The BHS Forestry Campaign: Now write to your MP

The BHS Forestry Campaign: Now write to your MP The British Horse Society's recent postcard campaign has made the Forestry Commission (FC) aware of riders' views on forestry access in England. Now the BHS is calling on all equestrians to lobby their MP to support the forestry campaign, and fight for better access for riders and carriage drivers to their forests across England. The Forestry Commission England's public forest estate extends to about 258,000 hectares of land. This could provide miles of safe off-road riding which is badly needed for all sections of the equestrian community. While many forests in England allow equestrians free informal access, an increasing number discriminate against equestrians, requiring them to purchase a permit, whilst walkers and cyclists are allowed free access. Many equestrians cannot afford to pay a permit fee, as 25 percent of horse owners earn less than £10,000 per annum, and so paying for access particularly discriminates against lower socio-economic groups. This discrimination is increasingly pushing riders into riding on the roads, which is inherently less safe, and less enjoyable, than off-road riding.

In England horse riders currently have access to only 22 percent of the public rights of way network, whilst carriage drivers have access to only five percent. The British Horse Society wants to end this discrimination, and wants the Forestry Commission to sit up and listen and to treat equestrians the same as it does walkers and cyclists.

When asked about the Forestry Campaign, BHS Director of Access, Safety and Welfare, Mark Weston, said: "We now need MPs to require the Forestry Commission to end their unfair discrimination against equestrians."

Please add your support to the campaign and send a postcard to your MP. Postcards are available from the BHS Access Department. Alternatively, you can download a letter to print and post to your MP from http://tiny.cc/NoFCpermits

Forests that discriminate against equestrians by requiring permits are:
West Sussex -Tilgate, Gravetye Woods, St Leonards Forest
East Sussex - Sheffield Forest, Beckley and Bixley Woods, Darwell, Battle Great Wood, Abbots Wood, Friston Forest, Barnes Wood, Snape Wood, Burwash Woods
Kent - Clowes Wood, Bedgebury, Hemsted, Kings Wood, The Denge, Lyminge Forest, Covert Woods
Surrey - Abinger, Chiddingfold, East Horsley
Berkshire and Hampshire - Alice Holt, Bramshill (Warren Heath, Heath Warren, Gorrick, Crowthorne,  Bramshill Common), Chawton Park, Forest of Bere (West Walk, Hundred Acres, Creech) , Havant Thicket Isle of Wight - Parkhurst Forest
West Midlands - Wyre Forest, Ludlow Forest, Cannock Chase
Nottinghamshire - Sherwood Forest
Dorset - Ringwood, Wareham, Moors Valley Country Park
Cornwall, Devon, West Somerset - Wootton Courtenay, Goatshurst, Wind Down, St Audries, Birds Hill, Kennisham Hill, Croydon Hill, Culm Davey, Blackdown Hills, Blackborough, Sheldon, Wild Warren, Parehayne, Farway, Monkton Wyld, Hole Common, Morganhayes, Est Hill, Great Plantation, Canonteign, Soussons, Fernworthy, Abbeyford, Berydown, Eggesford, Bithefin, Wadland, Northcombe, Witherdon, Burley Down, Lydford, Denham, Cann Woods, Herods Foot, Burley Down, Bradbridge, Quoditch, Holsworty, Cookbury, Melbury Hill, Hartland Group, Stowe Wood, Swannacott, Wilsey Down, Halvana, Cardinham, Laneskin, Grogley, Bishops - Hustyn, Idless

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