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Horseytalk.net Special Interview
David Kerry

There is probably no greater advocate of high visibility clothing for horses and riders in the country than David Kerry.

First, because he is a rider himself. Admittedly, a late starter. He didn’t start riding until his 30s. But he has had over 25 years experience riding all kinds of horses, on all kinds of roads, in all weather and traffic conditions.
Second, because he is a Senior Road Safety Officer for Cumbria. He knows the importance of road safety. He knows first-hand what can happen if people do not pay attention to road safety on the roads.
Third, because he is a British Horse Society trustee, a BHS Regional Safety Representative for the North of England, a winner of the coveted Sefton Award for outstanding services to BHS safety and, finally, because he has recently been working with Carole Mewton on revising the 12th edition of the BHS Riding and Roadcraft Manual.
David Kerry
Wearing high-visibility gear gives you a chance

Says David, “When you’ve seen horses hit by vehicles, seen the horrendous injuries sustained in road traffic collisions and seen the distress to both horse and rider, you realise how unsafe roads can be and how important it is to give yourself the best possible chance of survival. Wearing high-visibility gear gives you that chance.”

David went on to say, “In Cumbria we had one rider, who was not wearing high-viz, was not seen by a driver and whose horse then spooked. She ended up in a ditch, the horse rolled over her, and she went to hospital with a broken jaw. In her interview with the police she was asked about her road knowledge and training, and most importantly about what she and her horse were wearing at the time.

“ In another accident, a few years earlier, I was asked to help with the aftermath. Two horses were involved. One was trapped in a ditch and its companion was distressed and needed calming. I was asked to assist by holding the companion horse and trying to placate it whilst its friend was pulled out. It took nearly two hours and the session ended in the dark. When I got home, my wife asked if I’d seen the state of my road safety jacket. It was drenched down one side with blood. When a horse bleeds the amount it looses is amazing and very upsetting to owners and on-lookers.

“In both those incidents the owners survived but some riders are not so lucky. Sometimes it’s the vehicle occupants who die. When half a ton of horse slides up the bonnet of a car and enters the passenger compartment there is little hope of survival for the driver and their front seat passenger.”

David, who comes from Oxford, originally started his working life in finance but was involved with motorcycle road safety training, in a voluntary capacity, at the weekends. On moving to Surrey, in the 1980s, he decided on a career change and applied to be District Road Safety Officer for Woking, a post he held for four years before moving to Cumbria.

When half a ton of horse slides up the bonnet of a car and enters the passenger compartment there is little hope of survival for the driver and their front seat passenger.
Helen on Breeze with friend - to show advantage of high vis

It was a life-style change decision that meant that David had to take any job he could before a vacancy occurred in road safety in his new county.  He worked for a rural pub (and says that it helped him have a more balanced view on the issues around drink driving) and then as Assistant Riding Instructor for the Calvert Trust (an adventure centre for disabled persons). 

He was still actively involved in equestrian road safety training and testing during this time.  In 1991 he became Area Road Safety Officer for the north of Cumbria and in 1996 was promoted to his present post of Senior Road Safety Officer for Cumbria.
David only started riding in 1983, largely because of his wife, Helen, who as a child began her riding in the Pony Club.

Says David, “When I first started going out with Helen she let me have a sit on her horse.  I’d never sat on anything so big and remember her asking if I was cold – because my legs were shaking. 

About five years later when I was working for Surrey County Council Road Safety Unit my boss invited me to join him to help with BHS Riding and Road Safety training. He then announced that he was organising a demonstration for local trainers and examiners (in the days before the BHS standardised the training) and that he needed a guinea-pig rider.  That was when my rider training really became intense.”

He said,  “I kept thinking to myself that at least when you’re on a motorcycle you can decide for yourself when you’re going to stop or go – a horse has a brain of its own.  Riding on Surrey’s busy road network certainly highlighted for me the problems that horse riders experience when they try to share road space with motorised traffic.  When we first moved north I used to ride out on our rural road network on a daily basis.  Twenty-two years later there are a number of those roads on which my wife and I would never consider riding – simply because traffic levels have increased dramatically, as have speeds.”

Not surprisingly, both David and Helen are staunch advocates of hi-viz. Says David, “Hi-viz is vitally important for riders, horses and other road users.

David Kerry on Breeze
Helen Kerry on Breeze

“With insurance companies and judges looking to re-apportion blame in road collision cases, it is vital that riders wear high visibility clothing at all times of the year and in all weather conditions. In any case, you owe it to yourself and your horse to give yourselves as much protection as possible. Don’t give drivers a chance to say they didn’t see you.

When not involved in road safety promotion David and Helen compete successfully in local shows.

Says David, “You can probably work out our ages – I’m 58 and Helen 54 and we’ve been married 29 years. The woman deserves a medal. She is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria and was presented with a BHS Good Guys Award for all the times the BHS and I had roped her in to help.

They have two horses, Gentle Breeze, a 23-year-old chestnut mare and Blitzen, a 14-year-old grey gelding.

They’ve taken part in the Trailblazers national finals in 2007 and 2008 and last year won ten rosettes in 48 hours.

David had his first go at the Kelly Marks Perfect Partners Trec competition in March 2009, gained 3rd place on the day and as a result his score got him into the top 35% in the Newcomers section in the UK placings.

Helen always puts Breeze in for the Veteran Horse Society Performance Achievement Awards and has been placed for the last five years – first place in 2007 and 2008.

Blitzen, a recent acquisition, has already started to follow in the hoof marks of Breeze by featuring in the rosette placings. This year both horses have qualified for Trailblazers.

David and Helen not only believe in high visibility clothing, they are obviously determined to achieve a high visibility for their riding skills as well.

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