I hate farmers!

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HannahLovett421

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Decided that today was the day that the youngster should go out on her own for the first time, have been building up to this moment for a long time as bless her she is not the bravest horse in the world!

So we started off round the block, and she was foot perfect. So as we rounded back onto the road to get to the yard, some b*rst*d farmer in this huuuuge green tractor thing came flying past me at 50mph, didnt even bother to give me a wide berth, and I specifically asked him to slow down! Grace paniced(sp?), luckily we ended up squashed right into the hedge and not underneath his wheels!!

I was so, incredibly mad! I had my reflective tabard on and she has flourescent brushing boots on all fours. He could see me, he just choose not too! It could have been very nasty indeed, i suppose I should be thankful that its only her confidence that has now been shattered, not her legs.
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I know not all farmers are like it, just sods law I had to meet the only obnoxious one on the ride that I did
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I hate to tell you but i think its only jcb fast tracks that are capable of going that fast, and they are yellow
 
Well TBH, I dont really care what it was, I was too busy trying to stop myself and my horse from slipping under its wheels.

Ther is a possibility that is wasnt going that fast lol, all I know is that it was going faster than it should have past a horse!
 
Whoever it was and whatever they were driving it is completely ignorant not too slow down! Grrr I would have been mad as hell too!
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Thank goodness you are both ok, although it could have been quite different. Sadly, we have a farmer round here who is the same - he used to drive the same route at the same time of day, so I managed to avoid him, he simply hates horses. Luckily, all the other farmers are fab - but it only takes one to cause a horrible accident.
 
sorry but round here if there is good visibility and a straight bit of road I no longer 'ask' people to slow down - I just position my horse in the middle of the road with the leg aids ready (he's elem/med dressage) to get to the side of the road pdq if necessary and force them to slow down.

another 'trick' is to get the horse to sidestep nicely like a loony racehorse - nice bit of shoulder in, bit of half pass or a bit of travers soon gets a lot of drivers to think this horse may just hit my car

we have a pond and parked cars - if I did't do this half the drivers would have us in the pond rather than give way and you can hear by the engine tone if a vehicle is too fast/slowing/whatever

I used to do what you did - ask nicely for cars to slow down - but a horsebox 20 years ago didn't want to slow down and shoved me and my horse into a roadside ditch - we both survived but it took me 3 years to get him more or less safe in traffic again

so now I don't 'ask' I 'tell' - no more Mr. niceguy as the saying goes

Police would call it the equivalent of 'defensive driving'

I'm not talking busy A roads here but quiet single or just about double track country lanes

what you have to do on A/B roads is totally different to this.
 
Yeah I know, usually most around here are okay, I was just talking to my Dad and turns out I know this particular one, so might send Dad round to have a word, I really dont want anything like that to happen to me or anyone else!
 
I do feel for you, the youngsters at the yard are just the same but unfortunately farmers are very busy right now and don't seem to think about us. Hey you have it easy- I live on a farm with 4big green tractors, a father that knows perfectly well how silly and spooky my lot and Becs lot are, and still insists on tramming past me.
 
I like that! Would work a treat on my dressage boy! hehe. Yeah I am talking just a quiet country lane here, he should know better!

Unfortunetly the youngster has just about mastered 'trot' bless her, she gets her legs all in a scribble!
 
when she masters canter a couple of steps of sideways canter and a 'stressed looking' rider works wonders ;-)

just start looking as if the brakes are failing ........... who says acting only happens on the stage (mind - I'd like to earn as much as some of these actors - now I wonder how much Matt Damon earned for the last Bourne film............)
 
Most of our farmers, in fact, most of our drivers, round here are pretty good. There are always one or two though. There are a lot of contractors around at the moment too, doing hay etc. My YO tells a tale that she was once leading a ride when confronted by ignorant tractor that wouldn't let them past. She got off the horse, reached into the cab, grabbed his keys and chucked them in a field, then led the horses past one by one. She's a lot braver than me!!
 
How scary!! I would have seriously pooed myself on a youngster. You just don't know how they will react! It takes a brave person to ride more towards the middle of the road. My OH is always telling me to do this on my bike!! Works mostly, but you still get the idiots...

And Reynold - I can't believe it was a horsebox that shoved you off the road?!!! Did they stop to help? I'm guessing they were in too much of a hurry??!!!
 
Gosh how awful and scary for you! It really isn't a nice feeling.

But hey, not all of us farmers are bad
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Have to say I'm very lucky as I know everyone round here and they always slow right down, well most completely stop. They know what will happen to them if they don't
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I am not surprised about the horse box, 15 years ago I was leading the old (then not old!) to a show, up a track to the show ground car and horse trailer were comming towards her, the driver stopped till we were level with the trailer, set off and pushed us into a ditch, I went in first and the mare came in on top of me, I will never forget watching her feet, with shoes, flashing past my face. I was black and ble from hip to ankle for over a week!
 
Sorry I have no sympathy for you here

As above green tractors cannot go 50mph, so you've already exaggerated your story.

This time of year is not a good one to hack out a youngster - the poor farmers are fighting against time to get the harvest in and do not have time to deal with neurotic horsey people.

Please stay off the roads until its quieter or you have more control of your horse.

I am hacking out carefully at the moment and if I hear a tractor coming I pop out of the way so they can get on unhindered.
 
D;ya know, on my bonkers looking tbx, who looks like he's about to explode, or with small pink child in tow, they always slow down! (or when I wear my big reflecive coat, think it looks like a policeman)
 
Cant belive I read that!
Everyone using the road has the right to do so in safty-if it was someone rushing to a meeting you wouldnt be defending them would you?
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Of couse we as horse riders need to do everything we can to keep ourselves safe and that includes looking fro poaasble trouble and avoiding it by moving out of the way when someone is comming too fast and wont slow down BUT drivers have to be aware they might come across us and give us some room.
 
I cant believe I just read that either!!!


[ QUOTE ]
As above green tractors cannot go 50mph, so you've already exaggerated your story.

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well I'm very sorry I didnt have time to jump off my poor horse and have a look into the cab as to exactly how fast he was going. My apologies!!!! He was going WAY to fast to going past a horse, that is for sure.


[ QUOTE ]
This time of year is not a good one to hack out a youngster - the poor farmers are fighting against time to get the harvest in and do not have time to deal with neurotic horsey people.

[/ QUOTE ]

So your definition of a neurotic horsey person is myself, who thanks every driver that goes past her, quietly hacking along on my mare who up until that moment that been foot perfect, and we had already passed a tractor!!! I have no choice but to ride along that particular stretch of road if I want to actually go anywhere. He could at least have given me a wide berth.


If you were in my position, I had no way of getting out of his way at all, and what he did was totally unneccesary. My poor horse this morning got paniced by the noise of my CAR. How would you feel if that was you?
I am still in utter disbelief that you are insinuating it was my fault. utter disbelief!
 
I can't believe I have just read that - written by someone who rides!! I am very aware that farmers are very busy at the moment but how much difference does slowing down for a horse make? It may take 15seconds extra to get down the lane - surely that shouldn't affect the farmer's busy schedule?
If more farmers were horse friendly and allowed us to ride in their stubble fields for instance, there wouldn't be as many horses on the road.
I always try to support farmers by using farmer's markets, buying british etc but I do start to question why I should??!
 
so by your guide if I am late for work I dont have to slow down for horses what utter tosh, yes farmers are busy at this time of year however slowing down and passing wide is going to add what 30seconds on to the journey for them

sorry I think you should remove your head from your bottom
 
I am all for drivers slowing down - but then I am also for riders using a bit of common sense too!

Why go out riding in rush hour when you don't have to? Why ride your horse out on the flight path of tractors bringing grain to a drier?

You started your post "I hate farmers!" and that really got my back up. I have an aversion to neurotic horsey people, but don't start a post about it.
 
common sense? My Yard owner specifically asked the only farmer that, to her knowledge, used the road, and he advised us not to use the road up until about the 15th, when hopefully he planned to have whatever he was doing finished. I'm not a farmer, I only vaguely know what they get up to, what I do know is that I keep my side of the deal by staying off the road when the farmer asks me to, and only using it as little as possible as I know they are still quite busy!!!!

So for your information, I wasnt riding out in 'rush hour', and to my knowledge I wouldnt have been in the 'flight path'. My YO and I specifically make sure we adhere to what the farmer down the road advises us and otherwise we know full well things could get very nasty, and there is no need for that to happen.

I just dont see how taking all the precautions I possibly can, makes me a 'neurotic horse person'.

Am I the only one who believes that I am not the one soley in fault here?
[ QUOTE ]
You started your post "I hate farmers!" and that really got my back up. I have an aversion to neurotic horsey people, but don't start a post about it

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did a horse rider push you off the road then and put you into an extremely dangerous position? I was so angry, upset and shaken yesterday, and I do apologise if the title of this post upset anyone, I know that most of you are very curtious when it comes to horses on the road, and for that I thank you. But this particular 'farmer' most certainly earned my ill feelings toward him!
 
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