hacking on roads

[TRECtastic]

You couldn't pay me to hack on the road, and I live in rural Ireland, not in a built up, busy urban area! It's more than 20 years since I last had a horse out on the roads, the traffic is not ever going to get better, only worse, and it's just too dangerous.

Interestingly I live in a very very urban area but field gate is right opposite access to a country park with miles and miles of off road riding
I very rarely ride on roads but when I have I find most people seem to be in a rush driving , and when I have waved my arm up and down asking then to slow down they've waved back at me without slowing down so it seemed they had no idea about signals given by horse riders

 

[Birker2020]

I do find if you wear the appropriate hi viz and watch out for drivers and acknowledge when they slow down, the majority of people are respectful.
This is what I used to wear, flashing lights are very important for hacking down dark lanes with overhanging trees where it takes the driver a few seconds for their eyes to adjust from dark to light and back again.

 

[AntiPuck]

Ideally you need mixed colours too, though - a single colour, especially yellow in the sun, is not enough.

Agree with having lights, though, very important for the shadows and to catch the eye.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

we came across several terrible drivers (all 70s+) including one who nearly took me out

Interesting you say it’s older drivers, who were likely driving in days past when it was perceived safer for horses to be on the road

See I find the opposite here in rural Ireland, not too far from another poster but around me it has always been relatively safe on the back lanes. The young ones, men and women, do now tend to fly around our narrow lanes in super powerful cars, or huge farm machinery with no regard for bends or corners that could well have a horse and rider on them. Plus they make no attempt whatsoever to slow down even if they do see you - I have had my stirrup iron brushed a couple of times, and that is scary.

I always found older drivers driving at a sensible speeds for the narrow bendy lanes, and unfailingly courteous and quite happy to sit and wait, and sometimes even switch off engines if they think it will help (it never does but they mean well!)

Every time I go back to the UK I ride our a few times, and I have to say your roads and drivers terrify the bejaysus out of me, I definitely would not hack out over there these days, only off road riding for me.

Slightly off topic but related to driver courtesy, a couple of years back I was over for the funeral of one of my brothers, it was admittedly a very long funeral cortege and as we came to a large roundabout, not one vehicle stopped or slowed to allow the majority to drive through, they cut into the very obvious funeral procession, flew past and in front of it at high speeds and generally had zero respect. In the end one of the hired funeral cars had to pull across the roundabout and just sit there until all our cars had gone through. I was really shocked as when I lived there I am sure respect was always shown to a funeral and it was allowed to pass unhindered no matter where and what time of day. I have to say, thank goodness, it would never happen here, or I have never witnessed it happen here but maybe it does in the big citys I don't know. It is no wonder a horse and rider is not safe on any road in the UK, no matter what age of driver.

 

[humblepie]

I was hacking up a narrow lane not really used by cars and a woman in a large car appeared toward us. She could have reversed back ten feet opposite a gateway, we’d have trotted pulled in to gateway and out of her way but no she kept coming. Seriously it is not a road wide enough for a car and horse or even cyclist to pass and banks/hedges at that part. Quite where she expected us to disappear to I’ve no idea. I stuck horse in middle of road turned round and walked as slightly downhill to a bit where we could slightly get off the road. She went past but still that near I could have patted her car. All I can think is she couldn’t reverse. I think that’s the only car I’ve ever met on that road as it is a little stretch between two other lanes. It’s that isolated it has grass growing in the middle. Still unbelievable.

 

[throwawayaccount]

Haven’t read all replies yet, but just wanted to add we were hi viz’d to the eyeballs & also gesticulating for drivers to slow down. It makes no affect. There’s nothing behind the eyes, they’re just not there and it’s scary.

there should definitely be another driving test when 70+.

 

[cauda equina]

Reducing the speed limit on minor roads might help too

 

[Rowreach]

See I find the opposite here in rural Ireland, not too far from another poster but around me it has always been relatively safe on the back lanes. The young ones, men and women, do now tend to fly around our narrow lanes in super powerful cars, or huge farm machinery with no regard for bends or corners that could well have a horse and rider on them. Plus they make no attempt whatsoever to slow down even if they do see you - I have had my stirrup iron brushed a couple of times, and that is scary.

I always found older drivers driving at a sensible speeds for the narrow bendy lanes, and unfailingly courteous and quite happy to sit and wait, and sometimes even switch off engines if they think it will help (it never does but they mean well!)

Every time I go back to the UK I ride our a few times, and I have to say your roads and drivers terrify the bejaysus out of me, I definitely would not hack out over there these days, only off road riding for me.

I find the boy racers are the absolute best, very respectful and sensible. Possibly because they don't want any unwanted attention from the police, but a lot of them stop for a chat as well and ask about the horse.

The farmers and milk lorry drivers are also great, but I do my absolute best not to inconvenience them too much, it works both ways.

The absolute worst are the school run mummies. They drive around with their resting b*tch faces on, usually late for everything, and they'd happily see you in a ditch rather than occupying a piece of the highway.

 

[Sealine]

I hack on the lanes and you do get the odd idiot but generally I don't have a problem. The lanes are most single track with hedges no verges so cars can't easily overtake which means they have to wait and can't speed past. I listen for vehicles and get into a passing place or gateway as soon as I can. My horse is great in traffic and will squeeze past a stationary car whilst I throw my legs over the front of the saddle to avoid kicking the car. I always wear hi-viz.

I find dogs more of a hazard. Riding along a road at the weekend a dog ran out of of footpath and ran around my horse in circles barking. I stood still and waited whilst the idiot owner chased after it. She couldn't get near it and kept apologising whilst I just glared at her.

 

[Bluewaves]

I ride on country roads in Ireland. I try to avoid dangerous times, which can be when the sun is low in the sky in the evenings and blinds drivers, or during the busiest grass cutting or harvest days when the tractor trailors are flying along the roads trying to get as much cut as they can before the weather changes.

Other than that, the things that worry him (and me because i'm riding him) the most are kids on trampolines or playing football in their gardens when he didn't expect it. I risk it because the road is quiet and if he does spook, the cars will stop.

 

[Gallop_Away]

The absolute worst are the school run mummies. They drive around with their resting b*tch faces on, usually late for everything, and they'd happily see you in a ditch rather than occupying a piece of the highway.

I don't mean to assume, but if I see a fiat 500 or Nissan juke heading our way I just know we are going to have issues
Oh and any bloke over the age of 50 in a BMW.

 

[vmac66]

We have to hack on the roads as there is no off road hacking unless we travel there. I live in a fairly quiet village and find most people are very respectful when meeting horses, quite a few have stopped and said how nice it is to see the horses out and about.
The yard where I keep my horse is at the end of single track road with lot of bends on it, unfortunately it's also used as a rat run by those that want to avoid the police, usually a,Sunday morning. There is one man in particular who is will go out of his way to try and deliberately frighten the horses. He drives a bug car with a loud exhaust, he pulled over one morning to let us past, as we drew level he wound his window down and started shouting abuse at us about how horses shouldn't be on the roads, he then drove off as loudly as possible. Luckily our horses are very bombproof, it was reported to the police who logged it but won't do anything unless there is an accident.

 

[sportsmansB]

I am in Northern Ireland where we don't have a bridle path network at all. We ride on country roads where by and large people are reasonable, with the exception of parcel delivery drivers. We avoid rush hour when it is slightly busier, and believe it or not the 'church rush hour' on a sunday where the older people are genuinely terrible drivers.
My horse is very very good in traffic and we are often accompanying a young one and I put us right in the middle of the road (in hi vis in good conditions, obvs) so people have no option but to slow down completely.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I ride on country roads in Ireland. I try to avoid dangerous times, which can be when the sun is low in the sky in the evenings and blinds drivers, or during the busiest grass cutting or harvest days when the tractor trailors are flying along the roads trying to get as much cut as they can before the weather changes.

Other than that, the things that worry him (and me because i'm riding him) the most are kids on trampolines or playing football in their gardens when he didn't expect it. I risk it because the road is quiet and if he does spook, the cars will stop.

I never venture out when they are cutting the silage - apart from anything else it is very often inexperienced 14 year olds driving in the most humongous tractors hauling in. Even if they did hit the brakes I would be very surprised if the stopping distance with those huge loads behind them would be enough to miss me and my horse! Apart from anything else though, they have a job to do and often only a small window of opportunity to get the job done, so it has to be give and take when you live in a rural area I think.

 

[4Hoofed]

I live right next to Birmingham! apart from the odd moment of excitement I don’t have many issues. But I have a flashy head torch, tons of hi vis and a bloody massive horse I plant my self midway between the white line and the verge on bigger roads, and up the middle of country ones, then no one tries to “squeeze” through!

I would agree with OP though, I often ride before work at stupid o clock, never have issues with work men and can drivers, boy racers, or commuters, however if I do get a chance to go out later in the day I often find a pensioner risking stirrup iron to window. I’ve had the odd random idiot but mostly apart from the pensioners it’s people rolling the windows down to let their shrieking children see or occasional weirdo passing close videoing or stopping to take a picture… I do my best to look unaesthetic or a discreet rude gesture if they haven’t asked!!

 

[Rowreach]

I never venture out when they are cutting the silage - apart from anything else it is very often inexperienced 14 year olds driving in the most humongous tractors hauling in. Even if they did hit the brakes I would be very surprised if the stopping distance with those huge loads behind them would be enough to miss me and my horse! Apart from anything else though, they have a job to do and often only a small window of opportunity to get the job done, so it has to be give and take when you live in a rural area I think.

Yes, this. #2son and his mates are extremely careful around horses when they're on the roads with their tractors and machinery, but their stopping distances are not the same as a little car. There's one horse rider round here who they dread meeting because she is so rude to them and whatever they do she swears and glares. She's the sort that flatly refuses to get out of the way of any other road user, and is the type of rider that makes life more dangerous for the rest of us.

 

[PeterNatt]

I have ridden on the roads including central London for many years.
I always wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that other road users can clearly see my hand signals. I also wear a Techalogic DC-1 Hat Cam which films from the front and rear at the same time.
There is a very good Facebook page called Pass wide and Slow which is well worth looking at.
If you do have any incidents then report it to the Police and always ensure that they give you an incident number (so that you know it has been recorded on their system).
Also report the incident to the BHS Horse i App or www.horseincidents.org.uk web site as the BHS collect statistics of the type of incident, time, date and location of it for statistical purposes which they use when negotiating with central and local government to improve the safety of horse riders and carriage drivers.
If you have a particularly bad section of road then you could organise a 'Police Slow Pass Operation' along this stretch of road, which involves a ridden or driven horse being observed by Police Officers and any dangerous drivers are stopped and talked to. To organise a Police Slow Pass Operation contact the Safety department of the BHS H.Q.
(If you use the code (PWAS1) you get a 7% discount! when ordering the Techalogic DC-1 camera from their dedicated web site. www.techalgic.co.uk)
Also if you just get a partial number plate reading check www.partialnumberplate.co.uk
Most police forces have a Snap Portal where you can send in hat cam coverage.
I hope this helps.

 

[Rowreach]

Ha! I got blocked from the PWAS group for daring to suggest that riders should be considerate too, and thank other road users when they show consideration to us. Apparently, riders "shouldn't have to thank drivers for not killing them".

You can see why some drivers get p***ed off with some riders

To my mind, if you are a vulnerable road user, it's in your own interest to do everything you can to make yourself as safe as possible because if something happens, you (and your horse) will come off worst, and it doesn't matter one bit who was in the right and who was in the wrong.

The Techalogic discount code is quite handy though. I'm going to sell my DC1 and get a different one, if anyone wants it.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

You can see why some drivers get p***ed off with some riders

Totally agree with this, I have been behind riders riding two abreast chatting away totally oblivious to their surroundings and other road users. Even a polite nod of the head to a driver who has been patient and courteous will not endanger you in any way, and also helps dispel the myth that all horse owners are rich, arrogant and damn rude and shouldn't be on the road.

 

[Snow Falcon]

I'm not sad about not having to hack out on roads reading some of these replies. I consider myself very lucky to just have to cross one road then I'm on the open forest.

I do however, go on the roads every so often. Just keeps the ponies used to all things. I tend not to wear yellow hi vis though as it can get "lost" in bright sunshine, pink in sunny weather.

 

[4Hoofed]

Riders who don’t thank, wear hi vis or get out the way are my personal bug bare. Like it takes a moment to smile, maybe a few seconds to pull into a gateway to allow traffic through so they don’t end up in a queue. If your please by and polite hopefully drivers will remember and be equally pleasant and polite to the next horse they meet!!

 

[spotty_pony]

i've always loved hacking out and rarely had any issues (years ago obviously!) I can only speak going back the last 15 years, but the roads were not as congested as they are now, OK there were some idiots but... now its terrible. you still come across some lovely folk who give you enough space, and are courteous - but other drivers either don't think or are just arrogant.

on an early morning hack on a sunday, we came across several terrible drivers (all 70s+) including one who nearly took me out. i spend the whole ride only half enjoying it because i'm constantly on the lookout /being hyper aware.

has anyone else stopped hacking because of the roads getting worse? we have police around the area, and it feels like no matter how awareness is raised people are still arrogant and come back with "Well horses shouldn't be on the road."

the BHS have already reported a few horse related deaths this year alone, from the roads. its february!! is this ever going to get better?

I’ve always been a very brave hacker but after my incident with a double decker bus, I am very picky about where I go - and my horses are very good in traffic. There are some roads such as the one out of the front gate that are now Sunday rides only as there is just far too much big traffic going past the rest of the time. I’ve downloaded the bus timetable app which gives me live updates of where the buses are so I can make sure I avoid those which is reassuring - it’s pretty accurate too!

 

[Gallop_Away]

Apparently, riders "shouldn't have to thank drivers for not killing them".

You can see why some drivers get p***ed off with some riders

To an extent I agree. The highway code places the most responsibility on those who can do the most harm. Therefore drivers do have a duty of care to more vulnerable road users. They shouldn't need to be thanked for driving responsibility and in accordance with guidelines contained within the highway code.

However politeness and good manners cost nothing and I am of the opinion if a cheery wave and a smile from a horse rider encourages drivers to continue to show patience and courtesy towards horses and riders, then this can only be a good thing and I will continue to thank all polite drivers I meet and hope they in turn continue to show the same patience and courtesy towards myself and other riders they meet in the future.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Riders who don’t thank, wear hi vis or get out the way are my personal bug bare. Like it takes a moment to smile, maybe a few seconds to pull into a gateway to allow traffic through so they don’t end up in a queue. If your please by and polite hopefully drivers will remember and be equally pleasant and polite to the next horse they meet!!

‘Get out of the way’ wow!!
Some horses wont pull into gateways etc, mine wont so then I would trot to the nearest wider opening!
Horses have a right of way in the Highway Code… 2m distance and max 20mph . Possibly more considerate drivers should remember that I always thank though and I always record too.

 

[southerncomfort]

Re: older drivers. I work at an opticians and its the peripheral vision you lose as you get older.

Unfortunately, they don't actually realise its gone unless they have a field of vision test (we get a lot of older folk who've had a bit of a prang in their car and the DVLA require a clear field of vision test).

I suspect this is why at least some older drivers think they've left plenty of space between them and the horse when they really haven't.

 

[Zoeypxo]

Usually find roads pretty safe in my area. The worst i find are delivery drivers, i almost got taken out by the postman once!

agree with another poster people with loose dogs are a big hazard. Was out on 4yo newly broken TB this week, bumped into a lady with 3 loose dogs, she shouted are your horses ok with dogs i said no mine will kick if your dog goes under his legs.. she said oh well ive got horses my dogs are fine luckily young TB was not bothered and her dogs didn't get a hoof to the head

 

[southerncomfort]

Ha! I got blocked from the PWAS group for daring to suggest that riders should be considerate too, and thank other road users when they show consideration to us. Apparently, riders "shouldn't have to thank drivers for not killing them".

You can see why some drivers get p***ed off with some riders

To my mind, if you are a vulnerable road user, it's in your own interest to do everything you can to make yourself as safe as possible because if something happens, you (and your horse) will come off worst, and it doesn't matter one bit who was in the right and who was in the wrong.

The Techalogic discount code is quite handy though. I'm going to sell my DC1 and get a different one, if anyone wants it.

I left that group.

Unfortunately it's a bit of a dictatorship and their was a growing list of topics that were not allowed to be discussed under threat of a ban.

 

[moosea]

I am going to be very unpopular.
I've ridden on the roads on and off for 30 years and I think the standard of riding is what has deteriorated and that riders are fast becoming as annoying as cyclists!
People who lack confidence and ride alone and therefore feel like they have to ride in the middle of the road to ' make people slow down' Imagain if a car did that to a horse rider? !
I rode out last week for the first time in 2 years - drivers were ok. Some were a little fast, most were great.

I do think everyone who rides on roads should have some form of training to do so.

I find the boy racers are the absolute best, very respectful and sensible. Possibly because they don't want any unwanted attention from the police, but a lot of them stop for a chat as well and ask about the horse.

Nope nothing to do with police .... more to do with their car being their pride and joy and them spending every penny they earn on them!!

I left that group.

Unfortunately it's a bit of a dictatorship and their was a growing list of topics that were not allowed to be discussed under threat of a ban.

Think I'm up for a ban on there for a similar thing!!!

 

[Fieldlife]

‘Get out of the way’ wow!!
Some horses wont pull into gateways etc, mine wont so then I would trot to the nearest wider opening!
Horses have a right of way in the Highway Code… 2m distance and max 20mph . Possibly more considerate drivers should remember that I always thank though and I always record too.

You could teach your horse to pull into driveways / gateways? It’s a fairly essential basic skill if you ride on narrow roads. I think consideration goes both ways, I always try not to hold others up if I can pull over and let them past.

I’d be underwhelmed if I was in a car, met a calm horse going the same way up a single track lane and they made no attempt to pull into driveways / gateways they passed to let me pass them. And as a result I had to follow them at a walk speed for a prolonged period of time.

 

[Barton Bounty]

You could teach your horse to pull into driveways / gateways? It’s a fairly essential basic skill if you ride on narrow roads. I think consideration goes both ways, I always try not to hold others up if I can pull over and let them past.

I’d be underwhelmed if I was in a car, met a calm horse going the same way up a single track lane and they made no attempt to pull into driveways / gateways they passed to let me pass them. And as a result I had to follow them at a walk speed for a prolonged period of time.

Thanks for your concern but he will not go into ANY driveway or gate opening at all.. do you not think I have tried in the 8 years and 35 years of riding