Horse&Cycle Safety Update

As I write this, a letter has appeared in the August issue of HORSE Magazine in response to my story:

This lady should have an enviable riding experience, living in a National Park, with all that means for safe British countryside riding (as we dream it), but she has scary interaction with club cyclists, in exactly the same way as I do in my little village.

My Campaign for safer Riding:

This is what i'm involved with currently: a mission for safer riding: if you read my blog: horseandcycle.blogspot.com you will understand why I have become involved in trying to get these cycling club members to understand horses and ultimately we'll all be safer.

this is my original letter:

I really want to try to help us understand eachother, so we can best work together for a safer soloution out on the roads - because right now, it's not working. in fact, it's downright dangerous. And it appears to be a countrywide problem too.

Working Together...

Question: can we all really get along with each other? Share our passions; share our roads and countryside in safety? Can horse riders and cyclists work together?


Answer: yes.




With a great deal of help from a few people, what started as a concern for my own safety out riding my horses in the Essex countryside, developed into a project to try to help everyone learn about safety.


I had some quite frightening experiences meeting large groups of fast-moving cyclists on the roads in my village, once my fear had worn off I was committed: because I knew if I did nothing to highlight this worry, someone was going to get hurt on a horse.


I soon realised that not everyone knows what to do when they meet a horse out on the roads, so I wanted to try to help with that.

Potential problems now have some real solutions.


As with all things, change can happen but we all need to review how we behave toward each other.


Anyone who cycles around our countryside in groups or alone is bound to meet a horse at some point: so what should you do? Most people have very little knowledge of horses and how quickly they can respond fearfully to what they see as danger. When a horse reacts to their fear and behaves in an agitated way, the very best thing a cyclist can do is to simply stop and wait. There are some quick and easy ways to help diffuse any potential hazards, please read from some of the tips suggested in my blog, from the guidelines now available from Essex Roads Cycling Club, and from the 'Code of Conduct' published by Sustrans: National Cycle Network.


The July 2011 edition of Horse Magazine has this story, plus some very good tips for horse riders, and what they can do on-board when they meet something that worries their horse.


Take responsibility for what happens when you're out


Be thoughtful and courteous


Treat others with respect and understanding

Be patient especially if a rider is having difficulty with her horse: he's frightened and is reacting to his fear, once he realises you're not going to hurt him, he'll calm, and you can carry on


Give a horse time and space and we'll all be safer


Riders: always thank courteous cyclists; they're likely to be a bit scared too.


React quickly to diffuse your horses fear, keep him moving if you can, if he's planted himself in terror, give him time to think it through, and never, never, ever hit him, you'll just add to his fear.


Most people are lovely, and will always want to do the right thing.


Thank you to everyone who got involved and worked very hard to make this happen. Please find some useful links below:

http://www.essexroadscyclingclub.com/
http://www.essexroadscyclingclub.com/pdfs/2011/ERCC%20Protocol%20for%20passing%20horses.pdf
http://www.essexroadscyclingclub.com/pdfs/2011/Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/
http://www.horsemagazine.co.uk/