A bridleway is a public right of way ...so you are allowed to walk your dog along it but they must be under close control or on a lead
I wonder what close control means with a busy working cocker? She is in and out of the undergrowth at the sides of the path, but never more than 20 yards away. She will come when she is called.
The problem is that this woman rides a huge horse and canters along the path at breakneck speed. Last time I shouted a warning that there was a spaniel nearby, so that she was aware and her horse didn't get spooked if Fern sprung out onto the path, and she cantered past without even an acknowledgement, let alone slowing down
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She pulled up today, a few yards before me and Fern was on lead within seconds of me seeing her. She then asked me why I was walking my dog on a bridlepath, I said 'Errr -why shouldn't I?' She replied that as horses are not allowed on footpaths so I should not be walking my dog on a bridlepath. All I could say in reply was 'I never knew that'. I was actually quite lost for words as it had never occured to me before that it might be illegal. She then said that she has to stop her horse and that isn't good for the horse
. She then turned round in the middle of the path and rode off back the way she came calling over her shoulder ' well you learn something new every day'
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The path is quite narrow and twists and turns so you don't always have a clear view of what or who is ahead. this is taken on a fairly straight bit in early May. As you can imagine the new growth had narrowed it considerably now.
What worries me is if this woman meets my neighbour who is disabled from a stroke and not that steady on his feet walking his border collie, a cyclist or another rider doing the same coming from the opposite direction? None of the other riders I have met are so stupid as to canter down a narrow path like this