An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
- Posted by Michelle Anderson
A note from the author: We are so thankful for the positive response this post has received! Please note that it is copyrighted and not meant to be copied and pasted or reused/edited in any form. We encourage you to support equine journalism by sharing the link this this page instead. Thank you! ~Michelle
Dear Drivers,
My most valued possession is inside the trailer behind my pickup. He stepped into that rolling steel box because I asked him to and he trusts me. He’s a living, breathing creature, and all 1,200 pounds of him are precariously balanced on four tiny hooves as my truck and trailer wind down the road
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Written by:
Michelle Anderson
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33 Responses
I agree our horses are our family. And people don’t understand how much damadge it causes us and pain and suffering we deal with already on day to day basis
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
When I’m in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 101 Freeway going through the greater Los Angeles area and you swerve into the space I’ve created between my rig and the car in front of me, you remove any chance I have of NOT suddenly hitting my breaks hard
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I have not had that much experience hauling but I have done it. I am always amazed that drivers who cut in front of you (I always leave a lot of space in front of me) don’t realize that the driver of tow vehicle probably knows those horses pretty
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Folks might try to "create" an article that includes this info and work to get it into newspapers, on TV, and any websites that reach the non horse people.
Some folks in New Jersey managed to get a traffic rule and signs made up and er
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Unfortunately, the very people who NEED to read this letter won’t because they are NOT horse people and are unlikely to visit this site. Wish you could forward your letter to every high school driver education program and Division of Motor Vehicl
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Thanks for your very kindly worded and informative open letter. Speaking as a motorist and genuine driving enthusiast I appreciated gaining insight into the needs of folks like yourself when trailering your equine companions.
REAL d
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
This is a terrific (and much needed) article! Unfortunately, it is "preaching to the choir," which is all of us who already know about the problems in hauling. Is there some means of reprinting this important article in non-horse publications
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
From Dawn to Don – just saw your response – it is my pleasure give you permission to read this to a class!
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Some of you may remember the recent accident involving Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn) pulling a trailer and unable to stop in time. Per Internet reports, he was not speeding or tailgaiting, just could not stop fast due to the weight of the trailer. &
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
well said … permission to read this to a class.
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I sure wish I would have seen this when it was originally published – somehow I missed it!
Although I now live in Arizona I learned to drive, and then to haul on So California freeways – I have likewise had some very hairy experiences in
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I have always been told horses have the " right of way " on the road. But if you want to keep you and your horse safe, its best to assume total responsibility for your self. Be very safe!!!
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I have always been told horses have the " right of way " on the road. But if you want to keep you and your horse safe, its best to assume total responsibility for your self. Be very safe!!!
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Yesterday, a friend of ours was involved in a wreck that took the lives of three great team roping horses. We haul approximately 20,000 miles a year, so the accident really made me pause and think of the close calls we’ve had. Twice within
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Years ago I will never forget I was hauling my horse to a horse show about a hour away. I was on the expressway and it was a little foggy that am. I was in the right lane doing 55, that was the speed limit then, saw 2 tractor trailers one behind
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
My worst experience was a minivan cutting me off to fit into the (so-called) space between me and the red light. I drive a 10,000 pound steel trailer with draft horses in it. The speed limit was 60mph and I had timed my stop way, way back. As I slammed
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Bad merging is a real problem around here. We’re in the slow lane and a vehicle will be beside us on the on-ramp, but going much slower. Rather than speeding up to merge in front of us, or slowing down to merge behind us, they just keep on going
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I know this has happened to anybody that pulls a trailer. I do not care if you want to commit car suicide but I do care that you want to involve me and my family…WAKE UP AND HAVE RESPECT!!!!!!
My equine are my family.
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I haul down two lane highways often and always seem to get so frustrated with the drivers that just can not wait to get around me. I wish the general public understood what it is like to haul.
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
We were coming back from 4H States one year. It was Oct and rainy. As we were approaching a light, there was a car coming out of a parking lot. Both my friend and I said "Don’t do it, don’t do it…" but he pulled out in front of us anyway, a
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
It is not only an issue of trailers and horse lorries but general road use. I live in the UK, around very narrow and bendy country lanes with high hedges. Not helped by fact that drivers now thru SatNav use these as short cuts (rat runs) between
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Stacy, I would love to have it required that people take a ride in a horse trailer with their hands tied behind their backs or down on their hands and knees with no holding on allowed.
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I would like to make a bumper sticker stating- "My horses do not have seatbelts, handholds or hands for that matter to hold on if I suddenly have to stop hard or swerve"
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
As a person heavily involved in the horse industry, but also a CDL ("big rig") license holder and driver, I have long believed that a part of all driver education should be a trip for a few miles as a passenger in a tractor-trailer. All of th
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I agree with previous posters who stated that they felt better facing traffic. I have ‘road-ridden’ for 29 years. And have NEVER felt comfortable on the same side as traffic. Now with people texting and or playing with their electronics while driving,
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Our laws require us to ride with traffic, but I far prefer to ride or lead my horse against traffic. Cars DON’T very often move to the other lane when passing and scare the horse by coming up behind so fast and close. I wish the local newsp
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I haul both horses and cattle and could write a book about what I see. I have had a few close calls but the two worst were 1)a driver cut me off and slammed on the brakes, forcing me to slam on my brakes to avoid taking out his car. My horse lost his b
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
The law may state that I should walk or ride with traffic but logic dictates otherwise. When I have my back to oncoming traffic it is harder to be aware of what they are up to and be able to be a defensive rider/walker. My mother always had
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Actually in most states a bicycle is considered a vehicle and should travel in the same direction as traffic where a pedestrian should walk against traffic. Where I live in Florida horses, are allowed on all roads except the interstate. Of course
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
I wish there was some way of conveying to them the knowledge that we can’t stop quickly when we are cut off, and that if I have to choose between hitting my brakes and potentially killing a horse, or hitting you – you’re toast. I drive in Los Ang
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Check with your state drivers liecne place but most states consider people on horse back as pedestrians. Which means cars have to slow down and move or stop if there is on coming traffic. just like for bicycles and everyone else.
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
Hi, Kimberly, that’s an excellent and important question! I’ll plan on addressing it in a future post–I have to ride on about 0.25 miles of quiet country road to get to public lands. In the meantime, I’d recommend checking your state’s driver handbook
re: An Open Letter to Drivers Who aren’t Horse People
With this being said .I would also like to know what the rules are for people like me who sometimes ride the roadside with my horse . I would like to know what side I should be on and my rights that I have . Also what the drivers of the cars rights are