Horses and the road

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Horses and the road

A horse is considered a vehicle, so most of the normal road rules apply. It is important for both horse owners and motorists to be aware of their responsibilities while horses are on the road.

Riders

Do:	Avoid
Wear Reflective Clothing & Horse Gear	Riding in Poor Light Especially without Reflective Gear
Wear Boots with Smooth Sole/Small Heel	Riding More than Two-Abreast
Wear a Protective Helmet	Riding in a Dangerous Manner, without Due Care and Attention to Other Road Users
Ride on the Left-Hand Side on the Road	Taking a Young Inexperienced Horse Out Without an Experienced Horse & Rider
Give Clear Hand Signals
Always Report Accidents and Near Misses
Promote Good Safety Practises
Know the Australian Road Rules
Use Horse Trails and Horse Crossings

Drivers

Do:	Avoid:
Pass Horse Riders Wide and Slow	Scaring Horses by Hooting or Revving your Engine
Observe Rider's Hand Signals	Throwing Objects at Horses/Riders
Treat Horses as potential hazards
Be Aware that Horses are a 'Vehicle' under the Australian Road Rules

To assist in gathering road safety information, the Horse Federation of South Australia (Horse SA) has an incident report form. This form is used for research into the safety of horse riding in South Australia and can be completed online.

The Horse Federation of South Australia (Horse SA), is the umbrella organisation for the recreation and sporting horse community and industry.

Key focus areas include:

• Horse health
• Horse keeping and the environment
• Trails and access to public lands
• Road safety
• Facilities
• Clubs and volunteers
• Local government
• Major event involvement
• Other issues of general interest to the whole horse community, eg insurance and risk management.

For further information visit the Horse SA website.