Forest of Dean Horse Riders and Carriage Drivers Association

has been established to improve facilities and access for equestrian activities in the Forest of Dean and district.

We intend providing a voice for equestrianism in the area, promoting access to the forest, bridleways and other riding and driving opportunities.

Horse riding and carriage driving are traditional features of forest and country life, but their needs, such as suitable tracks, road crossings etc., have been poorly understood and badly catered for. This is because there has never been a body able to put forward the views and needs of the local equestrian community.

The Association will only get the attention of the Forestry Commision, Local Councils and funding bodies, if it is seen to be representative of people involved in equestrian activity in the area.

The Association plans to survey issues concerning the community, hold annual meetings and send out newsletters

Working with Forest of Dean Riding Club we are helping them on a range of issues including access to May Hill in the North of the District, discussions with the Forestry Commission on a closed stone track that riders had used in the past, and the possibility of opening up a new right of way across farmland with the farmer's support. More on this as the discussions proceed

The funding is for £11,000 to cover the costs of employing someone to carry out a feasibility study and route investigation to fill in the gaps in the current network of bridleways and similar status routes across the District.

The aims are to develop at least a N-S route with circuits off if time and money allow. We will be providing the management time which forms the other £2,400 of the total bid. We will be working with other partner organisations such as GCC Public Rights of Way, the Forestry Commission, The Trails Trust and Natural England to deliver the project.

The first phase is to map what is possible and cost the implementation and the second phase will be puttting the route on to the ground - we will have to bid for more monies for this second phase.

This is the outcome of almost 3 years of work to develop a more cohesive network of bridleways

The roads at Oldcroft have been re-surfaced after many years of neglect and, although this is a vast improvement, it meant that the road surface was extremely slippery for the horse riders and carriage drivers. After contacting Gloucestershire Highways the following email was received:

'Thank you for your e-mail concerning the difficulties that horses are having with the new surfacing on the roads in Oldcroft. I appreciate the concerns that you have raised, and can confirm that we have arranged for some stone grit to be spread over the carriageway surface to help to alleviate the problem.

If the surfacing continues to be a concern, then please do not hesitate to contact me.'

Regards
Brian Watkins
Stakeholder Manager (West)
Highways and Customer Services
Email: forest@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Tel: 08000 514514
Gloucestershire Highways
Vallet Wood
Cannop
Gloucestershire
Gl16 7EH

Our application for funding for developing a bridleway network has met with some positive response from the decision makers. However, we have had to do some more work on it to reasure them that the finished cost will not be prohibitive and that we can manage the project. The decision makers will be meeting at the end of June so hopefully, we will have a final decision then

Our bid for funding to carry out a detailed survey of existing "bridleways" and to work with landowners in joining up the fragmented network across the whole of the FOD District is going forward at the end of April for formal appraisal. The process has involved the writing of 2 lengthy proposals - one of which was 15 pages long! So you can appreciate the effort that has gone into this on behalf of all equestrians, and, of course, our network will also benefit cyclists and walkers as well. We have been delighted in the large number of cyclists and walkers who have supported our project ideas

Thank you to everyone who sent back their completed Register of Support form and we have now delivered the 15 page document saying why we need a cohesive bridleway network together with lots of other supporting evidence. It will take about 2 months for a decision to be made so keep your fingers crossed!

Your local bridleways group, The Forest of Dean Riders and Carriage Drivers Association, have been working very hard behind the scenes bidding for funding to create a network of long-distance and local, circular routes across the Forest of Dean District.

The great news is that our application has cleared the first hurdle and we now need to add some more details to our final bid. We need to show just how many people would appreciate a “joined-up” network of bridleways. As riders and carriage drivers there are obvious benefits to us in creating new paths, and especially linking some of the areas that are currently inaccessible due to busy road crossings or lack of connecting bridleways.

By incorporating options for long-distance rides from Dymock in the north to Tiddenham in the south, there will be business opportunities for pubs and B&Bs en route to enjoy the custom of both local riders and tourists. On top of this the value of equestrianism to the local economy is worth £millions ! That’s farriers, tack shops, livery yards, feed and bedding suppliers, instructors, vets etc…. Everyone’s a winner!

So please show your support for a new bridleway network, and ask every one of those people who will also benefit, by filling in this form (click here) and returning as soon as possible by email. And if you can copy this to friends and service providers as well, that would be great!

We have been successful in the first formal stage of obtaining funding for developing a bridleway network throughout the Forest of Dean District. This doesn't mean that we have the funding in place just that our project can be supported by the Local Action Group at the FODDC. We now have to go through the longer process of making a full application.

We really need your support to say how an improved network would benefit you or your business. So please write to our Secretary and let us know.

Paula Burrows, the new marketing manager for the FODDC, has requested a meeting with Jenny Carling to discuss the tourism implications of the possible development of a linked network of bridleways. Paula and Jenny plan to meet on Friday 16 October to talk about this project proposal

Have you met the boar when out riding? Just to let you know that the University of Worcester are running a boar survey for the Forest of Dean –

Jenny Carling is working with the FODDC to use some of the European funding they have been given for community projects in the district. The goal of the bridleways association is to provide a series of linked circular rides/carriage drives throughout the area and free to users. The project, if funded, will take about 4-5 years to put in place and will enable riders to go from Dymock in the north of the district to Tidenham in the south using a mixture of quiet lanes, forestry commission tracks, public bridleways (including new ones to be created) and unused railway tracks.

While equestrians have free access to many forests in England, there are a growing number where you are required to buy a permit to ride or carriage drive in them. As an Association we have always argued that all users should be treated on an equal footing and where informal access is provided free for walkers and cyclists it should also be provided free for equestrians.

Responses to the FC consultation document on “The long-term role of the public forest estate in England” should be made by the 28 September 2009 to Dominic Driver, Senior Projects Officer, Policy and Programmes Group, Forestry Commission, 620 Bristol Park, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1EJ. It would be very beneficial if all members would take a few minutes to write with their comments and we would suggest the following points to include in your letter:

Do not sit back and think that “I don’t have to pay now so it doesn’t affect me” – the situation could change very quickly and not in equestrians’ favour. In all our discussions with the FC the issue of maintenance always arises, and, in the case of Dymock Forest locally, was directly linked to charging for use of the tracks. The fact that the money was almost impossible to collect and did not raise sufficient funds to repair tracks did not stop its imposition until recently following strong arguments from this Association on equality for all forest users.

If you’re not a “writer” then you could download a postcard from the BHS website to send to the Forestry Commission showing your support for equestrian access. Given the large area of land owned or managed by the FC in our area then it should be most important for us all to show that we value and want to maintain our free access to the forests.

There is a new resident in the Forest who is looking for a horse to ride. She has 25 years of experience and is capable of riding any type of horse. She is based in Mitcheldean and looks forward to any contact. email staceyzimmermann@yahoo.co.uk

Our dear government wish to tax us for owning horses and it will cost at least £10 per horse, so there has been a petition set up and it would be good if we could all sign it. Please pass it on to other people you know and get them to sign too.

The Railway Path

What is being proposed?

An exciting proposal for a traffic-free path for walkers, cyclists, people with disabilities and horse riders will be re-submitted, by Sustrans, for planning approval late 2009.

The path will follow the disused 19th Century Wye Valley Railway line between Chepstow, Brockweir and Tintern.

For up to date information on the planning application by Sustrans to develop the disused railway line running south from Brockweir visit www.wyevalleycycling.org.uk

Two members of our committee attended a seminar organised by The Trails Trust - a charity whose sole aim is to create a network of bridleways - at which we learnt about the weighty subject of "Express Dedication at Common Law"!

The good news is that this approach is less confrontational than seeking changes to the Definitive Map and best of all can take just a matter of months rather than years! Also the approach has the support of Defra and is not dependent on local authorities where most of the bottlenecks happen at the moment.

A foster mare is urgently required for a dales foal rejected by its mum who is only two weeks old. We need a mum who has just lost her own foal. Any news of one ? native breed preferred !

Horse riders and the Forestry Commission….working together

With the agreement of the Forestry Commission, a few members of the FOD Horse Riders & Carriage Drivers Association, started by hand to clear the track known locally in the Yorkley area, as the Pylons Track. This long track was almost lost due to the overgrowth of brambles, bracken and overhanging branches. The members did what they could in several sessions, but it was clear that a machine was needed to tackle the bulk of the work. The FC gave permission for one of their contractors, John Reed of Blakeney, to do the work. Enough money was raised last year by the association, at a tabletop sale and raffle held at The Speech House Pavilion, to pay for two day’s work. This work was carried out recently.

The Pylons track is now wide and clear and can be enjoyed by both walkers and horse riders. It is hoped to be able to maintain this track yearly, but more funds will have to be raised to do this. If you ride a horse in this area, or are interested in maintaining our beautiful countryside, please support the Association by joining.

Our aim is to gain better access for equestrians throughout the Forest of Dean district by opening up old routes and linking present ones to provide safe off-road riding and carriage driving opportunities.

A pack of information has been produced by the FOD District Council with help from the Forestry Commission and ourselves on horse riding and carriage driving circuits throughout the district. All of the 6 laminated route maps are presented in a pocket-sized folder and designed to hang on a personal neck ribbon for easy access. On one side of the map is a drawing of the route (which can be checked against the OS map) and on the other text details to help you find your way around. Copies of the pack can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre in Coleford, Tel: 01594 812388. Cost will be about £4.00 per pack.

The association has also been working closely with recreational groups such as walkers and cyclists to develop accessibility for all users.

More information about the FOD Horse Riders and Carriage Drivers Association can be obtained by visiting www.deanforestriders.co.uk, telephone 01594 510435 or email fodrd@talktalk.net

The British Horse Society & SEIB Breeding Education Day
Saturday 2 May 2009 at Hartpury College, Gloucester

Are you considering breeding a foal? This unique event is aimed at all with an interest in breeding, and will provide essential information on every aspect from selection of the mare and stallion to handling and training the foal The event features a day of talks and practical demonstrations from the UK’s leading experts, including:

Richard Maxwell – one of the UK’s leading horse behaviourists & trainers
Tim Galer BVet Med Cert ESM MRCVS – Equine Stud Medicine specialist
Nic de Brauwere BVSc MRCVS – SeniorWelfare Veterinary Surgeon, Redwings Horse Sanctuary World HorseWelfare

Members and friends present at the AGM commented favourable on the pack of information that has been produced by the Forest of Dean District Council with help from the Forestry Commission and ourselves on horse riding and carriage driving circuits throughout the district. All of the 6 laminated maps are presented in a pocket sized folder and are designed to be hung on a personal neck ribbon for easy access. On one side of the map is a drawing of the route (which can be checked against the OS map) and on the other text details to help you find your way around. Copies of the pack can be obtained from the Visitor Information Centre tel 01594 812388. Cost will be about £4.00 per pack

Come and join us for an evening of bacon butties and hotdogs and a chat with other like minded people. Use the time to network with other riders/carriage drivers and committee members and explore the digital mapping software we are using.

Meet Molly.She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when
Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before
finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were
stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost
died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU
for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You
know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind.He saw how the
pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get
sores, and how she allowed people to handle her.She protected her injured
leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She
was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial
limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins
there.

This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The photo shows the ground
surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever
Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly
happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet,
and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood
that she was in trouble.The other important factor, according to Moore , is
having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing
the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana .The
little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human
prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's
regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and
let you know that she wants you to put it on.. Sometimes she wants you to
take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad
when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner,
started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and
rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went,
she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time
doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life, Moore
said. She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now
she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better.To
me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

The demise of the Discovering Lost Ways Project (which didn’t add any further equestrian rights of way to the Definitive Map) was a blow for all equestrians; it would have meant the recording of many historic routes that somehow have been “lost” when the Definitive Map was created. So it is now down to all of us to ensure that all those rides and carriage drives that we enjoy are recorded for future permanent use. If you use a route that does not appear on the current map, and you do not have the express permission of the landowner to use it, then members of the committee can advise you on the action you need to take.

Please do not be one of those people who think “Someone else will do it” ……..

Can you help? It is recognised that current strategies to control intestinal parasites in horses is not sustainable. This is because of the increasing resistance to pharmaceutical wormers. A key issue is that little is known about how we worm our horses. So an online survey is being carried out by the University of Reading. You can take part by logging on to www.veeru.reading.ac.uk and completing the short and anonymous questionnaire.

Habitat/nature conservation: Are there any locations in your area where existing access to horse riders or carriage drivers has been denied or made more difficult for habitat/conservation reasons? If so, you can email information to access@bhs.org.uk or write to us and we will pass on to the BHS. The BHS will then be able to build up a picture regarding the extent of exclusions to present to Natural England in their argument for better horse riding and driving opportunities.

Hi-Viz clothing: Do you wear such clothing when out riding – especially when out riding alone? Last summer a helicopter pilot was tasked with searching for a missing horse rider. Soon after 10.40 the horse was located and ground police officers were talked to the location. The rider was said to be wearing a white top and her usual riding route was found out from the farm where she kept her horse. By now it was 14.15 but the rider had not been found by police searching the ground.

After a further 30 minutes of finding swans, carrier bags and fertiliser sacks in the hedgerows the helicopter crew spotted what was thought to be a cattle trough in the middle of a field. Closer inspection revealed that it was the missing rider who had been lying injured on the ground for almost four and a half hours. Her clothing was brown and with black boots she had been well hidden in the long grass.

It transpired that one of the officers searching for her on the ground had been into the field but had not seen her due to the lie of the land. Had she been wearing high-viz clothing there is no doubt that she would have been spotted much earlier.

In a different incident another helicopter crew were on their way to a road traffic accident and ahead of the police car. Because they could see horse riders wearing hi-viz gear a couple of miles ahead on the same twisting road as the car, they were able to contact the driver and advise him to switch off his sirens and lights and slow down.

So the message to all of us, wherever we ride or carriage drive, is “BE SEEN”.

Back in October of last year your committee decided to delay the annual meeting to the Spring of this year. We are planning for an earlier start to the evening at Speech House Hotel on Thursday 19th March at 6.30pm with refreshments and with more opportunity for you all to chat to us and each other. Do put this date in your diary as we hope to have some exciting news for you all on developing the bridleway network.

A recently formed bridleway group in the Stroud area has asked us if anyone in the Forest of Dean would be willing to show a small group of riders (possibly carriage drivers) around their favourite local ride/drive. If you would be willing to lead group of say 3 or 4 then please contact Mrs Pat Harris 01453 823841 to discuss ideas.

This could be a great opportunity to promote what we are doing and get some press coverage. Also, a good way to raise funds for our Association. If you decide to raise funds then let Erica Rye know so that she can tell the BHS who provide our insurance cover for such events.

If a ride/drive could be organised for BHS Access week (15 – 25 May 2009) then we could support the BHS Access fighting fund as well – the BHS suggest a donation of £10 per rider and will provide the organiser with support (contact Hannah Brown on 01926 707813 or email h.brown@bhs.org.)

If you decide to go ahead and organise a ride or drive then let us know and we can publicise it on our website.

We have provided with various members’ help a series of leaflets covering rides and carriage drives around the district. These will be available from Tourism at Forest of Dean Council offices.

Proposed changes to the Definitive Map in Kilcot are likely to have to go to the Inspector for a final decision to be made. This exercise started in 2003 so you can see that one has to be committed and patient! A local farmer has been approached about providing access across his land and that of a neighbour, which would provide a link to Haywood in Gorsley. Our proposed project bid for EU monies would include this subject to the landowners’ agreement.

There is no further news on changes to the map around May Hill, but the group working in this locality are meeting with a local landowner to access woodland. We hope to support the landowner via the European monies that will be managed by the Forest of Dean District Council.

Queens Wood / Dymock Wood / Haywood – the Forestry Commission have agreed a three phase approach to improving the going for horse riders in this area subject to the Association being able to access funding for materials. The FC will provide manpower and machinery.

Members in the Tidenham area are working with their parish council and the Forestry Commission to reinstate “lost” routes to be used by walkers and cyclists as well as equestrians. Again, this Association hopes to support them with EU funding.

A local farmer in the Longhope area has indicated a willingness to consider dedicating a circular ride over his land which would link to an existing bridleway and provide much needed off-road riding. This may form part of our bid for EU funding.

As you may have read elsewhere, Sustrans is making positive noises about opening up their plans for the disused railway line in the Brockweir area to include equestrian usage. They are a powerful lobbying organisation who we believe will help us in our negotiations with local authorities to develop a more cohesive network.

If there is something happening in your area that we haven’t included then please email us with details ……. Or if you need help/advice on a local issue then please email Erica Rye our Secretary and we will do our best to support you.

Where has the time gone since we sent out the Spring/Summer newsletter? Yes, you are correct in thinking that you didn’t get the usual Autumn/Winter edition! It wasn’t that we were being lazy, just rather tied up in organising our first table top sale amongst a lot of meetings/contacts with other organisations in furtherance of our aims to improve riding and carriage driving provision throughout the district.

The table top sale and raffle was a great success raising enough money to pay for a contractor to work on clearing the ride and carriage drive in the Yorkley area known locally as the Pylons Ride. The track is on Forestry Commission land and it is good to have their support. This work will be carried out when the ground is dryer (hopefully), in the Spring.

We have developed very good relations with Forestry Commission personnel, not least in the woodland to the north of the district covering Dymock and Queens Wood. We are working together to try and raise funds to improve a poorly drained area of a circular ride in Queenswood and to improve access into Haywood. A member living in Kempley with contacts into her local parish council is actively supporting us by suggesting that the parish council could contribute monies….. so go and have a chat to your local councillor to see how your parish council could help. Taking a quote from the Chairman of the BHS; “Are you one of those who, when encountering a blocked bridleway, mutters “This is terrible! They ought to do something about it!” Or is your immediate thought: “This is terrible! I ought to do something about it!”? We have a group of dedicated equestrians who largely fall into the second category but we could be more effective if everyone was in the latter band.

As we go to press on this newsletter we are starting to pull together outline bids for accessing European funding via the Forest of Dean District Council and will be meeting with regional personnel of Sustrans to see how we can work together – there is definitely a change of attitude with positive comments being made about equestrian access to the proposed cycleway development of the defunct railway line in the south of the district.

By the time of our AGM / Open meeting on the 19th March at Speech House Hotel we should have a lot more information to share with you. We are planning a more social event for the evening but more details will be sent to you later….. don’t forget to put the date in your diary now!

As ever, if you have a couple of hours free every other month we would welcome you on to the committee. Or if you have a particular skill to offer but can’t manage a regular meeting commitment, then do contact one of the committee to offer your help. Currently our website wouldn’t run without this kind of support and another member is hugely helpful with digital mapping exercises. At the moment we really need someone to take minutes of our meetings … the help could just simply be that, with no pressure to get involved in other “work”.