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Horse-lover Sarah Howarth, of Rainworth, is on a mission to teach car-drivers about safety when riders are on the roads.

And she is hoping a special awareness horse-ride that she has organised in Blidworth later this month will help her cause.

"Some drivers still pass horse-riders too close, too fast or don’t have the patience to wait,” said Sarah, 37, who goes out riding three times a week with her ten-year-old daughter, Phoenix.

They go to places such as Harlow Wood, Blidworth Bottoms and Tippings Wood, but have to negotiate roads to get to them.

Sarah Howarth on her horse, Bella, and daughter Phoenix, aboard her pony, Dotty, at the head of last year's awareness ride as it wends its way through Blidworth.

“I have had a few near-misses over the last year,” she said. "A lot of drivers are unaware of how they should behave, and the dangers they create when overtaking.

“The idea behind the awareness ride is to appeal to them to be more considerate.”

Alarming statistics show that the number of incidents involving horse-riders on roads has shot up by more than 80 per cent in recent years. In the year 2019/20, one person and 80 horses were killed.

About 25 riders have signed up for Sarah’s event, which will take place on the morning of Sunday, September 18, starting at 10.30 from The Paddock on Mew Lane in Blidworth, where she keeps her horse, Bella. It will be supported by Coun Tom Smith, county councillor for Blidworth and Rainworth.

Sarah and her ten-year-old daughter, Phoenix, still have to put up with inconsiderate driving when they go out riding in the Blidworth area every week.

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The event is one of 200 awareness rides across the country, promoted by the Pass Wide And Slow Facebook group, which campaigns to educate motorists on how they should drive when horse-riders or carriage-drivers are on the road.

The group has also released a video, outlining horrific examples of accidents involving horses and teaching drivers how to overtake safely.

This year’s awareness rides are also keen to publicise the change to the Highway Code that was made in January, recommending that drivers should now pass horses at a maximum of 10mph, rather than the 15mph previously in place.

"It is a fantastic change, but hasn’t been given much media coverage yet,” said Sarah.

Her top safety trips for drivers are to slow down when approaching horse-riders; keep a safe distance; do not pass until you can see the road ahead is clear; watch for hand-signals from riders; and remember that horses can be spooked by loud noises.

Blidworth event urges drivers to respect safety of horse-riders on road