| Accidents can be avoided by
4 educating motorists on rules

NEWS | photo Neil Lucente

AUTO GIVES equestrian Liz Stone a wide berth as she and her mount Demi-Tasse travel along a
public road. Liz says motorists and cyclists often disregard safety sense when they pass horses on

a streets.

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Wednesday, March 6, 1991 - North Shore News - 45

Road safety: treat horses with care

ON THE North Shore, we share our backyards with all
manner of four-legged creatures, but we have yet to learn
how to share the road with them. ; -

So says Liz Stone, a member of
the North Shore Horsemen’s
Association who has been riding
horses for 20 years.

Stone says many drivers and
cyclists don’t know how to act
around the horses they encounter
on roads and trails, and often
respond in ways that are poten-
tially dangerous.

She estimates that there are 100
horses on the North Shore.

“On the majority, people seem
to like having us around,”’ she
said. ‘“‘But some don’t know what
to do when they see us.’’

She relates stories of kids
throwing rocks and firecrackers at
horses out walking. And she says
that some regular road-hockey
players in the development near
the Laura Lynn Equestrian Centre
often shoot the ball straight at her
mount.

“If a horse is afraid of some-
thing, it will jump into what it’s
afraid of,”’ she says. ‘‘We all have
insurance, but it’s too late if a
kid, or adult, is already hurt.’’

Cyclists who ride up behind 3
horse on a road or trail shouid
call out to alert the horse and
rider of their presence because
their approach is otherwise hard
to hear.

Cyclists coming from the op-
posite direction should cross to

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the other side of the road if
possible.

According to Section 116(c) of
the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act, ‘A
person riding an animal or driving
an animal-driven vehicle on a
highway has the rights and is sub-
ject to the duties of the driver of a
vehicle...’”

Motorists at an_ intersection
must yield to a horse on their
vehicle’s right, and at a stop sign
they cannot proceed until any

horse has passed by on the
through street.
In general, motorists should

slow down when approaching a
horse and pass only when their
line of vision is unrestricted. Give
horses a wide berth when passing.

Because bridges may make even
experienced horses nervous, it is
wise not to pass when crossing a
bridge.

And never swerve your vehicle,
honk or make cther loud noises
when around a horse.

Although Stone says she has not
heard of any accidents to date,
she cautions that horses: can be
unpredictable when startled,
especially when a less-experienced
rider is holding the reins.

—

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