A marketing campaign to enhance horse and rider highway security has received a prestigious nationwide award – as Cross Extensive and Gradual (PWAS) consciousness rides have taken place throughout the nation.
The British Horse Society’s (BHS) Lifeless Gradual marketing campaign was recognised on the Institute of Grasp Tutors of Driving (IMTD) awards, which “recognise excellent contribution to driver coaching and highway security”. The title was awarded on 7 September, the weekend earlier than the PWAS consciousness rides have been held throughout the nation.
BHS director of security Alan Hiscox has beforehand informed H&H of the work he and his crew have been doing with driving instructors to enhance horse and rider security.
“We’re so happy to be recognised with an award, for a major contribution to highway security,” he stated. “The security crew has had very optimistic partnerships with driving instructors since we launched the marketing campaign and it has been so vital to contain them relating to growing the protection of horses on the highway.
“Common communication is extraordinarily vital, and we’re trying ahead to working with much more organisations to drive higher consciousness of equine highway security.”
The IMTD awards are “a chance to recognise excellent contribution to driver coaching. This contains people and/or organisations which have performed a major position in selling highway security within the area of driver schooling”. A BHS spokesperson informed H&H a key a part of the Lifeless Gradual marketing campaign is “contemplating how the BHS can attain younger drivers to assist them perceive the risks of passing horses too shortly and intently on our roads”.
“The BHS works alongside driver teacher associations to make sure the principles included within the Freeway Code proceed to be an integral a part of folks’s studying,” she stated.
This yr, greater than 245 PWAS rides have been held, throughout the UK but in addition within the US, Canada, Poland and New Zealand.
Laura Grant, one of many PWAS admin crew, organised a journey in Carmarthenshire. Laura’s pony Katie suffered a deadly damage when a passing automobile scared her and she or he went right into a cattle grid, in 2023.
“We have been nonetheless everywhere final September however this yr, we organised a journey to recollect Katie, and make issues higher for different horses,” Laura informed H&H. “We have been escorted by police all the best way, which was superb, however in the long run solely had one carriage and two riders – as a result of persons are simply too scared to journey on the roads.”
Laura’s journey had the assist of councillors and Dame Nia Griffith MP, who went alongside for the journey within the carriage.
“That was her first carriage journey and she or he felt first-hand what it was prefer to have automobiles going previous too quick and too shut, and she or he stated one thing needs to be completed,” Laura stated. “Nevertheless it was pretty to see smiley faces, and we have been blessed to have sponsors; we had Evo Equine and Equi Hello Viz; different rides have been sponsored by native companies and massive corporations.
“This yr the rides have been worldwide too; a lady in New Zealand noticed our social media group and obtained on board there so there have been over 245 in whole.”
Members of the PWAS Fb group additionally raised sufficient cash to place the PWAS message on buses throughout the nation this yr, and are campaigning for the Freeway Code to be made legislation, particularly in relation to the steerage on passing horses.
“I simply don’t need anybody else to should undergo the ache of dropping their horse or being injured on the highway. It’s devastating,” Laura stated. “It means a lot to me to be doing one thing optimistic out of one thing so terrible, and protecting Katie’s reminiscence alive.”
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