After a road journey on horseback from Lambourn to Windsor,
GEM’s head of road safety James Luckhurst reflects on the need for mutual respect and courtesy between all road users
When I set out from Lambourn on a horse last month, I was anticipating something of a physical challenge as well as an exciting adventure. The British Horse Society and Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) spearheaded the five-day ride to raise awareness of the 58 horses killed on Britain’s roads in 2024. One of these was a young racehorse called Knockalla, whose trainer Tom Ward came to see us off from Mandown Gallops. Two-year-old Knockalla was out with her rider in Lambourn last September when she was startled by a car driver going too fast. She was hit and suffered serious injuries. In fact, her leg was so badly fractured that she had to be put down.
What I didn’t expect was how much I would learn about the many brief relationships we need to form on our journeys, as well as the power of courtesy…and the unpredictable nature of horses. On the journey eastwards towards the Royal Windsor Horse Show there were daily lessons on the importance of sharing the road, thinking of the needs of others and anticipating what might go wrong – and how quickly.
Monday: a chance to build rapport
The first day was all about anticipation and excitement. I was riding magnificent Oakley, a big Irish hunter with a calm, unflappable demeanour. We were live on BBC1’s breakfast programme, who showed us beginning the ride as the clock counted down to the 9’o’clock morning news. Also there to see us off was Amy Hilton, whose horse Archie had been hit by a tractor driver in Kent earlier this year. Archie’s injuries were so severe that he had to be put down. Amy told her very moving story on BBC1.
Riding onto the road, I was aware of every car, truck, van, cyclist and pedestrian we encountered. Every interaction, no matter how brief, offered the chance to build a rapport, and it was our responsibility as riders to try to make that happen. A wave, a smile, a thank you – it was gestures like this that could set the tone.
Every time a driver slowed down and gave us room, we acknowledged their courtesy. In return we received an overwhelmingly positive response with waves, smiles and thumbs-ups. Mutual respect, after all, is the foundation of road safety.
Tuesday: the power of courtesy
By now the novelty had worn off and we faced the reality of sharing the road. Most – but not all – drivers were patient, not everyone slowed down. But courtesy can be infectious. When we thanked others for their patience, most responded in kind. It’s as well to add that parts of the journey were on busy roads, so we minimised any build-up of queues behind us, making use of lay-bys, pathways and other spaces to let vehicles past. The route was planned to be along roads where there are stables, so the presence of horses should have been an everyday occurrence for local drivers.
Wednesday: the distracted driver
A terrific send-off from the village of Yattendon saw us enjoy some off-road stretches (something every rider loves). Accompanied by two Thames Valley Police riders for our first hour, we started to relax – until a truck came towards us at speed, its driver ignoring our arm signal requests to slow down. As the truck went past, we all saw the driver looking down at the phone he was holding in his right hand. Was he aware of us at all? Apparently not. Unfortunately for him, the vehicle details were captured by our police escort rider, and we were told a letter would very shortly be in the post to the truck’s owner.
Horses’ reactions can be sudden and dramatic, triggered by things we humans barely notice. Our horses were calm and generally desensitised to traffic situations and noises. But we never took this for granted; the motto was always ‘be prepared and expect the unexpected.’
Thursday: shared spaces, shared responsibility
We had a fair bit of busy road riding as we worked through the northern edge of Reading towards Twyford and Maidenhead. Here, the importance of sharing space became clear. I saw how patience and awareness prevented incidents and near-misses. Those micro-relationships with drivers lasting a few seconds were what made these shared spaces work.
One great moment occurred in the beautiful village of Shurlock Row. We were just doing a rider change when a van driver pulled up, wound down his window and asked if we were the riders who had been on Jeremy Vine’s Radio 2 show the previous day. When we said yes, he was full of encouragement, telling us he had learned loads from the short interview.
A less comfortable episode took place towards the end of the day. I was riding Reg, a retired racehorse – still young – who had a little more pep than Oakley. He was easily startled by white paint on the road, but then he happened to see his face in a mirror positioned in the hedge opposite someone’s drive. This spooked him good and proper for a couple of seconds, but thankfully the traffic was light at the time. Oh, and then two police cars came towards us with blue lights flashing and sirens sounding. Credit to the drivers who switched everything off when they saw us – and we were able to move well off the road immediately to let them through.
Friday: Windsor town and the Long Walk
Another rendezvous with the Thames Valley Police mounted officers, who escorted us from the south side of town along the ‘Long Walk’ to the Castle. From here we turned onto Castle Hill to go through town and along to the Horse Show entrance. No one appeared to bat an eyelid, but I guess Windsor of all towns is quite used to the sound of horses’ hooves on its streets.
As we prepared to enter the Show’s main ring for a little lap of honour, we reflected that every road user really can play a part in creating a safer environment. The relationships we form, however brief, matter. Whether on horseback, two wheels, four wheels or more, mutual respect and courtesy are essential.
Mind you, we need always bear in mind that horses deserve our respect and understanding. Five days in the saddle taught me more than I could have imagined – not just about horses and roads, but about people, patience and the small acts of kindness that can keep us all safe.