The foot and mouth crisis has disrupted leisure activities for people all over Oxfordshire. For three weekends running, walkers have been forced to call off their countryside walks and horseriders have been banned from hacking along bridleways and footpaths across the county.

The Ramblers' Association's Oxfordshire branches have cancelled almost the entire spring programme until further notice, curtailing the activities of the organisation's 2,000 members.

Some of the county's nine branches have arranged alternatives, such as walks around urban areas, including one around Dorchester, organised by the Henley branch.

Countryside secretary for the Oxfordshire area Jack Ibbott, who was a member of the Ramblers' Association in 1967 - the year of the country's last major outbreak - says: "Our general view is that people should keep out of the countryside.

"Rambling is out for the time being. People have had to cancel their walks unless they are in town or around the local park.

"If the foot-and-mouth crisis goes on for long, it will severely disrupt our programme."

All Forestry Commission land has been closed alongside towpaths across the county except the towpath along the Kennet and Avon canal at Newbury between Northcot Bridge and Ham Road Bridge.

Ramblers are being advised to make the most of any opportunity they have to walk in urban areas. The association's guidelines are even suggesting ramblers should walk to work as an alternative.

Horse owners and riding schools across the county have called off all hacks into the countryside and horses can only be exercised on private land under guidelines issued by MAFF.

The 28 horses at Oxford Riding School, in Garsington, are confined to the school's eight acres. The horses are exercised on this land as well as in the school's indoor arena.

And none of the horses are competing in competitions until the crisis is over.

Riding instructor Andrew Steptoe says: "Hacks have stopped entirely and we are not taking the animals off the property. Normally we would exercise the horses off our land but that's totally out of the question at the moment.

"We have received lots of guidelines from MAFF who send us regular updates.

"This is affecting us all and things will get even worse if there is an outbreak of foot-an-mouth near here, putting us in an exclusion zone. That is our biggest worry."

*Anyone with any queries about where they can and can't walk in Oxfordshire should call the Institute of Public Rights of Way helpline on 01865 815505.