In Colorado, horses have the right of way on trails. Hikers and cyclists are to yield (pause and talk to riders) before deciding how to pass. The issue came to light when the HTA ambassador for Colorado shot video of her friend attempting to describe this fact to a cyclists who tailgated her and refused to yield. Watch the story here>>
Here's a rundown of each state's laws about horses on the trail. We are working on this list and will update it when we know more specifics for each. If you have more local info about county or regional park standards, let us know>>
While not all states have an overall umbrella policy, many counties and local trails have signs posted to say who should yield to whom. Check out Horse Trail Expert for more information about signage and the move to change signs to say "stop for horses" instead of having the confusing yield arrows.
--
1. Alabama
Right of Way on Trails: No specific law found.
Road Law: Under Alabama Code § 32-5A-5, horseback riders are treated as vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road. People leading animals are subject to the same rules.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/2018/title-32/chapter-5a/section-32-5a-5/
2. Alaska
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law governing horses on trails.
Road Law: Under Alaska Statutes § 03.55.190, riders on horseback are subject to the same rules as vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road. Pedestrians leading animals should walk against traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/alaska/2020/title-3/chapter-55/article-2/section-03-55-190/
3. Arizona
Right of Way on Trails: No specific statewide law, but Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-858 governs vehicle approaches to animals.
Road Law: Horseback riders and people leading animals are treated as vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00858.htm
4. Arkansas
Right of Way on Trails: No specific law found.
Road Law: Under Arkansas Code § 27-49-111, horseback riders are treated like motor vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-27/chapter-49/subchapter-1/section-27-49-111/
5. California
Right of Way on Trails: No specific law found.
Road Law: Under California Vehicle Code § 21759, vehicles must approach animals with caution, reducing speed to prevent frightening them. Riders must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://www.animallaw.info/statute/ca-horse-%C2%A7-21759-caution-passing-animals
6. Colorado
Right of Way on Trails: Horses generally have the right of way on trails, but local jurisdictions may impose additional rules.
Road Law: Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 42-4-109, horseback riders and those leading animals must travel against traffic on the left side of the road when using highways.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2023/title-42/article-4/section-42-4-109/
7. Connecticut
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found regarding horses on trails.
Road Law: According to Connecticut General Statutes § 14-293a, riders on horseback are treated similarly to motor vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road. Pedestrians leading animals should follow pedestrian laws and walk against traffic.
Citation: https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/connecticut/ct-laws/connecticut_statutes_14-293a
8. Delaware
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Delaware Code § 8140, equine professionals are not liable for injuries caused by inherent risks of equine activities. Riders on horseback should follow the same rules as motor vehicles and ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/delaware/2023/title-10/chapter-81/section-8140/
9. Florida
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Florida Statutes § 316.073, persons riding animals or leading animals are subject to the same rights and duties as motor vehicles. Riders on horseback should travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2023/316.073
10. Georgia
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Georgia Code § 40-6-3, riders on horseback must adhere to vehicle regulations and should ride with traffic on the right side of the road. Pedestrians leading animals should walk against traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2022/title-40/chapter-6/section-40-6-3/
11. Hawaii
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Hawaii Revised Statutes § 291C-102, riders on horseback must adhere to the same rules as vehicles and ride with traffic on the right side of the road. People leading animals should walk against traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/2020/title-17/chapter-291c/section-291c-102/
12. Idaho
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Idaho Code § 49-709, riders on horseback are subject to the same rules as vehicles and should travel with traffic on the right side of the road. Pedestrians leading animals must walk against traffic.
Citation: https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title49/t49ch7/sect49-709/
13. Illinois
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Illinois Compiled Statutes 5/11-206, persons riding an animal or driving an animal-drawn vehicle are granted the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle drivers. Riders must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://www.animallaw.info/statute/il-equine-liability-act
14. Indiana
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Indiana Code § 9-21-11-1, horseback riders are subject to the same rules as motor vehicles and must ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://www.animallaw.info/statute/in-equine-liability
15. Iowa
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Iowa Code § 321.234, riders on horseback must follow the same laws as vehicles and ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/iowa/2022/title-8/chapter-321/section-321-234/
16. Kansas
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Kansas Statutes § 8-1594, horseback riders must ride with traffic on the right side of the road, following the same rules as motor vehicles.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/kansas/2020/chapter-8/article-15/section-8-1594/
17. Kentucky
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Kentucky Revised Statutes § 189.570, riders on horseback should travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2020/chapter-189/section-189.570/
18. Louisiana
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Riders on horseback are subject to the same rules as vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road according to Louisiana Statutes Title 32.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2019/title-32/
19. Maine
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A § 2051, horseback riders must ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/maine/2022/title-29-a/chapter-19/subchapter-1/section-2051/
20. Maryland
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have right-of-way on designated trails in state parks.
Road Law: Riders on horseback must follow vehicle rules and travel with traffic under Maryland Transportation Code § 21-104.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2022/title-21/subtitle-1/section-21-104/
21. Massachusetts
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 89, Section 14, horseback riders must ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter89/Section14
22. Michigan
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Michigan Compiled Laws § 257.604, horseback riders must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/michigan/2022/chapter-257/section-257-604/
23. Minnesota
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Minnesota Statutes § 169.21, horseback riders must ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/minnesota/2022/chapters-168-174a/chapter-169/section-169-21/
24. Mississippi
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Mississippi Code § 63-3-401, horseback riders are treated like motor vehicles and must ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2020/title-63/chapter-3/article-17/section-63-3-401/
25. Missouri
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Missouri Revised Statutes § 300.110, horseback riders must follow vehicle rules and ride with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/missouri/2022/title-xix/chapter-300/section-300-110/
26. Montana
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have the right of way on multi-use trails.
Road Law: Riders on horseback must follow the same rules as vehicles and travel with traffic under Montana Code Annotated § 61-8-601.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/montana/2021/title-61/chapter-8/part-6/section-61-8-601/
27. Nebraska
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Nebraska Revised Statutes § 60-6,111, riders on horseback or those leading animals are treated similarly to vehicles. Riders must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,111
28. Nevada
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Nevada Revised Statutes § 484B.297, riders on horseback are granted the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicles. Riders must travel with traffic.
29. New Hampshire
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to New Hampshire Revised Statutes § 265:104, horseback riders are treated like motor vehicles and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-104.htm
30. New Jersey
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under New Jersey Revised Statutes § 39:4-25, horseback riders are subject to vehicle rules and must ride with traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2022/title-39/section-39-4-25/
31. New Mexico
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have right-of-way on multi-use trails in designated areas.
Road Law: Under New Mexico Statutes § 66-3-1010, horseback riders are treated like vehicles and must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2021/chapter-66/article-3/section-66-3-1010/
32. New York
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1261, riders on horseback must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2022/vat/title-7/article-34/section-1261/
33. North Carolina
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under North Carolina General Statutes § 20-171, horseback riders must ride with traffic.
Citation: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-171.html
34. North Dakota
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Horseback riders are treated as vehicles under North Dakota Century Code § 39-10.1-05 and must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/north-dakota/2020/title-39/chapter-39-10.1/section-39-10.1-05/
35. Ohio
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Ohio Revised Code § 4511.01, riders on horseback must follow the same rules as motor vehicles and travel with traffic.
Citation: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.01
36. Oklahoma
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Horseback riders are treated similarly to vehicles under Oklahoma Statutes Title 47 § 47-11-501 and must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/oklahoma/2018/title-47/section-47-11-501/
37. Oregon
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have the right of way on multi-use trails.
Road Law: Under Oregon Revised Statutes § 814.450, horseback riders are treated as vehicles and must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors814.html
38. Pennsylvania
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have right-of-way on designated multi-use trails in state parks.
Road Law: According to Pennsylvania Vehicle Code § 3103, horseback riders must follow vehicle rules and travel with traffic.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/2020/title-75/chapter-31/section-3103/
39. Rhode Island
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to Rhode Island General Laws Title 4, Chapter 21, riders are granted the same rights and responsibilities as drivers of vehicles. Riders on horseback must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/rhode-island/2023/title-4/chapter-21/section-4-21-1/
40. South Carolina
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Riders on horseback are treated as vehicles under South Carolina Code § 56-5-360 and must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
41. South Dakota
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: According to South Dakota Codified Laws § 32-20-6, horseback riders must adhere to vehicle rules and travel with traffic.
Citation: https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Statute=32-20-6
42. Tennessee
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Tennessee Code § 55-8-182, horseback riders must travel with traffic on the right side of the road.
Citation: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2020/title-55/chapter-8/section-55-8-182/
43. Texas
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Horseback riders must follow vehicle rules under Texas Transportation Code § 551.101 and ride with traffic.
Citation: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.551.htm
44. Utah
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have the right of way on multi-use trails, particularly in public lands.
Road Law: According to Utah Code § 41-6a-1106, horseback riders must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6A/41-6a-S1106.html
45. Vermont
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Vermont Statutes Title 23 § 1127, horseback riders are subject to the same rules as vehicles and must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01127
46. Virginia
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have right-of-way on designated trails.
Road Law: According to Virginia Code § 46.2-800, horseback riders must follow vehicle rules and travel with traffic.
Citation: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-800/
47. Washington
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have the right of way on multi-use trails in public areas.
Road Law: Under Washington Revised Code § 46.61.760, horseback riders are treated as vehicles and must travel with traffic.
Citation: https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.760
48. West Virginia
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Riders on horseback must follow vehicle rules according to West Virginia Code § 17C-2-7 and travel with traffic.
Citation: https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-2-7/
49. Wisconsin
Right of Way on Trails: No specific state law found.
Road Law: Under Wisconsin Statutes § 346.02, horseback riders must follow the same rules as vehicles and ride with traffic.
Citation: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/346/02
50. Wyoming
Right of Way on Trails: Horses have the right of way on trails in Wyoming State Parks.
Road Law: Riders on horseback must travel with traffic according to Wyoming Statutes § 31-5-104.
Thanks for visiting HTA, Horse Trails of America. We are the association for all who trail ride and travel with horses.
We are your source for horse hotels and layovers as well as trails, campgrounds, tack shops and even emergency evacuation sites when needed. It’s totally free to access the map and add your own reviews and photos. No credit card required but you do need to make a site login to keep the spammers out. We would love to have you join HTA as a premium member when you’re ready. Premium members get The Trail Journal magazine monthly and receive shopping and equine industry partner discounts for many popular brands.
Create your FREE login>> HorseTrailsofAmerica.com
Check out THE Map here>> HorseTrailsofAmerica.com/theMap
תגובות