Horse SafetyThe LRBA takes both horse and rider safety very seriously. At all of our rides you will be asked to wear an ORANGE hi-viz tabard, this is so YOU can be easily spotted should something go wrong.We encourage all riders to wear HI-VIZ when out riding, ALL YEAR ROUND. ORANGE and PINKwork well as they can very easily be spotted from the air and by drivers on the road, YELLOW tabards can fade over time and sometimes merge into hedgerows, trees etc. from a distance.It's also a good idea to add hi-viz to your horse if you can. If you and your horse get separated your horse can then be spotted. Tail guards are good as drivers can tell from a long distance that you are something bigger than a bike or walker. Also consider adding a hi-viz brow band and some boots for front visibility. Listed below is information on horse, rider and trailer safety, including videos, images and helpful pdfs to download and print and links to useful sites.
THINK! - Horse Safety
National Road Safety Ride ReportMary Holland and Yvonne Hallam-Seal organised a driver awareness safety ride which was held on Sunday 19th September at Overseal/Moira on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border. This was one of 178 rides being held across the country that day. Both Leicestershire and Derbyshire Police supported the event with an off-duty Leicestershire police-woman joining the ride, and two officers in a police car taking part from Derbyshire. It was noticeable that driver behaviour was significantly improved when the police car was actually escorting the ride. This was reported back by the police-woman rider. Amy Wheelton, a recently elected District Councillor also attended to support the ride. All the riders enjoyed the event, which ended with an off-road canter for those who wanted it. The ride has received good publicity as shown in the attached links:• Ashby: North West Leicestershire officer sees first hand how badly motorists react to horse riders | Ashby Nub News• Things motorists always do wrong when they see a horserider on the roads - Staffordshire Live (staffordshire-live.co.uk)
Trailer SafetyThe BHS has an excellent leaflet on Trailer Safety. Those who passed their driving test before January 1997 are entitled to drive their car with a loaded or unloaded horse trailer attached without taking a further driving test. You should consider the towing capacity of your towing vehicle – it’s surprising how heavy a couple of horses and their saddlery are! Also, remember that if you are over 70, you need to take a test if the combined weight of your vehicle and trailer exceeds 3.5 tonnes. An internet search provides good local sources of instruction for driving with a trailer.There are now various companies that provide a “Get you and your horse home” service which are extremely good value for money. LRBA strongly suggests that you enrol with one of them.
Horse & Rider Safety LRBA supports the Air Ambulance as one of its charities. The Air Ambulance receives NO Goverment funding and relies solely on donations.We hope that none of our members ever need to use this service, but if you do, you will be easier to see if you are wearing Hi Viz. Please donate if you can and help keep this vital service going.
Reporting a Horse Accident – to Police and BHSThe Department for Transport issues guidance to Police Forces (the STATS 19 Requirement) as to what constitutes a reportable accident on a highway. Some Police Forces in the past have only taken notice of accidents that involve mechanically propelled vehicles but this is wrong.If you have an accident on a highway (which includes bridleways and byways as well as roads) THAT INVOLVES AN OUTSIDE CAUSE (e.g. speeding motorist, dog off lead, etc.) then you should report it to the local Police Station. Don’t hesitate to ask for guidance if you need it from either the Networks officer networks@bridlewayslrba.org.uk.BHS is also trying to compile a wider range of comprehensive statistics on horse accidents to assist when they lobby about safety for horses. They have several categories including Bird Scarer or Gas Gun; Chinese Lantern; Cycling; Dog Attack; Equine Transport; Fireworks; Gates; Low Flying Aircraft; Road Accident; Slippery Road Surface; Windfarm. Click Horse Accident to report to BHS.
Who to Contact - details are given on the menu “Who to Contact” tab.
Road SenseIf most of your riding has been at a yard, around a manège or at events, there are a few extra pointers that you need to consider when riding on the roads. The British Horse Society provides excellent advice and you should use these links to their information.
Manners
Riding on the Road
Be Seen - Be Safe
Code of Conduct - Horse Riders & Cyclists
Operation Bright EyesFollowing on from a tragedy involving a horse and rider out hacking, the BHS together with the MoD made these 2 videos highlighting the need for riders to wear Hi-Viz. Wearing Hi-Viz is an important part of our "kit" and should be worn regardless of where you are riding or the weather conditions. In bright sunlight it can be difficult to spot other road users, even when on top of a horse in sunny conditions it can be hard to see cars/bikes/walkers, we all like to get a bit of a tan when out enjoying the small amount of British Summer we get these days, but that doesn't mean we should let our Hi-Viz Safety fall by the way side, there are plenty of Hi-Viz options out there these days that allow for the best of both worlds, safety and a tan, can't be bad!!Even if you are out on a hack and have the luxury of not having to go on a single road, Hi-Viz is still a MUST have, its not only cars on the road we have to worry about, Bridleways and Tracks allow for multi use, this means walkers and cyclists need to be able to spot us, this could have the simple result of a cyclist not being surprised to see us, or the walkers dog being put on a lead because they have seen you from a distance. Even if you are allowed to ride on land not open to the public and won't come across other users, there is still the skies to consider and low flying aircraft, it is much better for you to be spotted from a distance and hopefully have some avoiding action taken from the sky, than for you to be spotted at the last minute and have things go wrong with sometimes serious consequences.Having some Hi-Viz gear doesn't take up much extra space in the car or tack room, but it could just one day save your life. Please BE SAFE BE SEEN. Watch the videos below to see the difference Hi-Viz can make!
Gates There is an excellent video on opening gates from horseback on Youtube, Click Here to view. It is important that riders and their horses should acquire gate skills but difficult gates should not be tolerated. They should be reported to the relevant county council. They will negotiate with the farmer who is allowed to install the gates to keep his/her stock in its right place but must also make sure that they do not unduly obstruct the public using the public highways (byways and bridleways). Ride entries should reach the ride organiser at least one week before the ride date. Some rides have limited entry numbers because of restricted availability of parking and entries for these are first come, first served.
Operation Bright Eyes - Without Hi-Viz
Operation Bright Eyes - With Hi-Viz
What a load of BULL UK Law prohibits bulls from 7 Traditional British dairy breeds being kept in fields crossed by Public Rights of Way. In recent years farmers have imported foreign dairy bulls; keeping such bulls breaks the spirit, but not the letter of the law. A local court case in August 2013 clarified the situation. For a guide to the 7 Traditional Dairy Bull Breeds, please click here.
You should find all the information you need in the various sections of this website. If you feel something is missing, please get in touch with us at enquiries@bridlewayslrba.org.uk. To download your free Adobe PDF Reader please Click Here.