Riding a Horse on Public Roads: Laws, DUI Questions and Staying Safe

Are horses allowed on public roads?

Generally, yes. Most states follow language drawn from a long-standing model traffic code: a person riding an animal on a roadway has all the rights, and is subject to all the duties, of a driver of a vehicle, except where those rules by their nature can't apply.

In practice, that usually means:

• Ride on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic, like a vehicle. This is different from pedestrians, who walk facing traffic.
• Obey traffic signals and signs, including stop signs.
• Signal turns where you can do so safely.
• Yield as a vehicle would at intersections.

Horses are usually prohibited on interstates and other limited-access highways. Some cities and towns also restrict horses on certain streets or require riders to stay on the shoulder.

Can you get a DUI on a horse?

It's one of the most searched horse questions, and the honest answer is: it depends on the state.

• Many DUI laws apply only to "motor vehicles." A horse isn't a motor vehicle, so in those states a drunk rider generally can't be charged with DUI.
• Some states' DUI laws use broader terms, such as any "vehicle" or any means of transportation. In a few states, riders have been charged, and courts have reached different conclusions about whether a horse counts.
• Other charges still apply. Even where DUI law doesn't cover horses, riders can face public intoxication, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct or animal cruelty charges.

Legal or not, riding drunk is a bad idea. Alcohol slows reaction time and balance. A horse is a live animal that can spook, and you're sharing the road with cars. Most riding accidents happen to sober people.

Liability if a horse gets loose

If a horse escapes onto a road and causes an accident, the owner can be held responsible. How that works depends on state law:

• Fence-in states: owners must keep livestock fenced in, and an escaped horse often points to negligence.
• Open-range areas, found in parts of some Western states, put more responsibility on drivers in designated areas.
• Equine activity statutes in most states limit liability for the inherent risks of horse activities, usually requiring warning signs, but they generally don't cover negligence such as poor fencing.

Keep fences and gates in good repair, use gate latches a horse can't open, and carry liability insurance. See how many acres a horse needs for fencing basics.

Before you ride on the road

The horse

Not every horse is ready for traffic. A road-safe horse:

• Stays calm when cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors pass
• Doesn't spook at mailboxes, flapping flags, barking dogs or bicycles
• Stands still when asked and moves over on request
• Has been introduced to traffic gradually, ideally alongside an experienced, calm horse

Build up slowly: watch traffic from a safe field, then ride quiet roads with a steady companion before tackling busier ones.

The rider

• Wear a certified helmet. See the riding helmet guide.
• Be seen. Hi-vis vests or jackets for you, and hi-vis or reflective leg bands, a breastplate or a tail guard for the horse. Fluorescent colors in daylight, reflective materials in low light.
• Carry a phone and ID, and tell someone your route.

Safety on the road

• Ride in daylight and good visibility. Avoid dusk, dawn, fog and heavy rain. If you must ride in low light, use lights and plenty of reflective gear.
• Ride single file on narrow or busy roads, and two abreast only where it's safe, so drivers can see around you.
• Keep to the right, on the shoulder or verge where it's firm and safe.
• Avoid blind corners, hills, narrow bridges and busy intersections where you can.
• Ride with an experienced, calm companion when you can, with the steadiest horse on the traffic side.
• Stay alert. No headphones.
• Be extra visible in hunting season in rural areas.

Communicating with drivers

• Ask drivers to slow down by raising your arm out to the side and slowly moving it up and down.
• Signal turns with an arm out where you can do so safely.
• Thank courteous drivers with a wave or a nod. It makes drivers more willing to slow down next time.

Crossing roads

• Stop, look and listen.
• Cross together as a group when it's clear, at a walk, straight across.
• On a busy road, the most experienced rider can stop in a safe spot first and signal to traffic.

For drivers: how to pass a horse safely

Share this with neighbors who drive past horse farms:

• Slow down early. Pass at a walking pace, about 15 mph or less, or slower if the horse looks nervous.
• Give plenty of room, at least a car's width or more.
• Don't honk or rev your engine, and turn down loud music.
• Pass smoothly, and don't speed up until you're well past.
• Watch the rider's signals. If they ask you to slow or stop, do it.
• Bicycles and motorcycles: call out a friendly greeting from behind, because horses often don't recognize a silent bicycle and may spook.

Sources

• New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1261: Traffic Laws Apply to Persons Riding Horses
• Equine Land Conservation Resource
• American Horse Council
• Penn State Extension: Ride Safe: Essentials When Riding the Trails