ROG
Well-Known Member
Just seen that they are to cover passing horses on todays programme
Will be on I player later today I suspect
Will be on I player later today I suspect
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Silly woman said to keep a metre away - still far too close IMO (unless a narrow lane and unavoidable).
The point is, FionnWinnie,that horses ARE unpredictable. They do do random things, especially youngsters. Shy at paper bags, jump at noises etc...
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.
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.
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?
^^ No one is whinging and criticising (except you pair!). This is a forum, the point of it is to discuss, otherwise it wouldn't be a forum.
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.
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
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.