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Trail Riding Safety
By following a few safety and etiquette rules, trail  riding can be a safe and fun way to see our beautiful country.  Stay Alert - It's easy when you're plodding along, chatting to your riding buddies on a beautiful day on the trail to forget you're supposed to be actively" riding" your horse. You may become a bit of a back seat passenger. This can be very dangerous as your reaction time will be delayed by critical   seconds. Stay alert and attentive at all times while riding. Not tense - but constantly aware of the environment - your riding surface, your peripheral vision, your distance in relationship to other riders, your horses responses to your cues-much as you would (or should be) while driving.
1.  Elect  someone who knows the trails as trail boss. 
2.  Wait until all riders are mounted  to move off.  
3.  Do not pass the trail boss.  
4.  Don't take off galloping, leaving  other riders with bolting/bucking horses.  
5.  The  trail boss maintains the pace and is considerate of others when increasing speed. 
6.   Fast speeds on the trail are unsafe. Ride at safe gaits. 
7.   Keep  the pace down when returning to camp. 
8.  Only go as fast and as far as the most inexperienced rider and/or horse in the group can handle.  
9.   Ride single file unless the trail is wide enough to ride at least one horse length distance from the horse next to  you. 
10. If you must pass other horses, inform the rider you are passing, keep at least one horse length distance from all horses you are passing and do not do so at an extremely fast pace. 
11.  Keep at least one horse length between you and the horse in front of you whether you know the other horse well or not.  If you can't see the back feet of the horse in front of you, you are tailgating, BACK OFF.  
12.  Horses prone to kicking should
wear  a red ribbon on their tails.  
13.  Do not  leave the trail. Holes and unsafe surfaces, sharp objects, wire, brush, limbs,  snakes and hornets nests may exist in unknown areas such as open fields. 
14.  Watch  where you ride-avoid dangerous ground.
15.  Use  extreme caution at wet spots or boggy places.
16.  Ride  as well-mannered a horse as possible and let everyone know your horse's "quirks".
17.  Do not  play practical jokes and indulge in horseplay.
18.  Use  courtesy to everyone on the trail - other riders, hikers, bikers, motorcyclists, and motor vehicle operators.
19.  Warn  the rider behind you if you encounter low limbs, rocks, logs, holes, wire or any  other obstacle on or near the trail that could be hazardous.
20.  If a  rider or riders must stop for any reason, the trail boss must be informed so the rest of the group may stop as well.
21.   If a  rider or riders must leave the group for any reason, the trail boss must be  informed so the rest of the group may stop if needed and prepare their horses for the separation.
22.   Individual riders must not leave the group alone.  The trail boss must send a designated rider along with them.
23.  When  someone dismounts to open or close a gate, everyone go through the gate, move to a safe distance and WAIT for the gate person to mount. 
 24.  When  stopping for the horses to drink, everyone should move to a safe distance when  their horse has finished drinking and WAIT for all of the horses to finish drinking before moving out.
25.  When  negotiating an obstacle such as a log, rock, water crossing, steep hill, etc., as the first riders clear the obstacle they should  stop a safe distance away OR  move out VERY slowly until the last rider has cleared to avoid the last
horses  from "rushing" through the obstacle.
26.  The  trail boss should confront any rider that is violating any of the trail safety  rules and may find it necessary to ask them to leave the group in extreme cases. 
27.  Any  rider preferring not to comply with the trail safety rules should ride separately - out of sight and hearing - from the group.
28.  Every  rider is equally responsible for every other rider and horse in the
  group.