Queenstown horse riders Kaye Eden, Kate Pirovano and Belinda Lees made their way from Manse Rd, near Millbrook Resort, to Arrowtown’s The Fork and Tap on Saturday morning — complete with a police escort — aiming to educate motorists about how to pass vulnerable road users.
Organised by Pass Wide and Slow New Zealand, the ride was one of about 50 held across the country over the weekend — and one of thousands held across the world.
Ms Eden said the education campaign was aimed at protecting all vulnerable road users, including walkers and cyclists.
"Have you ever seen any education about how to pass a horse ... when you did your driver’s licence, or anywhere?
"A lot of people are not farm people, now, and they don’t understand that those roof racks on their car make this awful whistling [noise] as they go past, or the cover on their trailer.
"It’s just about keeping everybody safe — the last thing anyone wants is a horse through their windscreen, which is what happens if they jump."
Simultaneously, the women encouraged passers-by to sign a petition of the New Zealand Equestrian Advocacy Network, by October 14, to have horse riders given "vulnerable road user status", and amend the Land Transport Act and associated rules to include safe provision for horse riders in legislation.
While in Europe a vulnerable road user was defined as any "non-motorised" road user, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi did not have such a definition which, according to the petition, had led to inconsistencies in how local, regional and central government agencies viewed horse riders in road safety, inclusion, and access to off-road pathways.
Ms Pirovano said once NZTA had the term, and had it qualified, money could be allocated to make things safer for riders all over the country.
The petition is available via petitions.parliament.nz
