HORSE riders on Exmoor are being invited to take part in a ride later this month to highlight a national ‘Pass Wide and Slow’ campaign.

The September 20 event will see riders leave Simonsbath at 2.30pm heading toward Exford and returning along Winstitchen Lane and the Two Moors Way.

Parking is being offered by Exmoor Forest Farms, and the Exmoor Forest Inn is providing refreshments on the return leg.

Organiser Sandy Schott, who lives in Simonsbath, said it was aimed at raising drivers’ awareness of new Highway Code guidelines for passing vulnerable road users such as walkers, cyclists, and horse riders.

Mrs Schott has seen a ‘huge increase’ in traffic during the 10 years in which she and husband Francis have lived in the village.

Recently, Mr Schott was clipped on the shoulder by the wing mirror of a speeding vehicle, the driver of which failed to stop.

Mrs Schott said: “It is clear many drivers are unaware of the need for careful and considerate driving when passing these groups of road users.

“I walk my grandchildren through the village and it is nearly always a worrying walk.

“No footpath, and frequently speeding drivers make the walk feel pretty risky.

“I have experienced many scary near misses when out on my horse.

“I have reported some of these to the police and the local council, but little seems to be done.

“Drivers apparently lack the imagination to realise just how much damage half a ton of horse, muscle, and bone can do to a car and its passengers.

“I have got to the point of having to take a deep breath and hope for the best when I set out on my horse, until I get off the road.

“I no longer feel it is safe to ride around the bend below Simonsbath House Hotel and try to get off the roads as quickly as possible.

“I am luckier than most riders as I live in the middle of Exmoor with miles of off-road riding.”

The event is one of hundreds being organised around the country by the rapidly growing ‘Pass Wide and Slow’ movement.