Road Work: Horse riders urged to use caution

By JULIET BRISKIN | Staff writer

Stacy Harmon of Greenpond tunes up a young filly near his home. Harmon was alert to passing vehicles and their effect on the filly. -- Staff photo

Sept. 9, 2004 - Horses and cars generally do not mix well, yet it is a common site, particularly in rural communities, to see a horse and rider attempting to share the road with cars, trucks and large commercial vehicles.

"My opinion of riding horses on public roads is much different today than it was 30 years ago," said Jan Dawson, founder and president of the American Association for Horsemanship Safety (AAHS). "We live in a rural area and 30 years ago the roads weren't paved and they were not as heavily traveled.

"Besides having the roads paved, the biggest change I see is that the drivers we meet on these roads are not rural people. They don't have any education as far as the horses are concerned or what can set them off."

In preparation for the fall trail riding season, many riders are beginning to saddle up and often look to the roadway as a place to give their horses a much needed "tune-up." While getting their horses back in the swing of things, riders are provided the perfect to opportunity to practice and fine-tune their horsemanship safety skills. Learning some basic hand signals, like "slow-down," and incorporating them into their riding routine can help increase rider safety and foster communication with motor vehicle operators.

Unfortunately, according to Dawson, many of today's drivers are not familiar with, or even aware of, the basic hand signals used by riders. She explained that the "slow-down" signal, which is used to alert drivers that they need to reduce their speed, is given when a rider extends their arm out to their side, palm down, and raises then lowers their arm repeatedly.

"Even the most experienced show horse, that has been exposed to all types of situations, can easily spook when a car shoots past them," she said. "One of the things that riders have to recognize is that the person behind the wheel has absolutely no clue that the horse you are riding may take a dim view of a car creating a large gust of air or unpleasant exhaust odors."

Dawson, with over 50 years of riding experience, is extremely cautious about which of her horses she will ride on or along a public road. She explained that when a rider takes a horse out on to the roadway there is no way they can foresee what situations may arise.

"The rider may feel confident that they know their horse, but if that horse has not experienced a certain situation, there really is no way to be sure how they will react," she asserted. "If I don't have a horse that is comfortable in traffic, I'm not going to go off down the road."

Training or desensitizing a horse to the sights and sounds of motor traffic is one way horse owners can help insure a safer ride. Dawson suggested finding a private road or lane and having someone repeatedly drive past the horse and rider. If at all possible, she highly recommends using different types of vehicles that will best mirror what may be encountered on public roads.

"Go get a friend, bring along an older, seasoned horse and find a safe place on some private land and start working," stated Dawson. "Now if you don't know how to 'road train' a horse, I suggest enlisting the help of someone that does. "

Texas does not have any laws in place specifically governing riding on or along public roadways, so riders are left to create their own set of safety rules. Experts like Dawson, who hosts safety clinics across the country, says educactional sessions are good place to start, and the library or local bookstore should have both books and equine magazines that provide safety tips.

"If I can do it safely, my preference is to ride on the opposite side of the road so that I can clearly see all of the oncoming traffic. I also know that I am more likely to be able to control a horse from the ground, than from the saddle."

Dawson has come across countless numbers of riders that are under the impression that if they dismount and lead their horse, they are less of a rider. In her opinion, the mark of a true horseman or woman is the ability to recognize the safest way to navigate potentially dangerous situations.

"I don't want to be on a horse that is rearing up on the side of the road; I have much more control of the situation when my feet are planted firmly on the ground," she said. "I also recommend learning how to use an emergency stop technique that will allow the rider to shut a horse down safely. The other thing that is good to know is how to do an emergency dismount. You would never use these things unless the alternative was very, very grave. "

According to Dawson, any competent, well-trained horsemanship safety instructor can teach a rider these emergency techniques. Basic horsemanship safety stems from using common sense and following some very simple guidelines.

"An awful lot of what I see out on the side of the road are horses that shouldn't be out there," she explained. "If you are going to ride down the road you want a seasoned horse. You certainly shouldn't be out there by yourself and if you do have a horse that is relatively inexperienced, it is a good idea to pair him up with an 'old timer' that has road riding experience. Chances are that when an 18-wheeler goes flying by and the older horse calmly stands by, your younger horse will too."

She also recommends avoiding roadways that do not have good, solid, wide shoulders or easements. The more room that exists between the horse and traffic, the better, according to Dawson; and if a problem arises, the rider has more room in which to maneuver. One of the greatest dangers encountered when road riding in Texas is asphalt.

"Most of these asphalt roads are just slicker than all get out," she said. "If you have a big nice horse that carries a lot of ground, like you would want for arena riding, and you get him out on some asphalt that has even the slightest angle to it all, and that horses' feet can slip right out from under him. I've had it happen to me and my horse was standing still."