BBC 1 breakfast PASSING HORSES 24/03/2016

ROG

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 January 2010
Messages
8,934
Location
LEICESTER
Visit site
Just seen that they are to cover passing horses on todays programme

Will be on I player later today I suspect
 
Last edited:

ROG

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 January 2010
Messages
8,934
Location
LEICESTER
Visit site
I hope they do a bit more than the 6.55 slot as there was nobody going into why drivers do not pass slow and wide
 

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,008
Location
north west
Visit site
It's Croft End Equestrian Centre near Oldham. They said it will be repeated every hour during breakfast TV. Hats off to the staff there, who were there at 5am getting ready!
 

FfionWinnie

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2012
Messages
17,021
Location
Scotland
Visit site
It's a start but has anyone watched the BHS road safety video?

They would have been MUCH better to have a rider cam on a horse with a lorry or car flying past too close, rather than a horse randomly rearing in front of a bus in the middle of the road (I actually think this footage was made deliberately as its just randomly rearing then appears to leg yield across the road and pass without an issue!). It makes horses look dangerous and unpredictable and fuels the "they shouldn't be on the road" attitude.
 

Sheep

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 August 2011
Messages
5,589
Location
Northern Ireland
Visit site
Silly woman said to keep a metre away - still far too close IMO (unless a narrow lane and unavoidable).

I noticed that too - suspect she knew she had made a mistake though as she seemed a wee bit flustered. I'd be the same on live TV to be fair - the BHS guy said in his part though to be a car's width away, so hopefully that will have been a better indicator of distance.
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
The point is, FionnWinnie,that horses ARE unpredictable. They do do random things, especially youngsters. Shy at paper bags, jump at noises etc... and I know jolly well drivers arent going to slow down to 15mph every time they see a horse!! Itd be nice if thhey would.
 

joelb

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2009
Messages
304
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
The point is, FionnWinnie,that horses ARE unpredictable. They do do random things, especially youngsters. Shy at paper bags, jump at noises etc...

This exactly, and sadly not enough emphasis was put on this point this morning. I've watched all morning so seen 4 or 5 covers but it wasn't particularly educational, a real shame as there are few high profile opportunities to get key points across to such a wide audience.
 

DiceArt

New User
Joined
21 April 2015
Messages
7
Visit site
Goodness me, is nobody ever satisfied? No wonder horse people have such a bad reputation. Why turn something positive into a change to whinge and criticise? Perhaps we should support the campaign to help ourselves?

I think we should be pleased that somebody is doing something and I love the video on the BHS Facebook page. Well done BHS (not something I can always say).
 

Pearlsasinger

Up in the clouds
Joined
20 February 2009
Messages
44,732
Location
W. Yorks
Visit site
It's a start but has anyone watched the BHS road safety video?

They would have been MUCH better to have a rider cam on a horse with a lorry or car flying past too close, rather than a horse randomly rearing in front of a bus in the middle of the road (I actually think this footage was made deliberately as its just randomly rearing then appears to leg yield across the road and pass without an issue!). It makes horses look dangerous and unpredictable and fuels the "they shouldn't be on the road" attitude.

I thought exactly the same about the staged rear, FW!

Knowing Croft End's local roads, a metre is about the most leeway the poor woman can expect most of the time, the roads are very narrow, although not far from the A road.
 

FfionWinnie

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2012
Messages
17,021
Location
Scotland
Visit site
The point is, FionnWinnie,that horses ARE unpredictable. They do do random things, especially youngsters. Shy at paper bags, jump at noises etc... and I know jolly well drivers arent going to slow down to 15mph every time they see a horse!! Itd be nice if thhey would.

So don't take them on the roads then. That's what logic dictates any non horse person to say.

I actually agree, if the horse is unpredictable, then I wouldn't take it on the road. The horse in their video was randomly rearing in front of a stationary bus. How do you justify that to road users, you can't!

The point is that any vulnerable road user, be it cyclist, pedestrian, rider, motorcyclist, DESERVES the care and attention of any driver of a vehicle because lets face it, the vehicles are dangerous too!

20 mph limits are in built up areas to protect children. I haven't seen any campaign that says children are dangerous, unpredictable and out of control creatures. We drive slowly because (as the video touched on) who wants the death or maiming of a child on their conscience.

I ride a very very safe horse on the road. Nothing upsets her. That doesn't mean I don't want vehicles to slow down and pass carefully.
 
Last edited:

poacher82

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 October 2009
Messages
270
Visit site
Goodness me, is nobody ever satisfied? No wonder horse people have such a bad reputation. Why turn something positive into a change to whinge and criticise? Perhaps we should support the campaign to help ourselves?

This!!! Well said DiceArt!!!
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
How are horses to learn, and be safe and quiet on the roads if you dont take them on roads and in traffic to learn? Someone taught yours to be good on the road, FionnWinnie, she wasn't born that way.
And as for it being a staged rear, so what? The cameraman isnt going to stand around for hours waiting for a misbehaving horse to come along. I have had horses suddenly shy, or rear at a scary thing then pass by when kicked on, so it isnt too much of an unreal situation. The clip was short, the bus may have been moving originally then stopped for the horse.
 

FfionWinnie

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2012
Messages
17,021
Location
Scotland
Visit site
How are horses to learn, and be safe and quiet on the roads if you dont take them on roads and in traffic to learn? Someone taught yours to be good on the road, FionnWinnie, she wasn't born that way.
And as for it being a staged rear, so what? The cameraman isnt going to stand around for hours waiting for a misbehaving horse to come along. I have had horses suddenly shy, or rear at a scary thing then pass by when kicked on, so it isnt too much of an unreal situation. The clip was short, the bus may have been moving originally then stopped for the horse.

In company with a safe horse, on private roads with your friend driving past you. I have even hired a tractor and driver to sit in my yard for half an hour while I desensitised a horse to it because I knew she had a problem with them.

If the bus was moving the rider should have been giving way at the junction.

You have to see horse riders how the majority of the public see us that is all I'm saying. Do you really think it's acceptable for a horse to be rearing in the middle of a road. In my opinion it's not, and we need to say so otherwise how do you justify our right to be on the roads. No rider should be seen not caring that they have held up another road user by their horses bad behaviour.

Vehicles need to take every precaution to pass safely. Vulnerable road users need to take every precaution to stay safe - road safety is everyone's responsibility.
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,506
Visit site
I was on media monitoring duty in work this morning so have been watching and listening to news since 6am and heard a much better piece on Radio Wales. Interview with BHS person at about 7.30 (about an hour in) and another with the carriage driver who recently lost his horse in a road accident at about 8.15 (1.45 in) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0742lj4
 

stormox

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 May 2012
Messages
3,266
Location
midlands
Visit site
Thats an ideal situation you have, Ffion Winnie, and Im sure we all do the best we can to get horses used to things. But not everyone has private roads available, and it is impossible to desensitise for every situation. And even if you go out with a quiet horse, you have to go alone at some point. The ONLY way to get horses quiet on the roads is to ride on them, otherwise its like saying you are safe to drive a car on public roads when you've only practised on empty ones! Its EXPERIENCE that makes horses good to hack.
Horses can buck, rear, spin and be generally stupid on the roads for no reason, and I think car drivers should realise this and take the precaution of passing wide enough and slow enough, for their own safety as well as ours and the horses.
Every horse is young once, every horse has to learn, some remain spooky all their lives, some become dog quiet. All road users should be kind and courteous to others.
 

LHIS

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 April 2015
Messages
1,784
Location
East Lancashire
Visit site
I'm just glad they have highlighted the issue, it serves to remind drivers how to treat horses on the roads and that can only be a good thing. I have shared the video that the BHS have made on my Facebook, and though I think it could be better (I prefer a harder-hitting message to shock people into changing their attitudes) it gets the message across.
 

amandaco2

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 November 2006
Messages
6,705
Location
sheffield up t'road
Visit site
I was on media monitoring duty in work this morning so have been watching and listening to news since 6am and heard a much better piece on Radio Wales. Interview with BHS person at about 7.30 (about an hour in) and another with the carriage driver who recently lost his horse in a road accident at about 8.15 (1.45 in) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0742lj4


Well done to him. Its good the issue I getting some good coverage!
 

FfionWinnie

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 July 2012
Messages
17,021
Location
Scotland
Visit site
Thats an ideal situation you have, Ffion Winnie, and Im sure we all do the best we can to get horses used to things. But not everyone has private roads available, and it is impossible to desensitise for every situation. And even if you go out with a quiet horse, you have to go alone at some point. The ONLY way to get horses quiet on the roads is to ride on them, otherwise its like saying you are safe to drive a car on public roads when you've only practised on empty ones! Its EXPERIENCE that makes horses good to hack.
Horses can buck, rear, spin and be generally stupid on the roads for no reason, and I think car drivers should realise this and take the precaution of passing wide enough and slow enough, for their own safety as well as ours and the horses.
Every horse is young once, every horse has to learn, some remain spooky all their lives, some become dog quiet. All road users should be kind and courteous to others.

The event which brought this to the fore was a perfectly well behaved very well trained carriage horse going about his job doing nothing wrong.

We have the moral high ground on this incident, but not if we are defending riders who are rude, wear no hi viz or are on half crazy horses.
 

alibali

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 July 2010
Messages
945
Visit site
I think the BHS message that in the last 5 years THIRTY SIX horse riders have been killed in road accidents is pretty hard hitting. Haven't seen the rest of the pieces but thought the BHS bloke delivered a simple and understandable message.

Really nice to see the issue getting air time, sure you will always get the selfish drivers who don't care and wont slow but as the recent Mumsnet thread showed there are a number of people who with a little education will alter their driving behaviour. Similarly there are a significant proportion of horse riders who wont wear hi-vis/will use their mobile phones while riding/wont thank drivers/wont take safety precautions/will fail to allow vehicles to pass and cause unnecessary hold ups. FW is right when she says road safety is everyone's responsibility.

There are eejits in every walk of life but hopefully a little education may help reduce casualties.
 

sandy3924

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2010
Messages
142
Visit site
I often wonder what our horses would say if they had a choice. For an animal whose priority is to stay safe I think the majority would say
'Are you insane - do you really think I would want to put myself in that danger if I had the choice.' We own these animals and have a duty of care to them. Expecting them to walk along a road, where there is moving traffic and all the dangers this brings, exposes them to a huge amount of danger. Have we, got the right to do this? If I said to you 'go and swim in that river which has a huge population of crocodiles' - would you?
 
Top