# Road Riding



## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

I love to be able to just saddle up a horse and go riding anytime I want...certainly a lot more than I like trailering our mares to a park, so we do a lot of 'road riding'...on or along roads, around fields, trail blazing through woods, riding through neighborhoods, and even going to the grocery store. Any one else enjoy this type of 'go anywhere, anytime' type of pleasure riding?


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

That's awesome. I don't do a lot of road riding, but along the trails there's this huge park place you can ride on, it has all sorts of roads & stuff. It's really cool.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

That's pretty much ALL I do... road ride, 'trail blaze', ride on 4-wheeler & deer trails... go mud-riding with the horses... you name it, we probably do it. It's the best way to ride, IMO... You've got all the freedom you want and no one to tell you what to do... plus MILES and MILES of free, open space!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

We ride the roads a lot too. The only thing is stupid people throwing bottles and cans in the ditches. Not so bad when the grass is low, but when it gets tall I freak out. I hate having to watch every foot fall for glass bottles. 
Please everyone, if you own a horse or not, don't throw trash along the roads. Someone may be trying to ride their horse there.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

Excellent point vida! Every summer I ride the road that leads to my house on our 4 wheeler and my son and I pick up cans and bottles because 1) i can recycle the aluminum for MONEY! 8) and 2) when we get ready to ride the road is tidy. I can't believe how much people litter! My car ends up looking like a trash can sometimes but we don't litter!!!


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## ColleenT (Apr 5, 2007)

used to be able to do that, but people drive really insanely here, and they are all angry drivers, so it is dangerous. then you have the teenage show-offs who actually TRY to harm you and your horse. it is just not safe anymore.


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## Brandon (Jan 17, 2008)

Ya here in edmond you have abunch of those stupid kids that will try to actually do somethin stupid to get your horse to spook or to harm you or the horsey.. Idk, if i ever got my own horse, i would think twice before ridin into Edmond.. 

I think it would be so cool just to ride into town and go through the Mcdonalds drive thru and just scare the crap out of the person takin the order lol


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

We do have to ride 1/10th of a mile or so down a sort of busy road to get here, but its right across the road from our house. Its well worth it. Our place is just to the right of the photo edge. 
This was this morning! Great ride


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

yeah!!  After school in the summer I just saddle up and wander the roads til it goes dark :lol:


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Well, I'm glad that there are others that enjoy just getting out and riding. Most people that I talk to only want to ride the parks. Of course, they also say that their horse would never stand still with cars and motorcycles going by We live a couple miles outside a small town (about 5000 folks), but 'urban sprawl' is coming our way. What used to be several hundred acres of woods, is now an expensive housing development :-( That's become my shortcut back out to the country...










to the rural roads...










to visit the cows. Luckily, you can still ride forever out here.

I have come across teens that try and spook the horses, and I even had someone chase me in his car and yell at me in that new development (he was afraid my horse would 'foul' the road in front of his house). Some roads I avoid because folks drive too crazy, but there are still enough of the old farmers around that don't mind you riding around the edges of their fields.

All pixs from a ride on "Angel", our 14 yr seasoned Paint mare.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Thankfully our horses are pretty much immune to road noise. We live about 5 miles from a lake so all summer we have motorcyles, campers , cars towing boats with their tarps flappin you name it wizzing past them at 60 mph. Plus its a short cut for truckers so we get them too. They got desensitized to all motor noise just standing out in the pasture


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

That looks so awesome!!


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

Heres moo on a busy road :lol: i shouldnt really have had the camera out


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Awww, very nice!


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## Harlee rides horses (Jan 13, 2008)

I always ride on the road. I rode from my barn to my house one time.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

moomoo, cool pix!


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## amandaandeggo (May 21, 2008)

Yep that all i do


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## geewillikers (May 4, 2008)

Willy and I ride on the road everytime we ride...usually end up on redwood logging trails. He loves it, because he hates the arena! I love it, because I did a lot of eventing as a kid in Jersey, and am enjoying the wilderness of northern CA...


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Cool....I wish there were more of us...


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

You know what I like about riding on the road?
The clip-clop noise from their hooves...lol, it's relaxing.


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## geewillikers (May 4, 2008)

I agree Pop.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

oo-oo yes..especially at the trot.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

A friend and I road down to Walmart once. It was actually a lot of fun. If you are going to be on the roads, make sure you know all the horseback riding road regulations and you know all the signals.


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

I'm lucky in that my horse's pasture is right on a busy county road. She sees semis, grain trucks, tractors, motorcycles and garbage trucks. I've never had anyone be discourteous and most slow down and move to the other lane when passing me. I try to be courteous too, and stand on a road approach, if I'm able. You can see the fence, the road ditch and the road above the pasture, behind my Ming.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

moomoo said:


> Heres moo on a busy road :lol: i shouldnt really have had the camera out


Love the photos. When i lived in Europe it was quite standard to ride on the roads there. Here tho it is horse country, we have a lot more country side than roads so there are no reasons as to why you should be riding on the roads.

I remember we used to canter on the side of country roads. Ah the good times.


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

*I love that sound of hooves on the tar road, too. Oddly enough, my horse prefers the tar to the grass on the shoulder. My saddle is very creaky, which I also love.*


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

*Are the horseback regulations and signals different from bicycles?*


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Nine said:


> *Are the horseback regulations and signals different from bicycles?*


Regardless of weather or not you are in a car, bike or a horse the hand and arm signals are the same.


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## horsejumper123 (Jul 9, 2008)

ha ha next year my mare will be bringing me to nickolet little town a few miles from us. forgot cars! lol! the only thing that i will be afraid of is the big trucks. lol i just dont like them at 
ha ha just tie them up while you go inside.
hm.. she can even bring me to the vets when we need to pick up my poodle!


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## horsejumper123 (Jul 9, 2008)

Nine, where do you live? your horse looks like ive seen her before, and int he back round photo it looks alot like where i live.
hm... we may be neighbors!


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

*First, My2Geldings: I love your horse. Gorgeous! Thanks for the signal tip.

Horsejumper123: I live in New Ulm. Bought the horse just outside of New Ulm from a family just off of 15 North of town. Where do you live?*


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## horsejumper123 (Jul 9, 2008)

Nine i live very close to that. I live on the Judson Bottom Road, right out side Nicolet. 
ha ha maybe i just pass your house or something, we drive to there to see my grandpa every sunday. Exept right now im in MO lol.


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## horsejumper123 (Jul 9, 2008)

Nine i used the power of map quest and it takes twenty three minutes to get from New Ulm to Nicollet. From Nicollet it takes five minutes to get to my house. so the total trip is about a half hour. 
here is the link to it. 
were the blue line ends you just go straight down and it says judson 
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=New...1g=-94.4724&1v=ZIP&2c=Nicollet&2s=MN&2z=56074
just wondering, how old are you? because if we ever do decide to go riding together i know im going to have a tough time convincing my dad lol. oh i could say that you were just one of my friends friends that use to live in New Ulm lol. oh by the way im 16.


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## Winter Filly (Jul 12, 2008)

I've never ridden on a road. I could but not with the road my barn is off of. I just ride in the wash instead. Not too long ago a horse and rider died just up the road from my barn. Of course the lady wasn't being safe. No helmet and it was 6:00 and getting dark out. They were hit by a pickup tuck. Horse went over the truck, snapped its neck. It died right there on the road. Rider flew another few feet. Her brains were all over the road. She was in the hospital for a few days and then she died. Next day I went to the barn and there were blood stains on the road. So yeah, I just stick to the wash.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Nine said:


> *Are the horseback regulations and signals different from bicycles?*


They differ by state...and, at least in North Carolina are very vague...the few that exist are mainly from the days of the early cars around the 1930s.
Per the NC Department of Transportation, horses are not vehicles (or bicycles) and not pedestrians either (they didn't have a category for what they were, though). You are allowed to ride on any state road except controlled access road (like freeways) and you can use the whole lane if you want. There are no helmet laws and DUI/DWI laws do not apply (for those that like to drink and ride). That was about it...except you do NOT have to pick up your manure from the road 
Don't expect the police/sheriff to know the laws either..when I asked, they told me that they really didn't know and that no one else had ever asked them. I pass them all the time on the road and they just wave.

BTW, watch out for speeders, blind curves, and jerks who intentionally try to spook your horse.


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

*That's really interesting, PaintHorseMares. My horses got out last summer. The quarterhorse gelding I had then was very curious and he found a way to open the gait. Anyway, he and my friend's thouroughbred gelding were running down a county road at evening comute time. When the county sherrif pulled up to the side of the road and stepped out of his car, to figure out how to catch the horses, my Archer ran right up to him. I believe my horse asked could he see the sheriff's gun; would he please put the lights and sirens on and could Archer ride shot-gun. He was just so curious! A funny horse.

Winter Filly, you're right. It can be really scary. I'm lucky in that our roads are quite wide with nice shoulders on them. And there's always the ditch to ride in, if things look too iffy.*


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

*I rode on County Road 13 today. It's quite busy, but every motorcycle that passed us, slowed and made sure they didn't make excess noise. Very nice. I make sure to wave and smile and say thank you. And steady Ming never even looked at them. Thank God for a sensible horse.*


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Nine said:


> *I rode on County Road 13 today. It's quite busy, but every motorcycle that passed us, slowed and made sure they didn't make excess noise. Very nice. I make sure to wave and smile and say thank you. And steady Ming never even looked at them. Thank God for a sensible horse.*


Quite to my surprise when I started riding a lot on the road, I've had the same experience...folks with motorcycles have always been very courteous and considerate. Perhaps the car is our common enemy


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## Nine (May 25, 2008)

*PHM, I think motorcyclists are considerate, because so many car drivers are so inconsiderate to the motorcycles.

HJ123 - I wouldn't want you to be anything but honest with your Dad. You have to be so careful on the internet these days. You just don't know what psycho is out there. I think you have to be more careful on the internet, than out riding.  Be very careful on what information you give out.*


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## WildFeathers (Sep 2, 2007)

I like riding in different places, I've ridden my horse downtown (and we're friends with the mounted police, so we can hang with them sometimes), in neighborhoods, and down roads. But really, I way prefer "real" _trail_riding. I like being in the woods or fields where I can't see any cement or buildings. But every once in a while it's fun to do something like pick my sister up from school on horses .

Actually I'm working right now with a guy who's starting a plant nursery, and it's so close to my house that I'll be able to ride through some dirt roads/woods to work . And Velvet will be able to graze all day.


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## WildFeathers (Sep 2, 2007)

PaintHorseMares said:


> Nine said:
> 
> 
> > *I rode on County Road 13 today. It's quite busy, but every motorcycle that passed us, slowed and made sure they didn't make excess noise. Very nice. I make sure to wave and smile and say thank you. And steady Ming never even looked at them. Thank God for a sensible horse.*
> ...


That's what I think too, I'm always appreciative. 4-wheelers can be the same way, quiet and considerate, but not always.


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## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

Here in Switzerland we have to have a license to ride on the road. Minors must be accompanied by an adult 18 or over.
I ride on the road to get from point A to point B usually, however, there are times I do a "desensitizing" ride into town just to make sure my horses are able to accept different situations. My two biggest obstacles here are the cows with big bells on that come running to the fence to see you (usually the young ones but all cows here wear BIG bells around their necks). My mare is finally, after 3 years, calming down a bit. She wants to "flight" not "fight" and does not mind cows without bells at all. The other is flags blowing in the wind right when you come up to them. Cars, tractors, trucks, trains, helicopters, skiers, dogs, quads, deer, etc..............no problem.
Luckily people don't throw much out of the car around here......the Swiss do have their clean ways


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

You have to have a license to ride a horse on the road? Wow
We rarely ride on paved roads. Although the road we live on is paved and semi-busy. We are on a corner with a dirt road to the side. 
We put a ride through gate from our pasture to the dirt road so that makes it nice. 
Vida is also a little afraid of flags and I'm sure if a cow with a big bell came running over she would have a scare :lol:


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## QtrHorse (Oct 13, 2008)

The license process is in depth. It is 6 to 8 weekends of theoretical and practical with a certified instructor You study health, feeding, emergency and first aid, horse structure and equipment, law, traffic rules, etc. etc. Then there is the weekend of "the test". There are 2 judges and you have to orally answer questions and then you have to show your riding skills. My husband and I took the Western but there is also English, Driving, Trail Riding (I think there are also different levels). For the Western we had to dress appropriately and present in-hand at the walk and trot, then mount and perform all gaits and transitions, lead changes, back with turns, side passes, circles, serpentines and navigate trail obstacles. Frankly, it was quite daunting and intense for me as I had to do it in French too. At the end of your performance you have to wait and then the judges call you in and talk with you about what you did right and wrong. Out of our group of 10 only 5 passed. Mostly because of horse training issues. Not only is it time consuming but it is expensive too. You have to "renew" your license every year and it is required for sanctioned competition shows such as AQHA.
At the end you get a card, certificate and a pin to wear. Children can take it when they are 10 years old. Mostly kids take it so they can show since you have to be a licensed 18 or with a licensed adult to ride on the road.
I've never been checked and I don't know anyone who has. I suppose you could get into trouble if there was an accident and you didn't have your license.


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