Horses and Road Safety: For Riders and Drivers

For Riders: Before You Ride Out

• Be ready. Your horse should be calm in traffic before you ride on busy roads; school it with an experienced escort horse on quiet lanes first.
• Train. In the UK, the British Horse Society runs a Ride Safe award covering road riding; elsewhere, ask your national horse society.
• Tell someone your route and when you'll be back, and carry a charged phone and ID.
• Choose the time. Avoid riding at dusk, at night and in fog where you can. Great Britain's Highway Code says it is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility.

Be Seen

Fluorescent colors show up in daylight and reflective strips at night and in poor light. Wear a hi-vis vest or jacket and a hat cover, and put hi-vis on your horse: an exercise sheet, leg bands and a browband or bridle covers. Great Britain's Highway Code advises light-colored or fluorescent clothing in daylight and reflective clothing in poor light, and a light (white to the front, red to the rear) if you must ride in the dark.

On the Road

• Ride on the correct side of the road for your country, in single file on narrow or busy roads and on bends.
• Use clear arm signals and make eye contact with drivers.
• Thank drivers who slow down: a nod or a raised hand helps everyone.
• In Great Britain, the Highway Code says you must not take a horse onto a footpath or pavement, and advises avoiding roundabouts where possible.
• Use bridleways and off-road routes where you can.

For Drivers: Passing Horses

Horses are prey animals and can spook at sudden noises or close traffic, whatever their rider does. When you see a horse on the road:

1. Slow right down early. Great Britain's Highway Code says to slow to a maximum of 10 mph.
2. Be patient. Don't sound your horn or rev your engine.
3. Pass wide and slow when it is safe, leaving at least 6.5 feet (2 meters) of space, as the Highway Code advises.
4. Accelerate gently once well past.

Treat loose and free-roaming ponies, such as those on Dartmoor, Exmoor and in the New Forest, with the same care. In other countries, check your national driving rules; many give similar advice.