FLAMING dangerous motorbikes and ‘boy racers’!- what to do? ~RANT~

silvershadow81

silvershadow81

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Last Sunday we held a dressage show at our yard and it was a lovely sunny day and a relaxed show.

Towards the end of the show, a motorbike decided to roar up the hill which runs parallel to the yard, resulting in one horse to break free and gallop about the lorry park. The poor thing was terrified and its actions upset a number of other horses inside lorries.

This motorbike rider would have had absolutely no idea of the consequences of their actions and doesn’t realise how dangerous they are being, it is totally unnecessary!

I was then riding my girl last night in the arena and she was relaxed and going so well until some s**t heap roared up the same hill and BACKFIRED…. She shot forwards and nearly did a headstand as she couldn’t get her front legs to move fast enough, she then wouldn’t relax and was so scared I had to walk round the estate (away from the road) to calm her down.

These arrogant people KNOW their vehicles make unnecessary noise, but don’t seem to CARE what consequences it has on others!! I am soooo mad but feel so helpless! Is there a way I can get these people to realise they are being idiots??!

Sorry for the rant, but I am SO angry that they are upsetting our horses!
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If their on a public highway - then I'm not sure what you expect to happen.

Motorbikes can be noisy - and cars can backfire.......
 
You cannot do much, Im afraid.

If a car backfires, it could be that the car has had a de-cat fitted, which isnt legal, but your chances of proving that are the same of seeing the FWF doing the tango.

Best thing to do is flag them down one day if possible and speak to them - they are only human and enjoying their pastime - you never know they could be more than helpful.
 
There was a new pony in our field, none of us knew he could jump until a motorbike revved unexpectedly on the other side of the hedge. Pony panicked and leaped over the electric fence.

So I had a word with the biker (a neighbour) and asked him to help. He agreed to ride very quietly past the field for a while and gradually increase the noise levels. Pony is much better now with bike noises, although he is not perfect.

Maybe you could enlist the help of a noisy car/bike driver and see if that would help?
 
I have similar problems at home - the areana runs next to a (fairly quiet road) but my poor (bombproof in most other ways) beast is terrified of motorbikes.

My youngsters has had so many incidents out hacking is now also scared if they come up behind her. The last time I hacked her out and a little S**T roared past her (on purpose) I screamed so much abuse at him he stopped and apologised. I know its not clever to do that as it gives riders a bad name but that was one whippersanpper well and truly educated!
 
Errr.... nothing you can do about it I'm afraid. They might say you are being arrogant complaining about them upsetting your horses, I doubt they are doing it deliberately to annoy you. Unfortunately you are near a road and unless you move to somewhere quieter you will always have traffic noise issues - it's the same where I am. Maybe it will help your mare get used to loud noises eventually? I know it is a pain for you but they do have every right to be on that road.
 
If a bike is noisy it probably has an aftermarket non type approved exhaust fitted. So if you know the reg - which I guess is unlikely in this case, your local police might take a note of it.

As for the backfire - vehicles do it for numerous reasons, not all of which are connected to the way it's being driven or any aftermarket products fitted. It's not so common now but it still happens.
 
Try to flag down the motorcyclists and see if any of them would volunteer to help you bike-proof your horses, explain to them the problem with horses.
Bikers, like horse-riders, are vulnerable road users, and in my experience are only too keen to help and support riders.
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I would agree with some of the answers given about trying to bike-proof your horses, it will help you out no end should you encounter one out on a hack in the future?
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Or in my case loads of them in huge groups
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I have always found motorbike riders to be VERY considerate (obviously if they can't see you, then they won't know). Maybe put a sign in the hedge, but as they are on a public highway, if they are not breaking any speed restriction, I don't see what you can do.
 
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Try to flag down the motorcyclists and see if any of them would volunteer to help you bike-proof your horses, explain to them the problem with horses.
Bikers, like horse-riders, are vulnerable road users, and in my experience are only too keen to help and support riders.
S
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Have to agree with this completely.

Bikers know only too well how hard the road is if they hit it, they wouldn't knowingly or willingly inflict it on anyone else.
Time to get off your high horse I'm afraid and get your horses accustomed to anything and everything which should have been done when they were being broken TBH else you will be confined to a boring barracks existence.
If this means actually speaking to bikers and asking for their help, so be it; you'll be pleasantly surprised how helpful they will be if they're asked nicely. If you have a local club, ask them if they could get a group of them down to mess about while you get your horses used to them; coffee and biscuits would go down a treat and a small price to pay I think.
 
[ QUOTE ]
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Try to flag down the motorcyclists and see if any of them would volunteer to help you bike-proof your horses, explain to them the problem with horses.
Bikers, like horse-riders, are vulnerable road users, and in my experience are only too keen to help and support riders.
S
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[/ QUOTE ]

Have to agree with this completely.

Bikers know only too well how hard the road is if they hit it, they wouldn't knowingly or willingly inflict it on anyone else.
Time to get off your high horse I'm afraid and get your horses accustomed to anything and everything which should have been done when they were being broken TBH else you will be confined to a boring barracks existence.
If this means actually speaking to bikers and asking for their help, so be it; you'll be pleasantly surprised how helpful they will be if they're asked nicely. If you have a local club, ask them if they could get a group of them down to mess about while you get your horses used to them; coffee and biscuits would go down a treat and a small price to pay I think.

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We got ours used to cars and motorbikes in perhaps not the most conventional way
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(but it worked), W used to drive his jeep around the fields and ride his bike around the fields too, so when they were first taken on the road they were not bothered by traffic of any kind!
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Like now, our yearlings are used to tractors and have seen cars and lorries (parked on yard with engines running not on road).

ETA Also all of them are used to JCB's and dumpers too
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I think it's always a good idea to train horses to be good with traffic, and spooky objects. I've been flapping polythene bags and tarps around my youngsters, whilst carrot feeding. Next I plan to 'borrow' some road cones....and some balloons...umbrellas too....
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I am also going to ask my OH's friend who is a keen mountain biker, to come and cycle round them at feed time.
When I did all of this with my TB when she was 5yrs old, people at my yard almost wet themselves laughing....but I was strangely always in demand as a quiet hacking companion to often much older horses...and the laughing stopped
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This motorbike rider would have had absolutely no idea of the consequences of their actions and doesn’t realise how dangerous they are being, it is totally unnecessary!

These arrogant people KNOW their vehicles make unnecessary noise, but don’t seem to CARE what consequences it has on others!! I am soooo mad but feel so helpless! Is there a way I can get these people to realise they are being idiots??!
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Sorry but you contradict yourselve here, in one breath you are saying they have no idea of the consequences then you are calling bikers arrogant and don't care about consequences. Please do not tar everyone with the same brush, not all bikers are boy racers and motorbikes are no more dangerous than cars and vans.
My husband is a biker and up to two years ago had his own horse, I also have ridden a bike and I can assure you we are both aware of what effect a motorbike can have on some horses. In fact it is amazing how many people with bikes have connection to horses in some way. Most bikers are considerate of animal, like it has already been said as vunerable road users they are more aware of what is going on around them. There are always some boy racers who are going to give bikers a bad name but there are horse riders and van drivers who do the same. Sorry don't mean to preach but as a bikers OH this is something I feel quite strongly about.

If you can, approach someone with a bike who would be willing to help you desensitise your horse, I'd volunteer but too far away.
 
I'm a biker of some 34 years experiences too - got my ponies first though.

I read it that the problem was one ultra loud bike - which I took to have an aftermarket exhaust on - which is the sort of thing that gets the rest of us a bad name! Hence my "get his number" comment.

If it was an ordinary motorbike noise then there is a lot of work to be done for a number of horse owners in that area.


As for Shils de-sensitizing her babies. Yup we've done that. Can I also suggest you borrow a buggy and large doll and a tape of it yelling and it's mother swearing at it? I thought I'd done well getting a buggy and "baby" round my youngster but she was utterly freaked when in RL the buggy started screaming and the mother started yelling obscenities at it!

I also borrowed one of those old people's / disabled people's buggies and got that driven round all of mine (after what could have been an unfortunate incident!) but I still hadn't covered all eventualities. It was done on a sunny day and the next time we saw it it had it's rain curtains on - cue a whole new scary vehicle.
 
Poor Gem, I can understand you are upset the only problem is, is that there are no signs showing that you have a yard beyond the trees. I know for us locals and horsey people that we know the yard is there but I can't believe the drivers were deliverately trying to cause a problem. We have problems in my village where certain old people that should no longer be driving will actually speed up and drive at 60mph passed us on the roads when it is a 30mph limit - that I do believe is dangerous and meant to scare us. Perhaps you could all rally round at the yard or speak to the council and ask them to put up horse signs or maybe V could put up showing it is a yard. Problem you'll always have is that it is a concealed entrance and you have fast roads surrounding it! Good luck and I hope things get better for you x
 
I personally ride a Harley Davidson and it can be loud. If I see any horse on the road, I slow right down and go past nice and wide and on tick over. If a horse is not able to have my Harley going past on tickover, then it is unsafe to be on the roads and further training is required.

My youngster has had the Harley ride down and I have had the revs fairly high over time and doesn't blink. None of our horses do as they are used to it.

I agree that bikes should slow down on the road, but how are they to know that there are horses in boxes in your yard.

Our country is small and crowded and we all have to get along. It would be different if this was on the road, but I don't think you can complain in the situation you were in.

When on the horse, I have always found that the most considerate people are those on motorbikes. Risking hitting a horse on a bike is going to mean that you are hurt.

What you could do is try to get someone with a bike to come up and help get the horses used to the noise.

I regularly travel up to Harolds Park on the Harley and have never had anyone complain or their horses spook at it - and I am not on tick over as I have to get up that very steep drive.
 
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When on the horse, I have always found that the most considerate people are those on motorbikes.

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Really, really agree with this. Same round my way too.
 
As the saying goes "Loud pipes save lives" whilst I don't condone anyone doing it on purpose at least if a bike has a loud pipe you can hear it coming and move to a safe place. I am a biker, with a loud pipe, however I do always knock the bike into neutral when going past a horse or even stop and switch off engine. If people are unaware you are there, like the otherside of a fence/hedge its a bit like having 3D vision. Most bikers will steer well clear of horses as they don't want their beloved vehicle damaged by the odd stray hoof.
 
I must agree with most people, all the bikers I have encountered have been really good, they go really wide, very slow and often in neutral. In the vast majority of cases, drivers, cyclists, runners, everyother road user under the sun doesn't intend to case riders a problem, there are a small minortity of dangerous idiots. We should avoid bad mouthing "all" motorbikers, often they may not be aware a horse is there, dappled light through trees , hedges that obscure drivers views etc.
 
I find the vast majority of bikers to be very sensible when they meet horses.

However, some bikes are modified and fitted with illegal or modified silensors and your only recourse would be to get the registration number and a description of the bike and rider and ask the police to investigate.

Riders spend a lot of time and money schooling and training their horses in the many different equestrian disciplines however far too few train their horses to be safe on the roads and in traffic. Training a horse to be safe in traffic is in my opinion part of their basic education and breeders, producers and trainers should spend some time on doing this to ensure that their horses have a well rounded education.
 
Speak to your local council.....ask for the traffic planning department.

Explain your problem, ask nicely if they would consider installing signage to warn of "the presence of horse and rider"

There is a specific legislation relating to the distance from highway to bridle path or equestrian premises, there is also another thats stipulates signage if your access point is non visible (hidden).

Won't do you much good, however the odd person may take notice and slow down slightly if the signs get erected!!
 
I have had a couple of incidents with motorbikes lately, the first being on Frensham sponsered (sp) ride we had a dirt bike come racing up behind us and cause there was no where for us to pull over and let him past he kept hanging back and then booting it up behind us!!
The other was not me it was my friend, she was just going round the block when approching a closed junction she could hear motorbikes somewhere up ahead. Before she could do anything 3 mopeds came racing round the corner on the wrong side of the road the 1st on swerved and missed her but the 2nd smashed into the horses back legs!!! He didnt even stop the 3rd on apologised but he rode off too, she only got a partial index number of the 3rd bike, thankgod the horse was ok just superficial cuts, but the police where alwful.
The bloke at the front desk turned round and said 'Do you expect us to catch them!!'. Then he proceded to say 'well horses come into a law of their own dont they'. My poor friend left feeling like she had done something wrong bless her.
I dont know what you can do about your problem though as apart from speeding they are'nt atcually breaking the law xx.
 
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