Sixty eight horses were killed and 139 equestrians injured on UK roads last year, the British Horse Society (BHS) has revealed. The statistics have been released by the charity as its ambassador Natasha Baker OBE called for greater awareness of the Highway Code changes.
Between 1 January and 31 December, 2022, 3,552 road incidents involving horses were reported to the BHS. Of these, 68 horses died and 125 were injured. 139 people were injured because of these incidents.
The organisation also revealed 26 percent of riders were victims to road rage or abuse, while 82 percent of incidents occurred because a vehicle passed by too closely to the horse and 78 percent occurred because a vehicle passed by too quickly.
Compared to last year there was a 21 percent increase in incidents reports compared to 2021, where 2,943 incidents were reported to the BHS.
Since November 2010 there have been 12,113 road incidents, 44 people have lost their lives and 1,592 were injured. 570 horses have been killed and 1,436 injured during this time period.
The BHS is encouraging equestrians to take its Ride Safe Award, which provides riders with the skills and knowledge to ride safely in all environments, including on the road. If you’re interested in finding out more about the Ride Safe award, visit www.bhs.org.uk/deadslow
Lead image: Stock picture from Your Horse library
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