Road safety around horses

Consideration and care needs to be taken by drivers and horse riders when sharing the road.

Advice for riders when sharing the road

It is important that horse riders always try to avoid busy or fast roads and always wear high-visibility clothing.  It is also important that they are familiar with the guidelines on where they should position themselves and their horse when riding on roads.

Additional advice for riders can be found on The British Horse Society website.

Advice for drivers around horses

Important points to remember when sharing the road with horse riders include driving carefully, particularly around bends on narrow roads and giving horses and their riders time to react safely.

  • watch out for signals from the rider to slow down or stop
  • slow down straight away when you see a horse so you can react appropriately.
  • when overtaking, give the horse at least a car’s width of space and drive slowly as you pass
  • accelerate gently once you have passed the horse and rider and you are at a safe distance
  • don’t make any loud noises, horses can become startled

Additional advice for motorists can be found on The British Horse Society website.

Further information

For additional information and advice, visit: