Bridleways - not your business?

Fact: Data collected by the British Horse Society indicates that there are the equivalent of eight road accidents a day involving horses. There are over three million horse riders in the UK and a large proportion regularly ride on the road.

Fact: Most riders would rather not be on the road because they are aware of the danger. But there aren't enough bridleways and opportunities for countryside access. Those bridleways that do exist are fragmented and often cannot be reached or followed without using public roads.

Fact: Horses can easily be unsettled, especially by inconsiderate drivers and other road users. A horse will remember a bad experience on the road and be fearful in situations he feels to be similar, even if a driver sees no danger. Horses may spook at litter or gusts of wind that a driver may not even notice. Most incidents arise from a lack of understanding, so educating motorists and horse riders is important.

Fact: The law in Scotland now permits access. It does not make it feasible. In many areas there are physical barriers of terrain or vegetation. In others equestrian access, though legal, is denied by "kissing gates" or other obstructions. In some cases landowners are hostile to horse access, and whilst sometimes this results from prejudice it cannot be denied that a few horse riders have in the past let us all down by exercising access rights irresponsibly.

What is needed is an organised effort to open up the countryside to responsible access and at the same time to educate everyone involved about what responsible access means.

What is Falkirk Area Riders Access Group?

Falkirk Area Riders Access Group (FARAG) is a voluntary organisation of people interested in horse riding and driving in the area around Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland. It was founded in 2000 with the aim of marking the millennium with a determined effort to improve horse access to off road areas . FARAG has no paid staff and depends entirely upon its members' contributions of time and money for the continuation of its work.

The objective of Falkirk Area Riders Access Group is both safety and improved quality of life for horse riders and carriage drivers. FARAG seeks co-operation with all land owners, walkers, cyclists and others who love the countryside. FARAG aims to ensure that access is always responsible, bringing pleasure to everyone and annoyance to no-one. We all value this beautiful part of the world, and responsible access is the way to bring the whole community together in enjoying its beauty.

Example of what we do

The Maddiston Link Path to the Blackbraes path turned a boggy and useless track into a very high standard of off-road riding.

Maddiston link before
Maddiston link after
before
after

These before and after pictures show what can be done. Our thanks go to Scottish Natural Heritage, Falkirk Environment Trust and Falkirk Council for funding this.

Access to funding

As a formally constituted interest group, Falkirk Area Riders Access Group (FARAG) is involved in various consultations with public authorities and grant giving bodies. We liaise closely with Falkirk Council over the formulation of their path network plans.

Voluntary associations such as Falkirk Area Riders Access Group are entitled to apply for grants for access improvement that are not available to Falkirk Council. However our influence depends upon our membership. We need maximum support to be effective. If you are a local rider or carriage driver we really need your support. In principle we cover the whole of the Falkirk Council area. Inevitably however our work concentrates on those areas where members come forward with ideas. There are many square miles of countryside in Falkirk District and we cannot know what riders need everywhere unless riders tell us!

Join FARAG today!

An individual annual membership of Falkirk Area Riders Access Group is just £5. Collective membership is also available through livery yards or riding schools that are themselves members.