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Claims that horses were being chased by e-bike riders near Weston Woods have been dismissed by a local farmer, who says the incident has been "blown out of proportion".
Concerns were raised on social media after reports suggested horses and livestock had been disturbed by riders using electric bikes in fields near East Wood in Otley.
However, a farmer from Woodhill Farm, whose animals were believed to be involved, said the incident had been misinterpreted.
He said: "I think it's all been a bit blown out of proportion,"
Water trough visit mistaken for disturbance
The farmer explained that his daughter had taken a Polaris utility vehicle into a field to refill a water trough during the recent dry weather.
He said his daughter had stopped briefly to speak to people nearby who were riding electric bikes, but denied any suggestion that horses had been chased or deliberately disturbed.
He explained: "I know that people have said that they were chasing horses around. They weren't chasing horses around…we take the feed down on the quad and as soon as they hear it, they gallop up to the gate."
Existing concerns over off-road bikes
While stressing that the recent incident had been misunderstood, the farmer acknowledged there are wider issues with off-road bikes in the area.
He said: "We do have a lot of problem with bikes around here and things like that, but on this occasion, it wasn't that."
He pointed to concerns surrounding activity in nearby woods and urged attention towards longstanding issues affecting the area.
"You do quite often, sometimes here on a Sunday, you can't hear yourself think with the amount of, it's not even just the electric bikes, it's all the other bikes as well.
Damage and anti-social behaviour
The farmer also described previous incidents of vandalism affecting the farm.
He said: "I remember there was one year we baled 160 bales in the bottom field and some little darling went round and cut every single bale. They cut a great big cross in the plastic on every single bale.We had to rewrap every single bale. It was absolutely horrendous."
Focus on protecting wildlife
The farmer said groups working to protect and restore nearby woodland faced ongoing challenges from illegal bike use.
Referring to local conservation efforts, he added: "Obviously they're trying to bring it back to a wildlife area.
"But if they don't do something quicker, it's going to be turning into a motorcycle scrambling track.
Despite the wider concerns, the farmer was keen to emphasise that the recent reports involving his horses did not reflect what had happened.
He said: "In this occasion, it wasn't,"