Rule 52: Before you take a horse on the road
Before you take a horse or horse drawn vehicle on to the road, you should
- ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
- make sure you can control the horse.
If you are an inexperienced horse rider or have not ridden for a while, consider taking the Ride Safe Award from the British Horse Society. The Ride Safe Award provides a foundation for any horse rider to be safe and knowledgeable when riding in all environments but particularly on the road. For more information, see www.bhs.org.uk
Always ride with other, less nervous horses if you think that your horse will be nervous of traffic. Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.
Advice, not law. This rule is not written in capitals, so breaking it is not an offence in itself — but it can still be used in evidence in court to establish liability. The rules that say MUST or MUST NOT are the ones backed by law.
5 theory test questions on this rule
From the DVSA revision question bank. These are not the questions asked in the real theory test. Each one shows the answer, the explanation, and our own note on why every other option is not it.