As a BHS Ride Safe Trainer & Assessor I recently undertook training and assessments on 25th and 26th July with 6 candidates at Hargate Hill Equestrian Centre, Glossop.

Ride Safe Award Training has changed fairly recently from the Riding & Road Safety qualification to a stand alone award as part of the Silver Challenge Awards and is known as Ride Safe. It is also on the BHS Career Pathways programme and the Ride Safe award is a modern approach to riding safely in all environments.

It is a far more up-to-date qualification than before with training and assessing in riding in an enclosed arena with other horses acknowledging rules of the school, so important these days and helping to keep safe in collecting rings at competitions.

Riding on beaches and through farmland on bridleways is also covered and how to deal with low-flying aircraft.

Road signs and markings are explained which can be quite challenging for younger riders or anyone who isn’t a driver. Indeed its quite an eye-opener the number of drivers who don’t actually know the correct sequence of traffic lights?!

The candidates are all issued with a Challenge Award Silver Ride Safe booklet with lots of tips and information with quizzes to complete as underpinning knowledge. Also a 104 page booklet is issued to help with the quizzes and has lots of excellent information such as how to deal with dogs, cyclists and other road users.

Riding on the road has become increasingly difficult these days with the numbers of drivers and also many roads having an increase in parked cars – all creating extra hazards.

Electric cars are a new hazard too as they are hardly audible, however much has changed in the Highway Code concerning vulnerable users such as horse-riders and cyclists such as passing at least 2m away and slowing down to a maximum of 10mph. These are only actually suggestions and the Highway Code was updated on 29 January 2022 though its taking a while to get the message across.

For every considerate driver, I think I encounter 3 not as considerate ones – however we must play our part too. Sadly, too often I’ve been met with riders on the road with no fluorescent/hi-visibility clothing on themselves or their horses. Especially when wearing dark clothing on a dark coloured horse, they just blend into the side of the road.

Many don’t acknowledge that you slowed down or gave them room and whilst not always possible to take your hand off the rein to say thank you, it is possible to nod your head and say ‘thank you’.

I know it gets my back up but I still always act considerately to the next riders I meet. However a non-rider just won’t bother if they’ve been met with rudeness or ingratitude.

So what does the Ride Safe Award Training and Assessment Involve?

Usually about 6hrs training/assessing, depending on the size of the group. Personally, I’ve always found a group of 6 works well.

Sometimes we can do a whole day and sometimes 2 half days – whatever works best for the individuals and whether they are using their own horses or ones from a riding school such as Hargate Hill, which obviously incurs extra costs for the hire of their horses and facilities.

If you have your own horse we can do all the training and assessing at my yard at Hole House Farm.

A theory session explains the award and runs through the books helping to instil the 4 crucial steps of riding safely on the road, these are:

1. look behind

2. signal

3. halt if necessary

4. life-saver looks before moving off

We also discuss correct signalling and walk the simulated road route on foot in the arena which always helps as you don’t have to worry about controlling a horse! We then walk the road route and discuss potential hazards and correct positioning on the road for turning.

In the arena we then ride, showing awareness of the rules of the school and practice our turns on the simulated road route.

If everything goes well and all riders and myself are happy we progress to the assessment in the arena and then out on the road.

We had a lot of fun whilst training and assessing at Hargate Hill. All 6 riders achieved their award and were presented with their certificates.

Many of the riders wanted to gain their Ride Safe award as a co-requisite for their BHS Stage 2 and this needs to be completed before that award is issued.

Here we are at Hargate Hill down their lovely drive on our way to our road route.

I always advise riders on the road to download the free BHS i app where incidents involving other road users, dogs, fireworks and verbal abuse, etc. can be easily submitted.

This is so important for the BHS to build a picture up in a certain area as they can then come out with the police to educate drivers in that area.

Please feel free to contact me on 07712 780608 or dsykes9@me.com if you would like to train and be assessed for the BHS Ride Safe Award – costs vary depending on how you want the delivery wether in 2 half days or 1 full day, numbers in the group.

Also whether at my place on your own horses or at a centre such as Hargate Hill using their horses.

Don’t feel the training and assessment is only intended for those pursuing a career with horses. Ride Safe provides a foundation for any rider to be safe and knowledgeable when riding in all environments including on and off the road, and warming up at competitions.

Minimum suggested age is 14 however this can vary depending on the individual.

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