THE British Horse Society has joined forces with road safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist to take a new approach to horse and rider safety on the roads.

With almost 10 per cent of reported incidents in 2012 resulting in a horse fatality and seven per cent causing serious injury to the rider, GEM and BHS have come together to create a leaflet to promote road safety for both horseriders and drivers alike.

It features advice from the viewpoint of the horserider on one side and the driver’s on the other.

For horseriders, the leaflet includes issues such as hand signals and the importance of fluorescent leg wraps for the most visible parts of a horse. For motorists, the leaflet advises on appropriate speed, the nature of horses as ‘flight’ animals, and the dangers of sudden movement and noise.

BHS executive Sheila Hardy said: “It is very easy to blame other road users for accidents or misunderstandings on the road.

“If we have a greater understanding of the needs and concerns of others it can only serve to make everyone safer on the roads.”

The campaign has already attracted a lot of support, including from Dragons’ Den entrepreneur and keen rider Deborah Meaden.

Deborah says: “For drivers and horse riders it is crucial that both parties fully acknowledge and understand the importance of road safety.

“Sharing the road means shared responsibility, and this campaign offers a great resource for seeing things through the eyes of both the rider and the driver.”

The leaflet, Horse Rider Safety, will be available on the BHS website at bhs.org.uk or by email from r.lucas@bhs.org.

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