Fears mount over unmarked bridle path (From This is Hampshire)

Fears mount over unmarked bridle path

3:30pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Romsey

BRITISH Horse Society officials are calling on Hampshire’s countryside bosses to install signage along a bridle path at Michelmersh.

It follows an incident with a horse rider and a car near Casbrook Fields housing development off Rudd Lane.

Barbara Clarke from the British Horse Society said a section of the bridleway was tarmacked when the homes at Casbrook Fields were built and some motorists don’t give way to horse riders using the route which links Rudd Lane with Heron Lane at nearby Timsbury. “It’s so misleading. People think because it is tarmac, it’s a road. Cars are using the bridleway and the drivers are not giving way to horse-riders,” said Barbara, adding: “There has been a long-standing and unresolved dispute over access along the bridleway to the development at Casbrook Fields. But our main concern is the safety of horse-riders using the bridleway.”

Barbara said that a woman horse rider was badly shaken when her horse was startled by a car and fell during an incident last year.

“Apparently, the car was speeding along the bridleway when it happened. The horse slipped and fell, luckily the woman wasn’t injured. We need some form of signage to keep people safe,” concluded Barbara.

Hampshire’s cabinet spokesman for culture and recreation Keith Chapman promised to see what can be done to make the bridleway safer.

Mr Chapman said: “A public bridleway enables the public to use a route of this status on foot, on horseback or by bicycle. However, many public bridleways also have private rights with them.”

He added that Hampshire County Council is in the process of looking to install signage warning motorists to watch out for walkers, horse riders or cyclists on the bridleway.