BHS Latest news and information
Up-to date news from The British Horse Society Scotland and from their Bulletin...
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Dear All
I'm am pleased to announce that the BHS Scotland online survey has now
launched. The survey, titled "Equestrian Access to the Outdoors in
Scotland" aims to find out about your experiences of riding and driving in
the countryside to help us understand where access is working well, and
where there might be issues we need to address.
The survey closes on 11 December, so why not take a couple of minutes just
now to complete the survey?
Take me to the survey
<http://www.surveygalaxy.com/surPublishes.asp?k=2A4FS4MNBGFR&pubLogAction=getTokenId&pubUserSelection=anon&c=1&ref=&l=>
If you're having difficulty accessing the survey, you can use the link from
the BHS Scotland home page: www.bhsscotland.org.uk.
Please also circulate the survey link to your contacts.
Kind regards
Helen
Helen Bowman
BHS Scotland
Woodburn Farm
Crieff PH7 3RG
Tel: 01764 656 334
Registered as a charity no 210504 (England) SC038516 (Scotland)
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The Long-term Role of the Forestry Commission Public Forest Estate in England: Consultation
The Forestry Commission has issued a public consultation on the Public Forest Estate in England . The Consultation was launched on Monday 6 July 2009 and will finish on 28 September 2009.
The consultation document can be accessed via the following link http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-7rufme#meetings
The consultation will be supported by a series of regional meetings.
The consultation asks for your opinions on the long-term role of the Forestry Commission Public Forest Estate in England .
The Public Forest Estate is publicly-owned and managed by the Forestry Commission. It extends to about 258,000ha and is made up of over 1,500 different woods and forests across England, that is 2% of the land in England and 18% of the woods and forests, and could provide more safe off road riding which is badly needed for all sections of the equestrian community. More than half the population live within 10km of the Public Forest Estate.
The Forestry Commission asks for your opinions on the issues that they need to resolve when making balanced decisions. The input from this consultation will form an important part of the evidence that they will take into account when developing recommendations later in autumn 2009.
The Society has issued a briefing note and a downloadable postcard, which is available from the campaign pages of the BHS website. (click here)
The Society is urging all equestrians to respond to this consultation stating that equestrians should not have to pay for informal access to the forests. Cyclists and walkers have free access and equestrians should be treated no differently.
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Ragwort
Ragwort poisoning creates untold suffering for hundreds of horses throughout Scotland each year. Recent research suggests that each year it causes around 50 equine deaths. Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea) contains alkaloids that are toxic to horses, cattle, deer, sheep, pigs, goats, dogs and humans.
Ragwort is classified as an injurious weed under the Weeds Act 1959. This means it is an offence to allow ragwort to spread on any land. The Scottish Executive has powers to service notice where ragwort is allowed to spread. Unfortunately ragwort is still all too common in Scotland.
BHS Scotland is delighted to announce the launch of a new guidance leaflet: Ragwort: Friend or Foe? Click here to download the leaflet.
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Control Ragwort Now: May and June are effective months to take action. For spraying advice ring either CSC Amenity on 01738 646713 or Growing Concern Scotland on 01764 684900. You could also dig it out making sure the entire plant, including the roots, is removed. Ragforks are superb for this. Remember to wear gloves, and don't leave cut ragwort or flowers lying around.
How to report your concerns: SEERAD takes ragwort complaints by e-mail and will remind the land owner to control ragwort. Please include as much information as possible, eg address, postcode and if possible ordnance survey co-ordinates.
For more information on how to report ragwort please click here.
Please click here for your local SEERAD office contact details. Please copy your e-mail to Helene Mauchlen so we can monitor how many complaints SEERAD receives.
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Mapping Britain on Horseback - The BHS needs you!
The British Horse Society (BHS) has invited equestrians throughout the UK to help them take their mapping strategy to the next level. The aim is to record every equestrian route in the UK on the Society’s EMAGIN system.
EMAGIN® (Equine Mapping and Geographical Information Network) is a GIS-based tool for collecting equestrian data, such as where to ride or carriage drive, or where to find approved BHS riding centres. The British Horse Society hopes to collate enough information to map every equestrian route in the UK, including routes that may have unrecorded or under-recorded rights.
The BHS’s Access Department is asking members of the public to sign up as Mapping Volunteers and provide information on the routes they use.When signing up as a Mapping Volunteer, the BHS can provide printout maps of an area for the volunteer to mark up and return. Options are available for those who have their own mapping software, though this is not essential to participating in the project. The project aims to recruit at least 500 mapping volunteers spread throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The BHS is working with sponsors to provide GPS equipment and training for those who wish to become involved at a more serious level.
If you are interested in becoming a mapping volunteer, contact Sarah Shackleton by email on emagin@bhs.org.uk, stating which part of the UK you are interested in mapping.
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Calling all riders and drivers!
Across Scotland every local council access department, as well as the national parks are planning core paths for all non-motorised users including horse riders and carriage drivers.
They are at an advanced stage in these plans, and have been holding consultations over the last two years on the proposals, but there is still plenty of time to get involved and lobby the council for the routes that you want to ride on a regular basis.
Everyone is involved, all recreational users and most importantly the land managers, both private and public throughout Scotland. But be aware, if riders do not ask for routes, they will, in many places not get access. There are many land managers who as we all know are perhaps not anti-horse but are definitely not pro-horse, and if a core path goes through their land, it may be with kissing gates or cattle grids, fine for walkers and cyclists but precludes riders, especially if there is seen to be an “acceptable alternative”. The British Horse Society Scotland will do all it can to help you make sure that routes are available, but with over 100,000 horses in Scotland, many in their own little pockets and areas, its is difficult to cover all the eventualities. This is the perfect opportunity for us all to get out there and help create riding routes for the future.
Don’t delay, as every council (or access authority) in the country expects to start their formal consultation this year, some have already started and one or two have already finished, but most are soon to proceed. Check your council website below, or call your local BHS access representative, or me on 01294 270891 P.Somerville@bhs.org.uk and I can point in you in the right direction. |
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