Can You Ride a Horse on the Street
If you don't take directly access to miles of trails or well-maintained arenas, you may observe yourself needing to ride your horse on the road.
You'll exist pleasantly surprised to acquire that in most places, it'south perfectly legal to take your equestrian endeavors off-property and down a state lane.
But hold your horses! Before you hit the highway, you'll want to plan ahead and make sure that y'all're familiar with the local equine and traffic laws detail to your area – and that it's safe for y'all and your horse besides as the drivers and pedestrians around you.
The Legality of Riding on the Route
Every state, county, and boondocks volition accept specific rules and regulations that govern the legality of riding your horse on the road.
While there are no federal laws that prevent you lot from taking your horse downwardly metropolis streets, you still demand to brand certain that you're not breaking whatsoever local rules.
Horses as Vehicles vs. Horses as Livestock
Most laws pertaining to horses regard them every bit livestock – they govern how they should be kept, where and when they tin can be slaughtered, who is liable for equestrian accidents, etc.
However, most of these laws apply to horses existence ridden or driven as a thing of an "equine activity" or managed as a herd of loose animals.
Horses beingness ridden or driven on the road are generally governed by traffic laws. They must share the road with motorized vehicles, and are therefore treated as such in the eyes of the law.
Individual rules can vary from region to region with regards to exactly when and where you can ride, but for the well-nigh office – it'southward legal to ride your horse on the route except where expressly forbidden.
Horse-fatigued carriages and sleighs are considered "slow-moving vehicles," and are besides governed by traffic laws. Nevertheless, there are some exceptions for carriages – usually regarding tourism.
For example, you can usually drive your own horse and buggy down the route to the corner shop, merely you may need a specific commercial license if y'all desire to pick up passengers.
Equestrian Licensing
You don't need a license to ride a horse, merely y'all may demand one if you want to do other things like bulldoze a buggy in specific areas, guide other people on a trail ride, or selection upwards passengers in a wagon.
Merely, if yous but intend to hit the trail (that may include some sections of route), you don't need a license to practice so.
General Rules for Drivers
Many states have laws in place to protect equestrians on the road, although some are more than comprehensive than others. Here's an example from New Hampshire:
"Every person having control or accuse of a vehicle shall, whenever upon any fashion and approaching whatever horse, drive, manage, and control such vehicle in such a manner every bit to exercise every reasonable precaution to preclude the frightening of such equus caballus, and to insure the safety and protection of any person riding or driving the same." (source)
For the nigh part, vehicles must yield to equestrians and avoid frightening the horses (no honking or speeding past), and everyone should piece of work together to share the road.
General Rules for Riders
Equestrians need to make sure they're obeying traffic laws and whatsoever posted signage. Highways are generally off-limits, as are train pathways and many bridges. Use equestrian crossings wherever possible, and avert decorated intersections.
Most states specify that you should ride on the right-hand side of the road with the catamenia of traffic (except in Colorado, where you must ride on the left). Ride in a unmarried-file line if y'all're in a grouping, and stay every bit well-nigh to the shoulder equally you tin can. (source)
When and Where it is Illegal to Ride
While there are few laws expressly forbidding riding on a road, y'all notwithstanding desire to pay attending to the specific rules of your area. Here are some examples of applicable traffic laws (although this is far from an exhaustive list) (source):
- Louisiana: Don't tie your horse to a tree on the highway, or allow him stand in a mode that endangers it (the tree, not the horse). Riding is also not permitted on paved highways. (source)
- Alabama: Don't pale your horse or other livestock animals on the correct-of-way on a highway.
- Idaho, Mississippi, Pennsylvania: Yous must cross bridges at a gait no faster than a walk. (Fun fact, the fine for breaking Mississippi police force from 1857 is $five – unless there'southward no posted sign, and then the fee is waived). (source)
- Nevada: No "reckless" riding.
- Kentucky, New Bailiwick of jersey Pennsylvania, New York: No racing on the highways.
- Kentucky: Don't ride your horse on a levee.
While most states don't accept constitutional laws that expressly forestall riding on state highways, equestrians still have to follow the rules of the route (and well-nigh highways specifically exclude horses and pedestrians).
You should always obey all posted signage when riding your equus caballus, for the safety of you and the drivers around you lot. Use equestrian crossings when applicative, and avoid riding on areas designated for pedestrians merely (such as sidewalks).
Find the Laws in Your Country
Navigating your state's laws and statutes can be a tricky business concern. While consulting a lawyer is your best bet, y'all actually just need to do a quick search to find out if there are any unique laws in your area.
This table provides a link to the search page for each state'southward legislature. When searching for traffic statues, use terms like "animal riding," "horse riding," "equus caballus," "livestock," or "not-motorized vehicle" to get the all-time results.
| Country | Where to find Equestrian Traffic Laws |
| Alabama | http://alisondb.legislature.country.al.us/alison/CoaSearchContent.aspx |
| Alaska | http://www.legis.country.ak.u.s./ground/folio.asp |
| Arizona | https://www.azleg.gov/arstitle/ |
| Arkansas | https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Item?ddBienniumSession=2019%2F2019R&measureno=SB75 |
| California | https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml |
| Colorado | https://leg.colorado.gov/agencies/office-legislative-legal-services/colorado-revised-statutes |
| Connecticut | https://search.cga.land.ct.us/r/statute/ |
| Delaware | https://delcode.delaware.gov/sessionlaws/ |
| Florida | http://world wide web.leg.land.fl.united states/Statutes/index.cfm?Mode=Search%20Statutes&Submenu=2&Tab=statutes |
| Georgia | https://advance.lexis.com/container?config=00JAAzZDgzNzU2ZC05MDA0LTRmMDItYjkzMS0xOGY3MjE3OWNlODIKAFBvZENhdGFsb2fcIFfJnJ2IC8XZi1AYM4Ne&crid=43a5eb68-6d76-40ce-bf65-c48760f2ed03&prid=13d2e84d-d63e-4cd1-b5f4-1dffa6020ec6 |
| Hawaii | https://world wide web.capitol.hawaii.gov/ |
| Idaho | https://legislature.idaho.gov/search-results/ |
| Illinois | https://www.ilga.gov/search/iga_search.asp?scope=ilcs |
| Indiana | http://iga.in.gov/legislative/laws/2020/ic/titles/001 |
| Iowa | https://world wide web.legis.iowa.gov/police force |
| Kansas | http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2019_20/statute/ |
| Kentucky | https://legislature.ky.gov/Law/Statutes/Pages/default.aspx |
| Louisiana | https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/LawSearch.aspx |
| Maine | https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/search.htm |
| Maryland | https://mdcourts.gov/lawlib/inquiry/gateway-to-dr.-law |
| Massachusetts | https://malegislature.gov/laws/generallaws |
| Michigan | https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(2jhloe4bq1ghellrcg10rjip))/mileg.aspx?folio=MCLBasicSearch |
| Minnesota | https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/ |
| Mississippi | https://accelerate.lexis.com/container?config=00JAAzNzhjOTYxNC0wZjRkLTQzNzAtYjJlYS1jNjExZWYxZGFhMGYKAFBvZENhdGFsb2cMlW40w5iIH7toHnTBIEP0&crid=1958fb9f-7d84-42f8-8228-4be5ea42b7b4 |
| Missouri | https://revisor.mo.gov/chief/Home.aspx |
| Montana | https://leg.mt.gov/statute/ |
| Nebraska | https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/laws.php |
| Nevada | http://search.leg.land.nv.us/NRS/NRS.html |
| New Hampshire | https://www.nh.gov/glance/laws-rules.htm |
| New Jersey | https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=Publish:10.1048/Enu |
| New Mexico | https://nmonesource.com/nmos/en/nav.do |
| New York | http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/lawssrch.cgi?NVLWO: |
| North Carolina | https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/GeneralStatutes |
| North Dakota | https://www.legis.nd.gov/general-information/north-dakota-century-code |
| Ohio | http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/ |
| Oklahoma | http://world wide web.oklegislature.gov/tsrs_os_oc.aspx |
| Oregon | https://world wide web.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/Pages/ORS_Mobile.aspx |
| Pennsylvania | https://www.legis.state.pa.united states/ |
| Rhode Island | http://webserver.rilin.land.ri.us/Statutes/ |
| South Carolina | https://www.scstatehouse.gov/lawmaking/statmast.php |
| Due south Dakota | https://sdlegislature.gov/#/Statutes/Codified_Laws |
| Tennessee | https://advance.lexis.com/container?config=014CJAA5ZGVhZjA3NS02MmMzLTRlZWQtOGJjNC00YzQ1MmZlNzc2YWYKAFBvZENhdGFsb2e9zYpNUjTRaIWVfyrur9ud&crid=90a6f868-1ba4-4466-92ae-8580c0c4d20a |
| Texas | https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Search.aspx |
| Utah | https://le.utah.gov/solrsearch.jsp |
| Vermont | https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/search |
| Virginia | https://constabulary.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/ |
| Washington | https://leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/Pages/default.aspx |
| West Virginia | https://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/code.cfm |
| Wisconsin | https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/prefaces/toc |
| Wyoming | https://world wide web.wyoleg.gov/StateStatutes/StatutesConstitution |
| Washington DC | https://dc.gov/page/laws-regulations-and-courts |
If yous find your state's website as well unwieldy to navigate, yous can as well try Michigan Country Academy's Legal and Historical Fauna Center (starting with these horse-related statutes). You can also try https://lp.findlaw.com/ to search for more specific laws in your surface area.
Even if you lot don't understand all the fancy legalese, just know that it's pretty much legal in most places to ride your equus caballus on the route – as long as you're being safe about it.
Safety First
Even if you lot have a legal right to be on the route, e'er have safety precautions when sharing the route with motor vehicles. Here are some bones tips (source):
- Stick to appropriate trails and bridle paths as much as possible, and avoid roads if you tin. It'll exist amend for your horse's feet, trails and bridlepaths are often designed with your horse in mind and y'all can avert speeding cars and trucks.
- Program alee. If you can't avoid roads, choose a route that includes quieter streets with piffling traffic, broad shoulders, and no blind corners.
- Habiliment vivid, reflective clothing. Now is the time to break out the flashiest gear you tin can find. The more than easily a commuter can see yous, the more than likely you'll avoid an accident.
- Spend some time grooming your equus caballus, and brand sure he's ready to striking the open road. If you program to ride on the roads often, take the time and desensitize your horse to mutual sights and sounds, and teach them to handle spooking without tossing you into the street. (source)
- Apply the buddy system, and always wear your helmet.
Avoid Dangerous Situations
Even if your horse must follow traffic laws, you can't get a ticket for speeding or running a red light, and you tin't be "pulled over" for lawfully riding your horse in a place where you are legally allowed to be.
Even so, there are nevertheless consequences for riding your equus caballus recklessly or breaking explicit traffic laws.
Don't drinkable and ride – Horseback riding nether the influence
Most DUI and DWI laws apply to people operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, which may or may not use to riding a horse.
In some states, people have been charged and convicted of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated (including California, Texas, and Florida) while riding their horse drunk.
In states where information technology's not technically illegal under the traffic code to ride a horse after a few drinks, they were plant guilty of other misdemeanors like public intoxication. (source)
Texting While Horseback Riding
In today's tech-savvy order, the same laws would probably apply to texting or using the phone while riding as they practise while driving (which can vary greatly from state to land).
By and large speaking – if information technology's illegal for drivers to practice it, then consider information technology illegal for equestrians on the route as well.
Other Legal Consequences
Even if you tin't be charged with a DUI/DWI, you should still avoid doing anything that could compromise the condom of you or your horse.
If an incident occurs, you could be liable for damage that happens to someone's property or vehicle.
You could besides exist charged with creature endangerment, public endangerment, or public intoxication if you're caught riding your equus caballus while under the influence. (source)
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