Website is now back on-line again but regret pressure of work and illness means it is not being updated for the time being. Anyone want to take over for a while?
As more and faster traffic drives equestrians off our roads it becomes more and more essential that our bridleway network is improved and extended, and that our country lanes are not permitted to become no-go areas for horse riders. We need local riders in their local area with local knowledge to inform Rights of Way of any problems as they arise.
Our aims are:
To find out your needs and priorities for action on our paths and lanes and inform ESCC
To have all our bridleways open and an adequate annual maintenance program in place
To act to raise awareness of the needs of equestrians by E.S.C.C., Highways, & the RoW teams
And above to do all possible to improve your safety when riding out.
To do this we need every rider to join our RIDER SURVEY of the East Sussex Low Weald
Our 94 riders have had 30 serious accidents on the roads in the last five years involving either a doctor or a vet!
It is high time our concerns were taken seriously
Unfortunately the vast majority of riders meekly accept things as they are and don’t report problems.
Join your local bridleway group. Email the Council, again, and again. Make yourself heard.
Don’t just leave it for someone else to do, it is our own fault for letting things get as bad as they are.
What you can do: Register with us (you can then see all this website)
Fill in our Survey. Fill in our Report Forms for path problems,accidents,etc
If you don’t inform RoW they wont know that there is anything amiss. Don’t leave it for someone else to tell them.
Unsatisfactory surfaces, bad gates, obstructions of any sort
No longer the full width.The council seem content to allow them to shrink from their correct width.
Impassable. On our weald clay many cannot be used in winter, but proper ditching will alleviate this.
Lack of maintenance such as scrub clearing or ditching, which leads to more expensive repairs later.
Dangerous road crossings, or access to a path, and exit from.
Verges limiting visibility or unsafe
Slippery road surfaces, notify Highways and BHS of incidents.
The Rights of Way Teams are short of time and resources so do your homework first for them:
Don’t use generalisations. Be specific, identify the path correctly,
if possible with grid reference, parish, and path number, and photos.
Explain exactly what the problem is and what you think could be done to rectify it.
Follow it up with more letters if no action is taken.
Keep copies of any correspondence.
A typical Green Lane illustrates why East Sussex was so isolated before the railways and tarmacadam.
(and why routine maintenance of ditches is vital to prevent expensive repairs to surfaces)
REMEMBER ONE IN SEVEN RIDERS has had an accident on the roads in the past five years
(One in Three in our group!)ONE IN THREE RIDERS has had a near miss
HORSES WERE INJURED in 61% of accidents.
RIDERS WERE INJURED in 49% of accidents
8 RIDERS & 21 HORSES WERE KILLED ON THE ROADS LAST YEAR !
DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC! Road Safety Go to www.horseawareness.co.uk
Learners (horse AND car), and even those who think they know it all,
MUST visit this excellent horseawareness website
No of visits since 23rd September 2009