A Shared Forest

With the numbers of mountain bikers and horse riders both increasing there is a need for both outdoor users groups to understand how we can best co-habit and be responsible riders in shared spaces. With narrow trails exiting onto shared forest roads and increasing interactions on shared paths and the wider countryside, it was recognised that there was a need to educate, both sets of riders, into how we should behave so we can all enjoy our shared spaces together. The film was commissioned in 2020 by ourselves and the British Horse Society (BHS) following an increase in incidents involving horse riders and mountain bikers.

The video features professional mountain bikers, Reece Wilson and Jessie-May Morgan, and expert horse riders, Persia Bhatia and Lesley Walker, demonstrates how each body of riders should interact with the other responsibly.

Head of DMBinS, Graeme McLean, explains the need for the film - “It has been fantastic to see the growing number of mountain bikers exploring the forests across Scotland but we recognise that there have been incidents where perhaps mountain bikers are unsure how to react to, or safely pass, horses in shared areas. We hope that by showing the perspective from both the mountain biker and the horse rider that we can all learn something and go on enjoying what we love to do – safer and for the benefit of all concerned.”

Helene Mauchlen British Horse Society said - “We were very pleased to be involved with the making of this short educational film and applaud Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland for taking a proactive approach to something that could have become a major issue for our members. We hope that both our members and the mountain bike community are able to share this video and help educate everyone on how we can all responsibly enjoy the outdoors together.”

We were really grateful to Reece and Jessie for giving up their time to make this short film and to Tommy Wilkinson DWAgency for the banter (and the finished article) on an absolutely baltic day at Cademuir Forest., Peebles. We hope you enjoy the film and can share to help riders better appreciate how to act around horses.

For more information on responsible mountain biking see - Do The Ride Thing - DMBinS.com/dotheridething

For more information on responsible horse riding see - British Horse Society - Scotland - bhs.org.uk/bhs-in-your-area/scotland

For more information on Scottish Outdoor Access Code visit - outdooraccess-scotland.scot/