Horse riders facing abuse on the roads

Horse riders facing abuse on the roads

Horse riders in Milnrow are asking drivers to pay more attention to the rules of the road.

Eileen O’Donnell, a horse rider from Milnrow, has spoken of the verbal abuse she has received from drivers on Rochdale Road in recent weeks. She said: “For the last three weeks we have received verbal abuse from cars on the road and people can be so inconsiderate.”

Eileen uses Rochdale Road once a week to travel back to the farm that her horses are stabled in and is getting "fed up" at the lack of consideration from some car drivers. “Sometimes they come right up to the back of the horse and they don’t realise that if the horse gets spooked then it could cause a bad accident and possibly injure them as well as myself,” said Eileen.

Eileen also spoke of an incident in which her horse was spooked by a car on a back street. Eileen said: “We were on a quiet back street and a car came speeding right up to the back of us and just parked up. The horse got spooked and knocked me off which then set the other horses off. The woman just got out of her car and wasn’t even bothered.”

In regards to animals the Highway Code states:

• When passing animals, drive slowly. Give them plenty of room and be ready to stop. 
• Do not scare animals by sounding your horn, revving your engine, or accelerating rapidly once you have passed them. 
• Look out for animals being led, driven or ridden on the road and take extra care.
• Keep your speed down at bends and on narrow country roads.
• Be particularly careful of horses and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking.
• Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. 

The British Horse Society (BHS) is also backing a campaign for drivers and riders to reach a better understanding of the concerns and requirements on the road. Sheila Hardy, Senior Executive (safety) at the BHS said: “There is room for everyone on our roads, but it is vital that all users show a little courtesy and consideration to others.”

Eileen has said she will be in contact with the police regarding some of the above incidents but just wants people to be aware that by driving in an aggressive manner, more danger could be caused: “We only go 100 yards up the road and I don’t think people realise the amount of danger that could be caused.”