EQUESTRAINS SEEK ROOM TO ROAM IN AGOURA HILLS : DRIVERS HOGGING ROADS, HORSE LOVERS CLAIM.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Lanette Caplan doesn't take her Arabian saddle horse Goldie for a ride on weekends anymore, not since she had a near collision with a car that had taken a curve a bit too fast on Mulholland Highway.

Caplan, a Canoga Park resident, said she's tired of feeling threatened by people speeding in their cars. She and her friends worry that one of these days, their horses will become spooked by a gunning engine or sudden noise.

``I realize having a horse is a privilege, but we have a right to share the road,'' Caplan said. ``People just aren't aware that they're scaring horses and they should slow down.''

Caplan said she avoids taking her horse on streets as much as possible, but it's the only way to get to area trails from the Hearts and Horses stable on Mulholland Highway, where she keeps Goldie. The alternative would be to load her horse into a trailer just to ride locally.

Fellow equestrians share Caplan's concern, and law enforcement officials said horses and their riders by law should be given the same considerations as pedestrians.

While some riders said sensitivity to cars depends on the horse, they added that drivers can be a real threat to their safety. Kris Salmon, who rides almost every day from her home in Thousand Oaks, said it's a sign of the times, with people so rushed to get where they're going that they have no patience for horses, bicycles or pedestrians.

``Sometimes drivers are very discourteous. They honk their horns. I've even had food thrown at me,'' Salmon said. ``It's probably the same types who don't stop for women with strollers.''

Lt. Greg Sabalone with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lost Hills station said the same rules apply to horses and pedestrians. If a rider and horse need to cross the street or are trotting on the side of the road, their safety should be a priority, Sabalone said. On the other hand, riders must make sure the road is clear before crossing a street, he said.

``If you take your horse down the middle of the lane, you're going to upset a lot of people,'' Sabalone said.

Riders must know if their horses will feel comfortable around vehicles before taking them on the road, Sabalone said.

Salmon said she had a horse that would get nervous around trucks. But even a horse's temperament can change in a stressful situation, she said.

``Horses are unpredictable - they are animals,'' said Salmon, who must also ride several street blocks before reaching trails. ``It does not help at all when people honk their horns.''

Caplan said she doesn't want her concern to seem angry. She said she would much rather have drivers stop their cars to pet Goldie. ``I just want to find a way to educate people,'' Caplan said. ``Once we're on a trail, it's fine. But I have to go a long way down Mulholland, and sometimes I just don't feel safe.''

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Photo: (color) Vicky Beelik, left, rides Ice, with Lanette Caplan, on Goldie. Caplan says she has had dangerous run-ins with motorists in Agoura Hills.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News