Head Torch

I just don't fancy it, if anything spooked your horse and you fell off, you'd be knackered, I know thats the same in the day light but at least it'd be easier to see a horse running round scared. I tried it, my horse was just too spooky, we have lights in our school now, but before that I'd ride him round it with my head light on and he didn't mind that, if you ride out its a whole different ball game
 
guido16 said:
Are you for real?

Am I reading this right? You are telling her it is ok to go out in the dark, on a road, on a horse?
Click to expand...


How about police horses - they're not always in the city centre. We live in the suburbs of Bristol and in the small hours last winter we heard the clip clop of police horses out and about. I'm talking about midnight!!!
 
dont worry folks,

I am going to go home tonight and get my black mare out the field and go for a ride.
I would take the bay, or the coloured, but they are more visible and I wouldnt want to be spotted.
 
Bloody hell if I met a horse rider on the road, unless they had a sodding floodlight attached to their front and behind I would go ballistic - HOW DANGEROUS. Christ, see some sense girl.
 
flamehead said:
Bloody hell if I met a horse rider on the road, unless they had a sodding floodlight attached to their front and behind I would go ballistic - HOW DANGEROUS. Christ, see some sense girl.
Click to expand...

The thing is though, if they are wearing high viz and they are using a lamp, then it isn't really your place to remonstrate with them any more than it would be to have a go at a cyclist riding without the same gear.

Your attitude marginalises people who are exercising their lawful right to be on the road. The danger realistically comes from car and lorry drivers who are driving too fast for the conditions and are not following the guidance 'travel at a speed which you can stop within the distance you see to be safe'
 
It is all very well for people to exercise their lawful right to be on the road, but the fact is that by taking a horse on the road you are riding a half tonne potentialy lethal weapon. If by driving carefuly round my local contry lanes and I nearly wind up with someone's horse on my bonnet (killing the lot of us), then it is no longer just the riders choice to protect themselves. Riding in public places makes you responsible not only for the safety of yourself and your horse, but for the safety of others who are also entilted to be using those areas. If you dress yourself up like a christmas tree with the white solid light at the front and red at the back then I accept you are riding lawfully - doesn't necessarily mean that just because it is legal it is good safe sense though.
 
glosgirl said:
It is all very well for people to exercise their lawful right to be on the road, but the fact is that by taking a horse on the road you are riding a half tonne potentialy lethal weapon. If by driving carefuly round my local contry lanes and I nearly wind up with someone's horse on my bonnet (killing the lot of us), then it is no longer just the riders choice to protect themselves. Riding in public places makes you responsible not only for the safety of yourself and your horse, but for the safety of others who are also entilted to be using those areas. If you dress yourself up like a christmas tree with the white solid light at the front and red at the back then I accept you are riding lawfully - doesn't necessarily mean that just because it is legal it is good safe sense though.
Click to expand...

If you are only driving by the illumination of your headlights, then you have even less warning of what is round the corner or beyond the reach of them, so it is encumbent on you as a driver to drive even more carefully on rural roads. Should pedestrians stay off the road in rural areas along with cyclists because they run the risk of a driver who is happy to bomb along without any thoght for anyone else.

We aren't talking about horses running loose on the road, but going from A to B either on a lead rein or under saddle in the cares of a competent person.

They were doing this long before the motor car took to the roads.

I'd say it is a failing of the driver if a horse under full control is involved in an accident
 
Pedestrians are smaller than horses and much more easily manouvered onto a verge! I do drive very carefully on rural roads, there are many people round here who seem very keen to meet their maker sooner rather than later. I'd rather not be the one helping them on that journey so I drive v carefully. However, as someone who lives in the middle of nowhere, and is a horse owner, cyclist and driver I would imagine that I am particularly aware of the risks of what could be around the corner. I think you can't expect the same of all road users - why would they imagine a horse to be on the road in the dark? I do absolutly agree that those using rural roads should drive more carefully and slowly (the national speed limit is not a challenge!), but many don't so it is safer for all involved to just be aware that those not expecting to come across a horse may well not be driving in such a way that makes it easy or possible to avoid those riding on the road in the dark. It is all very well to point out that horses were on the roads first, but in horse vs car, sadly the car wins.
 
glosgirl said:
Pedestrians are smaller than horses and much more easily manouvered onto a verge! I do drive very carefully on rural roads, there are many people round here who seem very keen to meet their maker sooner rather than later. I'd rather not be the one helping them on that journey so I drive v carefully. However, as someone who lives in the middle of nowhere, and is a horse owner, cyclist and driver I would imagine that I am particularly aware of the risks of what could be around the corner. I think you can't expect the same of all road users - why would they imagine a horse to be on the road in the dark? I do absolutly agree that those using rural roads should drive more carefully and slowly (the national speed limit is not a challenge!), but many don't so it is safer for all involved to just be aware that those not expecting to come across a horse may well not be driving in such a way that makes it easy or possible to avoid those riding on the road in the dark. It is all very well to point out that horses were on the roads first, but in horse vs car, sadly the car wins.
Click to expand...

I have point out that I know the back roads around Stroud, Painswick, Minch, Nailsworth, Bisley etc very well as I only live about 15 miles from Stroud (and have friends in the town) so I do understand your concern. We keep our horses in an area which carries much more traffic (Kingsditch/Swindon village), and will not hack out either day or night without high viz - you have heard about the Cheltenham cruise ? - this is right on our doorstep.

We have had drivers showing their ignorance on the odd occasion, but I think cyclists have more to fear on the road than horseriders as drivers generally give horses a much wider berth for fear of damaging their pride and joy.
 
Think pride of their car does help alot, some of the cyclists round here have a death wish! Cycling up the hills around Stroud at night, in black with a mini flashing red light is just acting desperate to die! It would be great to feel that it would be safe to use the roads in the dark or even dusk, but I just don't think it is safe, no matter how you dress up!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top