My Stories - The Five Reasons For Horses On The Roads

One of the obstacles I have come across when explaining my major project with others is that it seems if the person I am talking to is not a horse rider (or doesn't have an immediate family member or close friend who rides horses) then the main question they have is: why do people need to ride horses on the road anyway? Not only do I believe this is quite a selfish thought, it also shows just how much the motorist mindset has taken over, that less than 100 years of cars has decimated the thousands of years that horses were the primary mode of transport. What follows are my arguments for why I believe horses do have a right to be on the road and why riders continue to use the road even with the risks it poses.

Fun

A big part of why I ride and drive (horses in harness) on the road is because, aside from the danger that uneducated drivers pose, it adds something fun to a ride. Believe it or not, the majority of people who own horses do not own sprawling farms to ride across at leisure. Most horse owners only own enough land to graze their horse or only lease just enough land for their horse off somebody else. New Zealand doesn't have designated bridle trails like Britain and specialty equestrian facilities have expensive hire fees plus the required travel adds even more cost and also time. That means for most riders and horses who don't want to be bored out of their minds riding in circles around the paddock the horse lives in, taking to the road is the only option. Getting out for a hack is exciting and often provides a much needed break from a monotonous schooling/training routine.

My pony Magic and I getting out for a ride on the road last summer

Adventure

Most of my childhood memories revolve around horses and the enjoyment I got out of riding - especially adventuring out on the roads. Growing up we always lived on dairy farms in various locations around Southland as my dad, a farm manager, moved from job to job every few years. We were lucky enough to be provided a small paddock for our ponies (always one of dad's conditions when moving to a new job), but we were never allowed to ride on the farms so road riding was our lot. I could go on and on regaling stories about the adventures I went on, lots of the time with my little sister and sometimes even with other family members, but just as often alone. How we would stumble across a wide, flat grass verge just perfect for cantering and return to it time and time again for the thrill of flying down the road, how we would get bored with our usual routes and look up on Google Maps new roads we could take to circle back to our house, how we could be gone for hours at a time exploring the neighbourhood, how we were too poor to afford a horse float (trailer) to get our ponies to the pony club rallies so we had to get home from school and immediately set off on horseback down the country roads, across the bridge, up the main street of town and down a side road to the club grounds - how dull my riding memories would be if we hadn't been allowed to ride on the road!

Memories

Training

A new aspect to my love of horses that I only found in the last five years is harness driving. I bought my first harness trained miniature horse when I was 16 and since then have steadily expanded and grown my skills until I can now completely 'break' or start an untouched mini in harness myself. The roads are a huge part of my training system as they are probably where a harness horse spends most of their working life. I like to take the horse out on the road for a few sessions at the culmination of each training step so that they are exposed to the often frightening and stressful experience of being on the road the whole way through their training. This is so that by the time they are fully broken in they will hopefully be desensitised to traffic, things that might spook them while out and about (mailboxes, stock etc) and leaving home/their friends, resulting in them being safe and calm for anybody to drive. It is especially prudent that motorists be respectful around horses when they are in training as the horse is more likely to be spooky and unpredictable, plus horses can be ruined by one bad experience, but I find that motorists are still just as unlikely to slow down or give you an inch.

In the bottom right photo I am technically on the wrong side of the road, but I wasn't taking any chances with that school bus. Once, on an earlier occasion at pretty much the same spot, I pulled off the road onto the left hand verge which was just wide enough for the whole width of the cart (which I am not required by law to do as horse drawn vehicles do have a right to be on the road, but I do so anyway to be courteous and to keep my horses safe), and the bus passed flew past me in a blur with only inches to spare! You'd think that buses, whom others are required to pass at 20km/h, would extend even a little of the same respect to vulnerable road users.

Horses in training

Fitness

Fitness stems from the first point I made about most horse riders taking to the roads because they don't have the space to ride off of the road. To keep your horse fit this often means having to ride for a long time, on different terrain, and road riding provides those opportunities in a way that isn't tedious or boring to horse and rider.

Taking to the roads

Social

Often a big part of why people get involved in horses is for the social side. In my experience road riding/driving can be a big part of this social aspect as it links back to the other ideas I have spoken about such as adventure, adding variety, interest, and excitement, and taking a break. A leisurely ride or drive with others can be very pleasurable and relaxing. It's a win-win; getting out for some fresh air and exercise, while also catching up with friends. Most of the following photos are from this summer when I would have time off work and would accompany my mum to her friend's (my honorary nana's) place for their weekly 'driving club', where once a week, if the weather was behaving, they go out for a drive with their miniature horses.

A social experience