Motorists advised to obey horse district rules
It’s as simple as common courtesy and respect.
Motorists, for the most part, are more than willing to drive carefully through Aiken’s horse district, yielding to horses and abiding by the signs and signals placed throughout the area.
But others are less than observant or willing to comply, compromising the safety of horses and people.
There are stop signs, posted speed limit signs, equestrian signals and speed bumps to deter potential speeders.
Thoroughbred trainer Suzy Haslup has been working at the Aiken Training Track for the past 16 years and has noticed a difference in the etiquette people observe, or the lack thereof, when they enter the horse district with their vehicles. The change in their behavior has been markedly noticeable during the past few years, she said.
“People would often stop a block away, and I wondered why they were stopping, and then I realized how courteous they were and that they were waiting for us to get to them before moving on,” said Haslup. “Over the years, especially during the past few years, the motorists haven’t shown the same type of respect.”
Motorists need to stop and wait for the horses to pass before proceeding and should do so with caution, Haslup said. Drivers should also comply with the speed limit signs.
A recent incident had one motorist compromising the safety of people and horses. The driver was eventually pulled over and be issued a warning by the Aiken Department of Public Safety.
“I would encourage the motorists to slow down and honor the horses, honor the speed limit and obey all traffic laws,” said Cpl. Sonny Ford, Aiken Department of Public Safety. “These are young horses in training, and you can’t predict what a horse is going to do. People should be courteous and respect the horses when they are in the horse district.”
Many of the horses training at the Aiken Training Track are yearlings, and because they are so young, they’re inexperienced and have had minimal exposure to certain situations.
“These are baby racehorses, and from 7 to 11 a.m. the babies are out there, and it’s the first time they’ve seen trucks and it’s the first time they’ve been out on the roads,” said Heidi White, Advanced level eventer and U.S. Olympian. “It’s for the motorists’ safety, not just for our safety. This is a horse community. The horses need to come out of Aiken having had a positive experience.”
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