Abuse when out hacking

I must just be very fortunate, I know people have loads of problems all over the country with riding on the roads but I've actually never had a problem at all. The occasional driver who goes too fast and has to slam the brakes on but 9 times out of 10 they apologise and get very embarrassed. The drivers around the roads where I hack are generally all really courteous and I have a great time.

**A lot of wood being touched**

The only time someone has ever been rude to me while riding is when the village idiot called me a stupid woman for not following his ambiguous hand signal but he's well known in the area for being a bit of a fool and I think this would have been the same if I was walking, riding or driving.
 
Orangehorse said:
There is a Facebook page called Pass Wide and Slow and there is much information on there. More and more people are buying cameras and in some areas Police are very good at following up when abuse or dangerous driving is involved. The only thing is that if you get a recording don't put it on Facebook, tell the Police. Also people make a point of emailing firms when their drivers have been GOOD and considerate as well as bad!

Personally, I find local drivers are OK (will probably go out this weekend and have an "incident>")
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Thank you, I'll have a look at the Facebook page. I will definitely look into putting the camera on my hat. The person that shouted at me telling me to get on the path today was in a work vehicle but I was so busy concentrating on my pony I can't remember the name of the company!

The road that runs though our village is used a run through to a main road and is quite straight so people just think they can race down it.
 
huskydamage said:
Unfortunately it happens way more than I'd like. Literally the other day some bloke stopped his car opposite me on a tiny road nearly squashing my horse to have a go that I didn't say thanks. Even weirder because I had actually put my hand up to him to thank him when he first went past?! A lot of drivers in my area seem very antagonistic and think I want to hear their opinion for some reason. Its got to the point now where if I see a car pull over in front of me or wind their window down I will turn and trot off in the opposite direction. I don't trust people at all on the roads now after so many bad experiences. I have no desire to get into any road rage row with someone especially off the back of my horse.
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Like you I never say anything back to them through fear of repercussion, just makes me very wary of riding out again.
 
There's a section of road I have to ride down but theres a grass verge so I go on there. 95% just continue at the speed they were going anyway. I tried riding on the road, but they were the same so I stick to the verge now. Luckily my horse isn't bothered.
Most heavier stuff slows down though I did have a bus just go hurtling past the other day.
 
I’ve done loads of roadwork to rehab my mare - we’ve been v lucky and rarely had an issue. Even large farm traffic (often driven by young lads) are very respectful.
 
I've not had any real problems for quite a while though pony is a saint and unfazed by anything going past, however big or rattley. Someone did come past the other day and pass that wide they drove into a flood on the opposite side of the road sending up a massive sheet of water which was a bit disconcerting.
However in the past I've had an assortment of stuff happen - A bunch of teenage lads in a car trying to hit my pony with beer cans being thrown out of the car windows, a cyclist ran straight into the back of me while going up a hill and ended up sprawled on the road, a car was passing me nice and wide and slow when the car behind him shot past at speed between my pony and the overtaking car! I was once on a friend's young pony and a noisy motorbike came up behind while I was going up a hill, pony shot off at trot and motorbike stayed just behind, pony increased speed, so did bike, we ended up galloping and it was about a mile before the motorbike finally passed.
 
Gloi said:
I've not had any real problems for quite a while though pony is a saint and unfazed by anything going past, however big or rattley. Someone did come past the other day and pass that wide they drove into a flood on the opposite side of the road sending up a massive sheet of water which was a bit disconcerting.
However in the past I've had an assortment of stuff happen - A bunch of teenage lads in a car trying to hit my pony with beer cans being thrown out of the car windows, a cyclist ran straight into the back of me while going up a hill and ended up sprawled on the road, a car was passing me nice and wide and slow when the car behind him shot past at speed between my pony and the overtaking car! I was once on a friend's young pony and a noisy motorbike came up behind while I was going up a hill, pony shot off at trot and motorbike stayed just behind, pony increased speed, so did bike, we ended up galloping and it was about a mile before the motorbike finally passed.
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Oh no! It's unbelievable some things that people experience. I've had people stay behind but they're so close, one did this yesterday. I was turning in a couple of metres but he was so impatient that as soon as I turned he sped past. They just like to intimate us!
 
I only have to ride a maximum of 10 minutes on our country road to get to a 'safe' track yet the amount of incidents I've had to deal with over the last 2 years are nothing short of alarming. I contacted the council for signs to be put up (a resounding 'no'), contacted the police (who at least listened and put a message on twitter) and contacted my local MP (no response). I find riding on the road extremely daunting and I've lost a couple of the riders who help me simply due to abusive or dangerous driving. Its upsetting for me and occasionally the horses but I persevere as they both need to hack out for their health (vets orders). I do take them out in the trailer to off road areas but I can't do that all the time. What I find absolutely astonishing is how the abusive drivers appear to hate us being on the road so much that they think its acceptable to scare us and the horses. I really think if anything was to happen they'd simply drive off laughing. The cameras do put off some of them but not all and it would only take one of these numpties to end the life of me or my horse.
 
Only once have I had a real problem. A guy repeatedly turned around to pass me getting faster and closer each time. Luckily the horse was amazing but it did get quite hairy the last time. Sadly I couldn’t remember his number plate by the time I got home or I’d have reported him.
 
I've not had any fortunately, I'm lucky in that I don't need to ride on roads that often but when I do I usually don't have issues with locals, we live in a very horsey area and most people know how to deal with horses when they see them and most horse riders know how to deal with cars when we meet them.

My horses are quite big drafts, I am not sure if that makes a difference though?
 
In 30 years I've had two incidents of abuse. One about 7 years ago and one about 3 months ago. Both times, drivers were approaching far too fast, I asked them to slow down and got a load of abuse hurled at me. The first one, had we been another vehicle rather than horses he'd have hit us, he came flying round a bend that doesn't have room for 2 cars doing at least 50 and was less than a foot away from my horse. The idiot was in a work van so I reported him to his employer. The most recent one stopped on the wrong side of the road on a blind bend to hurl abuse at me. I could see a car coming over the hedge and told him he'd better move as there was a car coming. He said I couldn't possibly know that.....just as the car arrived. Luckily that driver was driving very responsibly and could stop in time.

The only time I've contacted police was when two cars were clearly racing each other. We have a circular road route that we use as a quick hack or if the ground is very wet and they were going round and round it. They got far too close to us twice so we took a short cut home and I could hear them still going so I called the police. I heard a siren within minutes so I assume the police came but I never got an update.

All three incidents were on the same 30mph stretch of road just outside a large village and all 3 were breaking the speed limit by a considerable amount.
 
The Trooper said:
I've not had any fortunately, I'm lucky in that I don't need to ride on roads that often but when I do I usually don't have issues with locals, we live in a very horsey area and most people know how to deal with horses when they see them and most horse riders know how to deal with cars when we meet them.

My horses are quite big drafts, I am not sure if that makes a difference though?
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A&M are both big greys (16.3 and 17hh chunks) and we go out plastered in hi-viz and often ride side by side where appropriate. We've been stopped several times by people asking a) if they're police horses and b) if they're brothers!
 
Gloi said:
I've not had any real problems for quite a while though pony is a saint and unfazed by anything going past, however big or rattley. Someone did come past the other day and pass that wide they drove into a flood on the opposite side of the road sending up a massive sheet of water which was a bit disconcerting.
However in the past I've had an assortment of stuff happen - A bunch of teenage lads in a car trying to hit my pony with beer cans being thrown out of the car windows, a cyclist ran straight into the back of me while going up a hill and ended up sprawled on the road, a car was passing me nice and wide and slow when the car behind him shot past at speed between my pony and the overtaking car! I was once on a friend's young pony and a noisy motorbike came up behind while I was going up a hill, pony shot off at trot and motorbike stayed just behind, pony increased speed, so did bike, we ended up galloping and it was about a mile before the motorbike finally passed.
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Wow, sounds like you've experienced lots of idiots! I don't know whether people are just oblivious as to what a horse could actually do or if they just don't care!? Of course they'll never think they're in the wrong though.
 
annagain said:
A&M are both big greys (16.3 and 17hh chunks) and we go out plastered in hi-viz and often ride side by side where appropriate. We've been stopped several times by people asking a) if they're police horses and b) if they're brothers!
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If I didn't go on the roads I literally would only have my field to ride around. In my village the land owners aren't willing to allow horses on their land!
 
Very rarely have any incidents (touching wood) and I ride on a busy A-road fairly regularly. I spend most of the time thanking drivers, giving the thumbs up to lorry drivers and bus drivers 😀. I am always riding solo. I do think when there are a group of horses on the road it tends to get a bit more complicated as you are harder to pass by and there’s lots of chit chat going on and less concentration on what’s going on on the road, in my opinion!
 
Maisiemare82 said:
Thank you, I'll have a look at the Facebook page. I will definitely look into putting the camera on my hat. The person that shouted at me telling me to get on the path today was in a work vehicle but I was so busy concentrating on my pony I can't remember the name of the company!

The road that runs though our village is used a run through to a main road and is quite straight so people just think they can race down it.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/passwideandslow/
 
I’ve had abuse from horse riders too...

I always respect horse riders being one myself. Up I would like to remind riders that it is actually my choice when I overtake you and if I don’t think it’s safe I’m not going to go even if you wave your arms violently and tell me it’s clear in not so nice language if I can’t see I’m not going to go... especially if you are not old enough to drive a car yourself.

Yes I’m in a foul mood this morning.
 
Fortunately, where I've moved to now is fine, but in my last few years in North Oxfordshire as the village got bigger, the abuse got worse. I had a very good lad on the roads and always wore high-vis, rode responsibly and politely and always thanked drivers.

I had verbal abuse for just being there: "You should be in a field!" "Why the hell do you have to keep riding through here?" "You wake me up!" "Did your horse leave that poo?" (talking about some pile they'd seen somewhere, no idea where!) - "It's disgusting! My council tax money's wasted when they have to send people out to pick that up!" HUH?! :oops:

This last one was from a very irate woman who pulled over, blocking my saint of a boy in with a car in front and hers to my right stirrup, yelling at me. She continued to scream abuse at me across the bows of her 5 year old son in the passenger seat, probably not helped when finally I laughed and told her maybe she needed to get a life or not live in a rural village ...

She then demanded to know my name and which yard I was on. Fortunately, throughout all this, M was merely peering in the car window at her in astonishment.

Y/O friend and I did report one guy though: we always tried to ride out on summer mornings, bums in saddles just before 6am to be home by 7am before the country lane became a rat-run. One guy used to see us and accelerate. Every. Damn. Morning. Often, on a double blind-bend, which we used to trot through as swiftly and carefully as possible. So often, in fact, I memorised his reg.

The police went round and had a word, bless 'em.
 
I have two bullet cameras, £40 each from Chilli Technology, and I wear one facing front and one back. I often see drivers spot them and then change their driving, or decide not to mouth off at me for being on the road.

I use two to balance the weight on my hat and to have a spare in case one fails.

.
 
Maisiemare82 said:
Hi, just wondering how people many other people get verbally abused when hacking out on roads! I took my youngster out to try and get her used to traffic today and on a stretch of road in my village that's a 30mph limit I was shouted at and told to get on the path, told to f**k off and had a land rover rev his engine and fly past close enough for me to be able to almost touch the car. Can't believe how rude, impatient and inconsiderate people are nowadays!
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Hi , that's awfull. Head cams do work. I use one all the time. But you need to report the drivers also to stop the behaviour. Do you follow pass wide and slow on Facebook
 
"The only time someone has ever been rude to me while riding is when the village idiot called me a stupid woman for not following his ambiguous hand signal but he's well known in the area for being a bit of a fool and I think this would have been the same if I was walking, riding or driving"

What century are you living in? How unbelievably nasty 😠
 
Thinking back to about 10 years ago, we had reports locally of a group of teenage lads in a car who would slow down and drive very slowly past horses being ridden on the road, initially as if they were being helpful, then the passenger would wind down the window and blast an air horn before they laughed hysterically at the carnage and sped off. How it didn’t cause a horrible accident I don’t know. Fortunately, someone got a reg number and it was reported to the police and the people in question were visited. It stopped straight away.
 
I had an issue with a lad in the next village slowing his car down to pass me and then sounding his horn just behind us. The first time he tried it his friends in the car leant out the windows and tried to frighten my horse (who was in harness with blinkers, so didnt notice). The next couple of times I was riding but similar situation, luckily he had an easy to memorise personal number plate so I reported him. I expect he had a visit because we have had no more trouble, but I did hear of a similar incident a few miles away.
 
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