# Do horses have the right of way on roads?



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I know that bicycles and pedestrians do, but what about horses? I have to ride a short distance about 1/8 mile on a road with not much shoulder to get to trails. Road is 2 lane residential 25 MPH, but everyone seems to drive faster than that. It is scary, but I have no other option to trail ride. I have posted about this before and I can't just give up on trail riding. That is what I bought my horse for. Unfortunately, he cannot be trusted to stay safely off to the side of the road. What to do??


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

When if you have full right of way, drivers don't know or respect that! Just be safe ok?


----------



## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I would not ride an unsafe horse down the side of the road. If your horse spooks, gets in the road, causes a wreck you will be liable. You need to work short stretches of the road at a time until the horse can calmly go down the road.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I don't care if horses/bikes/pedestrians have right of way or not - cars are bigger, heavier, faster and tougher and will severely injure/kill you AND the horse if they come speeding around a bend and can't stop. 
I do not trust road users when on a horse. It is 100% your own responsibility to keep safe, not the other road users. If you KNOW that your horse is not trustworthy on roads, you NEED to work on that before riding him out. It's not worth his life, your life and the life of a motorist.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

You'd be surprised at what traffic laws are still on the books. In Manitoba a gal was waiting to cross a highway when a semi driver blew the air horn and the horse went over backwards. Our club decided to dig into the laws. Going way back the law was still 25mph if livestock was within x many feet of a roadway. The newpaper printed the story for us and the speed law, which helped.


----------



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Re right of way: You'd have to check your local municipality/county to see what they have in place for road usage. As an example, where I am, the City that I'm closest to has the rule that if you're pedalling a bicycle you're basically operating a vehicle so must follow those rules applicable to vehicle operation - however if you're pushing rather than riding your bicycle then you are considered a pedestrian.

Re safety: Kayty has summed up that quite nicely. I would add that to increase your safety on that short stretch of road in particular, you should be wearing helmet and vest if possible; you should consider the time of day you plan on heading down the road (pick times when traffic volume is down eg 2:00 in the afternoon might be a quiet time because most people are at work and 5:30 in the afternoon might be a busy time because people are coming home); consider leading him down the road (if he's quiet and steady at that) and mounting when you hit the trail; at every opportunity work on your leg yielding, turning on forehand, haunches, sidepassing, etc. to refine and improve the communication between you two so that it becomes second nature for your horse to respond to your voice, legs and reins to improve "placement" when on the road - add this to putting on lots of good miles on your horse and you've got yourself a plan.


----------



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I knew you all would say this, but how do I get my horse used to being near a road if I can't take him on it? I have before and we haven't been killed yet, but there were some close calls and everytime I go out I am more nervous. I walk him to the end of the drive and make him stand there while cars pass. I wait until there are no cars and walk him out aways and back. I practice all the time, but the fact is, I can never absolutely predict how he will behave. I can deal with anything, anywhere, except on the road. Cars freak me out. I feel like I am being pushed by them and don't have the time to work through a situation like I would normally if I didn't have a car trying to pass me.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

If it's only an 1/8th of a mile, there is no shame at all in leading the horse. Also carry a long bike flag sideways, makes cars move over.


----------



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Kayty--- I totally agree with you, but how do you get a horse used to being on the road without him being on the road? It is almost a rhetorical question. I had my horse on the road and a motorcycle stopped beside us to ask a question and my horse was unfazed. But another time, there was no traffic and a garbage can caused him to lose his mind. I never know what to expect.


----------



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I actually feel safer on his back than leading him, cause I feel more in control. Can I carry a flag in my hand maybe?


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Yes, even seeing that, slows motorists down.


----------



## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

You could use a dune flag lashed to the cantle or skirt rigging. Leave the flag at the trail head, then reattach it on the way home.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

hberrie said:


> ...everytime I go out* I am more nervous.* I walk him to the end of the drive and make him stand there while cars pass. I wait until there are no cars and walk him out aways and back. I practice all the time, but the fact is, I can never absolutely predict how he will behave. I can deal with anything, anywhere, except on the road.* Cars freak me out...*.


You've hit upon a couple of things (see bolded) that need work first and foremost - your angst is going to be picked up by your horse and affect his behaviour. You need to get yourself calm and relaxed but still aware and thinking defensively when you're doing this (no easy task I bet!!!). You are doing a constructive activity with your walks if you're in the right state of mind and "practice all the time" is really consistent as in a daily event. When you're doing your practice it is important to end it on the right note - you end it when your horse is doing things like standing quietly when asked or walking calmly at your side. To end it when he is upset tells him that is acceptable or expected behaviour on his part. As you apply yourself and increase your knowledge, I think you will find that you ability to predict how he will behave will improve greatly - you'll start looking for the little signs (the flick of the ear, the raising of the neck, the tension in the mouth, the widening of the eye, etc) and then draw his attention back to you before anything really gets started.


----------



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Thank you Chevaux, I will try to work more on those those things.


----------



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

You're welcome hberrie - take care.


----------



## BornToRun (Sep 18, 2011)

Riders from the barn down the road from me often wear reflective vests that say "Horse in training" when they ride on the road. Might be something worth investing in?


----------



## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

people have to remember that horse are animal that react, if drivers remember that horses are bigger then deer and you see how much damage hitting a deer dose they would slow down but NO they don't


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I know loveduffy, but some folks are so ignorant! What is the big deal, you see a horse & rider, slow right down, & get over, oh my a minute out of your life? If everyone did that, the OP could ride without a worry to her trail.


----------



## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

Some motorists are very respectful of horses and their riders as I ride on roads often. I am extremely grateful for them! Then, there are the ones who totally disregard you and speed by like they're on a racetrack. We had a Stop sign installed in the past few years as you approach our boarding facility in an attempt to slow down the traffic. There are some of the residents who just drive right on through without even making an attempt to stop. It just makes me shake my head and wonder. I guess they feel it's their small revolt against the Evil Stop sign that causes them to lose precious time in their daily travels. So, the moral is: Do all you can to stay as safe as possible as you can't always count on the motorists to even abide by some simple rules of the road.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I once had a young driver speed up, start beeping his horn, swerve TOWARDS me and throw a beer can out the window at my horse, when riding down a small, local street on a young horse. Luckily said horse was fairly quiet and leapt sideways with an attempt to take off, but settled quickly. 
I've also had a horse panic on the road at a motorbike, and run backwards into the middle of a main road around a blind corner. 
Scary stuff!!! 

As someone said above, you will need to control your own fear before trying to tackle it with the horse. 
Have you noticed that on the days that you're feeling particularly nervous, the horse is particularly worried about the road? If you are feeling frightened before you even get out there, you're going to be shallow breathing, gripping and giving your horse mixed signals. Even the quietest of horses will get worried when the rider acts like this. 
Why not go out on the road for a walk by yourself a few times. Walk down the road, and along the trail for a while each day. Then get on your horse and bring a friend/parent to walk along with you. Often having someone on the ground can give you some more confidence to get on and go. 
Try doing an exercise along the road side to concentrate on. Leg yield down the road, say 15m, then change direction and leg yield on the other rein. Ride lots of walk-halt-walk transitions, and think about your breathing. Constant deep breaths through your mouth, out through your nose. Make your body go floppy. 
Attach a neck strap or monkey strap to your horse/saddle to give you something to grab onto if you feel nervous - then you're not grabbing the horse's mouth, making him nervous too.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I would go back to leading him from the ground. Regardless of how you feel, if you are on the ground, he can't carry you in front of a car.

You might also enlist the help of a friend to drive a car back and forth and around him on the road when there isn't much traffic. That is one area where 'desensitizing' seems appropriate. Good luck!


----------



## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

Paintlover1965 said:


> Some motorists are very respectful of horses and their riders as I ride on roads often. I am extremely grateful for them! Then, there are the ones who totally disregard you and speed by like they're on a racetrack.


Ain't that the truth! 

I also ride alongside/on the road almost every time I go out on the trail (we have to go on roads to access trails) and there are SO many people who must assume "if a horse is on a road, it must be accustomed to traffic." Not always the case! Fortunately, my horses are very well behaved around all sorts of traffic, but that came with being ridden on the road so often. 

Just be patient and confident. You'll get there.


----------



## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Mass x Velocity

1/2 Mass times Velocity squared.


----------



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

mass x velocity? I don't get it. Was never much good a physics LOL.


----------



## Breezy2011 (Nov 23, 2012)

I would continue to work on your horse to get him calm while walking or trotting down the road. 

When I was at camp, we had to cross an 8 lane highway (4 lane each way, really busy) and we were all on horse back, there was 13 of us. We would wait for a break in traffic, then we would lope all the horses across, and we had to do that like 6 times in 3 days (2 times a day, there and back) There were a few spooky horses, including the one I was on, but we all got safely across, so I would say, wait for a break in traffic, then calmly walk your horse across the road, if it is not a big road.


----------



## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

I take the two horses I work with and stand them on the corner of the busy road and stand with them for 10 minutes or so. We saw everything from motorcycles, to 18 wheelers, farty race cars, etc. Of course the main road has a limit of 35, but it looks like the Daytona 500 all the time!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

hberrie said:


> mass x velocity? I don't get it. Was never much good a physics LOL.


In classical mechanics, the kinetic energy of a _point object_ (an object so small that its mass can be assumed to exist at one point), or a non-rotating rigid body depends on the mass of the body as well as its speed. The kinetic energy is equal to the mass multiplied by the square of the speed, multiplied by the constant 1/2. In formula form:







where







is the mass and







is the speed (or the velocity) of the body.

So in this formula Ek equates to the kinetic energy which will occur when the mass (horse and rider) and velocity (the car) collide, i.e. the car crashing into you and your horse.

I hope I got that right! LOL.


----------



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

I ride a mile or so down the road everytime I ride (3-6 days a week right now) because the only places I can canter and/or breeze her out and do much more than walk/trot and have scenery.

Now..my mare's completely road safe and very rarely spooks at anything. BUT, the road is 40mph speed limit. Some people are courteous, while others are rude and expect me to walk off a cliff so that they can stay in the lane by honking their horn at me. I'm sorry, but I'm not sliding off a cliff when I can trot (not even walk!) another 20ft down the road and have a field to step off into.

But..main point is, most cars will slow down because they know horses are worse than deer to hit. Any of the drivers I've seen that have stopped to chat have said they know they need to slow down because just the same as someone walking their dog, the person may not be paying any attention and step out farther.

Personally though, I like the flag idea. You could always tie it to your horn and tie a little strip of reflector tape in a bow around your horse's tail.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Also, bring eggs... If they wanna speed and be inconsiderate.... EGG'UM!!!

Just kidding!.... Lol
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

SlideStop said:


> Also, bring eggs... If they wanna speed and be inconsiderate.... EGG'UM!!!
> 
> Just kidding!.... Lol
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


See now..you gave me an idea I didn't have xD
I may have to snag an egg from the coop before my ride now. I usually just flick people off (coz I'm old enough to not be worried about my mum hearing about it somehow, lol), but I was inclined to chase the comcast van down the road yesterday since they honked and pretty much floored it after Donald and Super got "out of their way".
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

I live in a place like that, 2 lane highway with ZERO lawenforcement, no shoulders, 
have soem trails about half mile up the road, but I dont bother. Even though I am in the right legally, aint worth diend over. Thats why they make horse trailers. load up and go ride somewhere.


----------



## LAhorses (Jan 5, 2012)

My trainer worked on the ground with my mare while I drove the car down the road. A couple times I would feed her carrots from the car window. Agarbage truck went by later that week and she followed it-must have been looking for her carrot!


----------



## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

Section 265:104 Approaching Horses.

They do here. Unfortunately some folks are clueless. I live on a back road in the middle of nowhere and there are several people who feel the road is an extension of the local racetrack. One day I yelled at the same kid 3 times to slow down. My daughter was standing near me on his last pass and told me who it was. She thought I was horrible for telling his mother.

I have one stupid lady who stops the car inches from the horse and blows her horn, she does it to squirrels or anything in the road. One day when she was blowing her horn at a turtle I went out moved the turtle back to the swamp and tried to explain things to her. She don't get it. I would have had better luck explaining it to the old snapping turtle.

I do have one neighbor with a segway. That kind of boggles my mare's mind.


----------



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

^^^^Honking a horn at a turtle???? Would've made a super YouTube video, LOL!!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I've wondered if the police would do anything if given video evidence (go pro) of bad behaviour by a motorist.


----------



## SueNH (Nov 7, 2011)

I used to work as an officer in the next town. I'm aware of one time where the rider insisted on somebody being charged. The police wouldn't prosecute so she signed and prosecuted her own complaint. The way NH law is set up the police had to serve the summons. She won. The fine was kind of minimal however it did show on his driving record afterwards. I think I would do the same if the circumstances were right. There is only a "sort of" police dept. here and I doubt state police would get involved.


----------

