MORE than 20 drivers were stopped by police in a single day in Bolton for passing horses too closely.

The drivers of 21 cars were stopped on the town's roads in just over 90 minutes by officers from Greater Manchester Police's Mounted Unit as part of their Safer Pass Initiative.

One of the cars was also seized for having no insurance.

PC Matthew Hill said: “This is a great result and means 21 drivers have been educated on the importance of passing a horse on the road safely. The damage speeding cars can cause not only to themselves, but to both the horse and rider can be fatal and we want to reduce these incidents.

“A further operation is planned for October where we hope to increase the number of drivers educated through this initiative.”

The initiative has been launched in partnership with The British Horse Society and is seeking to prompt drivers to pass safely by following four guidelines:

- Slow down to a maximum of 15 mph.

- Be patient and do not sound horns or rev engines

- Pass horses wide and slow, if it is safe to do so, by at least a car's width if possible.

- Drive slowly away.

Horse riders are also being reminded to ensure they comply with the Highway Code, shared responsibility of the road, and wear conspicuous, hi-vis clothing on both rider and horse.

They should also thank drivers and other road users for passing safely and should not ride in failing light or darkness unless absolutely necessary.

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at The British Horse Society said: “Working with GMP’s Mounted Unit and their Safer Pass Initiative is a brilliant way to highlight the dangers that equestrians face on our roads.

"Last year alone, 87 horses and four people were killed on UK roads and 73% of the 845 incidents reported to The British Horse Society occurred due to vehicles passing by too closely.

“By collaborating on this new campaign we hope more drivers will be aware that when they are faced with a horse on the road they should slow down to a maximum of 15mph, be patient and ensure they pass the horse wide and slow, before driving slowly away.

"We also encourage riders to play their part by wearing high visibility clothing at all times and by thanking all road users that pass by safely.”