Horse warning signs
We use horse warning signs to alert drivers that there’s a higher than normal chance they may meet a horse on the road they’re travelling on.
You can find more information about road markings and signs on the Department for Transport's website
Locations of horse warning signs
There’s evidence to suggest that the more warning signs there are, the less impact they have on drivers.
As this is a rural area coming across a horse on the road isn’t unusual, so we only put horse warning signs up when there’s an exceptionally large number of horses likely to be on the road
This means we only put signs up in areas surrounding riding schools or large livery yards. Even so, there may still be little or no impact on driver speeds.
Size of horse warning signs
The size of horse warning signs may vary, depending on the average speed of vehicles on that road.
Rider responsibilities
If you’re the horse rider, it’s your responsibility to decide if the road is safe enough to travel on. If you feel there’s a danger you should reconsider your route.
You should also consider clothing yourself and your horse in highly visible colours or LED lights so you’re easily spotted by drivers.
Driver responsibilities
The British Horse Society have put together some useful information about the simple steps you can take to drive safely near a horse.
Reporting incidents and accidents involving a horse
If you’re involved in an incident or accident involving a horse, we’d encourage you to report this to the British Horse Society. They work with Police Scotland to take enforcement action against unsafe drivers.
They’re also working with DHL, Ocado, Morrisons and Network Rail driver trainers to incorporate horse encounters in their training programmes.
Request a horse warning sign
If you’d like to request a new horse warning sign in the vicinity of a riding school or livery, you can complete our online form.
Damaged or missing signs
You can report damaged or missing signs.