Horse road incidents in Kent top 520 since 2016

More than 520 road incidents involving horses have been reported in Kent since 2016, according to the British Horse Society (BHS).

The charity said 82 collisions involving horses and vehicles were recorded in the county in 2025, including one horse fatality.

Riders and campaigners say more off-road routes would provide a safer alternative to busy roads and help prevent accidents.

A Kent County Council (KCC) said while safe and accessible riding routes were important, but creating or upgrading paths was "complex and voluntary dedications were rare".

The local authority said recent examples included the creation of new bridleways at Leybourne Grange and the upgrade of a footpath at Burham to a bridleway.

KCC said its Rights of Way Improvement Plan, developed with the BHS and others, has helped add 70 miles (115km) of routes for equestrians since 2008.

In Surrey, there has been 457 road incidents of involving horses and four horse fatalities, while there has been 526 incidents and six horse fatalities in East and West Sussex, according to the charity.

Hannah Forward, a rider from Newchurch, told BBC Radio Kent it was "difficult dealing with traffic".

"Most drivers have been good," she said.

Forward said she and her daughter had instances where drivers would demand they ride on the fields instead.

"Fields are not as accessible as some people might think," she explained.

"Our ponies are well trained, but they can be spooked in a split second and potentially cause injury."

One other rider told BBC Radio Kent it was "extremely difficult" to ride safely on narrow roads to reach bridleways as some drivers were "often distracted".

"Most riders have no choice but to use roads to reach local bridleways, so safer, more considerate roads benefit everyone," another caller said.

Another rider said most local lanes in the Longfield area were single track and were "full of blind bends".

"I now ride with a helmet fixed with a camera," she said.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said the safety of all road users was a "top priority".

"The Highway Code includes the Hierarchy of Road Users which identifies horse riders among the most vulnerable, with strengthened guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse riders," they said.

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