As a horse rider, it’s important you follow the road rules shown on this page. They'll help you stay safe when you’re riding on the road.
Safety rules for horse riders
- Always wear a safety helmet while riding. Otherwise, a fall from your horse could result in a head injury.
- Ride your horse on the left-hand side of the road and as far to the left as possible.
- Keep your horse on the side of the road whenever you can, but don’t ride on footpaths, lawns or gardens.
- Don’t ride more than 2 abreast.
- Don’t ride on the right of any moving vehicle.
- If you’re leading another animal while riding, always keep it on your left, away from the traffic.
- If you’re riding a horse or leading animals at night, wear reflective clothing and carry a torch.
Horse-drawn vehicles
At night, vehicles drawn by horses must have a white light on the front right of the vehicle or load and have a red light shining to the rear. They must not have a red light on the front or a white light on the rear at night.