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British
Horse Society hosts joint meeting with shoot organisations |
The
British Horse Society hosted a joint meeting with several shooting
organisations at its offices in Stoneleigh yesterday (11 February).
The aim was to discuss the way forward following an incident last
year when a BHS member was badly injured when her horse bolted after
being frightened by beaters at a shoot.
The
organisations attending the meeting included the British Association
for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), the National Gamekeepers Organisation
(NGO), the Union for Country Sports Workers (UCSW) the Campaign
for Shooting (Countryside Alliance) and representatives from Exmoor
National Park.
All
attendees were universal in their opinion that the meeting had been
very constructive and useful, and had created a positive way forward
in approaching the problems sometimes encountered when equestrianism
and shooting are in close proximity to each other.
The
BHS, British Riding Clubs and shoot organisations are now planning
a publicity campaign to ensure that both riders and shooters are
made aware of the necessity to keep each other informed, and for
riders to understand how shoots are run. The current shooting Code
of Good Practice is currently being rewritten and the BHS expressed
a wish to be signed up to the Code, this was accepted as a positive
move by those at the meeting.
Sheila
Hardy, the BHS Head of Safety who chaired the meeting, said, "We
are pleased that the shooting fraternity are taking this seriously.
It is plain that the organisations involved are taking steps to
ensure their members have full knowledge of risk assessment procedures
and having clear guidelines of how shoots should proceed when close
to horses and riders included in the new Code is good news. We look
forward to working with the shooting bodies on this joint promotion,
thus reducing any risk to riders. There is room in the countryside
for both activities and with common sense and co-operation they
can do so safely, to the benefit of all concerned."
www.bhs.org.uk
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