hacking on roads

On ponies that won't pull over (WTF?)
I have the opposite problem. All of mine drive too, and are used to pulling into gateways with a carriage on single track roads to allow cars to pass. Problem is that they wear blinkers and will try to pull over when they hear electricity sub-stations, generators etc, which aren't going anywhere. They also tend to be ready to trot straight off again as soon as the car goes past their eye line, which is fine unless there's more than one car. You have to be one step ahead of such a pony :)
 
4Hoofed said:
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!!
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There's a woman locally that rides out during rush hour along a very busy road with fast traffic in both directions, sometimes with a friend riding the other horse, sometimes on her own, dawdling along. She absolutely refuses to trot on or pull over and let the huuuuge queues that build up behind her pass, despite ample opportunities with big, spacious spots to do so. It absolutely boggles my mind how she thinks this is okay, as the tailbacks she causes can reach over a mile long. I've been caught behind her a few times, and whilst the holdup is annoying (it builds up so far back it ends up spilling out onto other roads, drivers get stuck behind her for 15 minutes or more, and it takes ages to clear once she does decide to turn off said road!), I'm more aggrieved by the damage she's doing to the opinion and good will of other road users towards horse riders.

Also as for horses that don't pull over, maybe they shouldn't be on the roads. It's pretty important and essential to be able to do that. If my dumb ass can teach my very green backed 4yo to do it, then surely anyone half competent can?
 
Nasicus said:
There's a woman locally that rides out during rush hour along a very busy road with fast traffic in both directions, sometimes with a friend riding the other horse, sometimes on her own, dawdling along. She absolutely refuses to trot on or pull over and let the huuuuge queues that build up behind her pass, despite ample opportunities with big, spacious spots to do so. It absolutely boggles my mind how she thinks this is okay, as the tailbacks she causes can reach over a mile long. I've been caught behind her a few times, and whilst the holdup is annoying (it builds up so far back it ends up spilling out onto other roads, drivers get stuck behind her for 15 minutes or more, and it takes ages to clear once she does decide to turn off said road!), I'm more aggrieved by the damage she's doing to the opinion and good will of other road users towards horse riders.

Also as for horses that don't pull over, maybe they shouldn't be on the roads. It's pretty important and essential to be able to do that. If my dumb ass can teach my very green backed 4yo to do it, then surely anyone half competent can?
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Couldn’t agree more. I think that if you leave a bad impression on a driver the next time they see a horse are more likely to think oh ffs not again I’ll nip past last time it took 20 mins.

I mean my horse is 6 and broken under 12 months and he can manage it 😬 I hack out nearly every day (rather school hacking for big boys joints..) so I’m not out of touch with the roads as they are… I schooled my boy intensely for going out in heavy city traffic. Lots of in hand work for stuff like standing and waiting in gateways or passing places. Teaching him to back into narrow gaps. We are right next to Birmingham, to me it’s extremely important to know that I can get myself and the light of my life out of trouble should it be needed!

Just because we have right of way doesn’t mean we should go down the cyclist route of pissing other Road users off? After all we are the vulnerable ones! I am in the school of thought that I don’t shrink into the verge to put people off sneaking round but the other side of that is I make an effort back to move my horses rather large arse yes out of the way when the time comes and someone is behind me or let him walk up the driveway or gateway and let oncoming traffic stick to the road after all he is 4x4 😜 people that deliberately enforce the right of way as a right to delay or irritate other road users will ruin it for everybody! God forbid an emergency vehicle needed to pass you? I mean as equestrians are somewhat frequent customers of them I think we should try keep them on side 🤦‍♀️
 
as for the wide and slow groups? Our local organised ride is in arms as the police want to close the roads next time…. Because last year involved 70+ horses wondering down several high traffic roads, causing huge traffic delays etc. I personally think achieving the exact opposite of the opportunity to improve the relationship with drivers!!
 
I think I go a bit overboard with the thank yous. Sometimes I’m not sure if someone’s seen me thank them so I’ll thank them again. I’ve tried to make friends with a lot of the people on the residential roads I hack down. I’ll stop and say hello, let kids come and see the pony and generally just try to be pleasant to people and be willing to have a chat if they want to. Quite a few wave at me now from their windows. I hope it goes some way to maybe improving peoples perceptions of riders. Some of the people I see hacking out around here are as arrogant as anything and their behaviour on Fb when a member of the public dares to express an opinion about an encounter (even if it is actually quite a valid point) is outrageous. Sometimes horse folk don’t help themselves.
 
scats said:
I think I go a bit overboard with the thank yous. Sometimes I’m not sure if someone’s seen me thank them so I’ll thank them again. I’ve tried to make friends with a lot of the people on the residential roads I hack down. I’ll stop and say hello, let kids come and see the pony and generally just try to be pleasant to people and be willing to have a chat if they want to. Quite a few wave at me now from their windows. I hope it goes some way to maybe improving peoples perceptions of riders.
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Sounds like me, I'm OTT with the thank you's, the smiles, the waves, nod of the head etc. And for the same reasons too.
 
scats said:
I think I go a bit overboard with the thank yous. Sometimes I’m not sure if someone’s seen me thank them so I’ll thank them again. I’ve tried to make friends with a lot of the people on the residential roads I hack down. I’ll stop and say hello, let kids come and see the pony and generally just try to be pleasant to people and be willing to have a chat if they want to. Quite a few wave at me now from their windows. I hope it goes some way to maybe improving peoples perceptions of riders. Some of the people I see hacking out around here are as arrogant as anything and their behaviour on Fb when a member of the public dares to express an opinion about an encounter (even if it is actually quite a valid point) is outrageous. Sometimes horse folk don’t help themselves.
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I'm exactly the same 🙈 I end up grinning like a loon at people constantly nodding waving, shouting thank you!
 
Yes me too - I'm the grinning like an ape, demented old rider, nodding, waving and shouting out Good Morning and thank you. Often spend more time chatting than actually riding on by. I am totally OTT with thanks but rather that, than be thought the snooty, road hogging local gentry who thinks she is better than she is. :)
 
A lady hacked with me recently commented that I must scare people 😂 I’m forever shouting good morning, thank you and the odd how are you? Lovely weather etc. Or offering cyclists/runners a tow up the hill 😂 if a car window is open I’ll always give a hearty thank you as well as a wave. I like to think it helps them remember we’re all people?
 
scruffyponies said:
All of mine drive too, and are used to pulling into gateways with a carriage on single track roads to allow cars to pass. Problem is that they wear blinkers and will try to pull over when they hear electricity sub-stations, generators etc, which aren't going anywhere. They also tend to be ready to trot straight off again as soon as the car goes past their eye line, which is fine unless there's more than one car. You have to be one step ahead of such a pony :)
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My horse does this too. If he hears a car coming and he can get out of the way he will. Whether it's a pull in or a grass verge or even climbing a bank he'll get out the way and he then carries on when the vehicle has gone past. We do a lot of hacking and he knows the rules :)

I always thank drivers. Nod, wave, smile and mouth or say thank you if I think they can hear me. I have a friend who is absolutely oblivious to traffic when she's riding. Just wanders along in the middle of the road, doesn't get out of they way or say thank you. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I've raised this with her she doesn't change.
 
4Hoofed said:
A lady hacked with me recently commented that I must scare people 😂 I’m forever shouting good morning, thank you and the odd how are you? Lovely weather etc. Or offering cyclists/runners a tow up the hill 😂 if a car window is open I’ll always give a hearty thank you as well as a wave. I like to think it helps them remember we’re all people?
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This reminds me of the time I was riding through the village and on a narrow lane a car stopped to let my pony and I pass.

There was a family in the car and the children in the back wound the window down. I smiled and said good morning and thanked them for letting us come through. Did not notice one of the children waving a banana at my pony who promptly shoved his nose into the car and scoffed the banana 😳 the children were delighted and laughing their heads off, and thankfully mum and dad saw the funny side to. I on the other hand was left completely morified 🙈
 
scats said:
I think I go a bit overboard with the thank yous. Sometimes I’m not sure if someone’s seen me thank them so I’ll thank them again. I’ve tried to make friends with a lot of the people on the residential roads I hack down. I’ll stop and say hello, let kids come and see the pony and generally just try to be pleasant to people and be willing to have a chat if they want to. Quite a few wave at me now from their windows. I hope it goes some way to maybe improving peoples perceptions of riders. Some of the people I see hacking out around here are as arrogant as anything and their behaviour on Fb when a member of the public dares to express an opinion about an encounter (even if it is actually quite a valid point) is outrageous. Sometimes horse folk don’t help themselves.
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I have the same experience. Hacking through the village at school pick up (which seems to span well over an hour and change every day, so impossible to predict for a non-child owner) is hilarious. All the children recognise my mare and we can't move for them wanting to pat her, and she is absolutely shameless and milks every second of it. Then there's the dog walking residents, a lot of whom I'm on friendly terms with, who all stop for a chat, and a fair few of the retired community who stop their cars to say hi too. Absolute carnage, but it's the most polite carnage you can imagine.

There are a couple of people who livery in the area who I can't stand hacking out with, because of the officious way they direct traffic / people on the roads instead of focussing on what they're doing. If someone dares to pass at a speed they don't like, it's all flapping arms and gesticulation (and I'd completely agree if the driver had been dangerous, but this is just silly stuff like passing a horse that's pulled in at 20 rather than 10mph - not great, but not awful and I know from talking to some of these drivers, it has the opposite effect). I've also seem them shout at little kids on balance bikes on their own driveway, telling them to stop and stay still while the horses amble past. It's an attitude I really hate. If you're going to ask people to stop their lives for you, at least be friendly and apologetic about it, especially with tiny, well behaved kids.
 
I do the two fingers off the reins Highland passing place wave at any car who slows down (many don't). I don't fancy riding mine one-handed on roads for any sustained period of time, which you would if you did a big wave at everyone because traffic can be pretty heavy.

There is one road where you do kind of have to direct the traffic a bit because it has two blind bends. If you can see that nothing is coming the other way, you can direct the cars on your side of the road around you.

Weekdays are usually okay. Weekends see a lot of people going into the park who are not used to rural roads, and many of them drive like absolute bellends.
 
Caol Ila said:
I do the two fingers off the reins Highland passing place wave at any car who slows down (many don't). I don't fancy riding mine one-handed on roads for any sustained period of time, which you would if you did a big wave at everyone because traffic can be pretty heavy.

There is one road where you do kind of have to direct the traffic a bit because it has two blind bends. If you can see that nothing is coming the other way, you can direct the cars on your side of the road around you.

Weekdays are usually okay. Weekends see a lot of people going into the park who are not used to rural roads, and many of them drive like absolute bellends.
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Interesting. Most of the time in walk and trot I have as much control riding one handed as two handed. In a loss of control I'd prefer both. But never found taking a hand of the reins to thank or signal to traffic an issue.
 
I've never had a problem taking hands off the reins to wave either, but I've spent so much time on horses with one or no hands on the reins, expecting to still control my horses, that it's pretty much second nature not to have both hands on the reins. I consider car drivers fortunate not to be looking down the pointy end of an arrow or a sword while they're passing me on the horses :D

I also won't take responsibility for directing traffic under any circumstances - I get myself out of the way and leave the cars to sort themselves out. However, that might not be appropriate for the roads CI is hacking on - I vaguely recall some of the roads around Mugdock being a bit horrific, and I've not been there for 25 years, I'm sure they're worse now, so my feelings on that aren't necessarily relevant to other areas. On the roads around here, there's simply no need - there are frequent passing places and the spots with blind bends are more quickly and easily navigated by just getting out of the way as quickly and safely as possible.
 
Aye, the Old Mugdock Road has a couple blind bends above the hairpin. It's impossible get out of the way quickly because there is nowhere to go for some time, and the road is hardly wide enough for two cars to pass. I have had to stop people from overtaking on the blind corner because unlike someone in a car, I can hear an oncoming vehicle even when I can't see it.

I messaged the council this week about sticking some horse warning signs on that road. People come screaming around those bends at speed and act very surprised to see you.
 
Have a road I go down at quiet times where I can see round a corner as I am higher up and car drivers can't - I will stick my arm out very clearly to signal to stop behind me if I see a car coming. Generally most do - I definitely had one the other day who wasn't keen and no doubt thought "why should I stop behind a horse" - the answer being because I am saving you going round a corner on the wrong side into a car that I can see is coming.
 
Caol Ila said:
Aye, the Old Mugdock Road has a couple blind bends above the hairpin. It's impossible get out of the way quickly because there is nowhere to go for some time, and the road is hardly wide enough for two cars to pass. I have had to stop people from overtaking on the blind corner because unlike someone in a car, I can hear an oncoming vehicle even when I can't see it.

I messaged the council this week about sticking some horse warning signs on that road. People come screaming around those bends at speed and act very surprised to see you.
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People are absolute idiots. Stopping cars from overtaking is fair enough - the worst you can do by stopping a car inappropriately is to hold them up unnecessarily and possibly annoy them a bit. It's the people who wave cars on who scare me - if they've misjudged things, they could cause a serious accident, and though it's ultimately the car driver's decision to go, I sure as anything don't want to influence someone in those circumstances.
 
I hate people waving me on when I'm driving and ignore them
I don't want to do something against my better judgement because someone with no authority thinks I should
 
moosea said:
No doubt it does take a lot of balls to put flesh and blood up against metal and engine.
Not something I'd be prepared to do tbh.

Not my idea of safe and the highway code states to keep left. ( Rule 53 in case you want to look it up)

Just out of interest, how many people on this thread have had any training in riding on the roads and in what form?
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Pony club tests a hundred years ago and then more recently (decade ago!) what I seem to remember was BHS training to take the riding school kids out. I've also got defensive driver training from about 15 years ago courtesy of my then job. That was good at teaching you to read the road ahead.
 
I sometimes have to wave people through. For every ballsack going too fast, there are ten more drivers who are terrified to pass the horses and will sit right up your rear end for an eternity (on parts where it’s straight, with a clear road ahead) unless you tell them it’s okay to pass. The horses don’t really like being ‘ stalked’ for long periods of time. And no, there’s virtually nowhere to pull over.
 
I just stop if I'm being followed by someone who doesn't seem confident to overtake - it makes their overtake easier and gets it done faster. And I don't have to get involved in waving people past, which I really don't like doing, or having done to me.
 
JFTDWS said:
I just stop if I'm being followed by someone who doesn't seem confident to overtake - it makes their overtake easier and gets it done faster. And I don't have to get involved in waving people past, which I really don't like doing, or having done to me.
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I do that. Had a bit of a stand off at the weekend when I pulled into a driveway to wait for a lady to pass. She didn't. I smiled, waved and waited. She waited. I sort of waved in a "go past" way. She then put her indicator on and pointed at the driveway.

Must take my crystal ball next time.
 
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