Horse owners can now ‘park’ their horse near Llandrindod Wells town centre, following the opening of an innovative facility last week.

The horse park, funded and supported by the British Horse Society (BHS), was opened last Thursday afternoon during a special ceremony.

Two corrals, or enclosures, are situated among mature trees on private property at the Llanerch Inn, a popular and historical coaching inn, which has been welcoming horses for centuries in the heart of Llandrindod Wells town centre.

Penny Nicholson, a local BHS Access and Rights of Way volunteer, came up with the idea a couple of years ago and has been looking for a suitable venue ever since. She is an ardent advocate for the inclusion of equine transport in the active travel agenda with the obvious health, well-being and climate benefits of riding and driving. Horse riding is indeed the only form of transport which runs largely on grass - a cheap or free and quickly renewable fuel in plentiful supply in Mid Wales.

The cost of living is becoming an over-arching priority for everyone, and as fossil fuel prices soar, the use of your horse as a means of travel is becoming an ever-more attractive alternative, when safe to do so.

The provision of a ‘park’ where a horse can be left safely, while the owner may run an errand, meet friends or pop to the shops, makes this option a reality.

It allows for a slow and relaxing ride into town on quiet back roads, to replace an often frenetic and expensive car drive along main roads.

The BHS has lobbied successfully to achieve an amendment to the Highway Code this year, with vehicle drivers now obliged to pass horses at 10mph, at a distance of two metres.

Government Active Travel guidance obliges councils to consult with horse owners on active travel routes, where there is local equine interest.

The society seeks to promote shared use of green and quiet routes by horse riders and drivers, alongside walkers and cyclists, and supports consultation and cooperation with local councils in the planning process.

The BHS has supported the Llandrindod Wells project from the start and once land was offered by the Llanerch Inn for the Park, they came forward with funding for its construction, which boasts two spacious corrals, in the shade of tall trees, alongside idyllic pub gardens.

The BHS believes that this will be a flagship project, soon to spread further afield, with horse parks springing up in many rural towns, to offer a climate-friendly, slow travel alternative.

Llandrindod Wells now hopes to win BHS recognition as a horse-friendly town, with its new facility welcoming in those who seek to use their animals as working horses for transport, should they so choose. The sight of a horse on the road could become commonplace again, with vehicle drivers becoming accustomed to slowing down and passing with care and respect.

In the next stage of the project, Penny plans to investigate local rights of way and produce a map to guide horse riders and drivers along quiet roads, bridleways and byways, to avoid the main roads in accessing the town centre.

Penny has been seen about town a couple of times recently with Ozzy, the gypsy cob, including pulling his cart on the occasion of the Victorian Festival this year, which attracts the crowds to the town every August.