Dangerous overtakes on Sanquhar's roads prompt horse riders to call for adherence to Highway Code
Recent incidents have raised concerns among local equestrians
Last updated 16 hours ago
Horse riders in Sanquhar have expressed concerns over the dangers they face from drivers who fail to pass wide and slow, following a series of incidents on local roads.
Recently, some riders have taken to recording footage of vehicles speeding past or coming dangerously close, actions that have distressed their horses.
These riders are sharing their experiences on social media in an effort to encourage drivers to modulate their speed and distance.
Fiona Thomson, who is an experienced rider in the area, explained that her sole option for accessing hacking routes is a busy stretch of the A76.
“Me and the other people that are on this side of the town will tend to go to the housing scheme once we get past there (the A76), but I’ve no option but to come up this road. I’ve got the railway line right next to my field, and I can’t cross that."
Thomson recently had an unsettling encounter, where "two young guys in a black van were driving on the opposite side of the road at speed, and wouldn’t slow down when I asked them to – I just got a mouthful of verbal abuse.”
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After experiencing several such incidents, including one involving a lorry overtaking her closely while accelerating – which she captured on camera – Thomson now takes additional precautions by carrying a metre-long dressage whip.
“I don’t use it for Danny (her horse), I stick it out, so that if a car comes too close, it actually touches the car, which it has done. That just goes to show how close the cars are to you. Some of them will see cars coming towards them and still try to overtake me,” Thomson said.
She recounted further incidents in which horses were spooked, resulting in riders being thrown into nearby ditches or entangled in barbed-wire fences.
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“Just because you pass one horse and everything was okay, that does not mean that it will be like that next time. Horses and ponies are animals, and it’s fight or flight, and it’s mostly flight – especially if a lorry puts on its air brakes,” she said.
She emphasised that her primary concern is avoiding any experience which could deter children from riding or negatively impact a rider's confidence.
Local horse riders are hopeful that by raising awareness, drivers will demonstrate greater respect and caution around horses, thus preventing accidents and ensuring the wellbeing of both riders and animals.
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