A campaign to educate motorists on how they can safely pass horses on the road took place in a Huntingdonshire village.

The group of 10 horse riders and two helpers rode through Holywell-Cum-Needingworth as part of the Pass Wide and Slow campaign on September 19.

The ride aimed to spread the word about the importance of keeping a safe distance, ideally a minimum of two metres, while passing horses at no higher a speed than 15mph.

Horse rider Jane Ellington, said: “We have had a few people come past far too fast and too close to us.

The Hunts Post: Horse riders rode through Holywell-Cum-Needingworth as part of the Pass Wide and Slow campaign.Horse riders rode through Holywell-Cum-Needingworth as part of the Pass Wide and Slow campaign. (Image: Tess Cadman)

“Some people think they have joined the F1 in the village, but it’s a village with some of the speed limits as low as 20 mph and 40 mph in other areas.”

The British Horse Society statistics state that nearly two horses a week are killed on UK roads. Since Feb 2019 to Feb 2020, 1037 incidents have been reported.

“Most of the drivers on the morning either drove slow and wide past us and some stopped, smiled, waved and took photos which was nice to see,” Jane added.

Equisafety donated a Hi-Viz waistcoat and hatband for the raffle, while photos were taken by Tess Cadman Country Photography.

Nearly 180 rides/drives were arranged across the UK on September 19, with one even taking place in the USA.