horses

Horses can become scared easily when out on the road, as a driver you should take extra care for the safety of the horse, rider and other road vehicles including yourself. You can do this by:

• Looking out for horses that are being ridden or led on the road, in particular those being controlled by children. 
• Slow down on country roads in particular when following left hand bends as horses could be just around the corner and hidden from view. 
• When you do see a horse rider or led horse slow down
• Give plenty of room and be prepared to stop, remember the horse can not see you when your behind, do not get too close that you may frighten them
• Don’t sound your horn or rev your engine, even if you want to alert the rider to your presence as the loud noise may scare the animal resulting in unpredictable responses.
• Look out for any signas the rider may be giving you, such as slow down or stop. You should respond as requested for the safety of everyone involved .
• If a rider signals for you to pass them, make sure it is safe to do so without scaring the horse as stated above.

Horse drawn vehicles should be treated in a similar way as horses being ridden. Do remember that despite having a carriage present they may be no direct signals (brake lights, signals etc) shown and only signals from the accompanying person may be given.

Horse riders

Children under the age of 14 years of age must wear a safety helmet that meets current regulations, other riders should also follow these requirements. As well as a safety helmet it is recommended that a rider/horse wears:

• Boots or shoes with hard soles & heels
• Light-coloured or fluorescent clothing during daylight
• At night
• Reflective clothing should be worn for both the rider and the horse
• Reflective bands fitted above the fetlock joints on the horse
• A light showing white to the front and red to the rear should be fitted to the rider RIGHT arm and/or leg/boot