Horse riders are warning other equestrians about the newly ‘dressed’ road surfaces in the north of the island.
Riders are warning that the Lhen Road and Ballamona Road from Sandygate to the Cronk are now “awful” and fear that their horses hooves will be “shredded after a short distance”.
Many of these riders rely on hacking on the roads to keep their horses fit and well, and are now left with few alternatives.
Concerns
One equestrian told Manx.News: “We have a green lane that runs parallel to the road of the brushwood that we cannot use because it’s never been maintained.
“If the green lane was accessible the many horse owners in the areas would actually be able to ride off road for a considerable distance.”
Another rider contacted Department of Infrastructure voicing their concerns, but they have had no correspondence from the department.
The road surface was sprayed with the ‘lock’ treatment, and the rider request confirmation as to whether this marked the completion of the road treatment works.
Unsafe
The rider voiced their concern to the DoI regarding the rough finish of the surface.
Adding: “Unfortunately, the sharp chippings now make it unsafe for horses to walk on, and this will prevent us from using the road for hacking in the future.
“Although this may seem like a minor issue to some, it will have a significant impact on the local horse community. Personally, I will no longer be able to safely exercise my horse off my property, which is very frustrating, especially given that the road was not in poor condition prior to the works.”
A resident on the road had a cyclist knock on their door asking to use a phone as they’d just got a puncture from the road surface on their brand new bike.
Manx.News has contacted the Department of Infrastructure for a comment.
5 Comments