WWYD permit to ride on private estate

[juliecwuk]

Curious to see what type of people you all are! Lol

There's a very large crown estate area literally at the end of the road our yard is on, it allows you to create extra hacking routes all off road and 'safe'. It also allows access to some hacking further afield on the other side of it.

Permit is £168 per year, I had a permit for Xmas but I'm curious to see what other people think, I've been on this yard 6 years and not ridden in there, but got my first hack in there today and it was lovely

Many of the cottages on the estate are now privately owned and the gamekeepers house at the gateway was also sold. The chances of being approached for trespassing is generally slim, many people have been hacking there for years without buying a permit....

 

[squidsin]

That is expensive, but better these estates make some money than they go bust and have to sell off portions of their land to housing developers, thus ruining the riding for everyone. Theft is theft, and people who ride roughshod over private land annoy me.

 

[juliecwuk]

Some pics I took today on my short hack in the corner of the estate.

I too have always considered it way way too expensive, but with our bridleways now becoming so wet and boggy (too boggy for moets leg/tendon recovery), I decided to bite the bullet and get one for this year.

 

[newforest]

I would buy a permit and probably be really open about my views on those that didn't.
That's the type of behaviour that could mean the estate simply doesn't offer horse riders anywhere to go.
If I found I didn't use the area to warrant that expense then I wouldn't get another.

 

[MrA]

Okay so I voted ride and not pay, only because I wanted to be truly honest.

That is what I have done but I didn't know it was a private estate. To be fair it was on my bicycle and the end I entered just said horse riders need a permit and nothing about cyclists. I have never been in it on ale and I've been at the yard 7years, I would be too worried about being fined.

I haven't been in it since on my bike either, as I'm not sure if I am allowed or not!!

 

[Jessey]

If the additional hacking was good, extensive and well maintained I would happily buy a permit to ensure upkeep of the paths, however, if the paths are crappy and there's only a few I would probably not bother getting one and not go there, well okay perhaps the odd sneaky cut though
Our forest used to have permits for riders, it was 40 quid a year but they found it impossible to police so abolished it. I do plan to buy one this year to drive hank, for your 40 quid you get a key to all the gates at the end of each access point which means miles of off road driving for us (ridden horses just cut around the gates through the same gap left for cyclists and walkers hence they couldn't police it, and the forest isn't fenced from the roads, there is just gates at each fire break to stop vehicles from going in there)

 

[newforest]

They could have put stiles up and banned horses though.

 

[Jessey]

Styles wouldn't stop anyone determined as the forest isn't fenced, you just go 10ft either side and go between the trees, it would cost them a fortune in rangers to patrol or fence 58,000 acres and they make a fortune off of tourists at their parking places, cafe's etc so abolishing it was what they went with

 

[Mary Poppins]

Our neighbour to our yard has extensive off road hacking - at least 300 acres. He has given permission for our liveries to pay £50 per year to ride on there. However, it is done as an 'honesty' thing because no actual permits are given out so if the owner were to meet a rider then they could easily lie and say they have paid when they haven't. The result is that over half the liveries ride there without paying and I do worry that permission will be taken away for everyone. It's human nature to try and get something for nothing, but it's really not fair on the people who are honest.

 

[juliecwuk]

interesting to hear peoples opinion!

I have dropped an email to the lady I bought the permit from asking how many active permits there are for 2016 and she said just me and my friend! I have asked how they will check non-permit holders and if I don't see any change I would be very tempted next year to not renew and then just carry on using the estate tbh. Hopefully we will see some checking happening and then we will at least feel good about buying permits and will continue to buy in future years

 

[Jessey]

Do they issue you with a bridle tag? that's how you could tell who had brought and hadn't in the forest when you had to pay.

 

[juliecwuk]

you get a tag for this estate which I have clipped onto the saddle as Moet is very fussy with her head so wouldn't want it on the bridle as its quite big!

I can clearly see people who haven't paid - but there doesn't seem to be staff on the estate actually stopping/asking/enforcing non-permit holders really, so im keen to see if this changes over the next year, if we don't get asked then id be tempted to not renew and just ride in there....we will see

 

[joosie]

If the hacking was really good in there then yes I'd pay. I wouldn't ride there without permission any more than I'd ride across someone's garden. Private means private. They're under no obligation to provide access to anyone, horseriders or otherwise. If they do, their terms should be respected IMO.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

If it was close to get to - ideally not having to put a foot in the trailer I would get a permit to ride there.
I would probably be a bit vocal as well like Newforest on people who rode without the permits because they could
mess it up for others.
It seems a little expensive
but if your in a position to ride it "often" the cost over many rides does diminish greatly.
Some of the parks here like Hopkinton and Borderland charge a $5.00 parking fee
and you can get a yearly pass for $60.00
I have not looked into if that yearly pass is good for all the parks with a parking fee.
I just pay the $5.00 when I go.

Okay so I voted ride and not pay, only because I wanted to be truly honest.

That is what I have done but I didn't know it was a private estate. To be fair it was on my bicycle and the end I entered just said horse riders need a permit and nothing about cyclists. I have never been in it on ale and I've been at the yard 7years, I would be too worried about being fined.

I haven't been in it since on my bike either, as I'm not sure if I am allowed or not!!

I commend your honesty!!!

There is a big field next to me that belongs to the dairy processing plant It used to have heffers in it yeas ago
There are no longer cows in there and the kids broke down the fence and ride atv's and dirt bikes out there
and dug ditches for jumps and kind of made a mess of the place.
I dont go out there to ride because first I don't own it The kids dont have permission either
and one day there is going to be a bad accident out there with those kids.

A couple of years ago I saw smoke in the early am and walked out
and found the smoldering remains of a bonfire and liquor bottles etc
It was during a really dry time and if they had caught that field on fire it could havecarried over to
here or gone to the processing plant
I drove over to the company and someone came over and put out the remains of the fire and said
they cant seem to keep the kids out and added some more no trespassing signs
Its a beautiful field but its not mine!!

I do go over on occasion with a bucket and a pair of sizzors and cut some of the tall grass
for the horses and goats which I did tell the person from the company and he had no problem wiht

I did not ask for permission to ride
I dont want to get caught up in the mist of dirt bikes or the chaos that will insue once someone gets hurt over there
which sadly is a matter of time.

When my trainer started coming for Andi - he thought that would be a good place to work.
until I explained I wont ride there and why - he did understand.

 

[squidsin]

There are a couple of places round here where you need a permit to ride - because the estates need to generate an income in order to keep running - and people don't, and I have a very low opinion of them. Just because I can't stop someone letting their dog sh*t in my front garden, doesn't mean it's OK.

 

[Ruskii]

I have to have a permit to drive in the New Forest - but to ride I don't. I object hugely to this as I pay council tax in the NFDC, pay to keep my horse in the NFDC and no one else on a recreational basis has to buy a permit for a leisure hobby.

I do however pay for it and have the tag on display on my carriage, but I have a key to the gates for this reason as well but many many drivers I know don't have a permit.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I'm just relentlessly honest so I would buy a permit. I'm not sure I'd report others though, which is woosy I know.

Looks like lovely hacking!

 

[volcy]

Our neighbour to our yard has extensive off road hacking - at least 300 acres. He has given permission for our liveries to pay £50 per year to ride on there. However, it is done as an 'honesty' thing because no actual permits are given out so if the owner were to meet a rider then they could easily lie and say they have paid when they haven't. The result is that over half the liveries ride there without paying and I do worry that permission will be taken away for everyone. It's human nature to try and get something for nothing, but it's really not fair on the people who are honest.

For that amount of money if I was the yard owner and neighbour I would probably add it on to the rent and give it to the neighbour or strike a deal with the neighbour and pay him as presumably its a good extra for their yard that they wouldn't want to loose either..

I'm lucky not to have to pay to use the South Downs but certainly would if it was asked for - but I do think its unfair like Ruskii says when riders/drivers have to pay but cyclists walkers etc don't. The path erosion on the south downs way near us is certainly caused by bikes not riders but it would be us paying that maintenance cost?

 

[squidsin]

For that amount of money if I was the yard owner and neighbour I would probably add it on to the rent and give it to the neighbour or strike a deal with the neighbour and pay him as presumably its a good extra for their yard that they wouldn't want to loose either..

I'm lucky not to have to pay to use the South Downs but certainly would if it was asked for - but I do think its unfair like Ruskii says when riders/drivers have to pay but cyclists walkers etc don't. The path erosion on the south downs way near us is certainly caused by bikes not riders but it would be us paying that maintenance cost?

Why don't bikers have to pay? That does seem really unfair. The estate near us, you have to pay the same whether you're walking through, riding through etc. It's geared up for horse riders though as their other main business is a livery yard.

 

[juliecwuk]

Yes it's very close - literally at the top of our lane, u cross straight over the main road and there's the entrance gate. I hack up the lane a lot but go to the public bridleways which are accessed off the main road.

I'm very excited about it, but when I got back from my hack the other day two other riders were heading out on their hack. They came back and were raving about such a good ride over the estate - I asked if they had permits and they said no you don't need them anymore - I was like uh yes you do!!