Many, many people will slow down when they see horseback riders, and most will change lanes to pass, keeping a safer distance from the animals.

Unfortunately, some people are idiots.

Some do not bother to even slow down to the speed limit.

A few do not even move over when the other lane is clear and available.

Still others seem to think it would be funny to honk the horn on their way by.

(More than once I've wished I was carrying a paintball gun.)

There are additional hazards associated with riding along a road even when traffic is not present.

Debris such as scraps of metal, hard plastic, and broken glass can be very harmful to the sensitive frog of your horses' hoof. It is very important to check your horses' hooves after every ride. If you notice a limp or even just that your horse is "off" or a strange sound, dismount and check. I once had a horse pick up an unseen piece of sheet metal that was embedded over an inch into the frog. The horse plowed forward as if nothing was wrong, but I could hear the clink on the metal on the stony shoulder of the paved road, and when the metal was removed, the hoof bled freely for several minutes. Lacking even a basic first aid kit for what was just going to be a "ride around the block" I had a very long walk home and lots of wound cleaning to do when I got there.

Blowing trash can also turn into scary horse-eating demons.

Dogs that are not contained in their yards will often chase horses. I've learned from experience that the barking dogs are generally the least harmless, and will often turn and run yipping if you turn your horse to face them. Never run past a yard with a loose dog, always slow to a walk and firmly tell the dog to "stay" or "go home." Only glance back to see if the dog is safely staying in his yard, looking back too often may encourage the dog to follow.

Packs of feral dogs can be a serious road and trail hazard. A dog that would normally back down gets excited in a "pack" situation and I have had a friend chased for over a mile by a pack of dogs that had attempted to bite her leg and drag her off the horse. Pepper spray in your saddle bag is always a good idea, for canine attackers and the occasional less than friendly human pedestrian.

I did more than a few dumb things as a teenager. Here is an article I wrote quite a few years back:

It simply stuns me that there are people in this world who don't have the good sense to SLOW DOWN when passing adults and children on horseback!!

It was bad enough when I was young. I used to ride a very gentle horse who wasn't the least bit worried about passing traffic, and it didn't matter if people drove by at 25, 55 or 75 mph (and they did). I could be walking, trotting or even eating up turf at a full gallop and vehicles could pass at any speed.

It was worse when I started training a young horse to traffic. Usually, a driver with some form of reasoning ability would slow down upon seeing my steed doing a sideways dance and spinning or rearing upon the big loud metal monster's approach. Some didn't, and I'm lucky to be alive in spite of them.

That horse learned a trick that put a few black skid marks on the pavement where I rode. If a car didn't slow down enough for his liking, he'd swing his huge hindquarters right out into the road. Now, folks around these parts know what damage a little 200# deer can do to a vehicle. Here is the business end of a 1200# beast in the path of their beloved speeding transportation capsule, and somehow the idea that they just MIGHT want to slow down creeps over them.

Now I'm a mother, and I have two young children that ADORE their new pony. It's a battle to decide which youngster gets to ride first, and which has to walk alongside and wait their turn.

We live on a 'quiet' country road. It is paved, and there is virtually NO shoulder. We walk carefully at the edge of the road, and pay close attention to approaching traffic.

Again, most folks seem to have a little common sense, and slow down from 55 (or 65, or 75) when they see small children and a small pony at the edge of the road.

To my great dismay, there are people who just FLY by as if passing roadkill ... giving no more consideration to us than they would to be sure they don't splatter any rotting flesh on the underside of their automobile as they pass an aging carcass.

It isn't any kind of stereotypical demographic ... it is young and old drivers, men and women, folks in sports cars and pickups and luxury sedans ... people sharing nothing more in common than seeming ignorance that they are endangering the lives of myself, my children and our pet by not being willing to take an extra few seconds of their trip to slow to a reasonable passing speed.

Some don't even slow down for a pedestrian pushing a stroller, or pulling a wagon. Sad. Especially considering the dangerous projectiles -- stones, splinters and debris -- kicked up by their tires. As a pedestrian, I've been struck with a painful spray of debris as a car roars past. Such an unexpected assault can make even a very calm, quiet horse spook and panic, injuring itself or even killing the rider in the process.

HEY SPEED DEMONS!! SAVE A LIFE -- if you see a pedestrian, a pet or a child -- SLOW DOWN!!