IN response to Mr Rix's letter, the British Horse Society recommendations are that you ride with the traffic where no alternative path is available, although I don't think there is actually any law to this effect.
What Mr Rix has not taken into consideration is that there is now nine times the traffic on the road that there was in 1950 and it travels a great deal faster. We now have to cope with double decker buses with air brakes, and HGVs, as well as cars. I think that, back then, working horses, generally, wore blinkers.
Horses, being a prey animal, try to avoid confrontation and feel more threatened when they can see things coming towards them, so would actually be more on edge travelling into traffic and more likely to turn and flee, causing even more problems. Junctions would also be very difficult to negotiate when going into them the wrong way. I hope this answers his question.
Kellie Morrissy
Secretary
Smithills District Bridleways Association
Chorley Old Road
Bolton
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