I can't find anything in the Highway Code, but my understanding is that you lead in the same direction as the traffic but lead with the horse on your left so you are between him and traffic. Lots of hi viz please 
Years ago someone we know came round a blind bend on a country road, was dazzled by the low sun and hit and killed a woman who was leading her child on a pony. At the inquest the coroner said the woman should have been on the inside of the pony.
ETA just found this in the highway code (the coroner was wrong, or times have changed)
When riding on the road, you should
ETA just found this in the highway code (the coroner was wrong, or times have changed)
Rule 53
Before riding off or turning, look behind you to make sure it is safe, then give a clear arm signal.When riding on the road, you should
- keep to the left
- keep both hands on the reins unless you are signalling
- keep both feet in the stirrups
- not carry another person
- not carry anything which might affect your balance or get tangled up with the reins
- keep a horse you are leading to your left
- move in the direction of the traffic flow in a one-way street
- never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.
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I suspect it's simply because the majority of people are righthanded and so it feels more natural to lead from the right hand. Also since we traditionally mount from the left it makes more sense to lead from that side, particularly if wearing a sword (which so many of us do
) as it prevents it accidentally hitting the horse.Realistically it's just one of those things we do and the true reason why it became the norm are lost in time. I think it's useful to teach them to be handled and led from both sides, and have often found badly handled or treated horses that haven't been respond very well to being handled out of the left hand as they view it as a new experience that isn't linked to bad memories or behaviour.
I can't find anything in the Highway Code, but my understanding is that you lead in the same direction as the traffic but lead with the horse on your left so you are between him and traffic. Lots of hi viz please
Yes, this is how I've done it & more clearly explained than me
So on the left of the road (as we drive on the left) going the sane way as the traffic but to the right of the horse - so with the horse on your left.
In practise, I've on occassion led with me on the inside of the road if no oncoming traffic and we're passing something scary I know the horse is likely to spook at so they spook away from me and not into me but that wouldn't be good practise or something I'd ordinarily recommend.
That is referring to riding and leading, so with 2 horses the ridden one is on the right, the unridden/horse being led is on the left, there isn’t anything to say if the coroner was right/wrong as there’s nothing specific about leading a horse on foot.
If you were leading on the left of the road and put yourself outside (outside edge of the road) that would mean you are on the left side of the horse. I would always place myself inside the horse. Perhaps this is exactly where all the confusion comes from, peoples different meanings with inside and outside.
I was always taught you should be between the horse and the traffic, so you can effectively prevent them swinging their quarters into the traffic. While I generally walk on the left of the road, I have walked on the right of the road on blind bends, I’ll go wherever I’m most visible.
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I would walk on the same side as the traffic is flowing. Refering to the original post. I believe if you are on a single track country lane you walk on the opposite side of the road towards oncoming traffic if you are a person on foot. However im not sure this applies when you are accompanying a horse, therefore be on the left of the road.
A ridden horse should i believe travel in the same direction/side as the traffic in this case on the left. If you are a foot solider then i think it becomes a grey area.
For me it depends on the type of road and what im leading.
Where there is a pavement i would walk on the pavement and have the horse on the road. A horse should not be ridden as such on the pavement. However there are times i have pulled off onto a pavement to let a long queue of traffic pass, or my horse is not safe with buses and lorries. Therefore to prevent him spinning onto a car it is safer to step off onto the pavement till traffic passes.
However if i have a novice rider, someone who has never ridden on a road before sitting on my horse or a green horse. I might walk on the right of my horse even if there was a pavement. This way if the horse spooked with a novice rider onboard there is more chance the horse will spook up onto the pavement instead of into a car. The danger with this however is that as the horse spooks onto the pavement it would likely swing its bum more out into the road, knocking into me and sending me across a car bonnet.
Where possible i would walk on pavement but sometimes it is also not possible to walk on the pavement leading with the horse on the right as there are large trees growing. I have one such road close to me. It is at this point where you have to make a decision which side of the horse to be walking on. This for me will depend as to whose on board or if a novice horse. Either way if you have to walk in the road. Hiviz yourself and also hiviz your horse.
A ridden horse should i believe travel in the same direction/side as the traffic in this case on the left. If you are a foot solider then i think it becomes a grey area.
For me it depends on the type of road and what im leading.
Where there is a pavement i would walk on the pavement and have the horse on the road. A horse should not be ridden as such on the pavement. However there are times i have pulled off onto a pavement to let a long queue of traffic pass, or my horse is not safe with buses and lorries. Therefore to prevent him spinning onto a car it is safer to step off onto the pavement till traffic passes.
However if i have a novice rider, someone who has never ridden on a road before sitting on my horse or a green horse. I might walk on the right of my horse even if there was a pavement. This way if the horse spooked with a novice rider onboard there is more chance the horse will spook up onto the pavement instead of into a car. The danger with this however is that as the horse spooks onto the pavement it would likely swing its bum more out into the road, knocking into me and sending me across a car bonnet.
Where possible i would walk on pavement but sometimes it is also not possible to walk on the pavement leading with the horse on the right as there are large trees growing. I have one such road close to me. It is at this point where you have to make a decision which side of the horse to be walking on. This for me will depend as to whose on board or if a novice horse. Either way if you have to walk in the road. Hiviz yourself and also hiviz your horse.
Nothing to do with handedness. It is the highway code and a horse is a vehicle which goes on the left. I am left handed but i was taught to do this leading the same as everyone else.I suspect it's simply because the majority of people are righthanded and so it feels more natural to lead from the right hand. Also since we traditionally mount from the left it makes more sense to lead from that side, particularly if wearing a sword (which so many of us do
Believe it or not I had a lesson to teach me to lead on the road. I was in my second year of riding when I moved to a yard where students had to lead their lesson horse from the stable yard to the outdoor school, which entailed going along a road.
So my first lesson there, the YM took me the route and showed me how to lead on the left hand side of the road. You lead on the outside, at the shoulder, she said because that positions you with the lead rope or bridle in your right hand and your left hand with a schooling whip to control the hind quarters and keep them in to the side of the road away from the passing traffic. To do this with a difficult horse you may need to rotate to face the horse with your back to the traffic. In our road the passing traffic was going very slowly as it was the entrance to a car park used by many walkers.
I was taught that you walk on the traffic side so that, if a horse spooks away from the traffic, it also spooks away from you, so you dont get crushed or knocked in the ditch.
Having learned to ride as an adult, I took careful note of all I was told and never questioned it.
I tend to lead on the right of the road with me on the left of the horse so i am facing the oncoming traffic, and do the same with dogs when walking them. Depends on where the verge is, i prefer to have a verge next to the horse so i can put him/her on it if there is an issue. It may not be correct but i feel safer doing that.
@Skib it was perfectly clear that I was referring to the part of the second post of yours that I've quoted and put in bold so stop taking things out of context. I was never claiming horses don't go with the flow of traffic, read all the posts properly and that's also clear in post 3.
I can quite believe you had a lesson to teach to lead even though it's something most people quickly pick up from observation.
I have always led on the traffic side, pony between me and verge.
For dogs or sole pedestrians, my mother taught me to walk on the left, facing traffic. This gives traffic the advantage of seeing you, and you can take evasive action if necessary.
Dog is always next to the verge with me on outside, same as for a child.
Thanks to the further clarification that I have been correct all my life.
I love this site, you all have so much information to give!
Thank you!
For dogs or sole pedestrians, my mother taught me to walk on the left, facing traffic. This gives traffic the advantage of seeing you, and you can take evasive action if necessary.
Dog is always next to the verge with me on outside, same as for a child.
Thanks to the further clarification that I have been correct all my life.
I love this site, you all have so much information to give!
Thank you!
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@Perivor you were right about the side of the road, but you shouldn't have the pony between you and the traffic. While the wording on the Highway Code seems to refer to riding and leading the illustration that @newforest found and posted in post 15 makes it clear that leading in hand you should keep the horse to your left so that you are between him and traffic where you are in a better position to stop quarters swinging into the road.
I don't believe in being right or wrong, but doing what is safe in that moment for that horse.
I have however given you a diagram showing that the ideal place to lead a horse on the road is with them on your left in the UK.
So you haven't been "correct" all your life as you put it.
Yes, sorry I requoted myself, I meant to say pony between me and verge! Thanks for pointing that mistake out, now corrected!
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