IN response to the letter headed 'Horses for courses.' I too love the Forest and particularly my patch. In fact, I never have and never will live anywhere else. Therefore it surprises me, as I am from the writers' area, when it is suggested that this has never been a horse riding area.

My friends, family and I have ridden these very woods on a daily basis for very many years – for me alone, nearly 40.

I can only suggest you walk at different times than we ride, maybe due to working when you first moved here, and the fact that your children were young. Who knows? Just because you didn't see us didn't mean we weren't there.

Yes, the woods are for everyone and I am one of those riders who try to keep all happy. Even though I ride I also do a lot of walking and regularly walk these squelching paths. Many of these tracks have always been wet but now they are also spoilt by the heavy population of boar in this area. However I expect the wet and mud as part and parcel of Forest life and never leave home unless I am wearing my wellingtons.

Horses can go on the more robust tracks, but as for you slipper walkers out there, so could you.

Not all horses wear shoes and even for those that do these tracks are not like roads. They are covered in hard stones that protrude upwards and into a horse's hoof, sometimes causing bruised and painful soles and on rare occasions painful abscesses can form. Therefore, using these hard tracks on a regular basis especially for those without shoes can be like you or I walking them with bare feet, ouch!

Knowing my heritage, these tracks were not only made by deer and sheep, but also by free roaming goats and cattle and those foresters riding their horses checking stock.

My great grandfather used to have free roaming cattle, and in the house we had his 'any cloven footed animal free roaming licence.' Yes, it did date back to the early 1800s but if it had not been for these animals and the fact that their owners used horses to round up and keep a check on their stock we would not have the tracks in the Forest that we have today.

I'm not saying this gives today's horse riders any more rights than others, as we must all learn to live together and accept that when living in the Forest we should adopt the local culture.

Horses have been a large part of Forest culture, mostly for work purposes, but now more for pleasure.

As for hypocrisy, don't even go there. If I were to tell you where to ride your bike, walk, etc as you are doing to us, you would feel cheated and want to defend your rights the same way as you, I and others did the day the Government tried to sell off our Forest.

Pulling down signs is not an adult response but then neither is it adult when some of the walkers out there feel it is appropriate to shout abuse at my children when riding on areas that are not sign posted as no horse areas.

Another recent very un-adult approach is the signposts being displayed in this area from 'Born and Bred in Soudley,' who feels he/she has the right to address horse riders who have moved here and also feel it appropriate to use swear words on these posters telling us to go back to where we came from, all of which can be read by my young children.

Sadly I don't feel there will ever be a solution to this problem, as everyone who makes use of this lovely Forest feels they have more rights than others. The Forestry's attempt to segregate these users seems to be actually causing more conflict and hostilities.

– Mrs Robins, Blakeney.