Car flags, is it just me?

branmash said:
Hi I havent read all the posts but have got general gyst of it,I dont think the drivers realise the problems these flags cause but I did notice in the last world cup that once england start losing matches the flags etc start coming down;) sorry football fans:D
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Won't be long then......;)
 
Munchkin you are right on so many levels!

I can't stand the holier than thou attitude some horse owners take.
Get a grip, people are not going to take their flags off their cars, so deal with it!!
 
I do partly agree with you, however, if we get off the roads for the world cup - we will be forced off on a permanent basis, and that must never be allowed to happen. It is however a riders responsibility to train the horse to behave calmly in many different situations. People often look down at show riders and producers, when in reality if you look at it a horse or pony showing at county level have to put up with giant inflatable octopusses (romsey) motorcycle display teams, battle re-enactments, and people parachuting into the rings next door!!! Also think of police horses.....I think alot of the problem is that many people don't ride outside the bounds of a manage anymore, and young horses seem not to be hacked - and I mean properly hacked anymore. I have been doing alot of groundwork recently and the improvement in my horses is fabulous. I don't risk riding my mare on the road anymore - she is just too nervous, a risk yournd let's face it some horses are just like that through bad experiences or whatever, and then it's responsible not to risk yourself or other road users, - I box the mare out instead. But we must never, ever, be forced off the roads completely.
 
I find flying St George's flag just for football distasteful at best. If the people who put it up for football were truly patriots, they would fly the flag all the time.

The English flag emblazoned with 3 lions (in blue, not even an English colour), or the logo of a sports clothing manufacturer or retail I find downright offensive. If you did the same in many other countries, you would be pilloried or even prosecuted.
 
Broken_Arrow said:
I find flying St George's flag just for football distasteful at best. If the people who put it up for football were truly patriots, they would fly the flag all the time.

The English flag emblazoned with 3 lions (in blue, not even an English colour), or the logo of a sports clothing manufacturer or retail I find downright offensive. If you did the same in many other countries, you would be pilloried or even prosecuted.
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I'm not sure how that's relevant to riders taking responsibility for their own safety... but in response... that's why it's called "a free country". :) You can be prosecuted for most things in a lot of other countries.
 
Munchkin said:
I'm not sure how that's relevant to riders taking responsibility for their own safety... but in response... that's why it's called "a free country". :) You can be prosecuted for most things in a lot of other countries.
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Rider safety? I was replying to the title. No idea what the content of the thread is. Far too long to read...
 
It's just once every four years, and it's good practice to train your horse to accept flags etc anyway. We have to hack down the high street past a range of flags at the pubs and chip shop - it can be done!
I'm sure it;s the same argument as the one we have about fireworks - I don;t like them either and they frighten my horse, but I wouldn;t want them banned as a result!
Live and let live!
 
Im sorry havent read all the post but I do think if your horse isne used to them to try and avoid the raods if possible if not desensitise them! Im afraid I am a car driver who has a flag and a big sticker on the front of the bonnet but we wont go into that! I love the way we support the country! I hope they win but they wont so the flags will all be down in a few weeks or so
 
brighteyes said:
Has anyone remembered how quiet the roads were last time the matches were being televised? Make hay and all that...
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Oh yes!!!! I used to have to hack through a very busy village, and when the world cup was last on the road was so empty I could have been mistaken that I wasn't riding at 3am in the morning - It was bliss!!
 
noblesteed said:
It's just once every four years, and it's good practice to train your horse to accept flags etc anyway. We have to hack down the high street past a range of flags at the pubs and chip shop - it can be done!
I'm sure it;s the same argument as the one we have about fireworks - I don;t like them either and they frighten my horse, but I wouldn;t want them banned as a result!
Live and let live!
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I think Fireworks are a totally different issue to flags on cars.
 
Dont suppose anyone has a schedule for when the England games are being played do they? I for one, am trying to plan hacks out for when the flags will be parked up, Che isnt normally a spooky horse but no point asking for trouble is there?
 
I was thinking that this morning while hacking, I have 2 x TB's and they are SHARP, but they are educated enough to be able to deal with anything and everything they meet on the road, the flags do make them tuck their bums under, but then so do straps on wagons, tarpaulins, chains on skip lorries, a horse that bolts like that would surely bolt at something other than a flag on a car.
BTW they are not my cup of tea, I am patriotic not particularly into international football, and I wouldn't buy one, but live and let live!
 
Thank you Branmash, thats tomorrow evening sorted then, OH will be happy, he can have the TV all to himself and hopefully, Ill get the roads!!!
 
Crumbs just be thankful you do not all live in Holland the Country where they put Flags and Bunting out for any reason under the sun, births, marriages, graduations the list is endless.

Having just got over every house in the village being covered in flapping Orange Bunting and Dutch Flags for the Queens Birthday it is now back for the Football. All the cars are also sporting the Dutch Flags.

Our horses have I think become used to it helped by the fact that the yard has a three huge flapping American Flags on the walk way between the stables and the Fields and two more between the stables and the schools.

My boy spend 2 days when he first arrived at the stal having kittens then had to get over it if he wanted to go in the field, and will now stand happily under a flapping flag occasionally putting his head up and holding it between his teeth.
 
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noblesteed said:
It's just once every four years, and it's good practice to train your horse to accept flags etc anyway. We have to hack down the high street past a range of flags at the pubs and chip shop - it can be done!
I'm sure it;s the same argument as the one we have about fireworks - I don;t like them either and they frighten my horse, but I wouldn;t want them banned as a result!
Live and let live!
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I have no issue with training my horse to accept flags but you can't recreate having them go past at 50mph+ flapping and making a horrible noise.
I hate football (boring) and I hate the flags (tacky). However, I'm not arrogant enough to think we can get them banned (if only!). What I don't think should be too much to ask is that drivers with flags on their cars show a bit of consideration and drive more slowly and carefully when they pass horses.

Well, a girl can dream!
 
Hugo said:
Why not just ride out when the match is on. All car flag owners will be glued to the telly!!!!
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Brilliant!! :D Problem solved!

I totally agree with your OP Munchkin. Ultimately (actual aggressive 'dangerous' driving etc aside) it is every riders responsibility to ensure they are in control of their horse on the road and if you suspect your horse will bolt/freak if a car passes with a flag on (or any other flappy scary thing on a vehicle) then you shouldn't be on the road- for your own safety and that of other road users.

I don't think it would occur to most non-horsey car flag people that they might frighten a horse with them, I should think most of them forget they are even on the car after a few days of driving round with them... perhaps campaigning to have some kind of educational 'pass extra wide and slow if flying flags' message communicated to people in the media somehow would be more constructive than stamping feet and calling for a ban.

Anyway, as has already been pointed out, they are sure to be knocked out nice and early so it won't be an issue for much longer. ;)
 
Last World Cup, my very silly (but not at the things you'd except, that would be too "normal" ) Welsh amused himself by trying to remove the flags from every car - with his teeth!!!:D Cue some apologies from me while trying not to laugh......

Mind you, he also removes ariels and windscreed wipers given half a chance :o
 
To be fair, in reference to my earlier post, I made it more in jest. My horse and the girl's ponies are all ok with the flags.

I don't like them though. I do think they're a tad tacky, but each to their own.
 
Ban the flags, ban fireworks, ban tractors, white vans and motorbikes, ban people cutting their lawns, ban dogs, ban low flying planes, ban birds from flying out of hedges, ban rabbits from running out in the fields...in fact ban everything that might interfere with horse riders enjoyment of a quiet hack in the countryside.

We should be allowed to ride 2, 3 or 4 abreast, whilst chatting on a mobile phone with no saddle, maybe no stirrups, sod it even a bridle or go the whole hog and even a hat. We don't have to say thank you to considerate drivers but come on these forums and tar all drivers with the same brush because one idiot drove too fast, too close or with their window open an inch!!!

Yes horses have a right to be on the roads but so do cyclists, motorbikes, cars, vans and tractors and if people want to pimp their rides with tacky flags, large exhaust pipes, stickers or alloy wheels then that's up to them and coming on here moaning about it, scaring people with your near miss horror stories or fighting between each other because of a difference of an opinion isn't going to change anything.

The flags will be here for 4 more weeks and then put away for another 4 years...That gives you 4 years to whined yourselves up into a frenzy for another rant...
 
Sorry but I had to add my experiences of today - now T is sharp but good with cars and vehicles just has a hate for joggers. Anyway my heart sank into my boots when I saw I car come up behind us with flags on, T is good with bunting and big flags on poles etc even windsocks on the racecourse but I literally sh*t myself. I think he dealt with it better as it came from behind so he did not notice it until it was almost past. He did jump up the hedge and the driver was slow but TBH I do not blame him at spooking at something white and flappy at his eye level. I don't think he would have been as good if it was coming towards us. We were on a narrow road with banks and hedges. On a wider road with pull ins I would not have worried do much. Hey ho one car down, hopefully not too many to go. And I really don't know how to get him over it as IMO it is something that he has every right to be frightened off, he does not know about the World Cup and is perfect in heavy traffic so it is not his fault.
 
Sedgemoor Chaos said:
Ban the flags, ban fireworks, ban tractors, white vans and motorbikes, ban people cutting their lawns, ban dogs, ban low flying planes, ban birds from flying out of hedges, ban rabbits from running out in the fields...in fact ban everything that might interfere with horse riders enjoyment of a quiet hack in the countryside.

We should be allowed to ride 2, 3 or 4 abreast, whilst chatting on a mobile phone with no saddle, maybe no stirrups, sod it even a bridle or go the whole hog and even a hat. We don't have to say thank you to considerate drivers but come on these forums and tar all drivers with the same brush because one idiot drove too fast, too close or with their window open an inch!!!

Yes horses have a right to be on the roads but so do cyclists, motorbikes, cars, vans and tractors and if people want to pimp their rides with tacky flags, large exhaust pipes, stickers or alloy wheels then that's up to them and coming on here moaning about it, scaring people with your near miss horror stories or fighting between each other because of a difference of an opinion isn't going to change anything.

The flags will be here for 4 more weeks and then put away for another 4 years...That gives you 4 years to whined yourselves up into a frenzy for another rant...
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Ooooooeeeeeeeer missis, get her, a rant about ranting, whatever next:rolleyes:
 
I havent read this thread all the way through, but I will cut straight to the chase. A CAR WITH THOSE THINGS ON IT NEARLY GOT ME KILLED LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS HACKING. My horse is a 17 year old bombproof cob, who can be a bit 'looky', but will always go past things he looks at. Last night when hacking back to the car we encountered one coming towards us. He took one look at it and jumped all four feet in the air and took off at a great speed at canter down the road towards the busy junction outside of our yard. Thank god there was no further traffic and as I had been riding in a pelham I managed to pull up. Sod being patriotic, yes I want Engerland to win as much as anyone else, and I dont see why I have to hack just when a match is on, or off road only - I dont have much choice but to hack on the roads. My horse is good boy who has even hacked down the very busy A46 (or was it A44) between Evesham and Broadway in Worcs with his drunken mum on board waving at the juggernauts, without turning a hair! Ban the dam things.

Feel better now
 
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