Am I the only rider that thanks drivers these days?

I'm really pleased with the response on here, I almost thought I'd get some reply about how giving thanks to drivers wasn't practical or was old-fashioned. :p I really hope that by making drivers feel appreciated for their efforts that it will make them slow down for other riders too, as well as slowing down for me again next time they see me.

Thank you to all you considerate riders that help to save our reputation! :)
 
I always say thankyou either with a wave, a nod and smile (sometimes through gritted teeth if ginge is being a plonker) or if they have a window open, an audible thank you. I also thank every dog walker who stands aside, puts their dog on a lead, or calls their dog back. I thank motorbikes when they are nice and people on foot who wait for us to go past when riding or leading a bouncing idiot of a horse.

But i think this forum encourages that sort of behaviour very strongly, and so most of us probably do. I find that the vast majority of people don't bother to wear any hi vis, especially in the day. In fact the owner of my share scoffed at it the other day, because it's perfectly sunny and people can see fine. It's such a shame because it ruins it for those of us who do make the effort :(

Just hope if someone slows down and i thank them, when they encounter a rider who doesn't then i can ballance it out a bit. But it's the same the other way around, there's plenty of driver/ bike riders/ pedestrians who are rude, ignorant and damn well dangerous.

It's called society, and it's half way down the pan.
 
Not so long ago, whilst riding out with a couple of friends and passing a long line of cars waiting to overtake parked cars in a narrow street, I waved, smiled and shouted THANKS to everyone. It was only afterwards that my friend told me that at least 3 of the cars were parked and empty! Oh well ........
 
I am another candidate for the nodding dog award! :D I nearly got mowed down the other week, was waving arm to slow them down, the lot and then got a gob full of abuse, had no idea why, UNTIL I saw the two horses the car had just passed, out in the middle of the road, riders taking no notice at all of cars behind them. They had just passed a pull in, ignored it and the three cars behind them. The first car behind them the driver wound the window down to ask me if it would be safe to pass them! I did know the horses and said they wouldn't be likely to bounce out at her and felt the need to apologise to her for their behaviour :eek: They were the reason my mare and I nearly got taken out!
Oh and can the person who said they knew someone who got sued regarding waving people on please cite the case, as it is my understanding that the person behing the wheel of the car is responsible for their own actions, even if it is a police officer doing the directing.
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
Not so long ago, whilst riding out with a couple of friends and passing a long line of cars waiting to overtake parked cars in a narrow street, I waved, smiled and shouted THANKS to everyone. It was only afterwards that my friend told me that at least 3 of the cars were parked and empty! Oh well ........
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LOL @ Box of Frogs - better that than not thanking anyone though :D

I always wave, or head nod if horse is being a wally, and shout thanks if they have a window open.
 
ALWAYS wave/put my hand up/smile/nod/ say thankyou.

It peeves me right off when I do the same for riders and they don't!!

I even shout 'thankyou,' at those who dont slow down, - even if it is a bit sarcastic ;) At least if they hear me it might give them a second to think 'Hold on a second..'
 
I drove by two horses the other day, complete novices, and shouldnt have been on the road unsupervised in my opinion.
It was a 1 car width lane, and we were behind the horses and a car was coming towards us. This car wasnt stopping so we came right back to allow space for it to pass and didnt upset the horses but the lead rider kept waving US past constantly. We kept pointing towards the oncoming car and she was getting quite arsey with us. We stopped let the car go past and she trotted right up to us waving her arms around saying i told you to go past and then flipped the finger.
I was totally baffled it was obvious if we had forced our way through, the other car would have either hit us or the horses.

In answer to your question, my mare is rather skitzy and i only ride on very quiet lanes. When a car does come i have to ask them to slow right down which they obligingly do, there are not many cars on this lane. I always thank them!! If they were the type to not slow down i think my mare would attempt to kill the car, so im always greatful! :)
 
HollyWoozle said:
Sorry to have a whinge but I drove by a rider today who didn't acknowledge me at all, despite the fact that I passed wide and slow and she was on a quiet horse with no distractions.

When I hack out I deck myself in high vis and do my utmost to thank every vehicle that passes, whether it be with a wave or a nod (or an audible "thank you" to cyclists and pedestrians). If people have taken the time to slow down for me then I feel that an acknowledgement at the least is polite and I thank everyone unless Belle is playing up or I am distracted by a hazard or similar.

My point is that I have driven by several riders on the roads recently and I don't think even one of them bothered to look up. I appreciate that if you are distracted by something, nervous or perhaps on a horse requiring a lot of concentration then it is not always possible. But, from what I could see, each and every one of these riders was in a perfectly suitable situation to give me a nod at the least. Yes, it is an effort, but I think riders who don't bother give the rest of us a bad name.

What do you think?
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In answer to your post, no! I do too! But I hear where your coming from. Most of them don't even go to the trouble of wearing high viz, it really annoys me. They have a duty of care to their horses and their horses are really trusting them with their lives and yet they come up with every excuse under the sun not to wear high viz. I never go on the roads with my horse unless I have the following: a) my horse in his pelham, b) my horse in his knee boots c) my mobile phone in my pocket, d) my horse and I in our hi viz and e) my manners ;)
 
i try to always say thank you as much as i can when hacking on the roads, when i hack on the roads by myself, which isnt often, i usually struggle to as taz is very spooky on his own but i do try and physically say thank you in one way or another, have to say though some drivers let themselves down too, the roads i hack on are country roads that go into a small village then theres a bypass, the last time i went out alone there was work getting done to a drain on the road so there was wee traffic lights which i was stopped at first, and up comes this police car who decides to stop about two foot away from taz's bum, when the lights went to green taz was doing his usuall not really wanting to go past as it was scary! he was going but obviously not fast enough

so the police man in the car started revving the engine :O about two seconds later he had two hoof prints in his car bonnet as taz got a fright. May give taz a bad name, but who honestly does that because a horse isnt moving fast enough, they dont move as fast as a car. Police man even had the cheek to say i would need to pay for it untill i said for one he was way to close and horses are unpredictable animals and he should never have revved the engine, turns out he had done three years in the mounted police and agreed with me, said it had been a while since he had been away from the horses!!!
 
applecart14 said:
In answer to your post, no! I do too! But I hear where your coming from. Most of them don't even go to the trouble of wearing high viz, it really annoys me. They have a duty of care to their horses and their horses are really trusting them with their lives and yet they come up with every excuse under the sun not to wear high viz. I never go on the roads with my horse unless I have the following: a) my horse in his pelham, b) my horse in his knee boots c) my mobile phone in my pocket, d) my horse and I in our hi viz and e) my manners ;)
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I wish everyone was so prepared out hacking. I wear high vis on me and the horse, carry a schooling whip for emergencies, take my mobile phone (and some treats in case I fell off and needed to coax her for any reason), have a 'ride alert' tag on my saddle and a wristband for me and usually my mother (also in high vis, hehe)!

Some drivers look so shocked and grateful when I thank them that I'm always glad I did it. I do actually try to acknowledge those who don't slow down too much as well, because I hope that it might guilt-trip them into bothering next time. Perhaps they used to slow down and then stopped doing so because they passed so many rude riders (not that this is an excuse)?

I do miss the occasional car if I am focused on something but I really try not to.
 
OP, I agree with you. Whenever I hack out, I, too, am decked out in loads of hi-viz, including leg-wraps for the horse, and thank every driver who even appears to notice that we are on the road, in the hope of encouraging them.
However, I am fed up of passing riders carefully and getting no acknowledgement whatsoever. On my way home from work, usually in the rush hour, I drive through 2 areas where horses are prevalent. It is unusual in either area for a rider to thank me for slowing/holding traffic back when a vehicle is coming the other way/passing wide, etc. I have started lowering my passenger window and yelling 'Thank you!' out of the window.
I don't know that I've made an impression on any of them though!
 
I always thank drivers when they slow down, even if it's not really a 'noticeable' slowing. Eye contact first (even from car coming from behind), hand up to say thanks and a smile. I also make sure I thank them well before they've actually gone past - no end of riders thank a car when it's directly beside them so, as a driver, you can't actually see. Most of the time I'll also make sure I'm walking as they go past, by slowing down I'm actually acknowledging their presence rather than carrying on regardless.
As I driver, if riders don't thank me then I'll wind my window down and shout 'Thank you' very loudly and 'idiot' under my breath ;)
 
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Always thank car drivers in fact drivers of any vehicles. I wave and will bend down to shout through the open window as well, I'm always chuffed when a driver says "It's a pleasure". I also stop for horses and cars when I ride my bike in our narrow lane horse riders usually thank me but car drivers don't for some reason, especially as I'm not obliged to stop and let them go past.
 
You're not the only one!

I thank every driver, cyclist etc that passes me. Whether I thank with my hand, and over the top nod so they can see, or a thank you to cyclists etc. I have driven past some riders on busy roads in the last few days, no hi viz and no thank you what so ever.

I have ridden out with one girl on the yard, who doesn't thank a single car. Even if a car is obviously slowing down...she will wave to get them to slow down, shout and swear at the drivers. I could understand if the car was going too fast and she had a nervy horse but this is not the case.

I felt so bad for the drivers and have not hacked out with her again. Riders like her give the rest of us a bad name!

I always make sure I am walking too, or sometimes trot if there is no space to pass and I need to get into a gateway.

At the weekend I was driving along a main road at national speed limit...and had to slow for a girl in no hi viz, cantering along the grass verge...with the horse shying out onto the road due to pheasants....and she didn't even thank me for being careful...she was just lucky it was me passing her and not an inconsiderate driver!!!
 
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Riders not saying thank you to motorists who slow dwn for them is my biggest pet hate. I always always slow down for horses when driving and always always say thank you or acknowledge drivers when out riding.
I have also been kown to shout out the window to drivers who don't acknowledge me that next time i wont be slowing down and giving them room..... :mad: I wouldnt actually do that but hopefully they will take note and think about thanking a driver the next time!
 
It's annoying isn't it, specially when you are a rider yourself and your in your car and make the effort to pass wide and slow and they look at you with blank miserable face.

Ok some may argue that it's common sense and you shouldn't really need to make a point of saying thank you, specially if you are in a 20/30 speed limit anyway but it takes nothing to nod and smile and mouth the words thank you, it's not like you have to take your hand away from your reins if you don't wish to.

I always make a point of saying thank you, people remember and others lead by example, I'm always very grateful to drivers that slow down and I like to make a huge point about expressing it because it's my horses lives at stake, their so important and precious to me, so I make a point of letting people know that.
 
Brontie said:
I often ride out with the RS, Im the only person that wears high viz. And despite only being a 'client' I still thank all the drivers, if it's safe to do so. I often lead the ride / follow behind if it's needed because of me being visible and safer for me to go first, than some one without it. I always thank the drivers, and encourage all the others to do so :)
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I'm sorry - am I reading this right? Are you saying that your Riding School does not insist that everyone wears Hi-Viz? How totally irresponsible!
 
At my new yard, everyone is lovely but I've been embarrassed when riding out with them. They don't wear hi viz, thank drivers and ride two abreast through the narrow roads in the village, even when the horses are bombproof. They make no attempt to trot on for a few yards or pull over to allow queues of cars to pass.
When horses are out hacking, its usually for pleasure, holding up people driving for work is bound to alienate the public against riders.Being curteous makes the roads safer for all of us.
 
I try to thank everybody that slows down / passes wide. I dont always thank people that try to squash past my horse and another car or the ones that try to take my stirrups with them at speed. My biggest nark is with riders who ride two abreast, talking to each other and not acknowledging the drivers that have waited patiently behind them. Being a driver myself, i do take care going past horses and i do appreciate being thanked.
 
Supertrooper said:
I always thank people unless they make no effort at all to slow down in which case I ignore them. If I can't safely take my hands off the reins I nod and smile and if they have car windows open
I say thankyou. I also always say hello to people that are walking or cycling and let children come up and stroke horse aswell xx
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Me too :-)
 
Kenzo said:
I always make a point of saying thank you, people remember and others lead by example, I'm always very grateful to drivers that slow down and I like to make a huge point about expressing it because it's my horses lives at stake, their so important and precious to me, so I make a point of letting people know that.
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That is exactly how I feel. :)
 
they're all out at the moment arent they.

fair weather bloody riders, dont see them for 11 months of the year, and they all appear at once with no consideration for anyone or thing. i take comfort in the fact they will all bugger off in the next week or so until the second week in june :p

last couple of days have been a nightmare in particular, riding 2 or 3(!) abreast, talking, taking no notice of other horses or pedestrians or cars- i couldnt get past them on my mare today so had to cut across a field (got tutted at, but tough, they were ignorant not me) day before i had to walk for half a mile behind because they wouldnt let me past...

sorry but if you dont know what you are doing and cant cope, then dont ride out.

for the record, yes i do thank every rider- even the tossers who go past too quickly. eye contact is the most useful tool for slowing them down, as is a soppy bobble hat ;)
 
I thank drivers unless they havent slowed down or have done something silly! I have also taught my 7 year old to thank the drivers too i think it is really important to show manners and appreciation when people make an effort to slow down as so many people dont even seem to notice you!
 
I seem to be really lucky where I live....most people slow down and give a wide berth, apart from the odd nobber....(who usually turns out to be a young woman:confused:).....I find young blokes fine, most probably cos they are slowing down to have a look at my arse in breeches:p

I always say thankyou....nod + smile, salute if I can. If someone has shown you a courtesy then its polite to acknowledge that surely?
 
This is something that really gets me down ! (along with drivers who don't say thanks when you let them out of a junction / change lane)

One case inparticular last week where I came up the lane to the yard behind 2 riders side by side and slowed as I could see another car on the other side of the road, this car was not slowing down for the horses it was stopping for a chat with them ! so the road is completely blocked ! Turns out the driver was the owner of the "High Class" ( it actually says that on the sign) Livery yard next door once they had finished little chat both carried on regardless never giving me or the other driver a second thought, no nod or thanks.

What p'eed me off is that it's ok as it was me in the traffic, but our lane is regularly used as a cut through by people doing silly speeds, if it had been one of them they are not going to give 2 hoots about passing me slow and wide next time I am out on a ride are they !

What can you do ??
 
I am a prolific thanker (!) and only won't if someone has been rude, but this is rare. I hack out with my OH who walks the dog so this helps people slow down. I'm lucky as in my village people tend to be so much more polite than at the last yard and surrounding areas b

I find that those riders who are too rude to thank you are partly responsible for bad attitudes towards riders. I have ticked riders off for not thanking me and told them that they represent all riders.

I like to think of being polite as horsey PR!
 
Unfortunately riders that do not show courtesy to other road users or thank them for slowing down are reinforcing other peoples opinions of us riders as being arogant.

These non-courtious riders are jepordising the safety of our horses and ourselves as other road users simply then will not slow down for us etc.

Where I see bad behaviour by riders in my area I make every attempt to find out which yard they are from and go down to the yard and explain the errors of their ways.
 
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