No horse-drawn vehicles sign: what it means
The no horse-drawn vehicles sign means carts and carriages pulled by a horse must not go past it.
What does the no horse-drawn vehicles sign mean?
A red ring means a prohibition. Know your traffic signs lists this sign as “no horse-drawn vehicles”. It does not ban motor traffic.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- No horses may be ridden or led past here.
- Horse-drawn vehicles may be in the road.
- Horse-drawn vehicles must not go in.
Show answer
C. Horse-drawn vehicles must not go in. A red ring with a horse and cart means no horse-drawn vehicles (Know your traffic signs). Source: Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 109, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where will you see it?
On busy roads and bridges where a slow horse-drawn vehicle would be unsafe.
What should you do?
If you are driving a horse-drawn vehicle, take another route. Other traffic may carry on.
What do people get wrong?
Mixing it up with the red triangle with a horse and cart, which warns that horse-drawn vehicles may be on the road ahead.
Common questions
Does this sign ban ridden horses?
Know your traffic signs describes it as no horse-drawn vehicles. Ridden or led horses have their own sign, a horse and rider in a red ring.
What does a red triangle with a horse and cart mean?
It is a warning: horse-drawn vehicles are likely to be in the road ahead.
Compare with
No ridden or accompanied horses signNo horses may be ridden or led past here.
Horse-drawn vehicles signHorse-drawn vehicles may be in the road.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 4 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (regulatory signs) and The Highway Code rule 109.
- Know your traffic signs: regulatory signs, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 109, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.