Horse Riding
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Horse Riders are a regular sight on the roads within the village. Both riders and car drivers should ensure they are familiar with their obligations under the Highway Code.
Horse Riders
Rule 50: You should wear
Rule 51: At night
Rule 52: Before you take a horse on to a road, you should
Rule 53:
Rule 54: You must not
Rule 55: Avoid roundabouts wherever possible. If you use them you should
Drivers
Rule 215:
Horse Riders
Rule 50: You should wear
- boots or shoes with hard soles and heels
- light-coloured or fluorescent clothing in daylight
- reflective clothing if you have to ride at night or in poor visibility.
Rule 51: At night
- It is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility, but if you do, make sure you wear reflective clothing and your horse has reflective bands above the fetlock joints. A light which shows white to the front and red to the rear should be fitted, with a band, to the rider’s right arm and/or leg/riding boot.
- If you are leading a horse at night, carry a light in your right hand, showing white to the front and red to the rear, and wear reflective clothing on both you and your horse. It is strongly recommended that a fluorescent/reflective tail guard is also worn by your horse.
Rule 52: Before you take a horse on to a road, you should
- ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
- make sure you can control the horse.
- Always ride with other, less nervous horses if you think that your horse will be nervous of traffic. Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.
Rule 53:
- Before riding off or turning, look behind you to make sure it is safe, then give a clear arm signal.
- keep to the left
- keep both hands on the reins unless you are signalling
- keep both feet in the stirrups
- not carry another person
- not carry anything which might affect your balance or get tangled up with the reins
- keep a horse you are leading to your left
- move in the direction of the traffic flow in a one-way street
- never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.
Rule 54: You must not
- take a horse onto a footpath or pavement, and you should not take a horse onto a cycle track. Use a bridleway where possible.
- Equestrian crossings may be provided for horse riders to cross the road and you should use these where available. You should dismount at level crossings where a ‘horse rider dismount’ sign is displayed.
Rule 55: Avoid roundabouts wherever possible. If you use them you should
- keep to the left and watch out for vehicles crossing your path to leave or join the roundabout
- signal right when riding across exits to show you are not leaving
- signal left just before you leave the roundabout.
Drivers
Rule 215:
- Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly.
- Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider.
- Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop.
- Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard.
