ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: Rules of the Road

Re: Rules of the Road

K S Swigart (katswig@deltanet.com)
Thu, 13 Feb 1997 14:53:01 -0800 (PST)

On Thu, 13 Feb 1997 RUN4BEAR@aol.com wrote:

> Thios does NOT apply when it comes to horses. Even a volkswagen is bigger by
> weight than a horse...although some people feel they have the right of way no
> matter what.

The law of mass tonnage always applies, that is why I called it a
universal law. It is a natural law rather than a man-made one, and we
would do well to heed it (whether we are legally required to or not),
just to be safe.

My personal policy is to not take horses out on the road until they are
capable of handling it (no matter how inconsiderate the drivers
are)...but then, I have a driveway that is a frontage road to a major
freeway, so I have perfect training ground for getting the horses used to
traffic, truckers with air horns, etc. After hundreds of cars and trucks
whizzing by at 60-75 mph in a matter of seconds, there is little more
that bothers them.

It comes back to the same old thing...when you take your horse out among
strangers, do not expect these same strangers to accommodate you and your
half-trained horse. And when it comes to riding on the road...you are
invading on the territory of motor vehicles, be considerate of them.

Horses that are taken out on the road should be able to handle honking
horns. If, unlike me, you do not have a freeway in your front yard, a
wonderful place to perform the same type of schooling is to enter your
horse in a parade. Then, if your horse goes ballistic over the bands,
and the horns, and the streamers, and the crowds, all the kids will jump
up and down and point and say "look at the dancing horsey." And you can
just smile and wave. (Been there, done that.)

Seriously, don't expect cars to yield the right of way (they might...but
then they might not). Even if they are legally obligated to, I have yet
to see that question appear on the Driver's Exam. And if it
did....well...most people would probably get it wrong.

kat
Orange County, Calif.

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