Horses on the road

R

RunToEarth

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Now I can safely say my horse is good on the roads, he doesnt scare very easily and is quite well mannered, if a little impatient. All my ponies have been good on the road, and the ones I ride t the yards are all good. Some rather iffy youngsters but everything we have had has been good on the road- appart from Herc. He never really hacked on the roads- I have always believed that a horse who isn't good on the roads is a big liability and a danger to everybody, so for that reason he was hacked on bridleways.
On my way home from sixth form last week I passed someone hacking out on a cobby black gelding. I know her vaguely and she was having some real trouble. The horse was in the middle of the road and could have easily caused an accident.
Today I saw the same horse, the same behaviour and it did actually cause an accident, the horse caused a car to swerve into a grass verge and as the horse then jumped sideways knocked a woman over
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Now, WHY do these people insist on hacking horses out on main roads when they quite clearly are a danger to other road users. I think it is so ignorant, as they often put themselves in the middle of the roads to stop people overtaking quickly. Now it does piss me off when people fly past me out hacking, but my horses are sensible and if they give me a wide berth and are doing the speed limit whats the problem? I'm so angry about it because I really think these selfish and pig headed people give riders a really shitty name
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I pretty much agree with you.

Patches couldn't care less how fast cars, vans and lorries pass us. It's me that is more un-nerved by the lorries thundering past, as I often think about just how close I am to their wheels if something should go wrong.

However, as good as Patches is, she will occasionally "get one on her" for no apparent reason. Take the other day. Corn wagon thundered down the lane behind us on a blind bend. It was a downhill bend and I don't like trotting downhill as I worry she might trip (it has happened in the past). I walk her on faster, but usually wait to see around the corner and flag traffic around me if the road is clear ahead.

However, this wagon decided to try and intimidate me by driving right up to Patches heels and revving their engine. She wasn't scared, as such, but got a bit joggy and sideways to keep an eye on it.

The driver was shaking his head in disgust at ME. I presume he thought she was scared of traffic, when she really isn't.
 
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But how do you teach your horse to behave on the road without practicing....? Sorry just being devil's advocat here.

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Just what I was thinking! My horse is a pain in the *rse out on the roads - not because he's scared of traffic, but because he naps
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When I was at my previous yard, where we came out onto a very busy main road, I didn't do any hacking because it was dangerous. Now though, I've moved to a yard in the sticks and plan on taking him out on a nice quiet day, with another horse or my OH on his bike, because the only way I'll sort him out is by doing it! Horses are unpredictable animals and any of them are capable of acting up.
 
I think some horses are just naturally more suited to the job. I took Talis, our 2 year old, out on the road for the first time earlier this year and he was brilliant. He wasn't at all fazed by anything and he'd never been anywhere near roads ever.

Ok, so we live on a farm and he's used to tractors, but traffic passing him like that....never!

I'm not saying I wouldn't go on the road with a more nervous horse ever, but I wouldn't go out alone with that type of horse, on a busy road at a busy time of the day. I'd be in the company of a confident horse for a chaperone or at least have someone on the ground with me.
 
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what if the girl dosent have anyone to go out with her? I'm not saying what she did was right but she could be in a catch 22

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Well, I have my horses at home alone here. I have to know that the horse I ride is happy to hack out alone and is confident with heavy farm traffic and lorries etc, because of the type of traffic I'm likely to meet on our lane.

If I went to look at a horse and was told it was nappy when hacking alone and was scared of heavy traffic I simply wouldn't buy it.

If I was in a livery yard, with lots of people to ride out with or decent bridleways, I'd buy.

It's a matter of choosing a horse to fit your requirements.
 
In an ideal world everyone would have tons of off road hacking but its not realistic to expect that. Its not fun fighting with difficult horses with a stream of cross car drivers behind you but for various reasons sometimes it must be done. Also really if the cars all did slow down alot and gave a true wide berth there'd rarely be an accident even involving proper stroppy/nervous horses.
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I am afraid there are a lot of pigheaded ignorant people that ride horses - there are people like the woman you saw round here. They ride along all over the road, in poor visibility (wouldn't dream of wearing fluorescent gear as it somehow means they can't ride!), chatting on mobile phones and glare at motorists who just might want to drive along the road. To top it all, they ride at school run/rush hour time, just to annoy everyone more and would never dream of actually thanking someone who slows down for them. Sadly, they give the rest of us a bad name
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. Sorry I have hijacked your post to have a rant.
 
Recently they have re-tarmacked the roads around us and hence there are new bright white lines everywhere which my mare finds very scary. Until now she has been bombproof on roads to the point where I prefer riding on the road rather than bridleways but now she is nappy and she's playing on it too. I have to ride on the road to get to the woods so I have sympathy for those with horses who don't like traffic but I have lead her everywhere since to get her used to them.

Love your hairy pony M_G!
 
I have to say it wouldn't harm some people to smile when you do drive past them considerately though - I always think why are they riding if they can't even crack a smile! Like they think they are the only people who ride their horse on the road and all car drivers are bad!
 
Totally agree! Lottie (my grey WB) is fab with cars, motorbikes but as soon as anything bigger or a white van (she hates them) comes past she is not safe. I can handle her and she will be ok, but because I have hundreds of acres to hack round I just don't need to! I don't see the point of putting me, her or most importanatly anyone else in danger.
 
I own an ex racer who is is impatient at junctions although nothing else fazes him at all. Luckily on our yard there is always someone to hack out with - and all the horses get on although we would never go out in groups of more than four. He gives the more spooky horses confidence while they are teaching him to stand still lol!

I know his limitations and unfortunately i cant hack him out on roads alone (although there are routes of about 2-3 miles on lanes and bridleways you can go without going on any junctions.
 
Well if the woman has no one to hack out with her then she should use the hundreds of offroad hacking around me, there is no need for difficult horses on the road where I live.
I'm not saying it because I'm an awkward bitch, I'm saying it because its so dangerous, not just to other people but to horse and rider. There are a lot of drivers who hate the idea of horses on the road and just won't tollerate it. Whilst I take a big enough risk hacking out on horses that are safe, it is so much more dangerous on something that just doesnt settle on the roads. We have always introduced youngsters slowly on backroads and living on a farm full of scary tractors is always good for bombproofing, I just find it a little worrying that horses who are just not happy on the road are still hacking out.
 
Thanks your Hairy beastie looks very lovely too. And i must agree with you it wouldn't hurt for riders to thank cars, I always do even if its just a nod and a shouted thank you with a smile
 
Sorry Rosie I was thinking it was like my area where you dont have any off road hacking (well a teensy bit but not much) I for one would much rather hack off road its just so much more fun not to mention safer.
 
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I hope you said a few words to the lorry driver....!!!

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There's little point in saying any words to them really, only antagonises them into believing the idea they already hold that us horse riders think we own the road.
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I just smile and wave. They don't quite know how to react when I'm being gracious.
 
I wont go on the roads because i dont trust mine 100% and its as simple as that.

Ive been flamed a bit on these forums before for stating pretty much as rosie has.... if your horse isnt damn good, it shouldnt be on the roads as its selfish. Riders have this annoying idea that the only person they're risking is themselves and thats just plain stupidity.

The traffic on roads is getting heavier and heavier and they arent the same as they were even 10 years ago. I simply dont think they are the place for the majority of horses anymore
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Sad thing is.... many people dont have any option whether they'd like to or not.
 
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But how do you teach your horse to behave on the road without practicing....? Sorry just being devil's advocat here.

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the first thing that came to my mind!

i am sure it is a better option to use the off road hacking but it is really nice having the option to use a road to go other places and if she decides to sell said horse it would be much easier if it would hack on roads i introduce all the youngsters break to roads and traffic normally using my mare with my mum on bored however the last time my mare was lame and my mum was too busy to lead her out with me so i had to go it alone as all my mates horses are unpredictable and my roads not very good, we had 1 hairy moment and then she relaxed a bit more in the following weeks but it took me a while. She may have her reasons
 
If i had the option i wouldn't ride out on roads, however the yard i'm at now, you have to go on a short stretch of very busy road to get to any bridleways at all.
I wouldn't class my horse as 100% on the road(but then i wouldn't say any horse is - they are flight animals by nature after all)
If i didn't take the risk we would never hack and that just isn't an option as we both enjoy it!
Some of the drivers round my way obviously have never read the highway code - we have solid double white lines on the part of the road i have to ride on - and in my book they shouldn't be crossed, but drivers do!
 
i have to hack a mile on an A road to get to local forest. i'm luck that jack is very very good on the road. but about 7 years ago when i was on my old pony i was involved in a hit and run.. i was wearing bright yellow tabard with please pass wide and slow on pony had flouresent tail guard and boot. i tried to flag the driver to slow down but he still hit the ponies back leg with his wing mirror which caused him to rear. i came off and was found and hour later!! only thing that stopped the person who found me from running over me was that the pony had stayed by me and he was a Palomino !!( he was also amazing on the road)
 
My horse is still fearful of large lorries, and has jumped onto the verge before, but nothing else. I hack him out with another bombproof horse and stay on the inside of him when anything thats likely to be scary passes. He's fine with that arrangement. We have had abuse from drivers from riding two abreast even though theres is plenty of room to pass us, we were literally almost squashed by a lorry last week who tried to turn into our minor road as we were waiting to turn out onto his major road, tosser
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Riding on the roads is so dangerous now, I hate it. Just another thing about this country thats gone to the dogs now Im afraid
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Going back to the subject in hand, I think if you dont have a horse that is dangerous in traffic you shouldnt be on the road, and if you have nowhere else to ride that, frankly, is your own problem. My mums friend was killed when a horse fell through her windscreen, and my mum wont pass a horse on the road still, does a three point turn and finds another route.
 
One of my mares is not 100% in traffic. Where ever possible I use the bridleways, but at some times of the year they get too boggy to ride on, so I have had no choice but to use the roads.

Unfortunately for me (and if anyone has any ideas as to why this is I would be really greatfull to know!!) she was worse in company! She was driven as a pair in her previous home so I suspect that she may have had some sort of accident or bad experience which has triggered it all off. The last two years however she has started to turn a corner and we have dealt with motorbikes, lorries, tractors without a single jitter - and the only way I have been able to do that is by exposing her to traffic.

Anyway, my point is, right or wrong, I have had to deal with this myself - I sincerely wish I hadn't had to! I would have liked nothing more than a bit of moral support! I always make sure, even though now she is SO much better, that all my routes on the road, have "exit" points (other roads, large verges, tracks etc) to keep it as safe as I can, and get her out of peoples way and not inconvenience them.

And you are completely right I probably should have been sensible and not bought her, I had hacked her on the road when I tried her, but we only passed cars which she is fine with and no larger traffic. I learnt a very big lesson about not taking peoples word for it when buying a horse!! But she has actually turned out to be a cracking little mare, and I wouldn't dream of selling her on, and if god forbid I ever do, I deffinately WON'T be selling her as bombproof in traffic (unlike the people that sold her to me did!!).

What I really need is to move to Dartmoor or something so I never have to ride on a road again.... (dream....dream
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I don't know Rosiie, I really don't.

I've been there with a horse in the middle of the road, spinning, tractor up our backsides, me shamefaced and vowing to send horse for meat as soon as it'll get itself back to the yard. NOT fun.

Now? If i had a horse that was bad in traffic I'd ride it out with others or not at all. We live in a fairly quiet area, but lots of bendy roads and I wouldnt risk my life, horses life or other's lives by riding on the roads with something unsuitable.
 
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