Horse safety campaigners on significant rise in incidents on Yorkshire’s highways

Alongside West Yorkshire Police, British Horse Society (BHS) volunteer Andrea, was promoting riding safety campaigns following a dramatic upsurge in serious incidents.

Across Yorkshire, there were 276 and 281 incidents logged with The British Horse Society in 2023 and last year, respectively.

However, 2024 saw three horse fatalities and a further 14 incidents where people or horses were injured, compared to a total of eight serious incidents the previous year.

West Yorkshire saw the majority of incidents over both years, with 185 and 186 incidents logged, followed by North Yorkshire with 49 incidents in 2023 and 66 in 2024. South Yorkshire saw a total of 47 incidents logged over both years and East Yorkshire just 24.

The BHS said of the 3,118 incidents logged nationally over the past two years 33 per cent of riders were victims to road rage or abuse. It said 81 per cent of incidents were due to a driver passing too closely or too quickly.

Andrea said: “We are encouraging riders to download the BHS Horse i app, which enables people to easily report details of any incidents via their mobiles.”

The information is used by the BHS to create incident hotspot maps to target safety campaigning, which triggered a recent campaign in Shadwell, near Leeds, and inform the police.

Andrea said she was encouraging riders to wear head-cams and was promoting Operation Snap, in which police forces are offering a streamlined way to submit footage relating to driving offences.

She said: “In an hour’s hack after submitting footage from my head-cam to West Yorkshire Police and then doing a brief statement my highest figure is a total of six drivers prosecuted, but on average I get one to three every time that I go out."

After police review the incident, if there is sufficient evidence they will trace the driver. She said: “I think I have submitted nearly 60 sets of footage over the last three years and have not had to attend court yet.”

Andrea, who has fractured her back twice, along with foot, fingers, and other bones by falling off horses, said she started campaigning three years ago after an incident which startled Enzo while on his first ever hack on a residential road near Wetherby. A car clipped Andrea’s stirrup as it squeezed between Enzo and a parked car.

She said: “I pulled my right knee up as a reaction and my crop hit his front windscreen, bounced over his roof and he then he just carried on.

"Enzo jumped onto the pavement and jarred his back. I submitted footage from my head-cam to the police and the elderly gentleman was dealt with through the legal process. He was very apologetic.”

The Highway Code changed in 2022 and it states passing distances should be at least 2m and overtaking at a maximum of 10mph. It states drivers unable to give 2m should stop and wait until the horse has moved into an area to allow the vehicle to pass.

Andrea said: “We had one gentleman in our village who would find it funny when we asked him to slow down, so he would give us the fingers, drop down a gear and wheel spin off. Following three incidents in close proximity that gentleman got a Community Resolution Order from the police.

“You can get a lot of abuse on the roads, but also on the footpaths. We get shouted at by cyclists. The Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire was great for Yorkshire, but sometimes there’s a bit of a break in communication between cyclists and horse riders. Under the BHS we encourage cyclists to approach slowly and say hi so horses don’t get spooked as they whizz past.”

Yorkshire saw two horses killed in February following incidents involving dogs being exercised off-lead.

Andrea said she believed the rise in incidents was linked to the pandemic, which had triggered both a rise in dog ownership and in the number of people walking.

As part of the campaign, Andrea has attended events ranging from Meadowhall Car Fest and Otley Show to school fairs and racedays with her 15.2hh fibreglass horse, which her niece named Mario, to spread the safety message.

Following the recent dog incidents Andrea has also bought a fibreglass Wiemaraner named Luigi to try and engage with dog owners at the events. She said: “If you see a horse, please put your dog on a lead. It doesn’t matter if your dog is really good.”