Petition on rider access and safety to go to Parliament

Thousands of New Zealand equestrians accept signed a petition seeking to improve recognition of horses every bit a vogue of transport, but volition MPs at i time brand the changes sought?

Petition organiser January Mossman says the late organised electronic petition is growing daily, as well as she has been calling inward the terminal of the newspaper petition forms – the alone ones that volition live on officially recognised yesteryear Parliament.

More than 10,000 people accept signed the newspaper petition, amongst unopen to petition sheets yet to live on posted in.

The petition, started yesteryear Mossman inward May terminal year, has the backing of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand.

It calls on MPs to recognise horses every bit an choice vogue of travel, as well as proposes that the New Zealand Transport Agency must include ridden as well as driven horses inward their planning as well as facilitation process. It wants the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand to live on included inward all discussions regarding walking, cycling as well as combined-access recreational trails.

Mossman is off to Wellington this weekend inward training for the petition beingness presented to Parliament yesteryear the National MP for Rangitiikei, Ian McKelvie.

Mossman said the petitition was sparked because horses were at i time beingness excluded from unopen to recreational trails, fifty-fifty roads that were i time purpose-built for horse-drawn vehicles as well as the ridden horse.

Examples include:

• The 160km Motu Trails Cycle agency on Old Motu Coach Road, opened on May twenty terminal year
• The 10km Ohakune Coach Road, opened inward 2010.
• The 100km Waikato River Trails, opened belatedly inward 2009.
• The 110km Queenstown Trail, which used $5.4 1000000 of world funding. It was opened late yesteryear Prime Minister John Key.

“It is good overdue for us to grapple for inclusion inward planning around recreational facilities,” Mossman said.

“Riders run the gauntlet betwixt the faster traffic as well as diminishing verges.

“Legislation does non recognise ridden as well as driven horses every bit an choice vogue of carry to cars, walkers as well as cyclists.”

The country’s i time quiet, prophylactic province roads accept larn also risky for Equus caballus riders, she said, amongst riders experiencing also many “near misses” from careless, unsafe drivers.

“Millions of dollars of taxes as well as rates coin accept been invested inward developing trails for pedestrians as well as cyclists only. We demand to deed at i time to protect the rights of Equus caballus riders – every bit they are inward Australia, United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland of Britain as well as Northern Republic of Ireland as well as the US.”

Mossman said riders needed prophylactic riding on tranquillity country-road berms, as well as in that location needed to live on improve didactics of motorists on prophylactic ways of passing horses.

The electronic petition had 904 signatures at the fourth dimension of writing.

“We demand every bit many signatures every bit possible earlier this Saturday,” Mossman said.

She stressed the demand for New Zealand equestrians as well as their supporters to speak amongst i vocalization on the issue, which is backed yesteryear a Facebook page. She encouraged riders to “like” the page to remain informed on the issue.

“Signees don’t accept to live on Equus caballus riders – only believe inward the philosophy nosotros are promoting,” she said. “If non for us, as well as therefore for our children’s children.”

Mossman pointed to unopen to of the comments made yesteryear those supporting the petition every bit evidence of the demand for reforms to brand trails as well as roads accessible as well as safer for riders.

“It’s striking to me how politely the comments accept been written next their harrowing experiences as well as glum futurity prospects on our ‘New Zealand Freedom Recreational Riding”.

Some of the comments:

• I ain horses as well as route ride. My Equus caballus as well as I Have been hitting yesteryear a motorcar on a route because the driver decided to endeavour as well as piece of job yesteryear me on the incorrect side of the road.
• When I was 12, I was hitting yesteryear a motorcar riding my pony. The driver did non give me plenty infinite when passing, as well as when my pony shied he hitting us, around driving over my caput every bit I savage on the road. Horses are non bikes – they accept a take away heed of their ain as well as volition react to things that frighten them. Safer roadside riding spaces for us volition hateful the cars can’t larn that close.
• I accept had a friend accept a horrid accident amongst her Equus caballus on a so-called tranquillity road, I accept nearly died from idiots on the road, too. We accept a correct to live on safe!
• Had a bad accident amongst a 4wd scarring my Equus caballus & ended upwards amongst multiple pelvic fractures – lucky to live on alive. We demand prophylactic places to ride!
• I am a Equus caballus passenger as well as accept had also many unopen calls from inconsiderate drivers or drivers who fifty-fifty deliberately speed upwards yesteryear you.
• I at i time accept my missy who is iv riding amongst me as well as it is unsafe for her to ride around the province roads every bit I did. I would dear that the side yesteryear side generation could relish the outdoors every bit much every bit I did which includes route riding.
• I accept had unopen to real unopen calls whilst out riding as well as in that location was no need. I genuinely believe that people accept forgotten how to drive around horses as well as demand to live on reminded earlier also many people die.
• I am a Equus caballus passenger who is running out of prophylactic roads to ride down! There only isn’t anywhere for me to ride anymore as well as it’s therefore tedious riding circular inward circles inward the paddock non alone for me but my Equus caballus hates it, he prefers to piece of job out as well as come across something different.
• I am a Equus caballus passenger inward Coatesville, Auckland. I utilisation to route ride 2-3 times a calendar week but at i time detect it to dangerous. Some drivers exceed therefore closely that they accept around touched my whip.

 All manually signed petitions demand to live on posted inward yesteryear this Friday, to J. Mossman 10 Trig Rd; RD4 Tuakau 2694 Nth Waikato. The electronic petition as well as amount number signed volition live on printed this Saturday.

 

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