MPs have urged the government to strengthen road safety measures for horses and riders, during a Westminster Hall debate highlighting the risks of sharing roads with fast-moving vehicles.
The debate was secured by Newbury MP Lee Dillon, who said riders face life-threatening dangers on the roads and that all road users must better understand how to behave safely around horses, which are flight animals and can react unpredictably.
Figures from the British Horse Society show that 3,118 road incidents involving horses were recorded in 2024, with 58 horses killed. Equestrian organisations including the British Horse Society and the British Horseracing Authority attended the debate.
Dillon referred to the fatal collision that killed two-year-old racehorse Knockalla in Lambourn in September 2024 and highlighted his proposed Road Traffic (Horse and Rider Safety) Bill, which calls for clearer rules on passing distances, vehicle speed and the inclusion of equestrian safety in driving theory tests.
Winchester MP Danny Chambers, a practising vet, told MPs that road collisions involving horses are a regular occurrence, saying he had treated and euthanised many horses injured by vehicles.
Other MPs raised concerns about poor enforcement following incidents, increasing vehicle size and speed, and the risks faced by wild Dartmoor ponies. Calls were also made for greater driver awareness and more localised speed limits near riding schools.
Responding for the government, transport minister Lilian Greenwood said equine road safety was a concern shared across Parliament. She noted that the Highway Code already includes guidance on passing horses safely and said further options to improve rider and horse safety were being considered as part of the government’s wider road safety strategy.
