Transcript Historical Minute Book 1977 to 1993 - Ashdown Forest

THE CONSERVATORS THEN CAME OUT OF COMMITTEE
11. There being no further business the meeting closed at 1710 hours.
Chairman
GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE
At a meeting held on 21st September [1977]
1. Mr. L. Hardy was unanimously elected to be Chairman of the Committee.
2. The Committee discussed the following points concerning horse riding on the Forest in 1978.
a. The restriction of riding to the fire rides and other designated and marked tracks.
The Conservators had imposed a winter restriction on riding in 1977 when all horses were banned from the
footpaths. The Clerk reported that the restriction in the early months of the year had been observed by the
majority of the riders, who had also accepted the necessity. There was a minority of riders who objected to
regimentation, and who would probably always do so. From the question of the conservation of the Forest the
Clerk reported that an all the year round restriction was desirable, but he thought that there might be some
dissatisfaction with summer restrictions from those who had ridden the Forest for many years.
The Head Ranger was asked for his views, and he stated that the Rangers would welcome a year round restriction.
He stated that most riders had come to accept that the fire ride complex on the Forest was both extensive and fair,
and that it was a privilege to have the use of Ashdown Forest for recreation. In addition he stated that the rides
were much easier to maintain and restore than damaged foot paths, and that from the point of view of the safety of
pedestrians it was very desirable to keep the horses off the foot paths.
Mr. Jennings, representing the East Grinstead Riding Club, was then invited to address the Committee. Mr.
Jennings informed the Committee that he had lived at Hindleap Farm for some 23 years, had ridden over the
Forest for most of that time, and he and his wife started the East Grinstead Riding Club which had 250 members,
a proportion of whom were Forest riders.
He was of the opinion that a permanent restriction to the rides was both fair and desirable. The network of rides
had increased yearly, and now offered very much better riding than the footpaths did some years ago when they
were all that was available. He thought that the average rider would willingly give up the footpaths if told to do so,
particularly if the riding network was improved, and covered the few areas where gaps existed and where at present
footpaths were the only alternative. He also considered it undesirable to change the regulations on arbitrary dates
each year. Riders would understand the system much better if they had a simple and single set of rules. He
undertook to give the Conservators all the support he could through the East Grinstead Riding Club, should they
decide to bring in a permit restriction.
The Committee discussed the problem at length and unanimously recommended that the Conservators should
restrict all riding to the fire rides and designated and marked rides from 1st January 1978 onwards.
b. The Committee then discussed the capacity of the Forest to take
increased numbers otherwise It was agreed that the numbers of individual ridden horses did not present a problem
at present, and in view of the Conservators' policy of restricting the Riding Establishments to those already using
the Forest, they had no recommendation to make at present.
c. The Committee considered that in, view of the fact that the fees for riding permits were doubled last year, it
would be inappropriate to make general increases.
Present fees are:
(1) Commoners Free
(2) Commoners family £8 for second horse
£4 for subsequent horses