do you ride on busy roads?

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I am lucky in that I don't have to ride on busy roads ever really, but I rode to a local show yesterday which involved a couple of miles on a quite fast open stretch of road and also through a fairly large, busy village. OMG it was well scary!!! I can't believe how inconsiderate drivers are! I don't mind them going past fairly fast but it would be nice if they'd give you a bit more room! Maybe my horse isn't ideal for this because although he's good in traffic he is quite spooky..

So - was just wondering how many of you ride on busy roads regularly? Do you think busy roads are the place for horse riders? I think I will avoid in future!!
 
a lot of peeps have no choice i guess - hence the massive sales of hi viz. I agree, it's horrendous, and leaves very little margin for error. sm x
 
I have sometimes had to ride on roads while on holiday, but it was either in the heart of the New Forest where drivers are normally quite good around horses, or recently on holiday in Ireland where we had to cross some roads to carry on our hack. None were that busy thought, those roads sound scary Starbucks!
 
when i was younger say around 8yrs ago i used to ride a route that was the main back road for 3 villages we used to take a bridleway down and ride the roads back. Never had to many issues maybe one or two who didnt give us room, however i rode the same route the other w/end and it felt like my life was in someone elses hands, it was so scary. No one slowed down or gave us any room. What i noticed though nobody driving was an orginal local, they were all people who had moved into the area. I spoke to a few old mates after and they said that they no longer ride the roads due to the cars and 7.5t lorries (never had them on these roads in my day) so its now made there hacking really poor

I regulary cross a even busier road to get to good wooded hacking, but there is plenty of room to put the nags out of the way, and there is road mirrors so you can be fair way from the junction to look, thus giving yourself more time and space.
 
I do all the time. I have a cunning plan though... I grin like a plonker and waves and shout thank you to all and sundry... Over the years its worked and local people recognise me slow down and give me a wide birth (and stop to chat). Because they do the cars that are not local thath see them also pass slowly and with space!

I am also lucky that my guys are all virtually bomb proof and don't turn hairs at such things as ambulances rushing past with sirens going etc...!
 
I used to hack to shows on busy roads (last time was about 4 years ago). Most drivers were amazing, just so helpful and I wished at the time there was a way of saying thanks beyond a brief nod / raised hand. It helped that my horse was 100% in traffic though and I wouldn't do it on a horse I didn't know like the back of my hand.

When the odd driver did pass too close and fast it was pretty scary though, and if my horse wasn't such an awful traveller I think we'd gave been safer in a box.
 
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My horse is pretty good with the traffic it's everything else he's scared of lol!! There was a cricket pitch going on along side said busy road.. Badge wasn't worried about getting run over buy a scary driver... those cricket balls on the other hand...!

for example of a scary driver, this was actually in the village so he must have been speeding as well. I bet he was going at least 40 MPH and passed me about 1/2 foot away from my leg in his big posh range rover!! What is the point in that? In fact the only drivers who slowed down for me were people leaving the show in horse boxes/trailers!

Do you think people do not realise it's quite dangerous?
 
I had a close encounter with an ambulance on a bend on the main road last week, luckily I heard it coming and was able to get onto the verge and nearly into a gateway. My horse is generally very good in any traffic but it still made my heart race for a second, even after they saw me they didn't turn the siren off which I thought was a bit rude.
I only ride along this road if I don't have access to the lorry so luckily I can avoid it most of the time.
 
I don't have a choice, my yard is along a country lane, and there is only one place i can get off the road and go for a canter, but its only 10 mins away and not much of a ride so i have to leave the lane and go out on the main road. Most of my ways i go i have the airport landing strip right next to me and on two routes i ride right next to it, so if i am unlucky a plane will come straight over my head or come along the side and basicly land right next to me. Although i c**p myself, my horse dosen't mind them.

But still cars are the biggest problem, most are ok, but i get the odd one who thinks its funny to beep their horn or try and scare her by reving, or speeding past, they wouldn't find it so funny if my horse went though the windscreen
 
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ah, badge uses the tried and tested method of anything that can't actually kill you is terrifying, anything that could is fine ;)

I ride on a couple of roads that arent that nice, depending on my mood, in truth I get a much quieter life on the main (30mph A road) through the village) than down the lanes (I think he gets bored)

Might I suggest lots of fluorescent.
A long schooling whip... stuck out at right angles
not great for summer but the red flashing LED vests are great for getting drivers to back off a bit.
oh and I rarely ride right on the left of the road, I leave a bit of space that I can move into if someone does come too close.. most notably when they insist on overtaking me on a blind bend and are liable to head back in my direction if someone is coming the opposite way.
 
Yes aren't horses intelligent! I think he knows he has to behave really but just likes to keep me on my toes!

Thanks for the tips although think I'll stick to the country lanes from now on!!
 
Busy roads (e.g. Central London & bridleway next to the A1) scare me less than country lanes that people tear down without thinking. Knowing a road is not the same as knowing what is round a blind corner! At least with busier stretches the noise is constant and the speeds are less.
 
Hmm I don't agree from my experience. Where I keep horse now are tiny lanes where you hardly ever see anyone and if you do they slow down a lot. Where I used to keep him there were busier country roads and most of the time people would be quite normal although obviously you'd always have the odd scary incident. Don't have a clue what it's be like riding in central london though!!!!
 
Paddydou said:
I do all the time. I have a cunning plan though... I grin like a plonker and waves and shout thank you to all and sundry... Over the years its worked and local people recognise me slow down and give me a wide birth (and stop to chat). Because they do the cars that are not local thath see them also pass slowly and with space!

I am also lucky that my guys are all virtually bomb proof and don't turn hairs at such things as ambulances rushing past with sirens going etc...!
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I'm the same.

We do get the occasional Ambulance / Police Car / Fire Engine, but they are all well trained and turn off the blues'n'two's as soon as they see horses.

Got lost recently, when riding out of someone else's yard and ended up riding for about 2 miles down the side of the A361, which is an extremely busy A road. The horses were perfect and we did not suffer any pillock drivers either...which was nice!
 
Got no choice! Tho' it could be worse here. We're on a bus route plus are a rat run for commuters & school run.

If I hack out, I've got to cross two road bridges over a main road and there's a really nice bridlepath which runs right beside it!!!! So if I had a lunging whip in my hand and held it out at arms length, I'd probably be able to tickle the tanker drivers on their windscreens! Seriously, I think I could, and all there is between us and the main dual carriageway is a piddly little wire fence. Scarey. But my boy's OK and used to it.

We also live near a regional airport and get gawd-knows-what flying overhead, including the Red Arrows who sometimes fly in and out and beat the place up while they're here.
 
Both mine will happily hack on the bridleway next to the motorway and on a busy A road, heavy and or fast traffic isn't an issue for mine but I do avoid peak times.
 
Tickles said:
Busy roads (e.g. Central London & bridleway next to the A1) scare me less than country lanes that people tear down without thinking. Knowing a road is not the same as knowing what is round a blind corner! At least with busier stretches the noise is constant and the speeds are less.
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Totally agree with this. I live on a rat run road which gets busy but for some reason the horses all know they have to behave here, and the cars know they could meet horses. My most terrifying journey was actually on foot with a friend who stables on country roads and the cars came flying around the blind corners without any noise to warn you. Give me busy roads anyday.
 
I don't have to ride on busy roads really but I have done and I have even ridden right up through town to get to the good hacking tracks. Lot of a*se holes about I've got a good ned though.
 
I have to ride down a busy road for a few minutes to get onto commons - then cross it again to get to the lanes I hack on leading to off road riding.

My pony is good in traffic but I avoid riding on the main road as much as possible - its so easy for them to spook at something silly and end up in the path of a car going too fast. At least on the lanes near us drivers do on the whole slow down.
 
I used to fairly regularly as I didn't have a choice, it was the A22 which is the main London - Eastbourne road so had HGV's, arctics, you name it we had it, all doing 60mph and none of them gave us any room or slowed down! Once a p***y threw a banger under the feet of my friends pony!
 
Most of the roads are quiet where we are, but it can be a commuter/rat run for the film studios during the week so i avoid peak times.

I the 'caution, horse and rider' vests a bit obvious, so try to wear the 'please pass wide and slow' as i honesly think that some drivers dont *know* what to do when they meet a horse and just try to pass as quickly as possible.

one of my weekday hacks does take us on a fairly busy B road, but i find if my horse is being a prat ( which he can be ) giving drivers the 'slow down' signal normally really helps. Most drivers do slow down anyway but we do get the odd idiot or two!
 
Spent many happy years plodding around Central London. Luckily there is a 30 m.p.h. speed limit and lots of nice long straight roads so good visability. I am a great believer in wearing Hi-Viz on both horse and myself and making lots of eye contact with drivers.
 
I have ridden on a 60mph+ country road as the outdoor school I use is down there, not majorly windy but it does have sweeping bends so people can drive fast around them. My horse is good with traffic but it is the litter, animals, birds, white posts in the verge and fields that get him. I did have a new driver 'P' plate come about 2 inches from my stirrup, my horse was fine but the passengers face said it all :-o I know the driver must have passed recently but I would have thought they would give me more space than that. I do feel I am taking a big risk doing it but trailering down there isn't easy and I can't do it on my own.

I always wear hi-viz!
 
Don't get me started!

I have only got the roads to ride on (no paddock, fields full of potholes). Also there aren't any bridleways to speak of in Northern Ireland. My two boys are saints (car, tractor, bike, helicopter, child on trampoline and lorry-proof). Pity about the aXXXXXXXX we meet on a regular basis.

Bearing in mind you could see me in my high viz from an orbiting satellite, I appear to be invisble. I have taken to walking up the middle of the road until I hear a car slow. The boys are trained to stop and pull in until a car goes past.

However plan doesn't always work. Pulling in is apparently a signal to acelerate. An arm signal to slow down is interpreted as a cheery wave. What is more worrying, when a car goes past and I frantically signal, shout and horse moves, drivers still don't stop.

Then we have cyclists. All they need to do is say "hello" in response to my "hello" and all would be well. But no. "Are you speaking to me?" was one response. Er yeah..... Then there was the cyclist who wizzed straight past without stopping. We took off after him, shouting help, slow down etc. Despite turning to look....he kept going.

An then there was the time a whopping great big tractor decided to drive at us.....

And as a final point, I find other horse owners are the worst. Sorry, but its true round my way - having been overtaken at speed by a jeep and trailer. But that's another story.

I'm considering tweeting licence plate numbers to name and shame.

Good luck everyone!
 
Yup - regularly have to ride down the main road from the M4 to Cardiff Airport. 50mph single carriageway but it has decent wide verges and we're probably safer on that than the lanes surrounding it which are narrow but real rat runs and have way too much traffic on them for the size of road. We also have to deal with loads more lorries since the invention of sat nav, they used to stick to main roads now they just blindly follow those b****y things down the most unsuitable lanes.

My boy is fab in traffic though. The major reason for me buying him. When I tried him out I asked to watch him on the roads first. It was down a tiny but long lane that led onto a busy A road and they said I could if I wanted to but that the girl who was riding the other horse coming out with me (we were going further on to take him somewhere I could gallop and test the brakes) relied on him to babysit her horse so if I wanted her to ride him first we'd either have to walk a mile there and then back to pick the other horse up, or I'd have to ride the other horse.

Maybe a bit naively I thought he must be good then, they won't lie if I'm about to find out the truth, and just jumped on. Within seconds of getting to the A road we had about 6 boy racers with massive exhausts go past us at about 70 and a lorry coming in the other direction and he plodded on as if it was Miss Daisy going past him. I decided then to buy him there and then. We've had our issues since then but traffic has never been one of them!
 
If we didn't ride on busy roads we'd never get out and about. Roll on October when the worst of the emmets have gone home. ;)
Very luckily two of ours are 99% bombproof - would never say 100% as they are not machines after all. The other, youngster, is very lucky having these pair to shield her from the traffic and having 3 of us out together seems far safer than when I try to hack out alone. You can stand your ground better with three I feel.
We all ride with schooling whips at 90 degrees where needed. Plenty of nods and waves of thanks even though few are returned. Slow down arm signals are frequently met with waves in return and we are on the end of quite a few two fingered salutes, shouts of "get your horses off the road", horns blaring when passing and cars driving straight at us on the single lane rat runs (this is where the bomb proof cob stopped dead in the road and ending up looking over the bonnet at driver scenario arises.)
I find 90% of the "bad" dirvers are just clueless on how to pass horses and once they have stopped somewhere inappropriate and we ask them politely to move to one side/ keep still til we have passed/ please not have the stereo full pelt with window open and bass booming/ pull the dog back from hanging half out the window barking its head off etc they are fine and even grateful for some instruction. The other 10% are beyond help and far more dangerous.
 
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