‘He sped past a millimetre from my stirrup’: rider left shaken after near-miss
East Sussex-based Zoe Burt was hacking her 17-year-old Connemara when the incident took place
Go straight to the latest news about collisions on the road involving horses
Collisions on the road involving horses are a major concern for riders. Unfortunately, limited off-road riding forces most riders to spend some of their time exercising their horses on the roads, if only to access local bridleways. While many drivers are considerate to horses, slowing down and allowing plenty of room while passing, there are some who are not, which can lead to confrontations, injuries and even deaths of humans and equines.
There is currently no legal requirement for a road accident involving a horse to be recorded, unless there is human injury that requires hospital treatment direct from the scene of the accident. A horse can be killed, or a vehicle written off and the accident may not be recorded anywhere.
The British Horse Society’s campaign for safer riding on the roads was set up to record statistics about horse-related road accidents. If you have been involved in an accident with your horse, please take time to register it via the BHS accident website. These statistics put the BHS is a stronger position to campaign for better road safety for horse riders.