Ease off on the horsepower to pass the horse

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and An Garda Síochána have come together to launch a road safety appeal calling on horse-riders and other road users to share the roads safely.

The appeal comes as a recent survey of over 1,700 horse riders, reveals that four in five (85%) horse riders experienced an incident when on the road with their horse, with 12% of those incidents resulting in injury to either the horse or rider.

The Irish Horse Representative organisations, together with the RSA and An Garda Síochána are appealing to drivers to slow down and pass wide when they encounter horse riders and their horses on the road.

The new survey reveals that cars and jeeps have been involved in the highest percentage of reported incidents with horses on the roads.

Cyclists, vans, lorries and agricultural machinery account for an equal share of the remaining incidents.

The findings have led RSA, HSI, HRI and An Garda Siochana to call on all road users to familiarise themselves with existing guidelines around best practice when they encounter horses on the road.