YOUR LETTERS
HAVE YOUR SAY ON RURAL ISSUES
Have your say on countryside matters, from shooting and surfing to HS2 and horse riding on roads.
NEW ROUTE FOR HS2
Ministers can be very stubborn and short-sighted. They are unable or unwilling to link the concept of HS2 (the planned High Speed 2 train link) with the need for a new international airport.
HS2 should run due north from London to South Yorkshire.
This route would have much less impact on current towns and countryside than the proposed route through the built-up Midlands. The new runway should be built on the site of the current Robin Hood Airport on the outskirts of Doncaster.
This airport was established on a very long ex-RAF airfield, easily adapted for large new jets. Branches from the HS2 could be constructed from South Yorkshire to Hull, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester/Liverpool, Birmingham, and other major Midlands cities. David Burdett, Hampshire
SILENCING THE SHOOTERS
Now we are in the season of game shooting I ask whether it is possible if some sort of silencer could be fitted to guns? My dog loves his walks but if he hears just one
gunshot he starts trembling and wants to get home as quickly as possible. I meet other dog walkers and they say the same thing. I have nothing against game shooting and we all want to enjoy the countryside. Is anyone else concerned about this? Bridget Watts, Elsenham, Essex
ORGANIC BETTER?
A recent study by Newcastle University found that organically grown crops of fruit, vegetables and cereals contained higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of cadmium and pesticide residues. This means that organically grown food is healthier to eat than nonorganic counterparts.
I am surprised Countryfile has not mentioned the findings, as it reports to the public on matters that affect farmers, growers and suppliers at the heart of the food supply chain. Surely members of the Countryfile audience deserve to be told? Then they can make an informed decision. Allan Ramsay, Radcliffe, Manchester
JOINED UP THINKING
I was so pleased to see your piece
(Countryfile, 27 November) about horse and rider road safety, as a rider myself who does about 2000km annually on road.
I was surprised there was no mention of the lack of joined-up public bridlepaths available to horse riders, meaning on-road riding is generally essential to reach accessible paths. Nor of how fly tipping and illegal path blocking further compound the problem.
Also, the lady’s recommendation not to ride two abreast does not align with Highway Code guidance, which certainly says this is permissible, especially with young or inexperienced horses.
I do believe the ‘perception’ problem (horse riders being slow/ inattentive/not enabling traffic by giving direction or thanks, versus drivers not appreciating that they can’t always be seen/heard/given due care and attention because horses are sentient beings) would merit a more in-depth and fair analysis. There are things to be learned from on all sides but the suggestion of a ban was particularly unhelpful. Henrietta Campbell, via email
RULES OF THE ROAD
Having been a horse rider myself from the 1950s, and now retired, I find that, in a lot of cases, riders ride double, having a leisurely conversation, hand on the back of horse with only one hand in the rein, which was taboo in my day, even though there was less traffic on the roads.
Horses have a place on the road providing their owners obey certain criteria: 1. Do not ride double-breasted. 2. When approaching blind corners, cross to the other side of the road. 3. Wear high-viz clothing. 4. Ensure your horse is used to cars, tractors and plastic bags floating around the verges. If your horse is scared on the road, don’t take it on the road until you have subjected it to all the noises you can, both on its own and with you holding the rein. Enjoy your riding and keep
safe. Jean Bird, via email
HUMANS FIRST
Horses on the road are a danger to human road users and should be banned. Their riders do not pay road tax and they cause accidents, as the programme showed. Animals should be kept in fields or zoos. This discussion was a disgrace and way below the usual enjoyment levels. Humans first please. B Chapman, via email