by the land owners without the need for expensive "consultations".
I find the arguments of the equestrian lobby somewhat self centred and disingenuous as a result.
I have found the vast majority of all types of users to be civil and considerate in their usage of hurtwood as it is generally understood to be a privilege to have access to this land. The problem with Leith hill appears to be a false sense of "entitlement" to exclusive use of public land.

I am always amazed by the respect that a posh person mounted on a large quadruped commands. You watch cars tiptoe around them, drivers basically tugging their forelocks. Then driving past cyclist at twice the speed limit, complaining about being held up and seeing how close they can get without scratching their vehicle. Not having been born here, I can only attribute this to some kind of unconscious class inferiority complex. It really beggars belief.