Safety calls after horse jumped wall to avoid lorry

Horse riders are calling for improved safety measures after a horse and her rider were forced to jump a wall to avoid being hit by a lorry.

Peta Fray, from Brimpsfield in Gloucestershire, said she took the action on a country lane recently and avoided a "massive accident". She added the incident was "incredibly dangerous".

Alan Hiscox, head of safety at the British Horse Society said: "We had 53 incidents in Gloucestershire reported to us by riders in 2025. Every time a horse and rider go out, I would guarantee that there's at least one vehicle that will pass them too fast or too close."

The Highway Code rules drivers should give horses at least two metres of space.

It adds motorists should also be driving no faster than 10mph when approaching a horse.

The rules were changed in 2022 and The British Horse Society said it worked to make sure drivers are aware of the changes.

Fray said she was with two other horse riders when a lorry carrying polo ponies came down a one-lane track towards her. She said there was a farm entrance the driver could have stopped at to allow the riders to move to a sizeable passing place.

Instead, she said the driver did not stop and the group had to squeeze into a smaller passing place.

"There wasn't enough room for the three horses to get into this passing place and then get past the lorry.

"So mine jumped a low wall into a field to get away from it because I literally could have reached out and touched the side of this lorry, that's how close it was," she said.

Fray added: "It was just incredibly dangerous. There could have been a massive accident there. We were very, very lucky."

Riders have said they were forced to use roads due to a lack of bridleways which were fit for purpose.

Fray said there seemed to be "nowhere easy to ride" as bridleways were often overgrown or had broken or hard-to-open gates which made them unusable.

And Sue Ravenhill-Handley, from Berkeley, said suitable bridleways were half an hour away.

Due to having a full-time job and needing to ride her horse daily to exercise it, she said she was not able to travel to a bridleway every day, but using local roads did not feel safe.

"I've had cars go past me so close that they actually hit my stirrup. I would say I have a near-miss nearly every time I go out," Ravenhill-Handley added.

Rachel Bourne is a horse rider from Huntley. She goes out daily but said her nearest place to go for an enjoyable ride was an hour's ride away and her closest bridleway was not fit for purpose.

"It's just a stretch through about 300 yards to a farmer's field - nothing exciting. It's got two gates but they're almost nigh on impossible to open and close without getting off," she said.

Councillor Mark Harris, cabinet member for highways at Gloucestershire County Council, acknowledged the "important role" bridleways played in helping people enjoy the county's countryside.

"The concerns raised by horse riders about the availability and condition of bridleways are understood and recognised by the county council.

"Riders and walkers will be pleased to know that a new Rights of Way Improvement Plan is currently being developed, with input from a wide range of users, including the equestrian community, to help identify priorities and opportunities for improvement.

"Horse riders are encouraged to report issues through Fix My Street and take part in the improvement plan process, to make sure their experiences and local knowledge help shape future investment and priorities across the network."

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