Abstract
The Riding and Road Safety Test Program, developed by the British Horse Society in the United Kingdom, aims to educate recreational and/or professional horseback riders on safety techniques and awareness through theoretical as well as practical lessons to reduce the risks of serious injuries while riding or handling a horse. The British Horse Society’s Riding and Road Safety Test was designed to prevent collisions between ridden horses and vehicles. The program has a history of more than 30 years of educating horseback riders in road safety with the explicit goal of minimizing the risk of injuries, particularly when riding on roads. In 2017, the name of the program was changed to the Road Safe Award, and some additions to the program were implemented, for instance, a broadening of its subject area, a broadening of riding environments, and a broadening of diverse riding conditions. These current additions to the program have further benefited an already successful program. Moreover, the fundamentals, framework, and support of stakeholders of this program earn recognition as an exemplary program for injury prevention in sports and recreational activities.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express sincere appreciation to the key informants for this case study: Sheila Hardy, MAIRSO, Senior Executive, Safety of the British Horse Society in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England and David R. Kerry, FIRSO, MIRSO, MAIRSO, DipASM, Senior Road Safety Officer for Cumbria Highways, Skirsgill, in Penrith, England—whose consultation made this project possible.
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Appendices
BRIO Model: The British Horse Society Riding and Road Safety Test.
Group Served: Recreational and professional horse riders/jumpers/trainers (ages 12–70).
Goal: To educate riders in road safety in order to minimize the risk involved when riding on roads and other common riding environments.
Background | Resources | Implementation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
Progressive development over 30 years Collaboration with multiple prominent community organizations: Department for Transport, South Essex Insurance Board, V-Bandz Ltd., Thames Valley Mounted Police, Nottinghamshire Mounted Police, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Major goal to reduce and prevent road-related accidents and injuries through education and training | Funding through membership and licensing fees, self-sustaining department Dedicated safety resource team Registered charity status Professional networks (safety and medical fields) In-house accident reporting data collection Accessible online accident reporting system Extensive team of trainers and examiners, required to undergo ongoing standardized training | Multifaceted program involving education and knowledge of theory (written examination), knowledge of practical skills and potential road hazards (simulated road test), and practical exam (road test) Published manuals, leaflets, posters, CD-ROM developed for training and program requirements Awareness campaigns in collaboration with Thames Valley Police Over 50 scheduled examination dates in 2008 | Test taken by over 4000 people per year (over 120,000 qualified individuals) Standardization of road safety examination accredited through QCA Program adoption by establishments in other countries (Europe and United States) Three-time recipient of the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for innovation in safety education Free rider insurance for qualifying BHS members |
Life-Space Model : The British Horse Society Riding and Road Safety Test.
Sociocultural: civilization/community | Interpersonal: primary and secondary relationships | Physical environments: where we live | Internal states: biochemical/genetic and means of coping |
|---|---|---|---|
Safety is prioritized with oversight from a specialized department of the BHS Connection to the larger community through diverse collaborations Education and testing standardized to maintain quality and integrity and has accreditation through QCA | Comprehensive communications with members through active websites Integrates road regulations and road etiquette with riding lessons and knowledge of horse behavior Relationships with government and local road safety experts used to resolve road use issues and develop the program | Helmet use promoted by recommendation of specific standards used in assessment of helmets Road surfacing issues analyzed by professionals resulting in improved national standards safety | Membership is a source of dedicated volunteer support for teaching and examinations Promotion of high-visibility clothing and accessories to make horses and riders conspicuous to motorists sooner |
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Looker, H., Forgie, J. (2020). Riding and Road Safety Test. In: Volpe, R. (eds) Casebook of Traumatic Injury Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27419-1_8
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