Drivers purposly trying to spook horses..

thumpbug

thumpbug

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 January 2010
Messages
172
Location
East Yorkshire
youtube.com
This might just be me,but are drivers getting worse and worse on the road with horses! Just started hacking out again these last few weeks after the harsh winter period and i must say i am SO glad my horse is really safe/ on the borderline of stupid! One car the other day sped past,doing 50-60mph and didnt even go wide,luckily my pony is only 13.2 and i managed to pull her up onto the verge really quickly to avoid being squished! It really angers me,we was all reflectived up,how are you ever meant to get youngsters used to the road with drivers like this,what are your views on these types of things,and whats the worst situations you've been in on the road? sorry for the rant! x
 
if you're all hi-viz'd up (and i have one of the new Polite Notice tabards, that look like Police from a distance, i think they help a lot) then take the registration of any driver you think did such a thing on purpose, and report them to the Police - time, date, location, registration and description of car, and say they endangered you, possibly on purpose, that you were hi-viz'd up and did everything you could to get out of the way.
when i lived in a high-traffic area, i didn't take horses on the road during rush hour periods, for starters... drivers going to and from work are less likely to want to slow down...
i get out of the way when i can, but that's easy round here... hardly any traffic on our lanes, totally flat, with hardly any hedges, i can see traffic coming from miles away, so that makes things a lot safer.
 
i can't stand people who don't slow down.
I always worry that I'm not going slow enough when I meet a horse on the roads because I know how scary it can be when your horse spooks. mine bolted down a main road and I decked it in the car park - last thing I remember before waking up in a neck brace in the ambulance was 'oh ****, I'm going to hit that car'.

also had buses 'passing' us so close that I could easily have touched it by just sticking my arm out.
 
blood_magik said:
i can't stand people who don't slow down.
I always worry that I'm not going slow enough when I meet a horse on the roads because I know how scary it can be when your horse spooks. mine bolted down a main road and I decked it in the car park - last thing I remember before waking up in a neck brace in the ambulance was 'oh ****, I'm going to hit that car'.

also had buses 'passing' us so close that I could easily have touched it by just sticking my arm out.
Click to expand...

so sorry to hear about that, i'm lucky i was on my little pony who is seriously bomb proof! Our roads arn't that busy usually,but it only takes one doesn't it. I dont think non horsey people understand the damage they could do,they don't know the horse at all,or must not undertsand the power a horse has behind it.
 
They are shocking. So many of them too. A truck tried to run us over once, or at least did nothing at all to prevent it and nearly succeeded. Luckily (sort of) the horse is a traffic whimp and flung himself (and so me) out of the way. Lucky i have a sticky bum because if i'd got left behind when horse freaked out i would have been under his wheels. A chav in a suped up car was speeding up a country lane before christmas. Could hear his engine revving from miles away so as soon as i saw him gave very clear slow down signals in my high vis gloves. I caught him waving at me at he sped past doing about 60 on a winding lane! (rattly van also done this but at slightly less speed as horse was throwing itself into a bush in fright) Motorbikes trying to scare us, cars coming up close and revving, people coming up close and beeping, people speeding up when crossing a road, i could go on and on. Hate riding on the roads!

Thankfully there are a few good ones out there that really go out of their way to be polite and considerate.
 
My friend almost got run over by an elderly man with bloody awful eyesight. Shouldn't have been allowed on the road. Both wearing hi viz. He said they only reason he saw us (at the VERY last minute) was because I was on a grey, he couldn't see friends black horse or either of our hi-viz's. Have also had horrible experences of people revving up my arse on a horse who was hit by a lorry as a 3 year old... Bloody morons.
Haven't had any problems with Fella. Get more cars slowing down to nothing and staring as there aren't many ridden 18.1 shires around. Mind you, him having an arse the size of a small country helps, there isn't anyway they could try to squeeze past it!
 
Sadly I think that in some respects it is a reflection of todays society; no consideration for other people and a lack of awareness of the consequences of their actions. I had a car full of chavs go past me blasting their horn trying to spook my horse not so long ago. Perhaps they need to see the effects of half a ton of horse through their windscreen before they get any common sense into their heads.

I think an awareness campaign/education is the way to go, although in the financial climate that probably isn't an option .:(
 
I had one instance of hacking through town and went past a car park. Young girl was sitting trying to get some young lads attention and put her hand on her horn! My horse was quiet and totally disregarded it and continued to walk on (we were just approaching and the car was less that 50 yards away).
Most vehicles here are good but you do get the odd one thatgoes haring past, doesn;t give you space or indeed with traffic coming the other direction, decide that they can squeeze past you as well, so that the horse has no space!

As thumpbug says, they really don't think about the damage that could be done to their cars.
 
mishaspey said:
I had one instance of hacking through town and went past a car park. Young girl was sitting trying to get some young lads attention and put her hand on her horn! My horse was quiet and totally disregarded it and continued to walk on (we were just approaching and the car was less that 50 yards away).
Most vehicles here are good but you do get the odd one thatgoes haring past, doesn;t give you space or indeed with traffic coming the other direction, decide that they can squeeze past you as well, so that the horse has no space!

As thumpbug says, they really don't think about the damage that could be done to their cars.
Click to expand...

i was out on a pony i used to ride before,and she was being abit of a idiot,but this car was getting further and further up her bum which wound her up huge amouts more,he got real close and then bipped his horn and the pony double barrelled his car-did him what for i think! He started having a load off,i was only 12 at the time? It was discusting i know ponies misbehaving on roads is never good but being polite for a few miniutes isnt going to harm anyone.
 
What really bugs me is that all drivers have to learn to drive and expect others to be courteous and slow down for them. It's the same with horses. Most of us don't have the facilities to get a horse used to traffic at home, so have to take them onto the roads. I find old people the worst - in Honda Jazz's and Nissan Micras - I don't think they even see me.....I went out this morning with two reflective leg wraps on front legs of horse, hi viz vest, reflective exercise sheet and flashing red lights on my arms - did it slow them down? Did it hell!
Strangely I find young drivers the best - you hear them coming and think they're not going to slow down, but when they get near, they slow right down and give a really wide berth, and I also find Audi drivers the same!!!
As for reporting drivers to the police it's a waste of time. A few years ago, early one morning a driver drove at myself and a friend deliberately, causing her to almost come off. We reported it to the police, made statements and absolutely nothing was done apart from the police siding with the driver. (I'm not anti, my OH is a Police Officer), but it was farcical. I've seen some cyclists with headcams on their cycling helmets.....perhaps we should start getting them in fashion for horseriding!
 
I once had a police car decide to put on his blue lights and siren when he was right beside me!!!! I may be wrong but I always thought they had to turn off sirens when passing horses??

Luckily, Jamin couldnt give a t**s if you blew a great big american truck horn in her ear....however, a scary sneeze from the horse behind is enough to frighten her hooves off!!! :eek:
 
To be honest having ridden for over 30 years I don’t think it is so much that drivers have got worse but that there is far more traffic on the roads these days. When I used to hack out my first horse round the village it was never a problem however nowadays there are cars parked along the roadside and far more vehicles on the roads which does hold up drivers as it’s difficult for them to overtake. Thankfully now we have the East Anglian Farm Rides which mean that we can go for miles without having to do hardly any roadwork.

As far as dangerous drivers goes my worst one was when I was a groom on a competition yard and was hacking out one of the liveries. A car with a couple of young lads overtook me. They slowed right down and I though “Ah bless them” I gave them a smile and nod and a “Thank You” and as I was doing it I thought the car sounded very quiet……the driver had in fact turned off the engine as he was overtaking and then started it again just as he got in front of me…..for those that don’t know this can cause the car to backfire, which it did!!!! I thought they were laughing as they overtook me and then they carried on up the road having stuck their hands out of the windows giving me a hand gesture!!! Luckily horse only did a quick spook (and me as well I might add!) but it could have been a nasty accident if I was on one of the other horses.
 
I hate this, a while ago me and a friend were hacking and a car came speeding towards us, they had easily seen us as they came past the passenger was filming us on their phone and the driver promptly started beeping the horn. Luckily they didn't get much action to film as the horses didn't even flinch.
 
I think the worst experience of this i had was several years ago. Was hacking out the horse I rode at the time and heard a car from miles away screeching round the country roads with vvv loud music. As it came up behind us it slowed right down and turned it's music off. I was totally amazing by this (especially when I saw the car was full of teenage boys!) So I gave a massive thank you smile and took my hand off the reins to say thank you and as he pulled up beside me (me still with only one hand on the reins) he revved his engine, turned his music up, honked his horn and speed off laughing! I couldn't believe it. Luckily my horse was OK, he did shoot off down the road but I managed to get his back quite easily. I dont think the young drivers realise how dangerous that kind of thing is.
Oh and I was hi-vised up - always am
 
Most car drivers round me are ridiculous! I've been extremely lucky with how bombproof my youngster is, she's had a couple of chavs whizz by on noisy motorbikes accelerating right by us laughing :mad: and she didnt even blink :D ! I have actually found generally 'boy racers' are the best lol the worst are often van drivers, 4x4's and older people :confused: surely these should know better! But i must say, generally the worst spooks iv experienced are lorry/bus drivers trying to be nice and slow but the air brake things go off right next to me which really messed up my spotty one time on a very busy road :(
 
I agree that they seem to have got worse recently. :mad: I've had abuse in the past from asking drivers in bigger vehicles to slow down :eek: (my boy isn't keen on big lorries) when I was doing it for our (and their!) safety!
 
Dont know where you lot live but i have not found boy racers or audis to be the best! They are an absolute nightmare. One bimbo in her TT started bibbing her horn at us repeatedly and revving her engine, causing horses to spook, then sped past us really close. Kinda wish the horse had kicked out.

In the summer time i have given numerous people stern words through their open windows. Including one young boy out for a 'rough' off road ride down our very bumpy not really suitable for cars lane. He was trying to squeeze past in a very tight space despite my repeated hand signals for him to wait (i think a lot of people have no idea of these although it's not rocket science) he had 4 mates in the car with him and his window open. i turned the horse round in front of his car and made it very clear just how much mummy and daddy would have to pay to replace his bodywork if he hit my horse. He looked like he was going to die of embarrasment as some walkers were also laughing at him. He waited very patiently then for us to get to the end of the lane where it was wider (only a minute) and trundled off in a much subdued manner :p
 
Many years ago sister and I took the bomg proof ladies out one Sunday morning, after a night of storms. There was a lot of water and a lot of debris on the road. We were on a road which led only to some houses and a local wood, a car came behind us very fast, making a hell of a noise and chucking pebbles and little sticks at us. Even the two bombprood ladies (both had driven on the roads as well as being ridden) took a bit of offence at this and jumped a little. The driver stopped, so all well and good, until the prat set off with his wheels spinning :eek: The ladies both spooked and one nearly ended up sitting on his bonnet. We reported this to the local police and he admitted driving without due care and attention and was fined and had points put on his licence. :)
 
my worst experience wasn't even on a road! i was merrily hacking up a bridleway when a guy on a dirt bike drove straight at me, i was on a young horse who had only just been introduced to traffic who span on a 6pence and galloped bucking up the track (lucky no cars obviously) driver then proceeded to rev his engine and drive up and down the wood next to the path where poor pony could only hear him and had to be coaxed down, with food, off the fell and boyfriend had to hold me back from attacked offending biker with my stick.
Anyway i have recently started hacking on roads again and i find the worst are bus drivers (not even on their side of the road) and tractor drivers one bus driver was reported by a friend of mine after she ended up in a ditch and turned out the driver had horses! On the other hand you do get drivers who do a little to much to be helpful for example slow down so much and drive behind you even when there is plenty of room to pass but in the case of giant lorries and tiny lanes i was very glad when one lovely guy pulled over and turned engine off so i could squeeze past he got a big thank you :D
 
Last edited:
Alot of my customers over the years have all said pretty much the same as you lot have,I have heard of some really nasty accidents, too harrowing to mention here but the best one I think I have heard of was of a lady I know who lived over the back of Epsom, she was a night nurse on her way home from night shift one morning.
People who live near Epsom Downs know you get loads of race horses exercising in the mornings over there.
She pulled up behind a car in a queue as there were about 50 horses going across the road off of the Downs back to the racing yard.
Some bright spark near the front in his car decided he wasn't going to wait for the riders to cross so, he started pushing his way through the line of riders.
Result was one Thoroughbred reared up and promptly sat down on his bonnet,which had the effect of snapping his axle at the front, his sump hit the deck and that was the end of his car!
He was last seen ranting and raving in the middle of the road as he knew he could not trace the horse or rider!
Serves him right!
Once the riders had cleared the road everyone then carried on past him in their cars laughing as they went!
Race horses = one
Idiot driver = nil !
Oz :)
 
The following happened to my daughter about 15 years ago. She was riding down a steep hill so couldn't go faster then a brisk walk ( the road was well known for being used by horse riders as a riding school and livery yard were located on it ) and a tractor patiently followed her down the hill keeping his distance. some idiot behind the tractor however, decided to over take the tractor right on the brow of the hill, without being able to see beyond the tractor. Unfortunately he also didn't see the car coming up the hill towards my daughter on horse, the patient tractor and himself. he hit the oncoming car head on and one person was killed, as per usual the innocent bystander i.e the passenger of the oncoming car...
I hate to say it, but he was a boy racer in a hurry to be somewhere else, it obviously never occurred to him there was a reason why the tractor was going at snailspace....this did not take place somewhere in a ratrace area, this was rural Northamptonshire.
I myself have had close encounters with my stirrup and many a wingmirror, compared to the above quite minor really.
 
I've been given the finger and engine revs by a girl racer, while a boy racer slowed his souped up motor and turned the engine off.
Lorries have been known to turn off where I've hacked too.
Buses with air brakes, yummy mummies on the back roads doing the school run (brushed a 3yo's arse on the side that her baby seat was fitted, clever) and old duffers in Yarises are the worst in my experience.
 
Even more annoying,our lane is meant to be access only, and there is about 7-8 properties down the lane,but people still use it as a cut through to avoid the lights. So they're not only being pests and a danger to the horses,but speeding down a access only lane!
 
I'm lucky with my youngster in that she ignores most traffic. The things that upset her the most are cars creeping along behind her and the air brakes on buses. She would much rather the offending vehicle whizzes by her at whatever speed than creep along behind. When the air brakes go off she will do a little dance but then walk on.

Not bad for a 2 and 1/2 year old :)
 
I obviously don't condone thoughtless drivers at all, but do get really fed up when riders don't say thank you when I drive carefully around them (more often than not around here). Perhaps non-horsey people would see that as arrogance and not bother being so careful the next time. Just a thought.
 
Katiecake said:
I obviously don't condone thoughtless drivers at all, but do get really fed up when riders don't say thank you when I drive carefully around them (more often than not around here). Perhaps non-horsey people would see that as arrogance and not bother being so careful the next time. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

I always say thank you. But i unfortunately do know several people who don't. Shame they spoil it for the rest of us. But i always think if you go out of your way to do a big smile and some sort of thankyou then it reinforces the good behaviour for the next person, and may negate some of the effect of any rude riders.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top