Horse-riders are calling out for greater awareness among drivers of how to overtake riders and their animals safely after several close encounters along the old A30 near Bridestowe.

Catherine Boyd wants to raise awareness of the Pass Wide and Slow campaign, which asks drivers to pass a horse and rider at 10mph leaving a distance of at least two metres, following several incidents where she has witnessed drivers pass at speeds of over 60mph.

She said: “It’s a little bit scary out there sometimes. A horse can spook sideways in excess of 20mph and maybe spooking at something that the driver cannot see. With the speed they are going they don’t have time to react if the horse is spooked by something.

If a rider signals to slow down please observe this and understand that it is for your own safety, it is not out of arrogance.

“We all want to get to our destination quickly but it will take a lot longer to reach their destination if they have a 600kg horse through their windscreen and a rider that needs hospital treatment.

“Some drivers I have met have been brilliant and I’m always very grateful. We all wear hi-viz and are very grateful to those who are courteous enough to pass us slowly and give us space.”

Catherine’s explained that her horse used to be very good in traffic but due to recent incidents had become very wary of passing vehicles and she now needs to help him unlearn that behaviour.

Catherine explained that it had got so hair-raising that she has now bought a headcam to catch inconsiderate drivers. She has even had to send some of the footage to the police when the driver has passed them too close to them at high speed.

“It’s a bit of a back up,” she said. “I have a tabard saying I’m filming - that helps from the back not the front.

Catherine and her fellow horse-riders have called for Devon Highways to reduce the speed limit outside the stable yard to a 40mph speed limit but Highways has refused as there have been no accidents along that stretch of road.

One way of protecting younger riders and horses, is to ride two abreast, a practice permitted by the Highway Code, which forces overtaking vehicles further away from less experienced riders or nervous horses.

Catherine added that cyclists should also be aware that they can pose a problem for some riders and their horses.

She said: “I’ve had so far good experiences with cyclists but others haven’t been so luck. The correct action should be for them to slow, call out to warn the rider of their presence and proceed past if safe to do so. By sharing the road safely we can all have a good experience.

“The usual argument of drivers is for us to use the fields... unfortunately unless there is a bridleway we are not allowed to. In order to access woodlands and other off road riding areas, we must use the roads that link us to them.”

For more information about passing horses safely, visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/go-riding/riding-out-hacking/riding-on-roads/advice-for-motorists/.