Horses on Public Roads – Doug Smith
There have recently been several radio and TV programmes and some articles in the press concerning the presence of horses on the roads - the inference from many of them being that horses should not be on our roads.
The horsey fraternity has, as would be expected, reacted with horror and affirmed their right to ride on public roads. Of course it is true that horses and riders do have an absolute right to be on roads, except obviously for motorways and some dual carriageways. However, with rights go responsibilities; to ensure that horses are insured at least against third party risks, to check that all equipment for the horse is in good condition and that riders wear appropriate protective and high visibility apparel.
Just as important is the training of the horse to deal with situations that can occur whilst riding out and the manner in which the riders not only ride but conduct themselves. Having seen the behaviour of some horses and riders on the roads whilst driving my car I can, to a certain degree, see how many people could form the opinion that horses should not be allowed on our roads – and the remedy is in our own hands! If a horse and rider cause problems for other road users it is amazing how a simple ‘Thank you’ goes a long way – even a nod of the head will do. We are, after all, a nation of animal lovers. The BHS Riding and Road Safety Test is a way for all riders to become more conversant with rules, regulations and manners when out riding.
The other issue which must be addressed is how horses are ‘trained’ not ‘schooled’. The ‘bombproof’ horse does not exist – many are steady and take more stimulation to ‘wake up’ but once they do the same problems exist as with the ‘sharp’ horse. It may well come as a shock to the rider who has not experienced any problems with the horse before and is unaware of how to deal with them. This is especially true of the more nervous or novice rider who has bought a ‘steady’ horse. The idea must surely be not to stop any horse reacting to what it sees but to deal with the ‘recovery rate’ so the spook becomes just a flick of the ear. One of the most common issues is riders who ‘school’ the horse very nicely in the manage and then as a ‘reward’ take the horse out onto the roads, which statistics show is the most dangerous place you can possibly be on a horse.
This change from a relatively safe environment to one which is far more hostile in itself raises the pressure on the horse. It is at this point the rider often almost totally relaxes contact with the horse (as the reward) and becomes virtually a passenger. Therefore in a situation where the horse needs most support to deal with problems which may be encountered he is ‘abandoned’ by his rider. From this horse’s perspective he is thus being given tacit permission to respond in whatever manner he sees fit to anything which may provoke a reaction. The animal then does what comes naturally, the problem is that the response may well not be what the rider wants or is expecting. The rider then has to regain control, often punishing the horse (consciously or otherwise) whilst doing so. The next time the horse sees whatever provoked his initial response he will be bothered not only by the stimulant but also the reaction of the rider which he knows will follow. This double fear makes an even bigger issue for the animal. From then on it becomes a steady downhill progression for both rider and horse as they enter the realm of the self – fulfilling prophesy. Each observe a problem and know they have an uncomfortable time ahead. This is just one of the many issues that can affect the safety of not only horse and rider but other road users.
As with the ‘bombproof’ horse the ‘perfect’ rider does not exist (although I am sure we all know riders who would disagree strongly with this!!). The aim of this article is to stimulate some inward looking thought by riders who use the highways and bye ways of Staffordshire to examine the preparation and training of horses before considering taking them out. We, like everyone else have responsibilities, both moral and legal, to those around us on the roads – and indeed in some cases the pavements.
Of course the one insurmountable problem we all have is that horses do not read articles like this or training manuals!!
Staffordshire British Horse Society supports responsible horse ownership and riding throughout the county.
Doug Smith spent over 20 years as a Mounted Policeman riding the streets of the West Midlands, performing varied duties and competing. He is currently a Director of The Riding for the Disabled Association and a Regional Instructor |
