Abuse when out hacking

Sister I were out once on a big ID and a finely built Appaloosa, with loads of hi-viz, including leg wraps. A car with 4 young men overtook us very slowly with the passenger's windows wound down. Sis and I were both expecting the worst. Just as they were abreast of us, one of the passengers leant out and shouted 'Nice socks!':D:D:D
 
AandK said:
How do you attach them to your hat?
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They come with Velcro carriers. You can either stick them to an elastic hatband, or stick permanent pads where you want them on your hat. I do one with my bike helmets and the other with my skull caps.

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I've reported two incidents recently. Both awful and could have resulted in someone/thing being seriously injured or killed.

Police have advised me to get a hat cam.

Even today I asked someone to slow down on a single track country lane approaching a blind bend, they mounted the verge to get by without slowing down. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Rooni spooked as they zipped through a puddle into the middle of the road. I signalled I was turning right into the next driveway less than 50 yards away and got an absolute torrent of abuse. What's worse is that they were both clearly wearing horse riding items........... They wound their window down just to call me a c**t as they sped off... I was too shell shocked to even get a VRN.
 
On the other side I watched some great riding on the road the other day ... I was in the horsebox and I saw a couple of horses coming towards me on a very narrow road... one of them was riding a horse that looked coiled like a spring - but the rider looked relaxed enough . Even so it was loopy enough that I brought the wagon to a stop and even turned off the engine - cue idiot driver coming past me in a hot hatch cutting between me and the horses. I held MY breathe as the horse stood up vertically but the guy on the horse just put his leg on and the horse leapt forward and in a collected canter passed my lorry... all this with the riders reins bridged in one hand so that he could thank me and wave some ‘coffee beans’ at the child in the hatch... it was very impressive to watch.
 
The Trooper said:
My horses are quite big drafts, I am not sure if that makes a difference though?
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Yes, I think it does. I have had Clydies and a Westphalian, all of whom were good in traffic. I don't remember having any problems with drivers, bar one who was reported to the police and fined for careless driving, many years ago but the Westphalian commanded most respect. I think it was her width which was so impressive. Even then we did have a fool revving her engine behind the mare on a narrow road. The mare just got slower and slower glaring over her shoulder, while sister, who had trotted on in front on her mare, stood in a gateway laughing at her.
 
I have never experienced that - just people saying hello and admiring the Arab gelding that I ride. Last Friday I - very naughtily - had him on the pavement because we got caught out by how quickly it started to get dark and, although most of the ride was on bridleways, I didn't want to ride the final stretch on the main road through the village in poor light. A couple were walking towards us so I moved him into the verge to let them past, expecting a ticking off for being on the pavement, but instead they just stopped and said how handsome he is!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Yes, I think it does. I have had Clydies and a Westphalian, all of whom were good in traffic. I don't remember having any problems with drivers, bar one who was reported to the police and fined for careless driving, many years ago but the Westphalian commanded most respect. I think it was her width which was so impressive. Even then we did have a fool revving her engine behind the mare on a narrow road. The mare just got slower and slower glaring over her shoulder, while sister, who had trotted on in front on her mare, stood in a gateway laughing at her.
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My Clydie was great at stopping traffic, we never had anyone get too close or be funny when i was riding him. He was 18.3 and broad, so he took up most of the space anyway.

But we used to have a lot of people stop and want to talk to him! Lots of people stopped with stories about their grandparents working farm horses.
 
Mostly the worst I get is too fast and close. But I've had several incidents of abuse from cyclists, (undertaking and abuse when I called out, or stealth speed overtaking and ditto abuse when I politely asked him to make himself known, having caught up with him as he stopped for a mess with his bike). Recently a car stopped after passing me in oncoming direction (I'd been trotting up a narrow bendy bit) and yelled that I should bloody say thank you. I had nodded and smiled. Honestly, I wish they could ride a few days in our shoes.
 
D66 said:
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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That's awful!
 
Generally speaking, people round us are good. The odd driver not slowing down till the last second, but only one van driver, a few years ago, deliberately accelerating over the cattle grid while i was leaning off the horse trying to close the awkward gate. He got called a few names.
Hacking to meets, though, and out with hounds .... Jeez, everyone feels the need to give their opinion, positive or negative!
 
Landcruiser said:
Mostly the worst I get is too fast and close. But I've had several incidents of abuse from cyclists, (undertaking and abuse when I called out, or stealth speed overtaking and ditto abuse when I politely asked him to make himself known, having caught up with him as he stopped for a mess with his bike). Recently a car stopped after passing me in oncoming direction (I'd been trotting up a narrow bendy bit) and yelled that I should bloody say thank you. I had nodded and smiled. Honestly, I wish they could ride a few days in our shoes.
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They should know better asking for us car drivers to pass wide too , shocking
 
Where my horses are is maidens its a really busy wee village and if the main a77 is closed then they are re routed through, its ridiculous in the summer id just not ride on the roads unless it’s really early or late but still very light, to get to culzean you still have to go near the beach and it’s usually heaving in summer times, only last week my friend was on the beach and someone let their dog off, he tanked off with the dog trying to bite his legs and dumped my friend, thankfully she was ok and the horse just took himself home! But thats 2 miles from the yard. People are so irresponsible 😡
 
Maisiemare82 said:
. Can't believe how rude, impatient and inconsiderate people are nowadays!
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I had an idiot on the way home from a hack drive past me in the other direction doing approx. 45-50mph in a 30mph limit. I signalled him to slow down but this was ignored so I signalled again and as he whizzed past me I could see the other occupants of the car make rude hand signals to me . I turned my head behind me and saw him indicate to pull into a pub car park so turned my horse around sharpish to confront him. Of course my horse objected strongly as she just wanted her tea and to go home so we were walking reluctantly sidewards as we made our way down the hill to the pub car park. I was hoping to nab him and his occupants as they walked to the door.

I think he must have dropped his friends of as he was just coming out of the car park as I drew level so I stopped the traffic behind me and asked him to wind down his window. He just stared ahead. So I shouted politely (if there is such a thing) "excuse me wind down your window and talk to me". His eyes never moved from the direction he was looking in, although he quite clearly knew I was there. He just drove off. I was going to have it out with him there and then if I'd had chance and try and put across that although he was six foot away from me, horses can move very fast when startled and his car and him and his occupants wouldn't look pretty with 3/4 of a ton of horse on the bonnet.
 
We are very lucky and have mostly respectful drivers. We have to ride along a stretch of main road, with a 40 limit to get the quieter lanes/bridle paths. If anyone says anything i usually take great pleasure in educating them of the highway code (we have to ride 2 a breast, 1 horse is young and it is the only way we actually get enough drivers to pass with an appropriate amount of room). We always say thanks, and will wave cars past if we are able to see far enough ahead. I had 1 person who claimed to love horses, but insisted on turning around to keep passing us, continuing to shout at us, the last time he tried to rev his (really crappy) car and speed it. Luckily the horses are pretty good in traffic so weren't phased. Unfortunately we couldn't remember his VRN to report him. My friend was concerned he would turn again and follow us up the lane which is quite isolated, luckily he didn't but I'm quite ballsy and was prepared to get off and give him a piece of my mind :D

I once wore a camera prior to taking it on a fun rider to check angles etc and the difference we saw in people was astonishing! I keep saying I need to wear it out every time but keep forgetting. I am going to try to remember now though as I keep hearing more and more stories.
 
beingachicken said:
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.
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I knew of someone this happened to. Van driver decided it was a funny thing to do in relation to a young child on a smallish pony with her father walking beside her, albeit on a fairly main road, walking back to the stables one morning. Little did the van driver know that the father was a pretty senior officer in the local police force. Said van driver was called in for a caution pretty smartish.
 
scruffyponies said:
Beyond unbelievable... you must have some REALLY loud shoes on that horse to have disturbed the poor woman's morning so badly!!
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The driver yelled out that she works nights, and that the noise of the horse woke her kids...

I think it's more likely that she comes home just before the horse walks past, she shouts "it's that bloody horse again", and it's the shouting that wakes her kids.
 
I am fortunate that I only have to ride on a short stretch of a quiet lane to get to bridleways but over the last few months I have had several altercations with "prof" dog walkers.. One particularly unpleasant woman I have encountered on several occasions has been highly abusive. She has 5 or 6 dogs all off lead ( it is open forestry/heath land) but on one occasion she had a couple of large doberman type dogs which ran up to my horse barking quite aggressively - she stood watching making no attempt to control - I don't think she had any leads so I made my horse stand whilst i waited for her to try to control them. She yelled at me very aggressively "what was i stopping for " and when I replied "to give you a chance to call your dogs" she yelled that she didn't need to call her dogs and I should get off the heath and it was wrong to ride horses. When I moved off the dogs followed barking so i stopped again and she yelled at me to "go away" and various other insults.
I met her again a few days ago with 6 dogs - one started to run after my horse jumping up at him - playfully rather than aggressively and i politely asked could she call her dog please - she went ballistic telling me how dare I speak to her telling her what do and she had more right to walk in the heath and I should get off the heath ( I was on a bridleway). I ignored and rode on but saw her again a bit later although she was on another path we could see each other clearly and she yelled various abuse again.

There are a number of people running dog walking business where I ride and most of them have at least 6 dogs - one had 12 and even if they try to control them most don't have leads and any attempts are very half hearted. It is not too bad on the wide paths as I can go round them but on narrow paths it is a nightmare with dogs running up and down step banks and around my horses feet in a narrow gully
 
Highflinger said:
I am fortunate that I only have to ride on a short stretch of a quiet lane to get to bridleways but over the last few months I have had several altercations with "prof" dog walkers.. One particularly unpleasant woman I have encountered on several occasions has been highly abusive. She has 5 or 6 dogs all off lead ( it is open forestry/heath land) but on one occasion she had a couple of large doberman type dogs which ran up to my horse barking quite aggressively - she stood watching making no attempt to control - I don't think she had any leads so I made my horse stand whilst i waited for her to try to control them. She yelled at me very aggressively "what was i stopping for " and when I replied "to give you a chance to call your dogs" she yelled that she didn't need to call her dogs and I should get off the heath and it was wrong to ride horses. When I moved off the dogs followed barking so i stopped again and she yelled at me to "go away" and various other insults.
I met her again a few days ago with 6 dogs - one started to run after my horse jumping up at him - playfully rather than aggressively and i politely asked could she call her dog please - she went ballistic telling me how dare I speak to her telling her what do and she had more right to walk in the heath and I should get off the heath ( I was on a bridleway). I ignored and rode on but saw her again a bit later although she was on another path we could see each other clearly and she yelled various abuse again.

There are a number of people running dog walking business where I ride and most of them have at least 6 dogs - one had 12 and even if they try to control them most don't have leads and any attempts are very half hearted. It is not too bad on the wide paths as I can go round them but on narrow paths it is a nightmare with dogs running up and down step banks and around my horses feet in a narrow gully
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I really don't get why people think they can be abusive to us! We have as much right as everyone else. If I see people walking towards me with dogs off lead I always stop and try to move over as best I can, I don't think stopping is being rude, I do it to be polite and not get in the way!
 
With a dog situation stopping is essential to avoid teaching the dog it's OK to chase, and the horse it's OK to run.

However, if the dog persists and is out of control the horse will likely kick the dog. This is OK, as the dog will likely learn a valuable lesson, but you should give the owner verbal warning that it may kill the dog, just in case they do actually give a damn, and are just really thick.
 
I'd be tempted to take some doggy treats with me, to throw down to the dog.

When the handler starts going off about "how dare you feed my dogs", I'd explain that inside each one was a small device that I can activate through WiFi once the dog has arrived home, to make it shit everywhere.
 
I have only experienced one issue on the roads, and it was a bad one (horse over the bonnet etc) but since that i have had nothing. I don't let it get to me really...yes people rarely slow down for me but its ok...but then i have yet to take my babies out on the road or my new driving horse..
 
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