More than one horse still dies on British roads every week

An average of more than one horse a week was killed on Britain’s roads last year, and three riders lost their lives, as many drivers are “still unaware of the advice in the Highway Code”.

Changes to the guidance on passing horses safely came into force two years ago but of the 3,383 incidents reported to the British Horse Society (BHS) in 2023, 85% occurred because a vehicle passed too closely or too fast.

The BHS has released its annual statistics covering incidents on the road, which show that three people died – the highest number of human fatalities since 2018 – and 94 were injured; 66 horses died and 86 were injured. In 2022, 68 horses were killed, and 125 injured, and 139 riders were hurt.