ARGH!! *rant* Riders in the dark!

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Puppy

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When I went to feed my girls this evening, I almost drove into my friend who was out riding
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I only slowed down because there was a lady walking her dog in a high viz jacket, and then before I knew it, right there in front of me, was a dark bay, and dark dapple grey horse, getting themselves onto the verge, both riders in dark clothing!!
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This is the muppet who tutted at me earlier in the week because he thought it was dangerous for me to be riding and leading
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Yet he thinks it ok to be out on a dark lane at 4.30 on a November evening!
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He should think himself mighty lucky it was me coming along the road, and not one of the pikeys who all go a damn sight faster up there!!

I am so cross that he would endanger the lives of those horses, who I know well, and the relatively novice girl he had riding with him, by going out in poor light.
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(And just the pure hypocrisy of him has me fuming! But that's quite a regular occurance between us!
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)

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHH!!!
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Why would people risk an accident like that?!
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Omg have a word! Absolutely stupid. U can look cool and be safe. For example I saw some reflective riding chaprs on ebay, V cheap and v nice :P. just careless.
 
A lady near to us does 'parelli' and rides her horse out, in a headcollar (haltar thingymajig), and no saddle.....
























with a loose foal at foot on the main road!
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And she's been seen doing it at dusk with no hi viz
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Some people don't deserve horses
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you should have said something, really, cos i bet he had no idea he wasn't visible. i nearly drove into a friend of mine years ago, she was in a barbour jacket on a dark bay horse, going around a corner with a big hedge behind her - and i genuinely didn't see her until i was about 20ft away doing 30mph. frightened us both witless... i got out and apologised, and she wore hi-viz from that day onwards...
 
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you should have said something, really, cos i bet he had no idea he wasn't visible.

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Oh no no! Sorry if it wasn't clear from my post. I DID say something
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we had an, *ahem* exchange
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Not least because I actually had a touch of a rant at him on tuesday night when he alleged it wasn't safe for me to ride and lead. I told him he had a hell of a cheek preaching to me about safety (1) Because I have a damn sight more control over my horses then he EVER has
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, and (2) Because he often rides at dusk and NEVER rides in high viz. I said to him then who the hell was he to preach about safety, and sure enough to night he proved me right.
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After slowing rather suddenly I put my window down and I asked him if he was stark raving mad!
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I told him that I couldn't see him and had only slowed down due to the dog walker. What on earth was he thinking taking out two dark horses in dark clothing at that time of night - did he want an accident?!
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And that FFS if he insisted in riding as stupid times, then a high viz vest costs all of £6!"
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He did his "yeah, yeah, you're being neurotric" response and rode on...
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I am awaiting a call/text from him some time soon I'm sure
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Some people don't deserve horses
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I should say.
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He and I are so different in the way we manage our horses, fair enough, I can accept his yard have very different ways from me - they're a racing yard, horses are a commodity; I'm one of those silly women who calls my horses my babies
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But jeez, surely ANYONE who has horses, ought to value them enough not to take that risk!?
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It's not just the horses in danger though, it's the rider.. if he was hit how would he generate an income smashed to pieces??

And the poor driver. Can you imagine the horror and damage hitting a horse would do? *shudders* some years ago a horse here was hit by a bus, and the pics of the bus were in the local paper. Let's just say there wasnt much left of the front of the bus
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(the horse was later PTS).
 
On our yard all the kids on ponies wear hi viz to hack out and NONE of the adults bother it makes me fume
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, one lady wears dark clothing and has a jet black youngster that she walks in hand with down the narrow lanes she's impossible to see , some of the hi viz stuff is great with flashing lights etc
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[ QUOTE ]
On our yard all the kids on ponies wear hi viz to hack out and NONE of the adults bother it makes me fume
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, one lady wears dark clothing and has a jet black youngster that she walks in hand with down the narrow lanes she's impossible to see , some of the hi viz stuff is great with flashing lights etc
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As someone who unluckily is scared witless of horses! Yet is a keen cyclist and motorcyclist, I felt I must agree with the above. Just like the children on horses, you see children on pushbikes with safety gear, high viz and helmets, whilst parents wear none. I myself have nearly collided with a horse at night, who had walked out of an open stable and was stood in the road, luckily we both avoided each other, but it is easily done. Perhaps it is time for it to be mandatory for horse riders to light up, or wear high viz, once dusk arrives. As stated the high viz nowadays is very effective, as are the flashing LED lights you can clip to boots and belts, all of which make you stand out. I like to think of myself as a sensible driver in rural areas, but many numptys drive with no consideration for horses, so why give them an excuse for running you down!

Ian (The engineer)
 
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