Bl**dy Drivers! Bit of a rant...

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Minnies_Mum

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I just rode out on the wee pony I'm riding at uni, mostly off road but there's a little bit at the end where we have to ride down a fairly busy road. Went with the pony's owner on her horse, both are fine in traffic, mine sometimes gets a little freaked out by big vehicles and cuddles into the hedge, bless her. She goes out in front and quite often outwalks friends horse, so friend trots to catch up so we aren't all strung out.

Well, today, Frosty suddenly swung her bum out into the road, which she NEVER normally does, and started dancing around. I looked round, expecting to see friend, but instead saw a transit van literally a foot behind Frosty. He'd obviously squeezed into the small gap that had formed between the two horses, and when she saw him that close she swung away to protect herself. He then put the brakes on, which squealed and caused all the prancing. I know we should always make the effort to keep close together to avoid this, but with two horses that walk at different speeds inevitably there is sometimes a bit of a gap. It's not like he couldn't see us either, we were hi-vizzed up to the max!

Why to people think they can drive like this around horses? He wouldn't try to squeeze between two cars like that! Luckily the nice chap coming the other way stopped for me, so I could settle pony down. Drivers around here are so inconsiderate, even though this is a really horsey area with not a lot of off road riding, which forces us onto the roads. Most don't even attempt to slow down, and we're always being passed far too closely.

Sorry, just makes me go cold to think that, if the van hadn't braked in time, he could have broken both her back legs. As it was, she could have swung out in front of a vehicle and got hit.
 
its awful isnt it, some drivers are such pigs! a bus squeezed inbetween me and my friend yesterday but first passed far too close to me then far to close to her! rude inconsiderate drivers. i have hit a car with my whip before for being to close! slapped the roof, i wanted the driver to stop and get out but he stopped then carried on!
 
I am a recent returner to horse riding and I am also a business man which means I travel well over 30,000 miles a year by car.

I am sorry to say that in the three months since I started riding on a regular basis again, I have seen all that has been described above and worse. We keep our horses in a rural area close to a sea side town, where there are a LOT of horses and riders, but the morons in cars, vans, 4 x 4's, busses and trucks are still rude, inconsiderate and downright bloody stupid towards horse riders.

I wrote to my local paper, to highlight this fact and was actually paid a compliment by a few of the residents of the village we ride through which made me feel it was not just my opinion that these people are idiots.

I have considered carrying a schooling whip with a small ball bearing attached to the very end and a friend of mine (another male rider) has found cars so close that his boot / stirrup have struck the vehicles wing mirror, knocking it clean off.

The most worrying thing I have experienced, several times, is drivers squeezing through traffic calming / narrowing areas, despite the fact that a horse and rider are already passing through. Sooner or later one of these morons is going to cause an accident, in the meantime all I can do is to rag the Local Authority about putting up some warning signs, though as half these dim wits don't even seem to see us (hi-viz and all), I'm not convinced they will even be aware that new signs have been erected!

Stay safe everyone.
 
I hate inconsiderate drivers when riding too, but fromthe other side I was driving down our lane yesterday and came across 3 horses riding one behind the other, in high viz (all good so far) but they were so far strung out on this single track road that they were impossible to overtake, when they finally came to a passing place they stood right near the centre of the road. I stopped to give them chance to get into the side so I didn't pass too close, but they waved me by, meaning I had to go very very close to them. One even had the tabbard "please pass wide and slow" - if only they'd given me the option!
 
Funnily enough 3 of us were hacking out yesterday year our yard on a single track road. Hearing a car coming up behind us we went into trot so that we could find a place to get off the road and allow the car to pass. Obviously thats not good enough for the car driver who starts to squeeze past us anyway and then stops beside me, rolls down the window and announces 'You want your heads examined - riding around THAT bend on horses' - then drove off!! What were we meant to do - Fly?
 
Being a horse owner makes such a difference to the way I drive because I know what its like..I think some people just dont realise how dangerous it is to squeeze past people. Iv had vans, lorries, scooters all come tearing past me..luckily my mare is quite laid back and doesnt make too much of them but if she wasnt like that Id have been a gonner by now for sure!
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i will get on the rant too today
went for a ride with YO today and mostly there were good drivers but a few literally sped past at about 60mph!!! i could not believe it, you do not overtake a horse at that speed for gods sake!!
 
it does drive you mad doesn't it. Coming back from the show today i heard a car coming towards us really fast so I tucked into a drive but OH was behind us and he stopped in such a way that the car had to slow and go round him. I also gave the slow down single but the driver just wound his window and called me something unpleasant - nice!
 
From my post in 'HIGH-VIZ'!!!!


I always ride in high viz horse has boots all round I have a jacket and hat band. Used to use the tail guard but one day it slipped down and horse started bucking in the road as it was flapping round his legs!

If I had a pound for everyone who said we looked like a police horse and rider when we go out i would be bloody rich by now! and if that makes the cars slow down if they think they will get nicked then that's great!!!

Got a really good jacket from Ride Away it's called Luna Rider and I have had a lot of comments about how bright it is, (along with the brushing boots) also it has a nice shape too and you can pull it in at the waist so it looks a bit more feminine if you don't want to look like a builder on horse back!

Last summer I slowed down while driving along a country lane with trees all round it, you know the sort of road that looks like a tunnel. I had come from sunlight into the 'tunnel' and there were 2 riders on dark horses with nothing bright they were both wearing black it was a summer day, not even a white t shirt. I slowed down and said that it was very hard to see them, and what did I get?....... a mouth full of abuse and F words, so says it all doesn't it if motorists don't slow down for horses if they are treated this way. I live near London so the roads are always busy, it's about 50 50 re cars slowing down but I always thank the drivers who do, those who don't prob wouldn't even notice as even in 30mph limits they often tank it past the horses.

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I have a dressage whip with a strip of pink high-viz on the end (part of an old breastplate). I stick this out sideways if I think I car isn't going to give my much room. It is a good height - driver's level.
I also have a yellow high viz three strand ribbon on the horse's tail, so that is at driver's eye level too.
 
I absolutely agree with you. Most drivers now have the attitude of "bloody horses, why are they on the road" and that they are the only road users. This is simply unacceptable as (especially in the winter) we are forced onto the road more often than normal.

What angers me as a driver, is when I slow right down for riders, who then have the audassity not to say thank you or even acknowledge you. When this happens, I have now taken to stopping my car, winding the window down and explaining to the rider(s) that, as a rider myself I am fully aware how few people slow down and the importance of thanking the few that do. I know sometimes you can be on a young or spooky horse, but honestly, a smile and/or a nod would be perfectly acceptable.

Last time I had this chat with a darling teenger, I got a lot of hand gestures and quite simply, was told to f**k off. How can we expect drivers to slow down if this is the attitude of some riders?
 
I agree with you there- lots of riders don't take the trouble to thank drivers who are considerate. I always thank drivers, and if it's not a good time to take one hand off the reins I nod my thanks in a very exaggerated fashion! If the car window happens to be down, I say thank you.

The dilemma I have, is the cars who make a cursory effort at slowing, but still pass at 40-50mph. I feel as though, seeing as they have made an effort to slow from the speed they were going, that they expect to be thanked and that if I don't, they will not even slow down that much next time. However, thanking them probably gives them the idea that they have slowed down enough, when really they could do with slowing a lot more.
 
Im terrible for saying thank you..I mean Im over the top! Im so grateful when drivers slow right down..or even stop to let me pass that I find myself literally shouting thank you even if their window isnt open!
 
I always shout thanks when a car passes me and they are pretty good around here, save the odd one or two (caravanners!). I think that if they can hear me it might shock them into realiseing they are not in a little secure bubble, the outside can get it!!! My friend always waves dramatically in thanks and this seems to help too, although when someone waves back in the same way she asks me if I know them!!

I know a lady rider who wore so much highViz that other riders teased her. Unfortunatly she and her horse were hit by a car and killed. The driver had the sun in her eyes. Admittedly she should have been paying more attention but I always make myself aware of the light conditions and any other factors that might affect my visability out hacking. The yellow high viz can blend into sunlight shinning through summer leaves so a mixture of orange and pink as well might help.

I have had someone drive close up my bum before and he soon realised the error of his ways but I have had drivers whom I don't know make rude gestures!! I would urge all riders to make a big effort to thank drivers who slow down as I have passed people and been ignored myself as a driver, this does not help the general cause!
 
I always wear hi-viz to the max but some idiot still managed to run into us last year
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As a driver I know it can be hard if hi-viz isn't worn or the horses are being ridden on a fast road but there is no excuse for lack of manners/stupidity.
 
Don't you think the Highway Code should offer more detailed guidance? I think "Wide and Slow" means very different things to different people. The "Slow" on road signs, and painted on the road, sometimes means 50mph!

Personnally I would like "10ft at 5mph" to be highlighted in the Highway Code. (Even though that is not metric. Perhaps 3m at 5mph?)

I would also like to see the wearing of high-viz gear to a standard made compulsory. Dappled shade on our country roads, and riding with a low sun directly in front of or behind me, worries me even in high-viz.

Isn't most of the "bad" driving simply because most people simply have no idea of how easily a horse, being riden sedately along the side of a road, can become suddenly upset and unpredictable?

I have to say that in my part of the world inconsiderate driving near horses is extremely rare. Lorry drivers, and motor cyclists on high powered bikes, in particular frequently amaze me with their consideration.
 
Another hazard I quite often come across on the roads and country lanes is bicycles. The cyclists pass wide and slow but often the bikes are pretty much silent and the horse doesn't know it's there until it sees it and is startled. It's amazing how much difference it can make if the cyclist just calls out "is it ok to pass?" or even just "coming through!" to make horse and rider aware of their presence.
 
i contacted local papers last week after aanother incident and they print this for me


Horse riding is more popular than ever all over the country, and here in west craven and pendle we have a huge horse riding community who want to make a plea for all drivers to take extra care and slow down when passing horses out on our roads.
Horse riders are perhaps the most vulnerable road user, and rely on drivers not to scare the horses when passing them.
Riding out is now a nightmare as many drivers simply ignore the highway codes rules on passing horses, and someone is going to be badly injured or worse killed if these drivers do not slow down.
Riders are becoming the victims of road rage, simply because some drivers don’t see why they should have to slow down for a horse and rider, as chairperson of the local riding club I am getting more and more reports of near misses with cars and wagons due to bad driving and even drivers shouting abuse at riders for being on the road. Riders don’t ride on the roads by choice, they have to use the roads to get to the bridleways and lanes where it is safer to ride. Even if a horse is well used to traffic it can so easily be startled by something and be in the centre of the road or on top of a car bonnet in a split second, the tiniest thing can scare them like a crisp bag or bin bag blowing along the ground, a bird flying from a bush, a passing dog barking at them, no one wants a horse on their bonnet believe me apart from killing horse and rider it makes a real mess of your car, and you if it goes through your windscreen ,so please take a few seconds and slow down when passing riders and please its no good slowing from 60mph to 50 mph,ideally , cars should not be passing horses at more than 25 miles an hour slower would be even better depending on the road its self, ok so it adds a few seconds to your journey but does it matter if you can say I didn’t hit a horse and rider today because I slowed down and when it jumped out in front of me I was able to stop .It is also very important to pass wide as well as slow for the same reasons, if riders are riding two abreast it isn’t to annoy drivers they do this for a reason usually if they have a child or young horse with them who are less used to the traffic and need extra help, this shields the child or young horse and encourages the traffic to slow down and pass wider, please also watch for a rider giving hand signals asking drivers to slow down or stop they wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t necessary’s little common sense and curtsey costs nothing but bad driving costs lives please slow down when passing horses. Finally a huge thankyou to all the drivers who do slow down
 
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.......... but instead saw a transit van literally a foot behind Frosty

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Why did you only notice it when it was a foot behind the pony???? Surely you would have heard it long before then?
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Its hard to know what will get through to some drivers isn't it. If I hear something coming up behind too fast I will gesture for them to slow down, and if they don't it tends to turn into a rude gesture to the rapidly disappearing back windscreen of the car, but would that make it worse next time or make them realise? Once I did that and it turned out to be a police car - v suprised he didn't pull me, but then again what did he think he was doing not slowing down?!

I do tend to stick my schooling whip right out sideways if I think a car is going to pass too close. Having read this post I will add some high vis to it or something that would make a noise on the car, hmm any suggestions, I don't want to use a ball bearing because occasionally i do use the schooling whip as a tickle up whip and ouch! I could imagine that would really hurt!
 
i was riding on a bridlepath the other day on my only just broken in mare and a cyclist came hurtling towards me ringing his bell and swooshed past, mare was a bit upset by it but coped, then another, obviously catching up the first, came up doing the same thing and the mare started twirling around in anxiety and the cyclist swerved to squeeze past her butt, still at speed.
havve to admit i snapped at him to stop so i could let him past. if she had run into him no doubt it would have been my fault and not theres despite their lack of sense!
 
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.......... but instead saw a transit van literally a foot behind Frosty

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Why did you only notice it when it was a foot behind the pony???? Surely you would have heard it long before then?
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It was quite windy, and I think the driver had been waiting behind both horses and sneaked past my friend at low speed. I could hear a vehicle coming up behind, and thought he was passing, but then he crept in behind me as there was an oncoming car. I didn't even realise a gap had been created between the two horses but, as I say, it was very windy so a bit hard to hear what was going on.
 
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Funnily enough 3 of us were hacking out yesterday year our yard on a single track road. Hearing a car coming up behind us we went into trot so that we could find a place to get off the road and allow the car to pass. Obviously thats not good enough for the car driver who starts to squeeze past us anyway and then stops beside me, rolls down the window and announces 'You want your heads examined - riding around THAT bend on horses' - then drove off!! What were we meant to do - Fly?

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PMSL at your comment!!! I would have said that!!!
 
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