Dear Sir:
Spring is coming, and horseback riders will start riding on the roads. Horses are flight animals – they run when scared, which can be dangerous for drivers and for horses and their riders.
Even the most ‘bombproof’ horse can be scared by bicycles, loose dogs, running children, loud noises, rattling trailers, dust clouds behind large vehicles, buses, umbrellas, blowing garbage etc.
Horses are also large powerful animals, often weighing over 1,000 pounds, so a collision with one poses considerable risk to the motor vehicle and its occupants, as well as to the horse and rider. Horseback riders have the highest incidence of head injuries in amateur sport (their head is 3 metres off the ground), so falling off, particularly in traffic, poses significant risks.
Legally horses may remain in the roadway, indicating their possession of the right-of-way in the right-hand lane, thus encouraging vehicles to pass in the left hand traffic lane when safe to do so.
However, many drivers do not understand that driving close behind a horse is exceedingly dangerous and can scare horses, causing them to bolt down the road. So lots of riders choose to ride facing the traffic – forcing traffic to slow down and pass them when safe.
But whenever you see a horse – regardless of whether it’s in your lane or on the shoulder – please slow down and give the horse lots of room. Pass slow and wide. This spring, please help horses, riders and all drivers stay safe by courteously sharing the road.
Tania Millen, Terrace, B.C.
