Cyclists and horse riders can cause damage to footpaths in wet weather when their wheels and hooves churn up the mud. This makes it difficult for walkers to use the footpaths. Rangers in the Quantock Hills have implemented some solutions such as constructing wooden chip riding paths for horses and designating some areas as footpath only to prevent damage and keep the trails accessible for all users.

1. Keeping the Quantock Hills special 2. Cyclists and horse-riders

2. Mountain biking and horse-riding are fun! Would you like to be doing these activities? Which one would you like best? What would you like about it?

3. This is – or should be – a foot path. What has happened to it? Why? Who would be upset about this? Why? But spot the problem ... What do you think? When you have thought about this, click onto the next slide Be a photo-detective …

4. What can happen ... Cyclists and horse-riders often use the same paths as walkers do. But in wet weather, the wheels of the bikes and hooves of the horses churn up the footpaths. This can make it difficult for walkers to use the footpaths . Add some arrows and comments to your “user groups spider diagram”, to show how cyclists and horse-riders can make problems for the Quantock Hills and for other user groups

5. So how can we make this better? And keep the Quantocks special? What do you think? Can you think of some solutions? When you’re ready, click onto the next slide to see what the Quantock Hills Rangers have done so far

6. This is a specially constructed ride for horses, made from wood chippings. Horses can gallop to their hearts’ content and not chew up the land or damage footpaths Sometimes you have to keep some of the users out of some areas. This is a special viewpoint area, so a sign was put up to stop horse-riders or cyclists coming into it. The footpaths will stay in good condition for everyone. So how can we make this better? And keep the Quantocks special?