Horsebox/ trailer driver RANT!!!

[Sundae]

I'm so angry I have to have a rant! Why do horsebox & trailer drivers have to go past so fast and be so inconsiderate???? We hacked to a show today & we had so many people with horse boxes and trailers fly past us. Luckily all our horses are fantastic on the road. Two particular incidents are in my mind- one were a trailer went flying past us over loads of bumps in the road & in the bushes (god knows what the horse inside was thinking) and another where a real ar@?hole driver of a horse box sat on our arse revving his engine whilst we were going over a narrow bridge (im afraid I gave him a piece of my mind!). I would have thought that horse owners would be the most considerate, but alas I am totally wrong- the people who were nicest were lorry drivers and old people in cars... We all know that in a matter of seconds a horse can spook into the middle of the road with no warning! Have a bit of respect for fellow horses on the road!!!! I know this wont actually go to the people it should go to. Wish I could get hold of them, grrrr! Someone said I should take reg plates and report them to the police!! A really frustrating end to a fab day

 

[piebaldsparkle]

And calm. We're not all like that (HONEST). I always go really slow and give horses plenty of room if I'm in my car or my horsebox. My lorry is rather noisy (dodgey old diesel engine), so I'm always extra careful when driving that. Where did you go? Glad you had a good day. I've just got back from Hamptons Sponsored Ride, so knackered, but v.happy as Sparks went really well again.

 

[Sundae]

Hehe yes I know I am very cross & yes there are lovely horse owner drivers out there! sorry it wasnt a show- we were at Hamptons too, but didnt see any coloureds so didnt see you! It was great & now I know my mare can jump- we did the three photo jumps near the end & I swear she jumped 5ft which had everyone in hysterics (and me when I regained my stirrups!)...

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Well done, we were some of the last ones round. We slithered over the last photo fences. Sparks was a bit knackered from trying to race my friends T.B. round the gallops. Must have looked quite funny ex pointer being chased round the gallops by a pikey pony. LOL

 

[Madam_max]

Well you are very wrong you little madam. We had no choice other than to keep some revs on the lorry with 2 big horses on the back. After following you three a breast on a main road, so did the considerate thing and waited behid you going over the bridge, we could have overtaken earlier had you not been three a breast. Oh and incidently, why couldn't just trot up to the drivway you eventually pulled into. Actually its riders like you that give us a bad name. Oh, do you drive a lorry, as you do have to have some revs and he wasn't on your arse.

 

[Sundae]

Hmm funny but in my memory we only went three abreast when it became aparent that there was a horsebox trying to attempt to ovetake us with a bollard in the road and a very narrow spooky bridge a few yards in front of us. We certanily we not riding 3 abreast on the main road, nor would we even ride two abreast on a road, but if that makes you feel better to see it that way then so be it. And yes we could have trotted over the bridge but if you know anything about horses you would know it is spooky with fast running water undearneath and on both sides. I'm sorry but any driver should be aware of the road ahead of them and there was certaily no need to get that close or rev that hard.

 

[Madam_max]

WTF!!! We were not going to even attempt to overtake you, it was impossible. Oh yes I do know about horses funnily enough

Do you drive anything at all?

 

[Sundae]

Sorry thought you just said you could have overtaken if we werent three abreast?? As I said we only went three abreast in just front of the bridge! Actually I think we were only three abreast on the actual bridge anyway? And so you would advise riders to trot over a bridge with a fence on one side and river both sides? We could have quite happily carried on up the road but as soon as we were accross we pulled over & waited for everyone to go past. Perhaps you havent ridden the bridge so I guess you wouldnt actually know what its like? And yes I do drive but thats not the question here (and yes I have driven horseboxes). And yes I know its hard to drive with horses on the back etc, etc but when you are driving, people totally forget what its like to be on the back of a horse & how things like that can stress them out! I am sorry but all of us thought it was totally inconsiderate & I havent made up how it felt.

 

[Lopod]

You were three abreast, we were nowhere near you, you didn't even acknowledge us or any of the other people in the queue that formed behind you, it is necessary to slightly rev a lorry on an incline and you certainly could have pushed on a bit in complete safety. This behaviour is what makes other drivers on the road belligerent towards horses. Just drop the attitude dear!

 

[kildalton]

Well, you must be blind then, as there were loads of coloureds there.

 

[Tempi]

PMSL!!!!!!!!!

 

[happyhack]

Now I wasnt there, nor do i know anything about riding in your area but as a rider in an area that has lots of riders and horseboxes out every weekend, I can sympathise with you Sundae. I have had rows with riders from neighbouring yards for the same reason-and I back you up about 'pushing on' over a bridge!! No way would i ever attempt to rush my horse over a bridge. In my experience, FIRE ENGINES seem to be more considerate of riders on the road than other riders in horseboxes and if that was me in the same situation-I would 100% be having a rant and a rave and couldnt really give to hoots if i came across as having an attitude problem-stick to your guns girl!!

 

[Madam_max]

No you were not there so you do not know the facts!!!! We were not close to her at all. Do you think swearing at drivers gives riders a good name? For goodness sake I DO ride on the roads as well, but they were 3 abreast and then she hurled loads of abuse for no reason.

 

[happyhack]

No I dont think that swearing etc at drivers gives us a good name at all, but trying to push three horses over a bridge quickly so that you could overtake gives horsebox drivers a bad name!! If other inconsiderate drivers see a horsebox driving in this way, it encourages them to therefore creating more accidents involving horses!!

 

[Madam_max]

But we weren't we were waiting behind them, in fact we waited behind them way before the bridge. Obviously the lorry does need a small about of revs on an incline. NEVER would we be inconsiderate to horses on the road. I really don't know what we were supposed to do.

 

[happyhack]

that i dont doubt, i understand that if a lorry doesnt have some revs, it tends to roll backwards but i can see where the rider is coming from, it can be so frustrating when other road users drive like complete idiots on the road without fellow riders in horse boxes adding to the problem.

 

[Madam_max]

whatever, you were not there so your not in a postion to comment about that particular incident

 

[Tempi]

i really dont see how you can even attempt to comment on a situation when you werent even there!! And i dont know how you can say that Kath 'drives like an idiot' - when you have no real idea about what happened in the first place?

if she says she kept well back then she did - shes a good friend of mine on here and i totally believe what she says - for whoever was riding the horse to hurl abuse at someone driving a horse box is totally uncalled for and they are the sort of riders that give us a bad name.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
i really dont see how you can even attempt to comment on a situation when you werent even there!!

[/ QUOTE ]

How can you say that, PMSL!!! Isn't that what every single person on this forum does......hell yes, it most certainly is!!

Odd how it changes things when both bickering people end up on the same forum

.

 

[happyhack]

true-i wasnt there but i feel more inclined to side with Sundae or any rider involved in a similar incident than anyone in a horsebox who has admitted to wanting the riders to 'push on'.

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
if she says she kept well back then she did - shes a good friend of mine on here and i totally believe what she says

[/ QUOTE ]

Promise I am not picking on you but.........who is to say that Sundae is lying and Kath is telling the truth? Or vice-versa.....no-one can possibly say this UNLESS they were there......and even then perspectives have to be taken into account.

 

[Tempi]

yes but this is different as its something that really happened, ie something that only Kath and Sundae know the real answer too - for other people to be intefering and stating things that they dont know are true is ridculous.....

dont turn this into an attack on me.

 

[Madam_max]

Do you really think that someone who rides and owns horses would be inconsiderate to people riding on the road?

 

[Gingernags]

Ah but if you notice, it looks like there are two people who were there and stuck in the same queue saying that the horseboxes weren't wrong and that the riders were in the wrong...

*puts down spoon and runs*

 

[Tia]

What I think is of no relevance. I am merely commenting on perspectives and the quirkiness of having both parties being on here.

 

[Madam_max]

Must admit I did find it amusing (and annoying) that it ended up on here!!!

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
yes but this is different as its something that really happened

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh okay.......so every other story we read about on here has not happened?

 

[Tempi]

no but you know exactly what i mean and are just trying to make it difficult for me.

and you know that i meant something that only two forum members know exactly what has happened.

 

[happyhack]

I have just re-read what i put and am aware that it has probably come across as a bit insulting and for that i apologise profoundly. I was not referring to kath as driving like an idiot just merely commenting that we as riders have enough problems with other road users that do without us joining the brigade!!

 

[Tia]

Oh for sure! I don't think I would be ecstatic to see some untruth written on here about me either.....but as I say it is interesting to see it from different perspectives.