Pollard, Danica and Furtado, Tamzin 
ORCID: 0000-0002-1590-6417
(2021)
Public Roads as Places of Interspecies Conflict: A Study of Horse-Human Interactions on UK Roads and Impacts on Equine Exercise.
ANIMALS, 11 (4).
1072-.
Abstract
Real or perceived traffic risk is a significant barrier to walking and cycling. To understand whether similar barriers influence equestrians, this study obtained exercise behaviours, road use and experiences of road-related incidents from UK equestrians (<i>n</i> = 6390) via an online questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with road use and experiencing a near-miss or injury-causing incident in the previous year. Content analysis identified themes around equestrians' decisions not to use roads. Our results show that most equestrians (84%) use roads at least once weekly, and in the previous year, 67.7% had a near-miss and 6.1% an injury-causing incident. Road use differs regionally, with exercise type and off-road route availability. Road-using equestrians covered greater daily distances and were younger. However, younger equestrians were at higher risk of near-misses. Respondents' decisions not to use roads were based on individualised risk assessments arising from: the road itself, perceptions of other road users, the individual horse and the handler's own emotional management. Roads were perceived as extremely dangerous places with potentially high conflict risk. Injury-causing incidents were associated with increasing road-use anxiety or ceasing to use roads, the proximity of off-road routes, having a near-miss and type of road use. Targeted road-safety campaigns and improved off-road access would create safer equestrian spaces.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | horse riding, horse-related injuries, road use, road traffic accidents, road safety, vulnerable road users |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Jul 2021 15:15 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Feb 2024 03:04 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/ani11041072 |
| Open Access URL: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041072 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3128451 |
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