Horses

An article in Friday's Bolton Common, Motorists: Make way for horses, reminds us to use care when sharing the road with a a horse. It quotes Mass. General Laws c.90, section14, which says, in part, "Every person operating a motor vehicle shall bring the vehicle and the motor propelling it immediately to a stop when approaching a cow, horse or other draft animal being led, ridden or driven, if such animal appears to be frightened and if the person in charge thereof shall signal so to do." Similarly, in state parks and forests, "When approaching a... horseback rider, the operator of a snow vehicle, ORV, or mountain bicycle shall immediately slow his vehicle to a minimum safe operating speed, shall give such person the right of way, shall not pass until it can be accomplished with complete safety and shall not accelerate the vehicle until there is a reasonable distance of not less than 50 feet from such person." 304 CMR 12.28(7).