George Orwell’s “four legs good, two legs better” has long been the case when it comes to access to England’s forests, the British Horse Society contends. But “equality” may now be in sight. For decades, those wishing to ride horses on some of the country’s most beautiful off-road routes have had to seek a permit, a bit of paperwork that neither pedestrians nor cyclists need.

Forestry England, which oversees that system, maintains that such paid-for permits are important in sensitive sites to avoid damage to the environment or clashes between horse riders and those enjoying a ramble or bike ride through the countryside.

The word in equestrian circles in recent days, however, is that despite some suspected reverse snobbery over the perceived high-born status of riders, the “discrimination” of the past may now be coming to an end.

A new consultation on the system of permits launched by the forestry agency in recent days and ending on 9 April has given some hope of a more equitable future to Mark Weston, director for access at the British Horse Society (BHS), and the 3 million riders he represents at the charity.

“Horse riders should have free access as walkers and cyclists have free access,” he said. “It is discrimination.”

“In a lot of forests there aren’t permits at all, which just demonstrates to us that they are not really needed,” he added. “Forestry England’s justification is that the cost of the permits is reinvested into the routes but our view is that it doesn’t really happen and if it does happen, well, walkers and cyclists are benefiting from that investment at the cost of equestrians.”

The BHS argues that there is a strong safety argument for better access: in 2022 alone, 68 horses were killed on Britain’s roads and 139 people were injured.

A new forest charter that aims to put trees and woods back at the heart of people’s lives has been launched on the 800th anniversary of the original.

The event took place at Lincoln Castle – home to one of only two surviving copies of the original charter that granted public access to royal land.

The new document aims to protect existing woodland and encourage the planting of more trees.

Officials said the idea was to reverse a state of deforestation.

According to the Woodland Trust, one of the organisations involved in producing the charter, England has slipped into a state of deforestation due to a large number of trees being cut down and planting rates being at their lowest for 40 years.

It said the charter aimed to combat “the unprecedented pressures from development, pests, diseases and climate change, and provide guidance and inspiration across government, communities and individuals”.

£5 million of funding is now available under the latest phase of European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-agri) grants. The grants can be used to boost productivity in the livestock, arable, horticultural and forestry sectors and create ground-breaking new technology – unlocking innovation in the farming industry.  The grants worth between £5,000 and £150,000 will be available for projects for up to three years to encourage new farming techniques, as well as improve the sustainability of the farming and forestry sectors. Commenting on the scheme Farming Minister George Eustice said: “This fund will enable groups to come together to test and implement exciting new ideas to solve problems and increase farm and forest productivity. By looking to other sectors, such as medicine, for inspiration and knowledge transfer, it facilitates even greater innovation. I look forward to seeing the interesting work that will follow to boost and protect rural productivity.”