A HORSE rider has issued a warning about the dangers facing equestrians on the roads in the winter months.

Gill Lyon, of Dursley, who keeps a horse in Uley, said she was increasingly concerned for fellow riders who use the roads.

Mrs Lyon said horse riders were not taking the advice to wear reflective clothing seriously enough.

She said: "In Uley there are horses everywhere, but there are only a few that wear fluorescent or bright clothes.

"These are very important in bad conditions and poor light. Horses are killed all the time because they are not visible to drivers."

Mrs Lyon said a near-miss she herself experienced last winter as a driver has made her more anxious to warn other riders since the nights had drawn in.

She said: "As a driver I have been inches away from a horse before I saw it because I couldn't see it.

"It was this time last year and because the sun is low and it wasn't until I was level with the horse and rider that I saw them.

"I just don't understand how people can put not only their horses but their own lives at risk."

Sheila Hardy, senior executive for safety from the British Horse Society, said: "At the British Horse Society we recommend riders always wear something that is fluorescent on themselves and their horse.

"This should apply regardless of the time of day or time of year or weather conditions.

"This will allow motorists another three seconds with which to see the rider and therefore take avoidance action.

"In addition to that we should point out in fairness to drivers the low sun can completely blind them and it won't matter what the person is wearing - at certain times of the day the sun will completely blind you.

"When the sun is low, riders need to be more vigilant because they become more vulnerable."

For more information and advice about staying safe on the roads visit the British Horse Society website at www.bhs.org.uk.