The British Horse Society (BHS) is urging drivers to humanise horse riders after it released new statistics revealing that a total of 237 incidents and one horse fatality in Wales were reported to the charity during 2021.

Overall, incidents in Wales have increased by 234 per cent compared to the previous year.

Powys was the worst affected area with 34 incidents, followed by Carmarthenshire with 32 incidents, and Pembrokeshire 25 incidents.

There were 11 reported incidents in Ceredigion in 2021 and eight in Gwynedd.

Road incidents involving horses and vehicles continue to rise across the UK, with a total 2,943 incidents reported to the equine charity in 2021.

Of the 2,943 total reported, 85 per cent of them occurred due to vehicles passing by too closely. As part of its ‘Look Out for Laura’ campaign, the BHS has released two new videos to educate and encourage riders to safely pass horses on the road.

The videos tell the story of two horse riders who rely on riding as a way to de-stress from their hectic, working lives. Both encourage drivers to really think about how they look at, and empathise with, horse riders when they are out on the road.

A change in attitude is more important than ever, with over 500 horses reported to be killed on the roads since 2010. The charity is urging more drivers to think about how they look at horse riders when they are out on the road and encourage them to adhere to its Dead Slow campaign messages.

Dead Dlow was launched to help better educate drivers on how to safely pass horses on the road. In line with the new Highway Code changes, the campaign consists of four key behavioural change messages to drivers:

If I see a horse on the road then I will:

1. Slow down to a maximum of 10mph

2. Be patient – I won’t sound my horn or rev my engine

3. Pass the horse wide and slow, (if safe to do so) at least a car’s width if possible

4. Drive slowly away

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at The British Horse Society said: “The number of incidents involving horses on Britain’s roads remain far too high. It is, therefore, vital that we continue to urge drivers to be more considerate when passing horses and aware of how to do this safely.

“Riding helps people from all backgrounds and walks of life, particularly when it comes to relieving stressful and difficult situations. We need to push awareness of this, and believe the ‘Look Out for Laura’ campaign offers a powerful message that will encourage drivers to think about the riders around them and help to reduce the significant number of horses being killed on Britain’s roads.”

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University were tasked with evaluating the impact of the videos on drivers’ attitudes. Professor Crundall a Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University reported: “Our analyses have demonstrated that these videos improve both drivers’ attitudes towards horses, and their future intended passing behaviours, when compared to a control group.”