| The NFEA was formed in 1993 in order to refute allegations
made in a Forestry Commission Report that horse riders were
the prime cause of erosion and damage in the New Forest. Although the
numbers of horses and riding schools had decreased dramatically
over the preceding 20 years, the huge impact of increased
numbers of visitors including cyclists over the same period
was ignored, and the Forestry Commission proposed several
punitive measures aimed solely at horse riders and riding
schools.
These included charging for
a licence or permit for the traditional freedom to ride
on the New Forest, restriction of access, and various other
controls.
As a result of the NFEA’s
research and negotiations, backed by legal expertise from
within its membership of over 1,200, the proposals were
subsequently withdrawn. |
