Award and consciousness rides: the battle to stay horses and riders secure on our roads

A marketing campaign to support horse and rider highway protection has received a prestigious nationwide award – as Cross Large and Gradual (PWAS) consciousness rides have taken position around the nation.

The British Horse Society’s (BHS) Useless Gradual marketing campaign was once recognised on the Institute of Grasp Tutors of Riding (IMTD) awards, which “recognise remarkable contribution to driving force coaching and highway protection”. The name was once awarded on 7 September, the weekend sooner than the PWAS consciousness rides have been held around the nation.

BHS director of protection Alan Hiscox has in the past informed H&H of the paintings he and his workforce were doing with riding instructors to support horse and rider protection.

“We’re so happy to be recognised with an award, for an important contribution to highway protection,” he mentioned. “The protection workforce has had very sure partnerships with riding instructors since we introduced the marketing campaign and it’s been so vital to contain them with regards to expanding the protection of horses at the highway.

“Common conversation is very vital, and we’re having a look ahead to operating with much more organisations to power higher consciousness of equine highway protection.”

The IMTD awards are “a chance to recognise remarkable contribution to driving force coaching. This comprises people and/or organisations that experience performed an important position in selling highway protection within the box of driving force training”. A BHS spokesperson informed H&H a key a part of the Useless Gradual marketing campaign is “bearing in mind how the BHS can succeed in younger drivers to assist them perceive the risks of passing horses too temporarily and carefully on our roads”.

“The BHS works along driving force trainer associations to verify the foundations integrated within the Freeway Code proceed to be an integral a part of other folks’s finding out,” she mentioned.

This 12 months, greater than 245 PWAS rides have been held, throughout the United Kingdom but in addition in america, Canada, Poland and New Zealand.

Laura Grant, one of the vital PWAS admin workforce, organised a journey in Carmarthenshire. Lair of secrecy’s pony Katie suffered a deadly harm when a passing car scared her and she or he went right into a livestock grid, in 2023.

“We have been nonetheless all over closing September however this 12 months, we organised a journey to keep in mind Katie, and fix things for different horses,” Laura informed H&H. “We have been escorted via police all of the manner, which was once superb, however finally simplest had one carriage and two riders – as a result of persons are simply too scared to journey at the roads.”

Laura’s journey had the strengthen of councillors and Dame Nia Griffith MP, who went alongside for the journey within the carriage.

“That was once her first carriage journey and she or he felt first-hand what it was once love to have vehicles going previous too speedy and too shut, and she or he mentioned one thing needs to be completed,” Laura mentioned. “Nevertheless it was once pretty to look smiley faces, and we have been blessed to have sponsors; we had Evo Equine and Equi Hello Viz; different rides have been backed via native companies and large firms.

“This 12 months the rides have been global too; a lady in New Zealand noticed our social media crew and were given on board there so there have been over 245 in overall.”

Individuals of the PWAS Fb crew additionally raised sufficient cash to position the PWAS message on buses around the nation this 12 months, and are campaigning for the Freeway Code to be made regulation, particularly in terms of the steering on passing horses.

“I simply don’t need somebody else to have to head throughout the ache of dropping their horse or being injured at the highway. It’s devastating,” Laura mentioned. “It method such a lot to me to be doing one thing sure out of one thing so terrible, and maintaining Katie’s reminiscence alive.”

You may additionally be all in favour of:

H&H information editor

Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over 8 years operating for native and nationwide newspapers sooner than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Captivated with equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all sides of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage regulations to mules. Her recreation of selection is showjumping, by which she competes her personal horses, and she or he additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping displays thru to global championships.