Here in Hidden Valley, we are all so fortunate to have such beautiful surroundings and trails to walk, jog, bike or even horseback riding. Recently a question was raised at a board meeting by more than one member regarding what the proper trail etiquette and safety practices are when coming face to face with a horse on the trail. They not only wanted to educate themselves, but also their children. For that reason, we have produced this informative message and attached a short video to hopefully answer some of the questions you have about what to do when meeting horses on the trail.
In short, horses have priority on the trails. If you are walking, jogging or riding a bike and you see a horse in front of you coming in your direction, please make sure the rider acknowledges you are approaching. If you have a dog with you, make sure they are on a leash. It is always a best practice to stop and step off of the trail and let the horse pass before you continue on. This is especially true with bikes. Horses have a very strong and instinctual flight reaction to things that surprise them. No matter how trained and calm a horse may be, sudden movements from something they do not recognize, or they are surprised by could very easily scare a horse causing them to buck off their rider or take off in a full gallop. Neither scenario is good as it is never fun when a 1000-pound animal gets scared and could possibly hurt their rider or themselves.
If you are jogging and approaching a horse from the rear, please make yourself known to the rider by announcing yourself (“runner on your left/right”). Do not proceed past the horse until the rider acknowledges you and tells you it is ok to pass. If you are walking up behind a horse and have a dog, please put them on a leash. You may have the nicest dog in the world, but the horse doesn’t know your animal. Bikers should announce their presence early and slow down (you may have to stop) until the rider acknowledges you and tells you it is safe to proceed past them.
So far, there have not been any recent trail sharing incidents the board is aware of. Please watch the attached video for further information about sharing the trail.
Thank you, Happy trails!
HV Board
note: The pdf has been filed under Misc Documents