It is hoped that a two-minute YouTube clip will help make Welsh mountain trails a safer place for horse riders.
The video, produced by the Welsh Forestry Commission and entitled Share the Trail, is designed to draw mountain bikers’ attention to the safety issues surrounding bikes and horses sharing popular pathways.
It tells bikers to “stop, stand and speak” whenever they meet a horse.
There are 350km of purpose-built single-track mountain bike trails in Welsh government woodlands, which attract over a quarter of a million bikers every year.
As horse riders are legally entitled to use public bridleways, byeways and unclassified roads, so the potential for conflict is obvious, says the Forestry Commission.
Visitor management advisor Dave Liddy, said: “I have witnessed the results of a frightened horse coming into contact with a mountain bike that has left both riders shaken but, fortunately, unharmed.
“Mountain bike riders, just like anyone else, have to share the countryside with other users and, as a responsible land manager, the Forestry Commission wants to raise the awareness of how to share the trails safely.”
The video was produced in consultation with the British Horse Society (BHS).
