I do it now, but truck in during the winter as it’s just too dangerous to be riding out on the road once snow is involved. My route requires crossing a major intersection in a non horsey-town. Luckily, the police is less than 1/4 a mile down the road, so most people are very respectful. My route takes about 20 minutes from barn to barn. It’s less than 1/4 a mile down the road, but I don’t take the road direct as I don’t think it’s safe to walk alongside it, so it ends up being more of a mile of trails rather than as the crow flies. I cut through a local parking lot (with permission) and walk down a long private driveway that is parallel to the road and then cross the road at one point. I imagine a mile and a half would take you at least 30 minutes.
You will need to make sure your pony is desensitized to the following: cars, trucks, semis, bicycles, and motorcycles - especially motorcycles in groups. The pony also needs to stand quietly - for minutes at a time if need be - while you wait for a chance to cross the road. Never cross the road if you see an oncoming car and assume they’ll stop. They rarely do. Always wait for someone to stop and let you go.
Walk the road yourself first. You may need to pick up or move things like trash, old car exhausts (these show up with some frequency where I am for who knows what reason), or logs. Keep an eye out for glass. Walking the route yourself first, will give you some familiarity with the terrain and also what you might encounter - such as neighborhood dogs, people walking, etc.
Riding along a road is not for the faint of heart. I would only do it with a horse I knew was not rattled easily by the unexpected.
Some do’s:
- Wear high-vis. Bright saddle pads.
- Respect traffic. You may have the right of way but no one will give it to you, so it’s best to ride with that in mind.
- Teach your horse to stand no matter what, this is important for crossings.
- Walk both ways, never trot or canter, and never do more than walk for home.
- Bring a backpack or fanny pack with high-motivational treats for those scary encounters (like a gang of Harleys driving by - VERY loud, VERY scary!)
- Ride with a grab-strap
Some don’ts:
- Don’t wear dark clothes or saddle pads
- Don’t cross the road without both directions being completely clear or completely stopped
- Don’t do any speed more than walk on the busier roads
- Don’t ride at night, during the rain, or low-vis times
- Avoid “chokepoint” crossings (crossings where multiple lanes or throughways come to a single point)
Almost all rules I’ve seen about riding horses on roadways says you should ride WITH Traffic – however, I think this depends on the road. Roads that are twisty or turny I would avoid riding against, but some roads that are straight with the propensity for people to speed and some riders feel more safe riding against traffic here. I think it depends on the road and the horse, use your best judgment.
