There are several really important issues that currently affect currently riders and horse owners.

Access to the Coast

The Coast and Marine Bill after much lobbying is now moving to the implementation stage. The final consultation period.of which ended in February. Despite all our lobbying the Act failed to provided any statutory provision for equestrians but relied on voluntary provision from landowners.

It is therefore essential that we are in a position to lobby landowners for such provision, where appropriate, either by dedicating higher rights on public rights of way or by using S.16 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, or providing at least permissive access.

To this end the BHS is undertaking a full survey of current and potential future access along all of our coastline, and is looking for members who live or ride near the coast to help us.

This access survey will also importantly include access to beaches - we do not want to lose any current "de facto access" that exists..

If you are able to help please email your contact details to coastalaccess@bhsaccesssouthwest.org.uk

Access to Forestry Commission Woods

The BHS and riders have made significnt representations to the Forestry Comission via its recent consultation process over the unfairness of the Commission's provisions for equine access which often involves permits, where cyclists and walkers go free. Direct meetings with the Forestry Commission have to date failed to get any clarification of their policy (current or future) on this issue.

The BHS is continuing its campaign and we do need your continued help. We are asking all equestrians to lobby their MP. to help. Click Here to download and print a letter to sign and send to you MP. - PLEASE DO HELP WITH THIS CAMPAIGN

The Proposed Horse Tax

Under the proposals every animal owner including horse owners will have to pay a levy for each animal. This levy in theory would go to towards the management of any future disease outbreak. The administrative burden of collecting this tax on individual horses would no doubt cost as much as any money recouped.

Ministers are now under pressure to reconsider these controversial plans to introduce this new tax on horse owners after over 10,000 people signed a petition opposing the move. If you have not already signed the petition please consider doing so.

The petition is still running so please sign if you have not already done so, and urge everyone to sign, the sooner the better.

The petition is currently the 15th most popular on the 10 Downing Street website, out of a total of 4,766.

Please help us by making sure that you give the campaign as much publicity as you can via any email or mailings to your contacts - encouraging people to sign the petition . More information can be found at www.rethinkthehorsetax.org.uk

Horse riders across the UK are joining together to urge the Government to think again about imposing an unfair “tax in all but name” on every horse owner in the UK.

Click on this link to sign the petition http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Horse-Rethink/

Cyclists Only

Throughout the country there are many trails and cycleways provided for cyclists on which horse riding is barred, or is only available by permit.

Once again equines are suffring unnecessaery discrimination. There is currently an online a petition instigated by the Trails Trust to ask for an end to this discrimination. Click on this link to sign the petition http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Access4All/

It is MOST IMPORTANT that these petitions attract a good a response from riders otherwise the ministers can use them to demonstrate that there is in fact no suport for them from horseriders.