Horses for courses
Now before you think I’m going mad siding with the heavy hoofed brigade who sometimes stamp dirty great holes in trails, let’s get into some equine education. While we might be crossing the countryside in seemingly very different ways, horse riders and bike riders have essentially the same access rules, with a right to use bridleways as well as restricted byways and BOATS (Byway Open to All Traffic) and unclassified roads (shown as ORPA on Ordnance Survey Maps). This leaves us much better off than motorised off-roaders. We’re still a long way behind walkers who get to use the far bigger footpath network as well as having the right to roam in some areas.
