A horse road safety appeal has been launched by the Road Safety Authority in association with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and An Garda Síochána, writes Brian Byrne. It comes on the back of a survey carried out by a Senior Ride and Road Safety trainer and examiner with the Irish Pony Club and an international equine journalist.
Of the more than 1,700 horse riders polled, one in four reported having experienced an incident when on the road with their horse, with 12pc of those incidents resulting in injury to either the horse or rider. Cars and SUVs were involved in most of the incidents.
Regina Staunton, Senior Road Safety Promotion Officer, RSA says motorists should be alert and reduce their speed when travelling in areas where horse riding is popular or when near riding schools. "If you do encounter horses, please don’t use your horn, air brakes or lights in a way that might startle or blind a horse," she adds. "This could cause the rider to lose control of the animal and lead to a serious incident."
The advice is to motorists is to reduce speed and pass wide. Similarly, cyclists should approach cautiously, ensuring that the horse rider can see or hear them approaching. Horse riders should also make sure that drivers can see them at all times regardless of weather conditions by ensuring they wear proper protective gear, high-visibility clothing and put high-visibility equipment on their horse.
