Equestrian properties on busy roads

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Patchworkpony

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I just wondered how many people on this forum keep their horses where there are busy roads with lots of traffic. Given that so many country properties seem to be on or near quite busy roads it would appear to be quite difficult to find the perfect property on a very quiet lane, as even these are sometimes choked with heavy farm traffic; which can be very frightening on narrow lanes. Do you hack out or box or not venture onto the roads at all if there is too much traffic? How do you cope or doesn't it worry you. House hunting for the ideal property for hacking seems nearly impossible right now!
 
I've recently moved to a property that is on a fairly busy road but thankfully I don't have to go very far to get on to the lanes. The benefit is that the field runs along side the road so the horses are seeing/hearing the traffic when they are out so get used to it fairly quickly.

My friend also has her horses at a property on a main road which is straighter and therefor faster then where I am. She tends to get more lorries along that stretch as it is an easier route for them. She has to hack at least half a mile before she is onto lanes so it is worse for her then it is for me. Her horses seemed to get used to it quickly though and are pretty bombproof in traffic.
 
We rent the fields around a property and to hack it's straight out onto a busy national speed limit road. Took her out in hand to start with.

Nerve wracking at times, if it's too much to hack I've led down to the nearest side road and mounted there.

Horse is pretty good, used to HGVs thundering passed, usually just stands still until they've gone.

It gets easier the more you do it.
 
Both the yards I'm involved with are on B roads but both are quite fast and busy. The horse's don't seem to notice very much and have gotten used to loud engines fast cars and farm traffic, oh and sirens wailing:eek:
 
Thanks for your replies - that's all very interesting. It seems almost impossible to find a really quiet area without it being remote.
 
Location is all and you will pay for decent hacking, access to bridle paths etc i think we all need horses that are bombproof, my property has two lanes adjacent, one is single track and i am often faced with cars going too quickly or HGVs (bl..dy satnavs), the other is a narrow lane but at least straighter. I often feel safer on the busier B road despite the buses! I always wear a florescent tabard so I can be seen but see lots of riders who don't. I really don't understand them!
 
I have the opposite problem, our horses were great in traffic, moved to a rural area, I'm not sure how horses would cope if faced with a busy road, instead of an ocasional car or tractor, our "traffic" are mainly sheep
 
Pretty quiet where I am, although when bought the property 12 years there was far less traffic! We tend to go along the main road every now and then so the horses are used to faster and noisier traffic. Its all single lanes and farm vehicles pass a lot but none of ours bat an eyelid, hacking is quite good too.

We tried to sell last year but everyone wanted to knock the price down so much we decided to stay :)
 
We're on a busy road with blind bends but lovely farmer at the back has given us permission to use the edge of his field to get to the bridleway so it's not so bad.
 
I live on the main a31 I have no choice as my dad bought me a house with land the road is the only downside! We have a very bombproof cob who doesn't bat an eyelid at tanks lorries anything, we have to ride up this road (on the pavement) to get to the forest just round the corner we just deal with it, any other horse I buy would have to be like Murphy and be used to a lot of fast traffic:D
 
I live on a B road. Straight, wide and ten minutes to lanes/bridleways.

Can only suggest you visit a property at the times you can ride. In my case, I can hack mid week mornings and the road is fairly quiet, albeit with considerate HGV drivers.

Wouldn't try to hack during the rush hour or school run. Actually, school run scariest. Weekends probably most hazardest. Lots of cyclists and car/motorbike clubs on tour.

Personally, find windy roads etc far more scary.
 
People often box up to the area where I live to do hill work as part of their training/getting fit. We are not isolated, just rural and an area of outstanding natural beauty. There seem to be a number of equestrian properties just on the market, but they are hill farms for just a few horses.
If I really want city life Manchester is only 20 mins on train with a 15 min drive to station.
 
I live on a fairly busy rat run, I had built it up to be terrible and was previously too worried to ride out.
Then I grew a pair :D and took my mare out (she's excellent anyway) and had a great ride. Now we do it every week! My advice is choose your times (not home time or school time) and hi viz to the max. We thank profusely everyone we see who slows down and we stop to chat along the way where safe. For those lucky enough among us, its not just a ride - it's our home, so I think it's worth putting the effort in to make it safe and pleasureable :D
 
I moved to a livery yard right on an Aroad and was worried at first but actually in 2 years I have never had a hairy moment - it's about 1/2 a mile to smaller roads. On the plus side I can get there even in the worst snow /floods where many more rural yards would have been cut off - I have come to see it as a bonus
 
I keep mine on a fast lane, I dont really like going out on it with them but I have no choice and they are so used to traffic now. If I had a ridden horsr I wouldn't want to keep it there though as theres no bridleways or fields for quite a way.
 
We live on a very busy A road that is a major route for HGVs to a port. We couldn't afford our house/ land in a quite country location. I have a little side road to hack down, after a few years we've come to an agreement with next door farmer to hack round his fields when ground conditions allow - I am very respectful and this has worked well for several years now, and I do go on the main A road for 200m to get to alternative lanes in Sundays and bank hols when HGVs not out. Also box to good hacking, the combination just works and the space we have for the £££s make the compromise worth it.
 
Ours is on a busy road but tend to find grazing next to a road helps to bombproof the horses anyway. I often find the quieter narrower twisty roads more scarey because there's no where to go should you meet something. At least busy roads tend to be wide and drivers give you more space. Of the 4 foals born on the land they've all been bombproof in traffic and even horses that have come on to the land scared of anything bigger than a car have got much more confident with large noisy vehicles. Plus I think security is better if people are going past regularly you tend to find it's the yards that are situated down quiet lanes that get trouble.
 
I live on a B road with an A road running at the back of my land. It's 100 yds to quiet lane. There aren't too many HGVs on B road but both horses are great on the road. I actually think it's safer on main road as you know there's traffic and drivers are, mostly, very courteous. The lanes can be a nightmare imo; I work full-time so only hack one day at the weekend and it is quieter. If I have a day off, I tend to box up rather than brave the yummy mummies!

As other's have said, to afford the same in the perfect location would add another £150k
 
I am currently selling my place and buying another and the busy road was one of the main reasons. My horses are good in traffic but its just no fun, hacking miles with car after car overtaking. You can't relax and enjoy the ride, so I don't ride out much now. Also, my dog managed to escape just once and crashed a car. Not good. So I am buying somewhere on a small lane, away from large towns, which hopefully shouldn't have much traffic and what there is shouldn't be going at speed.
 
Thanks SO much for all your replies. We have found a property in a beautiful location with fabulous views, well drained ground and with lovely neighbours. It is not on a B road but a lane that can be used as a rat run at certain times of the day and then also every so often you get an idiot speeding tripper on the lanes as it is an area of outstanding natural beauty. I have almost lost my nerve about riding on the roads as slippery tarmac is another issue. I think I'm feeling my age!
 
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