Drivers purposly trying to spook horses..

i had someone shoot past me at at least 70mph and honked his horn the j@ck@ss :mad: made me so angry, luckily both horses were very safe. i know someone who was riding along a country lane and a car came right up behind her (as it was too close to pass), so close her horse kicked out and smashed his headlamp! serves him right!
 
gemin1eye said:
Having just read the "rules about animals" section of the high way code, I can't see where it states that horses have automatic priority. Maybe I've misread it?

I really don't think smacking your whip on the top of the car is really the cleverest thing in the world to do - what if you hit the car, the driver gets startled and crashes into you/your horse?
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Horses do not have an automic priority and hitting a vehicle with a whip can be construed as criminal damage, not a good idea.
 
touchstone said:
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 .:(
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True.
 
while i was out hacking, this old man (apparently a race horse trainer) saw me walk by, opened his boot, and slammed it down as loud as he could! he didnt even take anything out!! he did this about three times more before realising that Foxy wouldn't spook.
 
I am always worried when hacking on the roads near us. I thank everyone, even when people don't slow down and I try to get eye contact being over the top friendly as it confuses people!
 
Most drivers have no idea the damage a horse can do to their car. A lot think horses should not be on the road at all so all you can do is wear the hi viz, avoid riding at high usuage times and if you can, DO report the vans/cars that are driving dangerously. However saying someone must have been driving at 70 mph is no good - you can't validate it, better to say driver was careless etc. I have a marvellously sexy (not) hi viz jacket bought purely because it looks like a police jacket. It works wonders.
 
When i was riding my mare yesterday on the road and i met a stupid driver. I heard the car coming very fast so i got my horse in so she was really close to edge as the car came round the corner it slowed down she i was pleased as the car went past me i said thank you but putting my hand up so i had to let go of the reins in one of my hands, when i said thankyou the man driving the car swore at me and told me how much he hated horses i am normally shy but when the man started saying nasty things i called him a indiot so he drove a bit further and his dog in the back seat started growling at my horse and he opened his window and the dog had its head out of the window trying to bite my horse i called him stupid and that it was not funny beacuse my bomp broof horse was scared and freaking then him finally drove off. When i go on the road i always my reflected jakcket and my horse has to refective leg banages and a reflective tail wrap on. i find that it very annoying how some people act on the road
 
Since i started riding again OH has been even more careful than usual around riders, and 90% have been very polite, pulling closer to the edge and waving us past and thanking us but a good couple of weeks ago we met two girls cantering up the road, which was a single track uphill winding shady and overgrown. OH happened to be driving and I tutted at how unsafe they were being as its a pretty blind road cantering along two abreast and how no car would stand a chance if they happened to meet them.

OH slowed and, keeping a good distance back, waited for them to either slow and get in line. When they finally did, one grudgingly pulling up onto the grassy side whilst the other stayed quite far out on the road, OH passed slowly and as widely as he could.

Did we get as much as a nod? if it were me id have gone the whole hog with a thankyou and a wave but no, we both got very dirty looks and a sneer from the girl nearest to us.

FGS, OH said this is the reason he isnt too keen on horse riders as hes always found them quite rude and can you blame him when they react like that. I wanted him to pull over and to get out and say that from a riders point of view they were being nobbers, but hey, doubt they would have cared.

It really means alot to me when someone says thanks. i had a girl on a very spooky TB just after i passed my test and the car in front was being so uncooperative but she managed to still wave and mouth thanks whilst wrestling her horse!
 
Tonight I almost Poo'ed my self bus was coming who slowed down for me. Haven't seen one on ages so not sure what samba would have thought of it. Some **** came speeding up behind me and some how went between samba and bus. Then 5 minutes later two coppers went passed shame never in right place at right time thank god samba was ok! She then had huge fit at the word STOP on the road but screeching car and double Decker bus no problem and yes I wad hi viz. Ironically so was **** driver.
 
With the exception of road racing cyclists, most road users I meet are very patient.

Have had a few howlers over the years ;
- the glass bottle thrown out of a shiny 4X4 beside a 4 yr old WB, shattering on the road, on baby's first solo hack;

-the can of coke, shaken and thrown from the top deck of a bus, landing under horses nose, where it exploded and sprayed coke everywhere.

-the lads in a soft top car, hanging out and gesticulating, yelling and shouting car horn for fun.

-Stirrup iron knocked by too close driver.

None of which was a problem for my lot, they're all bombproof, thankfully.
 
They just don't think. Or they're ********s. And yes, it would be great if there could be some sort of campaign to raise awareness, but I'm appalled that the police seem to often be offenders. Couldn't you report to their station?

I ended up on the verge on Sunday. Saw a big, long silver lorry barrelling our way, thought, "I hope he slows down" and of course he didn't. Mel leapt sideways and, thank God, stopped right there.
 
Sometimes when the local RC has a show on you get a group who I will deem as thugs that drive their car on the road parallel and take great pleasue in blasting their horn repeatedly and making their tyres screech. Very petty behaviour.
Other than that I've only had problems with the numpties who squeeze past me at ridiculous speeds!
 
we had similar problem last year

drove to close i took pictures he braked reversed at us then drove up rd back past us swearing we trotted up rd and crossed over into a lay-by i phone police he drove back past once more and vanished

take a photo of his license plate and make of car report him to the police. The police contacted me and said they had been round and had words with him and he said he was in a bad mood and wouldn't do it again




had several encounters i say the horse was here b 4 car the nicety doesn't work with some idiots. I have in the past hit the roof of 2 when they were so close they clipped my stirrup
 
I was riding down a lane on fat cob when a bus came towards us and a flat bed truck decided it was a good idea to try to squeeze between fat cob and bus. We were pushed into a parked car and my foot took the wing mirror off :(

On another occasion another flat bed came up behind us in the same place, he did decide he couldn't get past but stopped too close and beeped his horn. He reversed sharpish as a big black and white backside shot backwards towards his windscreen.

Luckily most in the village knew us and would grind to a halt when they saw us as fat lad was well known for his pirouting (sp) and rodeo impressions if he decided that the red traffic light was going to kill him that particular day.
 
I was just thinking about this thread. Was chatting to a friend last night who was saying she was out on a hack with her daughter. A small flatbed pulled over just in from of them and threw a fire cracker under her horses feet!
I must say although I've met all the rude drivers back on my old yard (where my friend is), in the last 8 months of being on my new yard I've only heard of 1 bad driver, all the others have been brilliant.
 
HairyCobs said:
I use one of these attached to riding hat and an adapted version worn by my horse on the bridle.
Works wonders at catching footage of dangerous driving - if someone is truly dangerous the footage can be used as evidence, or as in my preference - uploaded to a website and shared.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Actioncam-A...Q7J4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298334208&sr=8-1
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What a fabulous product, I'd often thought about buying something similar.

We use a dashboard mounted system in our work vehicles overseas, I was playing around with it in the UK to find the best balance of image quality against duration and had someone cut me up on the motorway weaving through all three lanes. I followed him for a few minutes and then emailed the footage to a police friend who passed it onto traffic. They interviewed him and he admitted dangerous driving when shown the video evidence - points and a fine!
 
what a gr8 idea have you got a picture of the adapted one for bridle??:)

What I do now is if i am going round a bend a hair pin one i trot round it and a good distance away so if a car does zoom round it gives him time to brake

my yard is on a bend and we cross over onto pavement unless we have a patient drive willing to sit while trot round and cross over.

I had one learner driver once sit on my a$$ going round corner to yard so close i turned round and screamed "" BACK OFF "" she sure did that with an amount of surprise on her face.

Luckily although some don't heed it our local riding association got the speed dropped from national speed to 40.

when i ride out i wear ta bard -horses wear leg bands and martingale band

in winter leg bands/ lights -Martial band - hat band- rug i wear jacket and some times horse hatz we or they wear see u leg lights people slow down to see them works a treat
HERE IS VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsoFLiQWHrE
they work off 2 small v5 batteries
 
thumpbug said:
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.
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there was a bus driver near where i used to ride out that got reported to driving to close to horses and forcing them down ditches etc. turnd out she had horses
 
To be honest I don't think these people do it on purpose (well some do if you are in hunting garb!) it's just ignorance and the way people think they have to get everywhere 'yesterday'!
 
thumpbug said:
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.
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I seem to have more problems with horsey ppl in my area! I find the ppl who know nothing about horses will drive ridiculously slow and wide ( and get many thanks from me) It's often the horsey ppl and farmers who have little respect x
 
I've had problems with a small minority of trail motorcyclists too. They liked to ride on the waste ground near the village where I kept my horse at weekends (not popular with the locals and a continual police presence due to complaints). They really didn't like anyone else using the bit of ground while they were there and would deliberately rev their bikes when they saw you passing nearby. My mare was utterly bombproof and just ignored them. Once they parked a bike lengthways, blocking the route out, while 4 or 5 of them sat there chatting. I rode up to them and they said in a fake sort of way, "Oh are we blocking your path?" (trying to intimidate me). No, its OK, I said, I'll just jump it. "Whaaat?" Nice jump, I said, bit like a large log, I'll just take a run at it.

They moved their bikes pretty quick then, I didn't get my jump and they always kept out of my way after that. The joys of being a nutter on a large bombproof showjumper. Strangely, they also declined my invitation to park two bikes back to back to make a better jump.
 
Seems to be getting more common. Happened to my friend just this Friday. She was riding along in the village, heard a car approach from behind, slowed right down, she relaxed thinking, great he's seen me..... then she heard him accelerate (young lad in a mustard coloured saxo/punto or similar with an overlarge aka noisey exhaust), he goes bombing past her less than a foot from her and her horse!!

He then slows at the bad bend just ahead to look in his mirror to observe "the damage".. thankfully my friends horse wasn't affected, she was too busy ranting at the little swine to take his reg no. but she HAS reported it to the police, who were great, has an incident number and has typed all this up and delivered to all the local yards in case someone else should suffer the same experience. She's left her number too asking in case someone can get this kids reg no. what a blumming idiot though that boy is.....
 
Read all the replies, and feel unbelievably fortunate that my yard had acres of off-road hacking! I've ridden my friend's mare out on the roads recently, luckily she's totally bombproof (despite the fact she was hit by a bus last year) but my friend's youngster occasionally turns himself inside out at buses/diggers/trucks etc. The number of people who think it's perfectly safe just to squeeze past him as he's cantering on the spot in the middle of the road is incredible! I also know a couple of people who've had very bad experiences, it's enough to put you off altogether :mad:

I ALWAYS wear hi-viz, and I always smile, wave, and mouth 'thank you' at considerate drivers :)
 
Mithras said:
I've had problems with a small minority of trail motorcyclists too. They liked to ride on the waste ground near the village where I kept my horse at weekends (not popular with the locals and a continual police presence due to complaints). They really didn't like anyone else using the bit of ground while they were there and would deliberately rev their bikes when they saw you passing nearby. My mare was utterly bombproof and just ignored them. Once they parked a bike lengthways, blocking the route out, while 4 or 5 of them sat there chatting. I rode up to them and they said in a fake sort of way, "Oh are we blocking your path?" (trying to intimidate me). No, its OK, I said, I'll just jump it. "Whaaat?" Nice jump, I said, bit like a large log, I'll just take a run at it.

They moved their bikes pretty quick then, I didn't get my jump and they always kept out of my way after that. The joys of being a nutter on a large bombproof showjumper. Strangely, they also declined my invitation to park two bikes back to back to make a better jump.
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We get a lot of these on the off road areas where we hack. Fair to say they have their hobby and no where else to really do it though I think it is illegal for them to be there and in the winter they ruin the ground and we now can't canter much due to the massive tire track dips.

BUT all the ones we have seen are very polite and friendly, all move and turn off engines if we pass them or wait for a wide bit and dismount turn off engine and wheel the bikes past us if they pass us. Might help that sharer's horse is quite large and mine looks insane (though she just dances on the spot and I am always totally safe on her!) so they look a bit worried!!
 
I'm afraid I only hack out at weekends and bank holidays - and even then it's at the crack of sparrows! You take you life in your hands every time you go out the gate where we are.
 
Its not just my way then?!!! We have wide open roads with 30mph limits then the narrow, windey country lanes are 60mph!!! I was involved in nasty rta last year (17 yr old that had been driving 3 weeks hit me head-on cos she was going too fast) so now Im nervous driving let alone riding. My mare is good in traffic but she picks up vibes off me, so if someone way too fast I tense/she tenses. Please no-one say try not to, if it was that easy I would! Last week there was 2 bad car accidents near by where both horses and riders got killed. Do non horsey car drivers think you can just book your horse into a garage for repairs??! To top it off we are 2 mins from lovely beach, dont risk that either cos theres been so many dog attacks down there...but thats another issue!!!Hence I ride out very little :-((((((
 
I posted a few weeks ago about an idiot driver. I am quite fortunate that we have a lot of off road hacking, but some of it requires about 200 yds of road work. My welsh cob is a bit silly out on his own (good in traffic though....) so I tend to get off and lead along this road, its it reasonably quiet, but still. So, I got off and lead on the way out, but he was so well behaved and relaxed, I stayed on for the return journey - I have been out about an hour so he was nicely settled. So, on the road, approaching a house where I know a dog lives and tends to rush up and bark.

Small white van coming very fast from other direction, stuck arm out and waved 'slow down' signal. Van sped up and bipped at me as he got alongside. Luckily pony ignored it and also dog didn;t rush out and bark (I was worried dog would bark and pony would jump into road just as van approached)

Would happily have reported him but he was out of sight before I had chance.
 
Mithras said:
I've had problems with a small minority of trail motorcyclists too. They liked to ride on the waste ground near the village where I kept my horse at weekends (not popular with the locals and a continual police presence due to complaints). They really didn't like anyone else using the bit of ground while they were there and would deliberately rev their bikes when they saw you passing nearby. My mare was utterly bombproof and just ignored them. Once they parked a bike lengthways, blocking the route out, while 4 or 5 of them sat there chatting. I rode up to them and they said in a fake sort of way, "Oh are we blocking your path?" (trying to intimidate me). No, its OK, I said, I'll just jump it. "Whaaat?" Nice jump, I said, bit like a large log, I'll just take a run at it.

They moved their bikes pretty quick then, I didn't get my jump and they always kept out of my way after that. The joys of being a nutter on a large bombproof showjumper. Strangely, they also declined my invitation to park two bikes back to back to make a better jump.
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Excellent!!!! I would be thinking the same, but my little 14.2 struggles to scale a 12" cross pole let alone a motorcross bike lol!!

This reminds me of a group of teenagers stood by a very large puddle on the side of a road years ago. They were daring drivers to drive through it, but drivers in front of me were too polite and swerved around the puddle. Well me in my little mark 2 Fiesta thought we'd have a little fun instead..... so, three drenched lads looking very silly...well they did ask for it!!!!.

Back on topic, we have a lot of disused railways to ride on, but school holidays and weekends can be pretty hairy with the local crossers burning along them, cutting up the ground making it very difficult going for the horses. People have called the police on them, but all the chaps ive met so far have got off their bikes, turned off engines and let us pass them. We always use hi-viz, even on these raliways, it makes sense.
 
horserider said:
With the exception of road racing cyclists, most road users I meet are very patient.
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Most road racing/time trial cyclists I've experienced on the roads aren't even nice to each other! On the way back from picking up my horsebox, we encountered a 'pile-up' of cyclists on the other side of the road. It had obviously just happened and, as there were limbs sticking out onto my side of the road, I stopped with plenty of room and waited for the stewards to pick them all up. As they were assessing who was injured and how badly, another 'flock' of cyclists came past and starting swearing at the stewards and saying their times were going to be rubbish because they hadn't 'got the bodies on to the side of the ******ing road'. The steward took the offender's numbers and, according to my (nice) time trial riding colleague, he will have had them disqualified. Couldn't believe how horrid they were to fellow competitors and had me thinking it would just desserts if it were them next time .....
 
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