Horse V lorry
- Thread starter ROG
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Abacus
Well-Known Member
Ouch. That really was very close to the truck going right into the horse, very luckily at the last moment it was more a glancing blow. Dreadful driving.
Polos Mum
Well-Known Member
Not sure what's more frightening - the driving itself or the other drivers thoughts about horses being on the road ..........................
I had a council bin lorry do this to me, we'd flagged him down as he was clearly going to fly past, he slowed from 60. Then when my horse span in front of him he had to slam on (or hit us hard!). I said (very calmly given the situation) that he should slow down past horses and his response.......
..."I was only doing 40 !!"
I had a council bin lorry do this to me, we'd flagged him down as he was clearly going to fly past, he slowed from 60. Then when my horse span in front of him he had to slam on (or hit us hard!). I said (very calmly given the situation) that he should slow down past horses and his response.......
..."I was only doing 40 !!"
Gallop_Away
Well-Known Member
I seen this doing the rounds on Facebook the other day. Heart stopping to watch. Could so easily have been fatal for horse and rider.
What was more worrying were the comments about horses being on roads ?
What was more worrying were the comments about horses being on roads ?
FestiveG
Over the hill and far awa
I think that part of the problem is that wagon drivers see the road as their workplace and so everyone else is a nuisance to them. They don't seem to realise that the vehicle is their space, the roads they are on "belong" to everyone
DressageCob
Well-Known Member
That's exactly the problem. They have deadlines to meet, slowing down means losing momentum and having to take time to regain speed. It's the same as you see on the motorways when they move out and force everyone else to slow down, because they can't be stuck behind a slower vehicle.
reynold
Well-Known Member
This happened to me in the early 90s. I was riding along a road with clear visibility for drivers and saw a swinging ice cream sign by the cafe. I knew my horse would react slightly so flagged the horsebox approaching from behind at a fast speed to slow down.
I heard no indication of slowing down as a reduced engine noise so flagged again to slow down. My horse sidestepped by about 2ft, not really a spook, and the horsebox wing mirror hit me on the head and my horse was hit on the quarters by the horsebox.
Both I and my horse were shoved over into the ditch beside the road. I came off and my horse came down and I was knocked unconcious for several minutes.
Luckily we were able to walk back to the yard nearby. The horsebox didn't stop but I did see the professional firm of racehorse transporters name on the front when I was flagging it to slow down.
The Police did nothing when I complained as the horsebox firm claimed that my horse had hit their horsebox (which strictly speaking was true I suppose). I was taken to hospital after a vet had checked my horse out and the hospital wanted to keep me in with head injury and suspected hairline arm fracture but I had to go home as I was the carer for my elderly parents.
Horse took 4 years of getting off and leading every time I went on the roads before he was safe to ride on the road and had to be put down at 18 with problems with his off hind due to the collision.
It has always grated with me that it was a professional horsebox driver that did this to me. He definitely should have know better.
I heard no indication of slowing down as a reduced engine noise so flagged again to slow down. My horse sidestepped by about 2ft, not really a spook, and the horsebox wing mirror hit me on the head and my horse was hit on the quarters by the horsebox.
Both I and my horse were shoved over into the ditch beside the road. I came off and my horse came down and I was knocked unconcious for several minutes.
Luckily we were able to walk back to the yard nearby. The horsebox didn't stop but I did see the professional firm of racehorse transporters name on the front when I was flagging it to slow down.
The Police did nothing when I complained as the horsebox firm claimed that my horse had hit their horsebox (which strictly speaking was true I suppose). I was taken to hospital after a vet had checked my horse out and the hospital wanted to keep me in with head injury and suspected hairline arm fracture but I had to go home as I was the carer for my elderly parents.
Horse took 4 years of getting off and leading every time I went on the roads before he was safe to ride on the road and had to be put down at 18 with problems with his off hind due to the collision.
It has always grated with me that it was a professional horsebox driver that did this to me. He definitely should have know better.
SEL
Well-Known Member
^^^ we had a local horse lorry side swipe a rider a couple of years ago. The other rider caught a blurry shot on their phone as it drove off and that was enough for social media to identify them. They didn't stop to check the rider was alright and they didn't immediately come forward when the photo went up either - not until a number of people said they recognised the box and PM'd the horse rider who had been hit. I've seen some appallingly driven lorries around us and it always makes me wonder how they'd act if they were on their horse and a driver went that close / fast.
I also saw the lorry footage the other day on FB and it made me feel ill. Lucky escape.
I also saw the lorry footage the other day on FB and it made me feel ill. Lucky escape.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Christ! I could hardly believe what I was seeing! Did the driver not even stop to see if horse and rider ok? 
Tarragon
Well-Known Member
Reading the comments on the forum was a bit of an eye opener and a bit scary
As someone says, whatever some of those posters think, horses are allowed to be on the road and there are new clear rules in the highway code which should be followed. I do hope that the driver is identified and dealt with appropriately; these new rules must be seen to be upheld!
As someone says, whatever some of those posters think, horses are allowed to be on the road and there are new clear rules in the highway code which should be followed. I do hope that the driver is identified and dealt with appropriately; these new rules must be seen to be upheld!
Baywonder
Well-Known Member
Oh that was dreadful to watch. It was a bad enough accident but, it could have been so much worse for horse and rider.
Apart from a few sensible people, the majority of comments about that video really do make me angry. It just proves that most drivers do not have a clue about horses on the roads, and what they can potentially do / what could happen. Would that idiot lorry driver zoom past the entrance of a school at that speed? Actually, I think he probably would...........
It never ceases to amaze me that non-horsey people think horse owners choose to ride on the roads instead of tracks and fields - because we all have thousands of acres of off road riding we can all access at any time, haven't we........?
Apart from a few sensible people, the majority of comments about that video really do make me angry. It just proves that most drivers do not have a clue about horses on the roads, and what they can potentially do / what could happen. Would that idiot lorry driver zoom past the entrance of a school at that speed? Actually, I think he probably would...........
It never ceases to amaze me that non-horsey people think horse owners choose to ride on the roads instead of tracks and fields - because we all have thousands of acres of off road riding we can all access at any time, haven't we........?
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
Scary!
You always get some interesting views on those forums from people who think horses should not be allowed on the road (the good ol' road tax argument). In fairness, though, most of the posters have pointed out that regardless of what people think "should" be allowed, horses are allowed on the road, and that driver behaved carelessly and dangerously.
I had to go out in front of a lorry the other day to make him stop. It was one of those soft sided ones (I think there's a better term for that) with straps holding the tarp down, flapping in the wind, and the road is narrow. My horse is a bit concerned by lorries under the best of circumstances, and I did not want one of those loose ratchet straps to hit him as the truck squeezed past. Driver did not respond to my assorted hand signals to stop, so I blocked the road. Once he'd stopped, I trotted past.
A friend of mine encountered a firetruck on the same road. Horse freaked out at fire truck, who was not slowing down for love nor money. Friend had to let her horse turn and run back to the barn driveway, ahead of the firetruck. Better to run straight down the road than into the barbed wire fence on the side of it.
You always get some interesting views on those forums from people who think horses should not be allowed on the road (the good ol' road tax argument). In fairness, though, most of the posters have pointed out that regardless of what people think "should" be allowed, horses are allowed on the road, and that driver behaved carelessly and dangerously.
I had to go out in front of a lorry the other day to make him stop. It was one of those soft sided ones (I think there's a better term for that) with straps holding the tarp down, flapping in the wind, and the road is narrow. My horse is a bit concerned by lorries under the best of circumstances, and I did not want one of those loose ratchet straps to hit him as the truck squeezed past. Driver did not respond to my assorted hand signals to stop, so I blocked the road. Once he'd stopped, I trotted past.
A friend of mine encountered a firetruck on the same road. Horse freaked out at fire truck, who was not slowing down for love nor money. Friend had to let her horse turn and run back to the barn driveway, ahead of the firetruck. Better to run straight down the road than into the barbed wire fence on the side of it.
PurBee
Well-Known Member
The horse moves to the centre of the road due to the red car on the left, which is parked, starts moving backwards. The horse sees this and reacts to the red car moving backwards towards it, by moving towards the middle of the road. Horse focused on red car still and at last minute sees white van coming towards it causing it to swivel freak.
The van driver is doing the same speed as the other cars passing, i dont see him as having time to react to the horse suddenly moving to the side of his lorry.
No-ones at fault here, except misjudgement of the ability of the horse to handle chaotic traffic moving in varying directions.
Thats a busy road, i’d not ride on modern roads personally as this video shows, no faults can really be passed on some occasions, its just the combo of traffic level and a heavy-traffic-green horse.
Its such a relief everyone came out of this ok.
Road traffic has increased and i think now due to this riders need to carefully assess the roads they plan to ride on. A well-behaved horse in mild traffic would easily get stress-flooded with heavier traffic and meltdown inevitable.
The van driver is doing the same speed as the other cars passing, i dont see him as having time to react to the horse suddenly moving to the side of his lorry.
No-ones at fault here, except misjudgement of the ability of the horse to handle chaotic traffic moving in varying directions.
Thats a busy road, i’d not ride on modern roads personally as this video shows, no faults can really be passed on some occasions, its just the combo of traffic level and a heavy-traffic-green horse.
Its such a relief everyone came out of this ok.
Road traffic has increased and i think now due to this riders need to carefully assess the roads they plan to ride on. A well-behaved horse in mild traffic would easily get stress-flooded with heavier traffic and meltdown inevitable.
Fred66
Well-Known Member
Leaving the scene of an accident is a criminal offense and punishable by both points (normally starts at 6 but can be higher) and up to 6 months in gaol.
Hopefully this driver will be found and minimally have to go on a re-education on vulnerable road users. The latest changes to the Highway Code are meant to give greater protection and failure to follow this should result in the courts enforcing stronger punishment
Hopefully this driver will be found and minimally have to go on a re-education on vulnerable road users. The latest changes to the Highway Code are meant to give greater protection and failure to follow this should result in the courts enforcing stronger punishment
Rowreach
Adjusting my sails
Well maybe not attempting to drive past horses, with parked cars on both sides of the road, at in excess of 45mph might have helped
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
Looked to me like the horse was spooking away from the red car, towards the centre of the road, as the lorry driver was approaching, and he had more than enough time to slow down but didn't. It's a straight road, and he's high up. Arguably, he should have slowed down anyway when he saw the horses, regardless of what the horse was doing.
However, he did not stop after he hit the horse. That's definitely his fault.
We don't know how traffic proof the horse is or isn't. Sh1t happens. Maybe they have to use that road to get from their yard to better hacking. I've had something unrelated to vehicles freak out a usually very traffic proof horse on a hack (Gypsum and cows comes to mind), and then you have to get home when they're trigger stacked and spooking at everything. Not fun if that involves a road but what are you going to do?
However, he did not stop after he hit the horse. That's definitely his fault.
We don't know how traffic proof the horse is or isn't. Sh1t happens. Maybe they have to use that road to get from their yard to better hacking. I've had something unrelated to vehicles freak out a usually very traffic proof horse on a hack (Gypsum and cows comes to mind), and then you have to get home when they're trigger stacked and spooking at everything. Not fun if that involves a road but what are you going to do?
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Fred66
Well-Known Member
I’m not sure we are looking at the same video!
Certainly the horse is looking at the red car, but it doesn’t appear to be moving.
The van driver may well not have been exceeding the road limits but the Highway Code says maximum of 10 miles an hour and it was certainly exceeding that. It also states that horses can be unpredictable and as flight animals can move fast. The riders were wearing hi-viz and he should have slowed and been prepared to stop. To compound his error by driving away from an accident is inexcusable.
ihatework
Well-Known Member
I’m a bit split on this.
Yes the lorry driver passed far to fast and failed to stop - they definitely need to be held to account.
But as horse-riders, despite having the right to be on the road, we do have some level of responsibility to manage risk. Personally I think a child on a young horse, that wasn’t boxed in by a really solid horse, on that type of road is Darwin in action.
Thank god no one was seriously hurt
Yes the lorry driver passed far to fast and failed to stop - they definitely need to be held to account.
But as horse-riders, despite having the right to be on the road, we do have some level of responsibility to manage risk. Personally I think a child on a young horse, that wasn’t boxed in by a really solid horse, on that type of road is Darwin in action.
Thank god no one was seriously hurt
Quigleyandme
Well-Known Member
Re: the comments on trucknet - I would not class that as a major road. One commenter who says they live nearby wrote that it is a notorious rat run and the 40.mph speed is often ignored. The girl was clearly competent and in control until the waggon approached at an inappropriate speed. However, in minuscule mitigation, the driver was on their side of the road, not overtaking, maybe giving the horse the statutory two metres before it started napping into the path of their vehicle, still recklessly, stupidly, unlawfully fast though. I hope they identify the driver. Even if they didn’t realise they made contact with the horse they must have known they frightened it and endangered the rider. The horse was so steady afterwards I can only assume the behaviour was out of character and entirely caused by a sizeable vehicle approaching at speed.
SEL
Well-Known Member
I've watched that video and the original (was on the Pass Wide & Slow FB page) along with a couple of other videos that were submitted to the parents for their police complaint. I can't see that red car starting to move in any of them. The driver of the lorry should have been at 10mph and ready to stop - that's the highway code.
bonny
Well-Known Member
There has to be the possibility that the horse would have hit the truck regardless of the speed it was going ? Or anyone else that was on that side of the road.
AmyMay
Situation normal
I think that the horse was spooking at the reflection of the lorry in the red car, as well as the speed of the lorry.
Fred66
Well-Known Member
If the vehicle on the other side was going at no more than 10 miles an hour and then stopped when it saw the horse was clearly unsettled then the fault in the accident would be with the rider.
Irrespective of fault both parties in an accident have an obligation to stop.
This driver failed on all counts and deserves the book throwing at him as he is clearly a danger to other road users
bonny
Well-Known Member
Whoever was at fault there is no doubting that the horse and rider were lucky to come out of it unscathed.
PurBee
Well-Known Member
Sorry, its a visual anomoly of the light on the chrome wheels on the red car made it look like it was slowly moving backwards while the horse was beside it, and the brake lights looked lit, but is the sun reflecting i guess.
The horse was bothered by something on its left, in the red car, near it, or as suggested, reflected in it?
It yielded to whatever bothered it about the red car area by moving away sideways, then poor thing saw the van and freaked.
I didnt know the van driver drove off, did they not know what happened? Are box van cabs so insulative you wouldnt hear a bang on the side of the box? I havent driven one so dont know. Cant believe they‘d drive off knowing what happened.
SEL
Well-Known Member
He did drive off. Some of the houses caught the accident on CCTV / doorbells etc and they got a company ID. I understand the police know who the driver is now so let's hope it's a bit more than just a telling off. I can't believe he didn't hear something
Abacus
Well-Known Member
I just watched it one more time and it doesn't get better. Although, despite the original spook at the car, what a good horse to calm down so quickly afterwards - many would have done far worse.
Palindrome
Well-Known Member
The horse saw or heard the lorry coming too fast, that's why he started backing up, then when there was no way that the lorry would stop or slow down he turned around to flee. One of mine has done that, they back up thinking they are moving away from the rattly thing but in doing so they go over the middle line and are therefore in front it.
I have had several bad experiences with bad drivers. It's very scary.
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
It looks like it spooked at something on the left, but I'm not sure it matters what that was.
The thing is no matter how good your horse is in traffic, there is always the possibility that something on the side may spook it: a plastic bag suddenly flapping out; a child running towards you waving a large stick, a large dog dashing out from a drive barking aggressively; Muntjac dashing out from the hedge; squirrel running out from a hedge and mistaking your horse's leg for a tree starts running up it.
Then your traffic proof horse can react and even a modest sidestep could put you in danger.
That's why the advice is to pass horses slowly
When I'm riding I keep an eye for potential hazards on the left and if possible slow down or speed up so a car is not trying to pass usvat the same time but sometimes things happen.
The thing is no matter how good your horse is in traffic, there is always the possibility that something on the side may spook it: a plastic bag suddenly flapping out; a child running towards you waving a large stick, a large dog dashing out from a drive barking aggressively; Muntjac dashing out from the hedge; squirrel running out from a hedge and mistaking your horse's leg for a tree starts running up it.
Then your traffic proof horse can react and even a modest sidestep could put you in danger.
That's why the advice is to pass horses slowly
When I'm riding I keep an eye for potential hazards on the left and if possible slow down or speed up so a car is not trying to pass usvat the same time but sometimes things happen.
millitiger
Well-Known Member
Absolutely horrifying.
Reminded me of the awful opening scene in the Horse Whisperer film, which haunted me as a teenager.
Makes me so, so, grateful that ALL of my hacking is on single track lanes and people either have to reverse to a passing place or wait for me to trot on to one.
I don't think I could hack on roads like that anymore, my nerves wouldn't take it.
Reminded me of the awful opening scene in the Horse Whisperer film, which haunted me as a teenager.
Makes me so, so, grateful that ALL of my hacking is on single track lanes and people either have to reverse to a passing place or wait for me to trot on to one.
I don't think I could hack on roads like that anymore, my nerves wouldn't take it.