Do you say thank you to all drivers whilst out hacking?

I smile, wave and thank everyone. If they are taking extra care I shout thank you at them as they pass too.
If I get cross then my big horse starts to react. In fact I had to start waving rather than lift my hand as he had started to lift his right foot in the direction of passing cars!

I like to imaging the speeders may have slowed down a bit, even if it was just from 70 to 50mph.
Both my horses are good as long as I keep cheery. I may feel differently if I had a youngster or something.
 
I smile, wave and thank the world and his dog. I also stop to let anyone pat him (we are particularly popular with toddlers in buggies - he shoves his nose in and whuffles at them) and am happy to let folks let him meet their dog/kids/granny. I live in hope that Karma will pay me back and my life will be full of happy hacks with smiley drivers ;)
 
I thank just about everyone, one of my boys is as safe as houses on the road, the other not so good. If I think they are coming a bit quick I tend to move into the road with my hand up to slow them, then thank them profusely. We had a grumpy old git shout after us when my friends pony pooed on the road near his house, and he came again on our way home shouting 'Oy, I've swept your mess up' so I replied cheerily 'Thankyoooooo, that'll be good for your roses'. What do you others do in that situation? both my boys are taught to stop and poo if they have to, rather a walking one all along the road. There's not many off road rides around here and all have a fair bit of road work to reach.
 
If they take the time to slow down and respect me and my horse then yes I thank them. I also thank walkers who move to the side of paths, people who pull in with their dogs and cyclists who stop, slow down or ask if the horses are alright with bikes so they can come past slowly. I think you should always thank somebody, after all, they didnt have to slow down/pull in/grab dog or say hi, but they do. I often think that if you dont thank a driver, they will be less likely to slow down next time they meet a horse. This could be around the next corner and could result in an accident. Usually and car I thank nods waves or smiles. I always think it is nice to see children in cars driving past with their faces against the glass and waving, I always wave back, it would have made my day as a child if an actual horsey person had waved!
 
Only say thanks you to the ones that slow down - even if they are on the other side of the road ;) had one idiot recently - cat have been older than 20 actually turned up his music and sped up - luckily i have 110% safe horse ;)
 
My horse is always popular with children too. I always try my best to let them pat her and she is as good as gold. My horse has had one toddler sit on her while a host of family members photographed the occasion! :)
 
Cazzah said:
So, to get to the point....which is the right approach.....?

1. Thank only those who obviously slow down
2. As above but also those who are driving sensibly and have perhaps dropped their speed slightly
3. Offer some other gesture to those not adapting ;)
4. Work on autopilot like durr-brain cazzah and thank every man and his dog for simply sharing the same stretch of tarmac irrespective of their behaviour
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I would say the right approach is 2. Wouldn't recommend 3 as it might make them act negatively to all horse-riders in the future...but tbh I probably am a number 4! Scrap that...I am defo a number 4
 
I pretty much thank anyone who is courteous (if safe to do so) - be they drivers, bikers, dog walkers and so on. If I don't want to take a hand off the reins then a cheery smile, biker-style nod given. :-)

Went on a beach ride last year whilst on hols - the ride back took 25 mins on busy holiday resort roads - I was the only one out of the five riders ( inc. The leader) who thanked anyone - that did annoy me.....
 
Most of time but today I was sarcastic :rolleyes: I had ride with friend and we didn't hear car behind us we were riding close but two abreast so he blasted his horn:confused: I waved him on smiled and did royal wave like queen.:p thankfully I was riding friends horse , I have youngster that I will have to take on same roads and will need to ride two abreast:(
 
Yes I do it automatically but can assure you they don't all deserve it....too late after I've done it though! lol To be honest, the majority are great but as in all walks of life, there is always a few you could quite happily blow dart and tie up!
 
i am really a*** about it, and thank everyone, usually with a big smile too - if I can't use my hands, I give a big head nod.

But we met a very "fast" postman yesterday, and as he passed, I used the slow down signal - and continued to use it as i know he'll have looked in his mirror after seeing me do it. That's my best means of attack - oooooooo and I ALWAYS wear my POLITE vest - or has that topic been banned ;)
 
I only thank folk who slow down and pass sensibly. I could not bring myself to thank someone who screeches past me and my daughter on her LR pony :mad: those who are courteous get profusely and politely thanked.
 
Yup, I give a friendly smile and wave to all drivers who pass me, whether from behind or coming towards me, whether or not they slow down too.

(I find if I smile and wave at the ones who don't slow down ... the next time they do!)

So it's a win win situation all round.

And I go back and pick up any horsepoo left in how-to-annoy-the-public areas, like at the bottom of someone's driveway on the road so they can't help but drive through it, or outside a shop or garage entrance, etc.

I also go and pick up other horse poos I notice that other people have left in inconvenient places - like on the cycle path or by the bus stop.

There's no law saying we must clear up but every little helps, and it helps foster good relations with the community.

Suechoccy (the virtuous smug one)
 
Yes, I always thank drivers, even if on occasion they may be going a little too fast. You never know, one cheery wave from me might make them just slow down a little bit more for the next horse.
 
I'm a serial thanker but have very strict categories:

- Slow down and pass nicely - nod

- Slow down/stop when horse is being a tit - wave and verbal thanks

- Marginal slow down/not passing quite wide enougfh - ingore

- Inconsiderate/boaderline dangerous - thumbs down sign (upgraded from finger for equine PR reasons!)

- Dangerous - memorise reg and report to police

My horse and I wear a lot of hi viz so cars have the maximum opportunity to see us.
 
Not all no.
Not the people who dont slow down/pass wide.

And sometimes not because something else might be going on, ie I need both hands to keep horse still or am signalling etc but I always try to smile or nod. Not that drivers notice that IMO....
 
I'm usually on auto and everyone gets a hand. Sometimes it is a nod is I can tell my mare is about to launch, she is very green.

I find with drivers from behind if you obviously turn and look at them they tend to slow more than if you don't. Sometimes this isn't possible or safe to do though.

I test rode a horse at the weekend and a guy in a mini bus nearly took my knee off, I didn't give him a wave, but on the bright side the horse I was testing didn't bat an eyelid - bonus points for her!
 
I acknowledge everyone with at least a nod.

Very good drivers gets lots of waves and smiles and I shout 'thank you.'

I will always acknowledge, even people who don't slow down, in the hope they remember riders are humans too and maybe they will slow down for the next rider they see if I'm nice to them.
 
I thank those that make an effort (no matter how small), even those who mistakenly think that its OK to drive right up the back-end of my horse THEN swing out wide to pass, doh! But at least its a 'try' :). Those that really give us lots of room are profusely thanked, my mare is excellent in all traffic but I appreciate the consideration regardless.
But what to do when a line of traffic passes and I haven't been able to get off the road to let them through? Do I thank the just the first car who was sensible enough not to force their way past or do I thank every one of them even though the others had no choice but to wait? I usually try to make my first thanks obvious enough that they can all see it otherwise I'm sat there waving my arm off!
 
I am in rural north lincs and find most drivers are pretty good but some of them are terrible! I always thank drivers who make a bit of an effort but my bolshy northern temperament does occasionaly escape if I get a numpty! Luckily my horses are all pretty much bomb proof but nowadays anything less than this is really difficult as I just dont think alot of drivers know how to deal with horses on the road.
 
Have to admit I thank everyone who makes the effort to slow down, and even if they don't slow, but they move out, and aren't tanking, I automatically thank... those who don't tend to learn to lipread fast... if I know they won't slow, then the sight of my huge a$$ sidling out towards the white line never mind my Dark Destroyers copious buttocks certainly will!!!!!:D
 
Every driver.

I hacked out on Sunday, she was very fresh so I didn't take my hands off the reins to say thanks. But I did make sure I smiled, mouthed thank you and nodded at all of them. Uusually I do take my hands off the rein to say thanks too. But thought it wasn't very wise to do so.
 
Almost everyone. Definitely if they make a visible effort to pass wide or/and slow down.

Has anyone actually stopped and told off any other riders? I'm turning into a grumpy old woman, and have to fight the impulse to get out and set into any rider (and there are lots round here) who doesn't thank ME for slowing etc. Also for not weraing Hi Viz, especially on dark evenings. You wouldn't believe some of the sights I've (almost not) seen:eek:
 
Yes unless I am fully focused on a horse who is misbehaving in which case my groom will always thank them any way its very very rare for me not to be able to acknowledge the driver in some way.
I even acknowledge the ones who don't slow down in the hope they are better disposed too next rider they see, my OH tells me off for this.
 
Landcruiser said:
Almost everyone. Definitely if they make a visible effort to pass wide or/and slow down.

Has anyone actually stopped and told off any other riders? I'm turning into a grumpy old woman, and have to fight the impulse to get out and set into any rider (and there are lots round here) who doesn't thank ME for slowing etc. Also for not weraing Hi Viz, especially on dark evenings. You wouldn't believe some of the sights I've (almost not) seen:eek:
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I would never ever presume to stop and and take issue with another rider I am not the manners or good sense police .
Do have a lot of grumpy old women thoughts all the time it's scary.
 
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