Dangerous riders

B

buzzles

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I was driving the other day and I saw a horse and rider coming towards me so I slowed well down and was shocked when I passed it, there was a teenage girl riding a big, thin horse, she had her hat strap open, feet out of the stirrups and the reins lying on the horses neck while she was texting on her phone with both hands, had earphones on and what looked like a lollypop stick (might have been a cigerette?) in her mouth. I thought how stupid can you be, she was completely oblivious to anything going on, the horse wasn't even plodding, it was doing a very active walk and looked quite fresh. This was on a narrow, windy country road but a busy one with quite a lot of traffic on it. She obviously didn't acknowledge me when I slowed down and don't think she even saw me. If the horse had spooked or a car had come fast around a bend she would have had no control whatsoever, she was an accident waiting to happen. She looked familiar aswell and it was only later that I realised that I had examined (and passed!) her for her pony club C test the year before, they have to be quite competent to get this and have to have passed a riding and road safety test first. I was just so annoyed because there are so many people trying to promote awareness and consideration for riders on the road from drivers and she wasn't doing anything to help improve drivers' attitudes towards riders and and also that she obviously learnt nothing from her pony club about safety, horsemanship or manners. There are alot of stories about dangerous drivers but dangerous riders on the road are also a big problem.
 
That what was so annoying, she has her c test which is all about practical stable management and horse care aswell as riding. So many children take the test and I've prepared and examined many of them but I think they feel they just need to learn it for the test and not put what they've learnt into practice. I always tell them that this is not just for the exam but to put into practice what they've learned. I just wonder know how many of them get the exam and then just think well I passed the exam, I don't need to do it properly anymore. The pony club is great for teaching children stable management and how to care for their horse/ pony but obviously this girl had not paid any attention or benefitted from what the pony club can offer.
 
If you remember which PC it was, would you be able to mention it to the person in charge of the branch? I know it seems like telling tales, but it might save the girl's life, not to mention her horse's.
 
I was planning on talking to DC about her but have talked to some one else in PC and they said she was quite a troublemaker when she was in the PC and has not rejoined this year so I don't think the DC can do anything unless she is a member.
 
I have taken my A test and am for all of the Pony Club tests. Unfortunately not all members put the work into practice and her mother probably has no idea how awful she is when she is out on her own.

I enjoyed doing the tests so much and did a lot of the learning/training on my own, I took them all seriously and have really learnt a lot. I think it is a great grounding.
 
Unfortunately there will always be people like this. It sounds as if she is more interested in talking on the phone than riding her horse. if she hasnt rejoined the PC then she may well be close to giving up. Lets hope she does.
 
She probably did it because she thought it was cool and all the other people on the road were thinking "Oh, look at that great rider, she can text and ride at the same time!!" One of these days she'll end up underneath a car - god forbid.

I see them all the time, my street is en route to a bridle path and there are (mainly) kids up and down it all weekend, especially in the summer. Most of them ride two or three abreast, completely oblivious of the traffic or any other danger.

They are a bunch of over-confident idiots.
 
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