Lancashire Mounted Police Take Part in BHS Ride Safe Award

Riding safely on the road is at the forefront of every riders mind when they saddle up their horse ready for weekly or sometimes daily hack.

This week, to demonstrate the importance of safety when hacking on the road, the Lancashire Constabulary’s Mounted Branch (LCMB) took part in the British Horse Society’s (BHS) Ride Safe Award.

Officers took to the streets of Penwortham, following an indoor riding demonstration, during the three-hour assessment. The riders were evaluated on their safety, skills and knowledge.

Five officers in total from the LCMB, alongside BHS North West Regional Manager Lyndsay Dring, were presented with their Ride Safe Award.

The British Horse Society’s Director of Safety, Alan Hiscox said:

We’re thrilled that Lancashire Constabulary took our Ride Safe Award, which enables all riders to have the knowledge and skills to protect themselves. We hope that this award, together with our Dead Slow campaign to educate drivers how to safely pass horses on the road, can potentially help to save horses’, riders’ and drivers’ lives.”

Sgt Adam Pearson from Lancashire Constabulary Mounted Branch said:

We work closely with The British Horse Society. It is a wonderful organisation that the community should engage with and use their comprehensive website which offers advice for all road users. We looked forward to our assessment day and also our continued work with The British Horse Society in the future.”

Road Safety Statistics

Road safety is a particular concern for many horse riders, including the LCMB. The BHS launched its Dead Slow campaign in 2016 in response to alarming statistics from the BHS’ horseaccidents.org.uk website showing that since 2010, 230 horses have died, and 39 riders have been killed on UK roads. One in five reported incidents involved a vehicle actually colliding with a horse, and 84% of incidents occurred because the vehicle passed too fast or close to the horse. The BHS’ four behaviour change messages for drivers are:

If I see a horse, I will

• Slow down to a maximum of 15 mph
• Be patient – I won’t sound my horn or rev my engine
• Pass the horse wide and slow, at least a car’s width (if possible)
• Drive slowly away

The BHS Ride Safe award is run throughout the UK, and is open to riders of all ages and abilities. The award is designed to provide riders with the skills and knowledge to ride in all environments, keeping both riders and horses safe. To find out more visit: bhs.org.uk/ride-safe-award

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.