Riding a Horse RIGHT Next to the Interstate - Legal?

[dressagetraks]

I was wondering about this yesterday based on something I saw as I drove home from Mom. There was a man riding his horse in the grassy separation between the interstate and the parallel front road. He wasn’t 15 feet from the pavement on the interstate, quite close.

I assume he was trying to traffic proof his horse, but it seemed like an extreme exercise. The interstate was very busy, including plenty of semis and one oversized load with weird big pipe things. The horse was lathered around his neck and breastplate. Horse was quite reactive, head up, body language :eek:, and they were spinning tight circles much more than going forward. The guy could ride and was doing a good job of keeping the horse from bolting, which the horse obviously wanted to do. Other than no helmet and his choice of riding location, I had nothing negative that I noticed about him in my approach and drive by. That was on a straight way, so I had half a mile to watch him. My horse radar went off immediately as I topped the previous hill :yes:, so I had several seconds.

The safety of this situation bugged me. Even if he was traffic proofing his horse, this was either a first lesson at that level or a bad enough day that I would have gone back for review to previous, less exposed steps. Had the horse dumped him, this could have been extremely, even fatally bad for horse, man, and/or traffic. But only later did it occur to me that he might have actually been breaking a law. The interstate clearly posts on the entrance ramps at regular intervals a whole list of prohibited things, including “no nonmechanized vehicles.” Do you think that riding a horse in that median strip that close to the interstate legally consists of riding ON the interstate and thus is prohibited and call-on-able? Or is it legally riding on the frontage road? Is the dividing line of those halfway between them? If so, he was to the interstate side of it, but no doubt, he would have claimed he was riding on the frontage road.

I didn’t call, as he seemed to be a competent rider and was keeping control at least then, though having to work at it. The horse was very upset by every body language signal he could give. I definitely wondered about safety here if the horse got away from him. Had I known of a specific law he was breaking, I might have called, but I didn’t even think of that “no nonmechanized vehicles” thing until later, and I’m still not sure it applied or if he was legally “on” the interstate.

I doubt I’ll ever see this again, but just wondered. The man could ride, but this really seemed to push safety limits to me, and for a lot more people than just him. Too much downside risk for upside “traffic-proofing” potential, IMO.

[jawa]

Generally there is fencing of some sort on the edge of what would be considered the maintained interstate highway. As I understand, no, you may not walk, ride your bike (or horse) or moped in that area or on the paved road.

Even if the horse had been ho-hum about the experience, it is a major distraction to the traffic on the road way. It would/could cause rubber neckers, which would slow the flow of traffic for a bit and could cause an accident.

If the guy riding the horse had been on the other side of the fencing for the interstate, close to the secondary road, it would be legal, but still not a great idea.

[dressagetraks]

No fencing on the sides, at least right there. There is a “bounce” fence in the median of the interstate itself, a couple of cables that I was told by a cop are strong enough to catch a car and prevent most wrecks from spilling over into the other oncoming lanes. But where he was, there was just interstate, shoulder, grass, outer road, and he was in the grass. You could - and I have seen pickups do it once or twice - drive straight from interstate to outer road across there.

[OveroHunter]

A lot of times you can’t see the fencing. I know in my area it is off in the woods and there to keep wildlife off the interstate.

I’m sure there’s a law somewhere about it, but there should at least be the law of common sense with that guy!

[findeight]

There’s no border fencing of interstates once you get out of urban areas. Many of them don’t even have median barriers or catch fences. Too many tens of thousands of miles of rural interstates.

Probably not considered “on” the highway in this instance…or a particularly smart choice by rider. But the thought occurred to me the rider may not have intended to be on that strip, started on the other side of the frontage rode and ended up there due to horse antics.

I have personal experience with something similar, didn’t want to be where we were, just ended up there due to faulty steering and brakes:eek:. It happens. I try not to be judgemental about things I only get a glimpse of.

[merrygoround]

It is most likely that were he spotted by a State Trooper, he would be ticketed, and escorted from the area. Leaving him to “tell it to the judge”.

Unfortunately in many area, exits are many miles apart.

[JustTheTicket]

I’m pretty sure its illegal for pedestrians, bikes and livestock to be on the side of the interstate. That’s what the signs on the on ramps usually say. I’d say he was close enough to count as being on the shoulder. I would have called.

[Beverley]

‘Next to’ the interstate is legal, ‘on’ the interstate is not. Although I have actually ridden on I-80 to carry the mail for the annual Pony Express re-ride, we get permission for this and have a ‘chase vehicle’ behind us for protection (and the truckers are generally nice enough to move to the left lane and give us leeway as we gallop the shoulder). It is actually less fraught with peril than riding through downtown Salt Lake City and having to stop at the lights, or riding along the Interstate frontage road in the south end of the valley.

[Simbalism]

He could come ride at the farm where I board my horse for some bombproofing. The farm butts up to an interstate. There is some wire fencing all along the highway(not just for the farm). When we ride thru the woods, we are at the closest point 20 ft from the highway. Needless to say our horses are generally pretty good with loud noises and speeding vehicles. Where he was riding might not be my choice, just in case horse got away.

[Trail_Rider]

It is illegal for any vehicle of any type (horses, horse drawn carriage, bicycles, etc) that does not have a legal vehicle license place (BMV) from driving on or within 30 feet of either side of the interstate.

[katarine]

I sold an appy gelding back in High School… his new owner’s property backed up to I-20 between Bham and Atlanta. The property had very thick & deep woods between them and the interstate.

My farrier, Tim, was out there to do the horses when something set off the boss’ horse, who then put my gelding over the fence…he panicked and took off deeper into the woods. Tim headed out after him and finally found him closer to the interstate than the farm. He cut the field wire ‘deer fence’ and led Patch through the gap by his mane, took his belt off and made a neck rope, and hopped up there and rode him back. He loped my good old Patch horse down the side of I20, against traffic, then back up the on-ramp and down the side of 174 back to their place.

Stuff happens.

[Scarlet_Gilia]

[QUOTE=Trail Rider;7817088]
It is illegal for any vehicle of any type (horses, horse drawn carriage, bicycles, etc) that does not have a legal vehicle license place (BMV) from driving on or within 30 feet of either side of the interstate.[/QUOTE]

Bicycles can legally be ridden on most interstates in Colorado (and many other western states).

“In Colorado, bicycles are vehicles and therefore, allowed on all interstates and state highways with very few exceptions (primarily urban interstates).” http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/bikeped/documents/GUIDE%20TO%20DEVELOP%20BIKE%20PED%20PLANS.pdf , bottom of page 9.

[dressagetraks]

I wish we did have deer fences here, but I’ve never seen one. Instead, we have dead deer. I see at least one or two per week dead right on the interstate. Same interstate that people speed and tailgate on. Deer are right up there with blown tires on my “unexpected things that might happen to the car in front of you at any point - and could you stop in time?” list that I’d like to ask these people who are nose-to-bumper and certain that nothing, even safety, is greater than their need to not “waste” time.