Sharing the road well-travelled

By Marg Seregelyi

"Slow down and move over," says Shawna Larose when referring to vehicles driving past riders on horses.

Larose rides with a group of friends year-round in the Valley East area. She says new building developments have forced riders to take their horses on the road to get to the trails. Currently she is trying to draw the public's attention to the rights of horses and riders on the roads.

"There is always a chance that they (the horses) will get spooked," says Larose. "It could be a bike, a sound, a blue box or even something as small as a blowing plastic bag. Once a horse spooks, they all spook."

The Ontario Highway Traffic Act No.167 states that when approaching a horse or other animal, vehicle drivers should exercise every reasonable precaution to prevent the frightening of the animal. For more information go to www.golishlaw.com/statutes/oh08ht_a.htm .

Larose is the creator of a Facebook group called "Horses Rights On The Roads." The group started in April and has more than 400 members. The site contains some graphic images of accidents involving vehicles and horses, discussion boards, information and links to other sites.

Some roads travelled by riders have speed limits as fast as 60 kilometres per hour. Some drivers go beyond the speed limit and many don't move over.

Maurice Quenville, owner of Laurentian Driving School, supports the movement to create awareness about horses' rights on the roads. "Don't use that horn because you can be charged," he cautions.

Quenville says he will be adding horse-and-rider awareness to his training curriculum.

Signs alerting drivers about horse riders are located in some areas but not enough, he adds.