The September Update:

The September issue of HORSE magazine:

While of course like everything and everyone in this world, there are wonderful things and people and not such nice ones.  The cycle club referenced in the letter above is lucky enough to have as it's member a person who at the very least buys and reads HORSE magazine (which suggests to me a person of extreme good taste and judgement!) and possibly has their own horse and rides on the roads, and one might guess comes across groups of fast moving cyclists too? This club then has access to 'horse' related know-how, enough information to build a strategy for meeting horses whilst out cycling - and this is great, perhaps they could help spread that good work to other clubs? 


For those of us not so lucky, we have to try the best we can to 'survive' out there on the roads!


But there is some good news! Most people are wonderful, and you only have to ask, and you'll get help: Bob Brayshaw: Inspector at West Yorkshire Police, has been appointed to the newly-created role of ACPO Liaison to British Cycling, and his daughter is horsey too! He is also trying to get cycling associations involved in this safety issue by spreading the word, thank you Bob.


My next posting will be my story in the Parish News, this is the text:

Living in a lovely village like Woodham Walter you can understand why we get so many visitors, why wouldn’t they?  It’s beautiful old country charm, farming and fruit growing history and a wonderful sense of community. 

A recent phenomenon has rocked this calm, our once sublime scene from Agatha Christie’s ‘St. Mary Mead’:  where horseriders wander through the village amongst villagers on foot, walking dogs or cycling is no longer the reality.  The scene wouldn’t be real now without large groups of speedy club cyclists charging through en-masse without a care for anything or anyone around them, least of all safety where horses are concerned. 

They ride in large groups, 4 or 5 abreast sometimes, at speed, with an attitude not conducive to road safety or care and courtesy to fellow man...or horse in my experience.  But just because the effects on a horse are so obvious and large, it must also be terrifying for walkers and children too?

I have brought up 2 young horses in Woodham Walter, and riding on the roads of course is necessary since we don’t live in a National Park.  The local people are brilliant when I meet them, my 2 wouldn’t be as confident on the roads if it weren’t for the support of the local traffic: slowing down and stopping as necessary, and always being kind and thoughtful, – thank you all who’ve met me riding out and about.   

We must remember horses are thinking and feeling creatures, they aren’t able to ignore things that terrify them.  Please give a horse room to move and think. 

Cyclists and vehicles: ‘please pass slow and wide’

When cyclists/traffic come upon a horse; top tips:

• Slow down, and stop if necessary
• Remember the horse has blind spots directly behind and in front, he might not see you coming
• Remember bicycles are essentially silent; make some noise to let him know you’re there: ring a bell or say ‘good morning’ before you get within 10 metres.
• Don’t approach an agitated horse, if he is scared, please wait for direction from the rider; she will make very clear the safest thing to do, because she is on board. Horses need an average of seven seconds to adapt and make a decision that could affect their safety, be prepared to wait; it’s the safe thing to do for everyone. Horses need safety as a priority every bone in their body is built for flight so they don’t get eaten.
• be courteous to the rider, especially if she’s riding a scared horse – she will not need the extra stress of abuse from impatient cyclists, think of others and remember any tactics she is employing are there for your safety too, horses can react in surprising ways to perceived foe, horses are living thinking creatures.
• Give the horse a chance to accept your presence
• Once a horse has accepted the threat level is acceptable he will clam, but no one can force a living creature to behave contrary to their natural instincts where there is a perceived threat to their own personal safety
• Pass very wide and slowly and keep a constant eye on the horse’s reaction, and stop if necessary – try to imagine what it would feel like if a lorry squeezed past your bike, narrowly missing you handlebars, and you have nowhere to go? Scary eh? And bikes don’t get scared.
• Please don’t insist you stay in a group, when passing a horse do so in single file, and break up large groups into small pockets, giving the horse some respite from the stress of prolonged perceived danger.
• Passing the horse please stay quiet and ride slow, and the horse should be fine

I have written a blog horseandcycle.blogspot.com where there are some useful guidelines to promote safety.

Sustrans: National Cycle Network whose connecting web of routes WW is part of span the country, have clear guidelines to cyclists on how they should behave, and a local club: Essex Roads Cycling Club even have more detailed advice to their members written in response to my campaign of safety.  Horse magazine July and August editions cover this story too and it appears from the response to my initial letter this is a countrywide problem so let’s all slow down and be nice to each other.  Most people are wonderful and will always want to do the right thing. 

Thank you, Shelley.