In hand hacking? Roads? & Stupid Rule!!!!

Has anyone contacted their insurance company specifically and been told that they are NOT insured to ride in a bitless bridle? If so, which company?
 
Not read any replies but what about attaching lead rope to the nose band? I'm 16 weeks pregnant and have stopped riding my horse weeks ago as I was getting a sore belly everytime. He's having his shoes off in a couple of weeks and will have early retirement for 6 months. Would rather leave him rot in the field than someone else ride him :D :D :D
I'm funny like that :p
Good luck with the fitness regime and pregnancy :) :)
x
 
I used to be on a yard where the YO made us walk down a long road to bring in and turn out because he didn't want a track making in his hay growing field between the yard and the horse field. :rolleyes: We never used bridles. TBH, there is no way I'd put up with a YO giving out rules about what you do whilst off the yard with your own horse, that is control freak territory IMO.

It is usually advisable to lead in a bridle on the roads, but its not the law. Like wearing a hat and wearing hi-vis, you assess the risks and make your own choices. :)
 
spaniel said:
Not a stupid rule....its the law. You are not deemed in control of your horse if he is only in a headcollar. You need bridle and bit. Nothing to stop you putting a headcollar over the top but tbh I think you are foolish if this is what you intend to rely on the keep your horse under control.
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Categorically wrong, there is nothing in the law that says you have to have a bridle on and most insurances companies cover you either way. If a horse wants to bog off it will bridle or not.

OP I reguarly take mine for hacks in hand, I put a hi viz on me, a hi viz sheet on him, make sure I am road side and carry a schooling stick (mainly for poking cars with), no probs :D
 
veryconfused said:
Just called my horse insurance company.

They have said that both my horse and anyone else that may be involved in an accident (i.e. everything from horse kicking a car, hurting a person or horse hurting himself) would be covered under insurance whether I lead in a headcollar or in a bridle. They said to them it makes no difference.

So if they're willing to cover me on the roads in a headcollar, I think I will do what my horse prefers :)
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It is the law that to ride a horse on the road you need to use a saddle and bridle. You are in better control when on a horse (in most cases!) so if you are in an accident when riding and you are breaking the law i can assure you that you will not be insured, also if you are leading and involved in an accident and are using a headcollar your insurance will argue that you weren't in control and again you won't be insured.
 
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Bubley898 said:
It is the law that to ride a horse on the road you need to use a saddle and bridle, so to lead a horse on the road you will need a bridle. If you are in an accident and you are breaking the law i can assure you that you will not be insured.
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There is no law that says a horse must be lead in a bridle on the road. And I am insured to lead my horse on the road in his head collar or halter.

I am also insured to ride in a halter, though I do not anymore (different horse).
 
If OP doesn't like the rules at her yard, which presumably she was aware of when she chose to put her horse there, she is free to move to another yard.

Whilst I'm not sure of the legality of this rule I know of plenty of yards that insist that you must wear a hard hat at all times when mounted, including hacking out, which people seem to find acceptable despite it not being law for those over 14.
 
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Bubley898 said:
It is the law that to ride a horse on the road you need to use a saddle and bridle. You are in better control when on a horse (in most cases!) so if you are in an accident when riding and you are breaking the law i can assure you that you will not be insured, also if you are leading and involved in an accident and are using a headcollar your insurance will argue that you weren't in control and again you won't be insured.
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but veryconfused has just said her insurance company WILL cover her, she has checked........ and she is NOT breaking any law !
 
Im glad tazzle has posted a quote (of thw highway code I think?) As she and others say, a bridle need not always have a bit, and in any case the advice remains relevant to only the ridden horse.

With the knowledge in our industry these days, its disappointing to come across such widespread and outdated thinking. A horse is not always best controlled in a bit.
 
I was with NFU and am now with scottish equi, both have told me to lead on the road my horse must wear a bitted bridle. As my main field is a 2 min walk along the road (a v quiet country lane) I now routinely use and old bridle to turn out etc. I also use an extra long lead rope and have a highvis band on the noseband. ~It did cause a problem with my yearling though when I wanted to put him in this field. I started out trailering him along! Although its not as bad as it sounds as he was staying there and not coming in every day. However he's now bitted with a rubber snaffle so is led in a bridle with my other horse.
 
eggs said:
If OP doesn't like the rules at her yard, which presumably she was aware of when she chose to put her horse there, she is free to move to another yard.

Whilst I'm not sure of the legality of this rule I know of plenty of yards that insist that you must wear a hard hat at all times when mounted, including hacking out, which people seem to find acceptable despite it not being law for those over 14.
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They find that acceptable because they want to wear hats and they would do whether it was a rule or not so it isn't worth them causing a fuss over it, is it? Most people wouldn't have an issue with the OPs problem because they would a) not want to take the horse out in hand, and b) would want to use a bridle. However, it is a problem for the OP and the issue isn't "should you take your horse on the road in a headcollar", but rather "should the YO be able to dictate whether you can take your horse on the road in a headcollar". In principle, I think not. Saying that, it wouldn't be a deal breaker to me - I like bridles, but i'd certainly worry about the YO trying to dictate other things which IMO are really naf all to do with them.
 
PiebaldPeril said:
I don't think it is a "stupid rule" to insist on horse's having a bridle on if leading out in hand on the road. There's a difference IMO between just turning out in the field in a headcollar, and leading-out on the road instead of hacking..
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In what way is there a difference? Distance?
I have had to lead two ponies to a different field, through a village, down a main rd, on to a bridle way across a hill, down on to another main rd, and then down a country lane, before i got to their summer grazing.
I am not saying NOT to use a bridle, all i am saying is, there are times, when it isnt possible or practicle to do so, and it is not against the law!
Most of mine are actually better behaved and more relaxed to lead in just a headcollar. Maybe it is because they respond to being tacked up as "waaahooo we'r going for a ride" as apossed to, in a headcollar "oh we'r just going from AtoB, "yaaawn".
 
rhino said:
I was told the opposite by one of those companies :confused:
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really? :confused: thats not great is it... although tbh it doesnt really bother me and I feel safer on the road in a bridle plus I like to keep myself 'right' just incase, but I can see it could cause problems for others.
 
What bugs me there are some people who dont even know how to lead on the road never mind what to wear. They lead from the nearside which is a massive no no. You should always lead a horse from the offside when on the road so you can push your horse over away from the traffic as it naturally will move away from you will if it shys. Riding and road safety exam is excellent if your not sure about road safety. Leading from the offside you can slow the traffic down if needs be and traffic can see you if you as you would be wearing hi viz. So how ever old your horse is you need to be able to lead it from both sides so dont get used to leading from one side, same with ride and lead, also have your the horse your leading on the inside of you.
 
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Those of you who say your insurance companies will insure you when riding/leading on the road in a headcollar, do you have it in writing or was it just a verbal agreement by the call operator ? It would be unfortunate to find this wasn't the case in the event of an accident.

If a car caused your horse to spook and this resulted in vet bills, damage to property and possible disability for yourself, the drivers insurance company might not be so understanding about paying out. Endless paperwork and a court case would be the last thing you'd need at such a time.
 
I would definately ask your insurance company to put it in writing so that you can prove it at a later date.
Also ensure that your insurance policy provides cover to £10,00,000 (Ten million pounds) as a recent court case demonstrated that this level of cover is necessary.
Any rules should be in the written contract issued to by your yard.
 
I was with NFU and am now with scottish equi, both have told me to lead on the road my horse must wear a bitted bridle
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:confused: :confused: :confused:

is that stated in the policy ???


well like rhino I am puzzled because NFU insured me for seven years perfectly aware that I not only ride but drive bitless ( so would therfore also lead on the road bitless ! I had long chats with them when setting it all up. The BDS also covers me insurance wise driving bitless.

.. always worth discussing / clarifying it with insurance companies though as it certainly seems to be a confusing issue.

There may however be clarification needed as to the differences between a bitless bridle and a headcollar ......... rope halters / natural hackamores fall nicely in the middle !
 
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I wrote to NFU and S Essex and told them that my horses were trained to be ridden without a bit. They replied confirming that the insurance covered me to ride in my rope hackamore (which is a rope halter, but with more rope attached). So I had it in writing.
Anyway, bored now...
 
No one has a right to be on a livery yard, it is by mutual agreement and a business arangement. If you do not want to follow the conditions put in place by the YO, then move, rather than behave like a devious teenager and 'sneak' off the yard to do things your own way. I do things my own way, because sis and I bought our own place
 
YorksG said:
No one has a right to be on a livery yard, it is by mutual agreement and a business arangement. If you do not want to follow the conditions put in place by the YO, then move
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Hmmm, maybe as livery customers we all put up with far too much but in some areas yards which enable us to makes our own choices are hard to come by. No property landlord could get away with setting down conditions about how their tenants drive, where they shop, who teaches their kids, etc, etc, yet an awful lot of YOs think because someone rents a box and the use of facilities they have a right to control loads of stuff that shouldn't have anything to do with them.
 
by heck i broke the Law soooooooooooooooo many times when we had daughters first pony pmsl - yearling shettie on head collar with me and daughter in carry pack on her dads shoulders - many walks out with picnics including on the roads lol eeek :)
 
Flame_ said:
Hmmm, maybe as livery customers we all put up with far too much but in some areas yards which enable us to makes our own choices are hard to come by. No property landlord could get away with setting down conditions about how their tenants drive, where they shop, who teaches their kids, etc, etc, yet an awful lot of YOs think because someone rents a box and the use of facilities they have a right to control loads of stuff that shouldn't have anything to do with them.
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Landlords of houses have no responsibility for the welfare of their tennants, or their dependants, further than the house being safe. Under current legislation YO's are held responsible for the welfare of the animals on their yard. Most Landlords do not share facilities with their tennants, most YO's do. Very few people are aware of the who the landlord is, most locals know exactly which yard the horse is from. If you do not like the rules imposed by YO's, then buy your own land and set your own rules.
 
While i agree that YO's have a responsability for the welfare and safety of the horses on their yard, I think that is where it should end, at the yard. The horse at the end of the day belongs to the person on livery, not the YO!
If you are an adult, then you make your own choices for yourself and your horse, if you want to ride/ lead in a headcollar/ halter/bitless then that is your choice.
A YO (in my opinion) can advise, but should not dictate what you can or can't do when not on their property.
 
YorksG said:
] If you do not like the rules imposed by YO's, then buy your own land and set your own rules.
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....because it's that simple....?

I for one have had too many y.o's who have been busy bodies who have to control everything and everyone, and interfere with business that's not theirs. Legally it is not up to the yard owner to dictate what tack an owner uses on their horse, surely? ON the yard they can and do make up whatever the heck rules they want, but off the yard it's none of their business, never mind what impression it makes.

In the same way, a school cannot dictate what it's pupils do outside of school. It can only advise, and the rest is up to responsible adults (parents) and the law.

I don't miss being on a livery yard, but as i don't have my own horse and won't be able to afford land, i image when i get another horse i will have to go through the joys of nutty controlling YO's and bitchy know it all liveries again. Or maybe i can come and live with you and your sister, YorksG ???
 
No no :D :D No-one else coming here! :p We have been on the back end of that! Had a very good friend with her horse on our yard and have vosed never again! It isn't simple to buy your own place, we have had to make many sacrifices over the years, but our priority has been to keep our horses in the manner which we choose and the only way to guarantee that is to have your own place, hence what I said earlier.
 
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