SUMMERVELD now boasts a few bright yellow ‘Slow down for horses’ road signs along Hawkestone Road, warning motorists to slow down and be aware of horses on the road.
The signs were donated by a employee of Multi Media Signs as a result of an awareness campaign launched by riders in the area to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding past horses on the road.
The signs have been a positive step forward with several riders expressing that they are making a difference, although there is still a need for more signs and more driver education as riders are still experiencing reckless drivers.
Sue Sadler from Thelwells Equestrian Centre, who has a lot of child riders, said that the signs were definitely welcomed but that more were needed and that companies needed to educate their drivers about being cautious when approaching and passing horses.
“What a lot of drivers are not aware of is that if a horse gets a fright from the side of the road, he will jump into the road and into a car passing. It is impossible to stop quickly if you are going fast. Young horses are especially prone to getting frightened. Many of the riders round here are kids who are just starting out to ride. Drivers are putting these kids’ lives at risk,” said Sadler.
“Drivers still think that if you are on the verge that they can come racing past you or hoot. Motorists need to be made aware how dangerous this can be and need to also look back to make sure that horses and riders are okay after they have passed.”
Photographer, Blake Balcomb, said that he had witnessed cars still speeding past horses. “I was photographing a training show at Summerveld Lodge and a driver came speeding past horses on the road, despite the riders signalling to slow down.”
Grace Bishop also said she had experienced the same problem when she shouted at a driver to slow down as they passed by and the driver simply shouted back.
The campaign was launched after TLB vehicle came racing up behind a horse and rider on Hawkestone Road, causing the horse to spook and jump into the road. The tar caused the horse’s feet to slip and he came down on top of the rider. Luckily, neither horse nor rider was seriously injured; however, it proved to be the last straw for the horsey community as this was not the first accident or near-accident to occur as a result of fast drivers, and typifies what has become an all-too-common topic of conversation among riders in Summerveld.
In recent years, Summerveld has changed from a sleepy little area where a few horse fanatics lived into a sought-after residential suburb. All this development means that traffic not only consists of residents but also contractors and an increase in the number of drivers. The tarred road surfaces have also seen an increase in the speed of drivers.
When passing a horse and rider, motorists should adhere to the 40 kilometres per hour speed limit, not get too close to a horse and rider and avoid hooting when passing or overtaking a horse and rider.
Riders are also asked to be courteous and acknowledge and thank motorists who obey the rules.
