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Equestrians and Motor
Vehicles: Rights
and Duties
Q:
At Equine Legal Solutions, we frequently receive
questions about the rights and duties of equestrians on
public roads. Here
is a brief summary of the California Motor Vehicle Code
as it applies to equestrians.
Who
Must Yield to Whom?
Section
21759 of the California Motor Vehicle Code provides that
the driver of any vehicle approaching a horse-drawn
vehicle or person on horseback must slow down or stop as
appropriate under the circumstances to avoid frightening
the horse or otherwise endangering horse and rider.
So, the folks who roar past you yelling and
honking the horn are violating the law.
Equestrian
Crossings. Section
21805 of the California Motor Vehicle Code provides that
vehicles must yield to equestrians in designated
equestrian crossings.
However, 21805 also notes that the rider must use
due care not to proceed into the path of a vehicle –
even at an equestrian crossing, you still have to look
both ways to make sure there is no oncoming traffic
before proceeding.
Riding
Down the Road.
Section 21050 of the California Motor Vehicle
Code provides that “every person riding or driving an
animal upon a highway” has all of the rights and
duties of a vehicle driver.
This means that equestrians must obey all traffic
laws, including riding with traffic (on the correct side
of the road) and signaling all turns.
If you are riding along the road and your horse
suddenly bolts into the path of an oncoming car, you
could be held responsible for the accident.
Loose
Horse! As
a horse owner or horse property owner, you can be held
liable for negligence if you fail to keep your horse
contained and it causes an accident. In one California
case, a Half Moon Bay stable’s horses escaped onto
Highway One, causing an accident.
When law enforcement arrived at the stable, the
investigating officer leaned on the fence while talking
with the stable owner and the fence gave way!
Not surprisingly, the stable was held liable for
the damages to the motorist.
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