before you head off on your adventure on the road.
GENERAL CHECKLIST:
- Is your horse safe around not just cars, but also heavy vehicles, motorbikes, bicycles, joggers, prams, dogs, and other wildlife? Consider all possible hazards before venturing out on to the roads?
- Have you chosen a safe route?
- Have you checked all of your tack to make sure it is in good repair and strong? You do not want to be riding on a busy road and have tack failure.
- Are you and your horse wearing reflective clothing? Even during the middle of the day, Hi-Viz clothing helps you to be seen more easily.
- Are you wearing an approved Australian Standards riding helmet?
- Are you carrying a phone with you, not in a saddle bag, in case you are separated from your horse? Remember it is against the law to use your phone whilst riding.
- Have you familiarised yourself with the road rules to make sure you follow the guidance on how you should behave on the road and interact with other road users?
- Are you carrying anything with you to remove manure from the road?
SKILLS CHECKLIST:
This checklist may assist in planning rider practice sessions, ideally held in an enclosed area.
Rider skills checklist...
- Know the road rules e.g. how to negotiate an intersection and roundabout
- Know your hand signals
- Practice hand signal to turn left, right, stop and slow down
- Practice turning left, right and halt and stand (you need to be able to do this holding the reins in one hand)
- Practice riding past hazards you are likely to encounter, e.g. rubbish bin, dog, pram
- Practice riding over different ground surfaces similar to what you may encounter
- Practice negotiating trail obstacles you are likely to encounter e.g. step-overs, gates
- Practice riding in pairs or as a group (if required for your situation)
- Practice halting and standing as though you are checking for traffic
- Practice an emergency dismount from both sides of the horse
- Practice leading your horse from both sides
- Practice attending an incident such as a fallen rider, e.g. check for hazards, dismounting, holding other horses, calling for emergency services, first aid.
- Relaxed, comfortable with Personal Protective Equipment and Hi-Viz horse and rider equipment
- Remains relaxed while the rider mounts and dismounts, and practices hand signals
- Parks (stands still) in quiet spaces or alongside roads
- Obedient with frequent transitions between halt, walk and trot, including in pairs or a group
- Obedient when walking around hazards such as parked cars or past new objects
- Obedient when ridden across a range of surface types and colours, e.g. light, smooth cement or darker road surface with white markings or water running in street gutters
- Obedient when ridden past a variety of road-related infrastructure, e.g. signage, road works
- Obedient when negotiating a range of road and trail obstacles common to your local area.
FINAL TIPS:
- Do not ride a horse on roads if you cannot control it in an enclosed area first. Make sure you are a competent and confident rider before tackling a ride on the roads.
- Do not to ride inexperienced horses on busy roads. Choose quiet roads until they are more accustomed. Riding with another experienced horse as a buddy may help.
- Try to avoid roads where it is not safe for cars to pass.
- It is not recommended to ride at night, but if you do, having lights as well as reflective clothing is advisable.
- Make sure your horse has appropriate footwear for riding on rocky or hard road surfaces.
- Make sure the road surfaces are not slippery or too hot to ride on safely.
- Try not to ride in inclement weather. Any condition where visibility of drivers is reduced is dangerous.
- Ride with the flow of traffic.
- Be kind and courteous to drivers. Do not assume they are familiar with road rules or horses.
- Stop and let cars pass if safe to do so.
- Always be alert and aware of your surroundings - think about what could happen in any situation and be prepared (if needed) to take evasive action to avoid potentially hazardous situations.
- Do not become complacent while riding. Keep your mind on the task at all times.
- Use precise hand signals to drivers. Make sure they can see you. Make eye contact.
- Be careful passing parked vehicles. Watch for opening doors and dogs.
- Dismount and lead your horse if situations become dangerous.
- Do not remount unless it is safe and easy to do so.
- Be polite - make eye contact with drivers and thank those who make any effort to accommodate you.
- Tell somebody where you are going and how long you think you will be out - if you don’t return, they can raise the alarm.
- Report any incidents of dangerous or irresponsible driving to the police.
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