Yes. Horses have great big hard metal feet and can cut surfaces to pieces. But riders know when its too muddy to use a track and will go to great pains to keep tracks in good condition for their health of their mount's feet. Horses tend to use paths evenly and when they do cut it, its not deep or compacted and it mends quickly (a shower and a dry spell usually rights the level of the ground again).

Tracks and bridleways are the only safe place for horses to go. Public highways are not safe. Drivers do not generally know how to pass horses and tarmac is not a good surface for hoofs.

4x4 drivers on the other hand, doing a bit of recreational off-roading ('let's go off-roading!') don't give a toss about facing existing mud or creating more mud and ruts. The ruts they create are deep, compacted and don't heal naturally. The track must be recut and levelled mechanically (like they do in Australia) but this is expensive and doesn't often happen.

4x4 drivers hog trackways - they're really big and inflexible. Whereas horses can easily share tracks with mountain bikers and walkers without noise, without pollution, without excessive damage, without fear.

Lecture over

...and relax!
J
x