By KRISTEN LEVINE Tribune correspondent

Many Bay area counties still boast bucolic areas with beautiful horse trails and large-lot neighborhoods that attract equestrians.

Belinda Smith of Tarpon Springs is a riding instructor at Forelock Farms. Her students must ride their horses down a quiet street to reach the trails.

“People don’t realize that horses can spook very easily,” she says. “People often drive their cars by the riders and honk the horn either to say hello or let them know they are coming up alongside the horses. This is the worst thing they can do!”

Because any unfamiliar noise is scary to horses, they tend to bolt, sometimes directly into the path of the car.

“My advice is for people to slow down around a horse and rider, so you have time to brake if necessary. Go to the opposite side of the street if possible,” Smith says. “And no beeping, please.”

Whether you are a pet owner or not, animals are so much a part of American life today that everyone is bound to encounter them regularly. Just as we do with humans, use common sense, ask when you are not sure, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you and your pet.

For more on pet manners, or answers to pet etiquette questions, visit http://www.missfidomanners.com.