Grrr rude riders..!!!

SatansLittleHelper

SatansLittleHelper

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Bit of a rant....4 times in the last 2 days I have pulled over, stopped or slowed down on some narrow lanes in my village for horse riders...one of which times was not the safest for me as a motorist but I figured I was in less danger than the horse and rider. What has p*ssed me off is that NOT ONE of these bloody riders acknowledged me and one 1 had hi-viz on.
I despair sometimes, it really is no wonder us riders get a bad name :mad3:
 
I always slow right down and wave to them - they usually do respond, I guess they'll then look closely and see the "I slow down for horses" sticker ! That said, most riders around here are brilliant.
 
Drives me mad too.
It doesn't take much to acknowledge that someone has made the effort to try not to plaster you and your horse to the bonnet of their car.

If drivers aren't entirely sure how to pass horses but slow down the first time yet aren't thanked, they might think next time they needn't bother.

Some riders are just damn right rude, which is a shame for those of us who are courteous.
 
I think it depends what kind of acknowledgement you feel is right. I will acknowledge a motorist in a number of ways depending on which horse I am right.

If I am riding my youngster I often just dip my head as I like to keep both hands on the reins. If it is my more advanced horse I will acknowledge with a hand gesture.

As a rider you should know that a horse can be unpredictable although there is no excuses for being rude.
 
I regularly drive past a friend, and we always wave madly to each other in greeting.... Several times though I have missed her waving, and only seen her hand returning to the reins.

This does mean that when I'm riding myself, I end up saying thank you several times just to make sure that the driver has seen....

But there's still too many rude riders out there...
 
In my 14 mile ride today, there was 1 car that I didn't thank! They wooshed past, far too fast (pouring rain and water all over the road) They were so close and fast that their spray hit us!

At the beginning of the year, I got stuck behind 3 riders, riding next to each other, at a steady walk. I followed them for about a mile before they finally moved. Did I get a thanks? Did I heck...They didn't acknowledge I was there at all!!

I can't stand rude drivers or rude riders!!
 
Rude riders really drive me nuts! I rode out with a woman like that a few times, in the middle of the road, wouldn't pull in to let things past, never thanked anyone, verbally abusive to drivers if her horse spooked - it was embarrassing! She shouldn't have been on the road at all tbh, she was scared of everything, and horse was quite spooky
 
Not exactly rude, because they did say thankyou, but in my opinion extremely foolhardy was the group I passed yesterday. Three riders coming towards me on a busy road out of the town, the first of which was leading a horse in a rope halter on the outside of the horse she was riding!!! When she saw me approach, she ushered the led horse in behind hers and infront of the two riders behind her. I have met this woman on several occasions now, always with the led horse on the traffic side. There is nothing to stop the horse from swinging out into the traffic, but I'm guessing that she thinks that mind control running down her Parelli rope is all she needs!!! If I meet her out on my horse, I may just have a quiet word!!
 
Whilst I dislike rude riders, I find it strange that people expect riders to say thank you for slowing down/acknowledge the fact they have held people up, yet don't expect the same courtesy from cyclists, who are more likely to be on main roads and hold people up. Can you tell how many cyclists have seriously lengthened my journeys recently?
 
I am with you, it really bugs me when I slowed down to pass and either get ignored or blankly looked at. No wonder some non horsey drivers get frustrated by horse riders.
 
Happened to us this afternoon, it's not like she couldn't lose concentration or anything, the horse was plodding at 0.5 miles an hour and she even glanced at us but didn't crack her miserable, mardy face. Isn't horse riding supposed to be fun?
 
Riders here in Cumbria are bad thankers of drivers, in fact they look at me as if I am mad for slowing down.... almost like "What are you looking at". I am tentative to say this on here, but I will, they are usually on ploddy cobs who really don't care at what speed you go past them. The people that do thank you are people on more quality horses that are grateful. Unpleasant fact, but sadly true.
 
Never mind horse riders, every single day driving through my village I stop for on-coming vehicles to come past parked cars, I would say 15% acknowledge that I've made an effort to let them through.

Then there's cyclists, don't get me started on those! I don't mind slowing down or waiting, or being inconvenienced at all for what is a tiny fraction of my day, however I am increasingly frustrated with that lack of common decency that's displayed on the roads whether it be other vehicles, horses, cyclists or anything else. It honestly drives me crazy, I NEVER don't say thank you, and if I ever forget I feel awful afterwards.
 
Dogrose said:
Happened to us this afternoon, it's not like she couldn't lose concentration or anything, the horse was plodding at 0.5 miles an hour and she even glanced at us but didn't crack her miserable, mardy face. Isn't horse riding supposed to be fun?
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This made me lol!! I have one in particular ponces around the village on a lovely chestnut tb type always wears black and never ever cracks her face or acknowledges anyone in the slightest, loves plodding and taking up as much of the road as possible. I really don't get it! I'm not that old but in my day lol 20 years ago as a kid hacking out I always wore high vis and was very courteous, has something changed since or have there always been this many ignorant riders?
 
The other saturday we were driving down the crook road to lake windermere and ccoming towards us was a lady driving a horse. My OH slowed right down and pulled in as roads are narrow. the lady had a beaming smile on her face and nodded her appreiciation. she didnt have to take hands off reins as her face said it all. Good on you that lady. You put a smile on our faces to :)
 
It can work the other way to.

My yard is at the top of a lane that is all of 400 yards from the start of a small track into the woods (which gives us acres of off road riding) there are 3 places where it is safe for a car to either pass another car or pass a horse. At the end of this lane is a small industrial estate which has a number of car repair units plus the owners business (He has large lorries).There are cars and lorries up and down all day and some drivers are good and will slow down and wait for the pulling in places ,others will crawl up or rush up behind you trying to edge past.

There are a number of yards up this lane and those who deliver to and use the car units are aware of them. If all drives read the Highway Code they will find that riding 2 abreast is allowed.

Drivers too must thank a rider for pulling in and allowing them to pass. As a rider and driver I know how frustrating it can be if I am following riders that do not seem to want to pull in. We all know horses can be unpredictable.

It is better to take time in this world than loss it to the next.
 
I always thank but I'm not always sure the driver has seen me as its not always easy to take my hand off the rein

Off topic but hacking through the tiny village the other day the number of older people passing at speed, no clutch control, too close etc was scary
 
This is a very good point

zaminda said:
Whilst I dislike rude riders, I find it strange that people expect riders to say thank you for slowing down/acknowledge the fact they have held people up, yet don't expect the same courtesy from cyclists, who are more likely to be on main roads and hold people up. Can you tell how many cyclists have seriously lengthened my journeys recently?
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I have been hacking out for only 3 months, and I ALWAYS acknowledge drivers over enthusiastically- maybe because I'm new and so happy that people are courteous but a lady I hack with occasionally never does- until I made the point of telling her.
While I'm a total newbie, my boy is a star and is 18. I don't like thinking that if I didn't then the driver mightn't be as good for another rider who may be on a much more nervous horse than mine.
 
zaminda said:
Whilst I dislike rude riders, I find it strange that people expect riders to say thank you for slowing down/acknowledge the fact they have held people up, yet don't expect the same courtesy from cyclists, who are more likely to be on main roads and hold people up. Can you tell how many cyclists have seriously lengthened my journeys recently?
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This. I have NEVER experienced a thank you from a cyclist. Not once.

P
 
babymare said:
The other saturday we were driving down the crook road to lake windermere and ccoming towards us was a lady driving a horse. My OH slowed right down and pulled in as roads are narrow. the lady had a beaming smile on her face and nodded her appreiciation. she didnt have to take hands off reins as her face said it all. Good on you that lady. You put a smile on our faces to :)
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This exactly . . . most riders near us manage to give a nice exaggerated nod and a mouthed thank you . . . I get that sometimes it's a little tricky to take a hand off the reins, but there are other ways to say thank you.

P
 
Its easier to thank a driver coming towards you - you can nod or smile, and make eye contact (if the driver is looking!) but cars passing from behind are harder. I am not sure where exactly they need to be to see my hand come up - still holding the reins - since one of my boys can be a bit spooky. But I do always try to be seen thanking them, and do pull over mor trot on to a wider bit. Haveing been told a couplke weeks ago i was inconsiderate fro riding on a country road when people were trying to do the shcool run and get to work I am still smarting a bit - wont move over for her again!
 
Thanking when you're a cyclist isn't that easy though! If you are going uphill (in my case slowly) you need to keep your balance/are stoop up on pedals and if you are going downhill you need to be able to use the brakes. -If I'm on the flat and there are no potholes I have been known to attempt it/lift a hand half up but not sure anyone actually notices!
 
I have several young horses, always say 'thank you' if I can but not always possible to take one hand off the reins. BHS say this in their Road Safety video. In this case I will always smile and mouth 'thankyou' or 'merci'!!!

Hi viz is another matter. I was in Surrey last week visiting my young stallion who is with Paddock Woods. On a busy and fast road I came across two riders wearing black clothing, bay horses and no hi-viz. My local roads are very quiet, I NEVER ride without hi-viz.

Cyclists never say thank you either side of the channel - and they ride at speeds which make overtaking difficult on narrow twisting country roads. I know from experience of living in Scotland, that when cyclists have their bikes stowed safely on their roof racks they are just as nasty to vulnerable road users as the other drivers they criticise so often.
 
Sometimes its safer to keep your horse on the bridle than to constantly be waving to motorists for driving properly. I always thank the ones who do something excessive like stopping, pulling over or shutting off the engine and sometimes thank people just for slowing down if its easy to do, but I like to concentrate on riding the horse really and the motorists should also concentrate on sharing the roads safely and following the highway code, not on their perception of manners imo.
 
PolarExpress said:
This. I have NEVER experienced a thank you from a cyclist. Not once.

P
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Me too never ever have I recieved any acknowledgment from cyclist.
I certainly never get annoyed if riders don't acknowledge me why would I life is just too short.
I have never understood why riders have go about manically thanking every one they meet I do but that's because I am a manically cheerful person it's in my nature I do it when I am in the car too, but some riders are clearly mardy miserable people , you get miserable people everywhere .
I simply don't accept that we need to thank drivers to get them to behave responsibly I think bad drivers are bad full stop .
 
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