its getting so dangerous to hack out now

ticobay831

ticobay831

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Dont go out hacking evry often but do try to pop round the block on the weekends give the horse a change of scenery and being quite young its good for them.
But every time my frind and i go out we always end up having an argument with drivers that just refuse to slow down.
We are always polite to those that do, we put our hand up and nod our head to say thankyou
So what is it with the the people that just dont give a damn, you ask to slow down and they ignore your hand signal and keep coming, this mornin, we always hack out early bout 7ish to avoid traffic and such idiots on the road, but oh no there still there. we were quietly walking down the road when a bedford type van came speeding over the bridge and another one following very close behind, i put my hand up to ask them to slow down, nothing, i then started waving my arm up and down, still they kept coming, the horses started to panick and they still kept coming as the horses spun around in the road they fianlly slowed down but still kept coming, i asked them to slow down and asked what the hell was the matter with them, they just laughed, was i mad or what!!! the guy in the van behind was sat there drinking a cup of tea or coffee while driving, unbeleiable.
he jsut sat there shaking his head, as i shouted out the reg of the van in front. when i got back to the yard i rang the police who were actually very helpfull. they tra ed the guy and said they would ring him and give him a warning and if we wanted to take it further we could. :-)
This sort of thing happens every time we go out, thank god the horses are quite well behaved, but its seriously getting to the stage where we are thinking about not hacking out at all, which is a shame for the horses.

whoops i have gone on a bit, sorry :-/
 
It's exactly the same here! I was out riding the other week and saw a boy-racer coming down the road at quite a speed. I politely asked them to slow down but they thought it was funny to speed up when they got next to my horse. with a stupid smirk on their face! I got into an argument with someone the other day over this, He said he couldnt see me asking him to slow down (we ALWAYS ride out in Hi-viz no matter what the weather) and that i shouldnt take my horse out on the road if he is scared of traffic. i replied that I dont ask people to slow down because my horse is scared of cars etc, but he can be slightly unpredictable at times.
 
they really dont get it do they, we always ride out in hi viz as well we even ride in from the kerbas well so we can be seen by on coming traffic then when theyve seen us we obviously move closer to the kerb side, b ut they still carry on, friend was riding on her own yesterday morning and ahuge lorry came zooming up the road towards her she asked for him to slow down which he obviously didnt, her horse shot out into the road and he did have to stop, she moved into a gate way to let him pass and he gave her aload of abuse, saying she shouldnt be on the road and how the hell am i supossed to stop with a heavy load on...Duh, should he even be allowed ont the road if he cant slow down or stop. ignorant B!!
 
I think all drivers should be forced to ride a bicycle and a horse on the roads as part of the driving test - at least then some of them might appreciate the non-motorists point of view!

If not you can always live in hope that their silly, smug egos will land them in a ditch very soon!
 
Same here - I had a guy stop and say to me 'I did slow down' to which I replied 'I am sorry you think that you were travelling at an acceptable speed past me and my horse but ask yourself this - if he span out into the road for what ever reason could you have stopped?' this was met with a bemused look so I carried on with 'rest assured that if you hit my horse because you were going to fast you best be going fast enough to get away from me because my reaction would NOT be lady like and I know all horse owners feel the same'

Suitably chastised he dove off.

I saw him about a week later and he slowed right down and I smiled at him with a thumbs up and then a wave - bless him, he always passes wide and slow now. I think half the time it is ignorance... People see horse riders as an inconvenience not a danger and riders who dont say thank you really make my blood boil!
 
Sounds like hell, I'm ery sorry for yout troubles. Do you have nice hacking when you're off the main roads, to make it worth while?

We're very lucky - from my field gate I can go directly onto a Bridleway, a Byway, or turn left or right onto country lanes. It's not unusual to ride on the road for an hour and not meet a single vehicle - if you do meet someone, you tend to know them and stop for a chat. It's quiet enough that we backed our youngster by hacking her out - no school you see!
 
Do they not teach this stuff to learner drivers anymore? The number of drivers that have no clue what hand signals mean is shocking
 
our problem on the roads are the tourists with sat navs --

all the locals are very good with horses on the roads always slow down or pull in for us to pass

we have some really decent quiet lanes to ride on to get to the bridleways but the downside is we are in a tourist spot and the holiday makers seem to use the lanes as shortcuts --- having actually had a near miss with one on the last bank holiday after questioning their speed on a narrow lane with bends their reply was the SAT NAV directed us this route with it being the quickest-MAYBE BUT IT DIDN'T TELL THEM TO USE IT AS A RACE TRACK!!! had they followed road signs (and there are plenty, well posted and clear enough)they wouldn't of even been on the lane
 
Stacey6897 said:
Do they not teach this stuff to learner drivers anymore? The number of drivers that have no clue what hand signals mean is shocking
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I read on another post somewhere that a driving instructor told them to drive past the horse as fast as possible incase it messes about! No hope is there if thats what they are teaching people!
 
I was a driving instructor. I once asked a pupil at what speed she thought she should pass a horse - 30mph she said. So asked what distance she thought she should keep - five feet. Obviously, we had a conversation about that!

I think that most pupils work on their theory alone, with books and on CD roms etc. With the price of lessons being high, pupils understandably want to spend their time driving, and whilst I would bring relevant parts of the Highway Code into the lesson, long discussions on non-practical aspects just couldn't be fully covered - you can talk about and physically cover junctions, roundabouts, manoeuvres, dual carriageway driving etc etc, but you can't manufacture a convenient horse to drive by unless you're teaching on very rural routes. I'm not making excuses for poor driving, but without ****ing off people, pass on information about how to deal with livestock, and not just horses, loose sheep, cattle etc too - bring it up over lunch in the works canteen, school etc - pass the good information on!
 
I had the opposite experience. Hack out with one or two of the horses most days of which several miles are on the roads and the majority of motorists are great. We get the odd racer but our horses are bombproof and never bat an eyelid.
The other day, whilst hacking done a designated quiet lane with met three cars with lads in hooting their horns and racing on the bend. Pulled the horses over pretty sharpish and smiled. The lads all slowed down and waved in apology. Sometimes the best way to deal with fast drivers is by being friendly so they don't respond with aggression and it keeps rider/motorists relations good.
 
I had a mate who fixed a ball bearing to the end of a long schooling stick that she took out with her, if the car was to close it hit the ball bearing
I have passed my riding and road safety test but I wont ride on the roads now as its to dangerous, you can conduct yourself in a Safe manner all you like but it just takes 1 arse on the road in a car and youre goosed.
Ive had folks wave back at me when asking them to slow down !!! with 1 eejit flashing his lights when asked to slow down, then rolling down his window (going slowly) to tell us to get of the fxxxxxg road if we cant control our horses. Its not worth the hassle or stress
 
Had a very near miss the other week (and I mean VERY)!! Given notice on yard now as I just don't want to ride on the roads any more :( Knocked my confidence and that makes me angry. Now need to find a new home with no roadwork
 
classicalfan said:
I think all drivers should be forced to ride a bicycle and a horse on the roads as part of the driving test - at least then some of them might appreciate the non-motorists point of view!

If not you can always live in hope that their silly, smug egos will land them in a ditch very soon!
Click to expand...

YESssssssssss! :D
I hope you are reporting all these near misses
http://www.horseaccidents.org.uk/

As for those being driven off the roads
50354_131634453565277_5078371_n.jpg


remember this (And some of us are having to use are horses more for practical reasons as deisel is so expensive and we have to use the roads as the bridle paths don't go anywhere practical anymore!)
 
Stacey6897 said:
Do they not teach this stuff to learner drivers anymore? The number of drivers that have no clue what hand signals mean is shocking
Click to expand...

I have noticed recently that if I wave my arm up and down they usually speed past waving back and smiling GMS!!!! What do they teach them???? I have asked people to stop or slow down mainly because I can see a horse running about over the hedge next to me (its usually my youngster when I ride one of the others past) and I don't want my ride horse to leap into the road in response, do they slow down or stop - NOPE.

I now wear a florescent fingerless glove on my right hand that helps drivers see your hand for starters, think about it a black or blue glove is just camouflaged against a hedge or your horse. I have a hi viz vest, hi viz skull cap cover, hi viz bands on my western stirrups and still they feel I am invisible! I went to Robinsons today and saw the new POLITE tabbard and was tempted I must say!

Yesterday on the way home from work via a back lane across country I saw two girls out riding on dark horses, wearing all dark clothing, not a stitch of white let alone hi-viz! It made my blood boil as they were under the trees and not visible at all - so I stopped them and told them. I pointed out to them that it was dangerous to ride with no light colours on, was polite and they were polite and apologetic. Youngsters - It may not feel 'cool' to wear these things but is it 'cool' to let an unsuspecting motorist run into your horse because he can't see you?

We need to protect ourselves by making every effort possible to be visible, then they can't say they didn't see you.
 
The posters who use hand signals to slow traffic, how often do you need to do this ? I haven't ever needed to wave traffic to slow/stop, any potential hazards on the road, I try to match passing them with a gap in the cars/lorries, waiting or trotting actively forward, if its a busy road.
I try not to inconvenience traffic when riding as drivers are more likely to be at work or going about their business while I'm out just having a nice ride.
I tend to think that waving to make cars wait, could be seen as antagonistic. With the very exceptional circumstance, horses on the road should be under control and able to deal with cars whizzing by.
 
horserider said:
The posters who use hand signals to slow traffic, how often do you need to do this ? I haven't ever needed to wave traffic to slow/stop, any potential hazards on the road, I try to match passing them with a gap in the cars/lorries, waiting or trotting actively forward, if its a busy road.
I try not to inconvenience traffic when riding as drivers are more likely to be at work or going about their business while I'm out just having a nice ride.
I tend to think that waving to make cars wait, could be seen as antagonistic. With the very exceptional circumstance, horses on the road should be under control and able to deal with cars whizzing by.
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Sorry you are wrong-horses have a right to be on the road and drivers who arnt horse riders need to be educated more about passing horses.Horses can be unpredictable and learner drivers need to learn about hand signals.I dont care if the driver of a car is late-would they drive across a zebra crossing as an old lady was crossing???? Driving on the road is a privelage not a right.
 
I find that I get far more cooperation from motorists if I am wearing High viz .Maybe subconciously they think that I have more right to be there ,or maybe just the additional time it gives them makes them more cooperative.Anyway it seems to work for me.
 
horserider said:
The posters who use hand signals to slow traffic, how often do you need to do this ? I haven't ever needed to wave traffic to slow/stop, any potential hazards on the road, I try to match passing them with a gap in the cars/lorries, waiting or trotting actively forward, if its a busy road.
I try not to inconvenience traffic when riding as drivers are more likely to be at work or going about their business while I'm out just having a nice ride.
I tend to think that waving to make cars wait, could be seen as antagonistic. With the very exceptional circumstance, horses on the road should be under control and able to deal with cars whizzing by.
Click to expand...

Are you for real??? Even the quietest horse can see something over a hedge that oncoming vehicles cannot, how do they react, they are flight animals! I ask people to slow down if they are speeding up behind me, possibly having just come round a bend and there I am (unavoidable on country lanes), I also signal if they are speeding towards me. Sorry is that overuse of hand signals!!?? Guess what I could say next but I won't as I am too POLITE! ;)
 
horserider said:
The posters who use hand signals to slow traffic, how often do you need to do this ? I haven't ever needed to wave traffic to slow/stop, any potential hazards on the road, I try to match passing them with a gap in the cars/lorries, waiting or trotting actively forward, if its a busy road.
I try not to inconvenience traffic when riding as drivers are more likely to be at work or going about their business while I'm out just having a nice ride.
I tend to think that waving to make cars wait, could be seen as antagonistic. With the very exceptional circumstance, horses on the road should be under control and able to deal with cars whizzing by.
Click to expand...
I find your post a bit naive to say the least, unless youre on a rocking horse.
If a driver doesnt seem to be slowing down to pass me, as they should,i will signal them to do so, however often i need to.
Ive had lorries try to go hurling past me, and if i dont slow them down i pretty much guarentee that'll send the best horse squirly on the road.
My friends horse was hit by an idiot driving a lorry with a big coil of drainage pipe on a trailer, who was doing at least 40mph on a straight single track road we were on, we were both wearing fluorecents and he said he didnt see us !!!!
Police didnt prosecute as he had a passenger so they said it was our word against theirs, in fact the police never even bothered to interview me.
I stay of the roads now because in my experience drivers can act like complete tits and not follow the highway code when encountering horses and nothing is done, we were lit up like christmas trees in the middle of a summers day,and he failed to see 2 half ton animals on a straight road !!! Never even got done with driving without due care and attention
 
horserider said:
The posters who use hand signals to slow traffic, how often do you need to do this ? I haven't ever needed to wave traffic to slow/stop, any potential hazards on the road, I try to match passing them with a gap in the cars/lorries, waiting or trotting actively forward, if its a busy road.
I try not to inconvenience traffic when riding as drivers are more likely to be at work or going about their business while I'm out just having a nice ride.
I tend to think that waving to make cars wait, could be seen as antagonistic. With the very exceptional circumstance, horses on the road should be under control and able to deal with cars whizzing by.
Click to expand...

Well I don't think you are naive.

Yes riding on the roads is dangerous. I can't see how flapping about on top of an already spooked horse is going to make things better, especially when you have unsympathetic drivers.

I ride near a city centre and still manage to ride out regularly at all times of day on one of the main rat-runs. People do get close but I just have to keep calm when inside I am actually very nervous. God forbid my horse pick up on that, there WILL be disaster if he thought something was wrong. I don't try and stop people or dance about. It looks as if you have no control and are more likely to get reported for obstructing traffic.

We might get killed one day yes, by not actively slowing people down but IMO it's more dangerous to do that than just ride quietly along.

Sorry to hear about others accidents. Councils SHOULD do more to protect us.
 
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marydoll said:
I find your post a bit naive to say the least, unless youre on a rocking horse.
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That made me smile. Been riding for 44 years now and every youngster I've had learns how to be sane and safe on the roads. This post made me think about how I deal with fast drivers, and I guess, I tend to smile and nod, or wave thanks at traffic in anticaption of them slowing down. Really can't recall ever riding with anyone who has signaled traffic to slow down.
Just think riders are more likely to get co operation from a friendly 'Look out, I'm here' greeting,thanking them for being considerate,(even if they aren't) than from a signal demanding they slow down. With traffic getting ever heavier, we need to keep drivers sympathetic to horses on the roads.
 
Tally ho youre lucky that you dont need to ask drivers to slow down, but please dnt try to paint us that do as idiots waving there arms around, its a recognised way of asking fast drivers to slow down going past you, for whatever reason. I'd rather ask a driver to slow down before a horse im on or with reacts to the noise or speed as it passes, we're well aware the best place for hands are on the reins
 
horserider said:
I had the opposite experience. Hack out with one or two of the horses most days of which several miles are on the roads and the majority of motorists are great. We get the odd racer but our horses are bombproof and never bat an eyelid.
The other day, whilst hacking done a designated quiet lane with met three cars with lads in hooting their horns and racing on the bend. Pulled the horses over pretty sharpish and smiled. The lads all slowed down and waved in apology. Sometimes the best way to deal with fast drivers is by being friendly so they don't respond with aggression and it keeps rider/motorists relations good.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Frankly the ignorant yobs who race past you will not change and I doubt they feel the emotion of any guilt, so best save any ranting and the effect on your blood pressure. I have had hi viz tabards printed saying 'THANK-YOU FOR SLOWING DOWN'. I find most drivers respond, but it only takes 1 idiot to cause an accident.
 
horserider said:
The posters who use hand signals to slow traffic, how often do you need to do this ? I haven't ever needed to wave traffic to slow/stop, any potential hazards on the road, I try to match passing them with a gap in the cars/lorries, waiting or trotting actively forward, if its a busy road.
I try not to inconvenience traffic when riding as drivers are more likely to be at work or going about their business while I'm out just having a nice ride.
I tend to think that waving to make cars wait, could be seen as antagonistic. With the very exceptional circumstance, horses on the road should be under control and able to deal with cars whizzing by.
Click to expand...

The point is Horserider that not everyone has an older traffic proof horse and you have to get your youngster to that stage! Mine are pretty traffic proof BUT in my village we have gardens in which tents will suddenly appear in school holidays, a pub which puts out flags and buntings for special occasions and yes my horses will get spooky going past these new scary things. I cannot proof them for every eventuality! I have had a couple of hairy moments when they have shot into the road due to a pheasant flapping from the hedge etc. I do need to be able to ask cars to slow down and drivers should know these hand signals and understand and slow or stop. We all share the road and need to respect each other. Noone can say a horse is 100% on the roads - this is an animal!!!! I am sure no ordinary car driver would want to live with the mental nightmare of hitting a horse and rider!
 
I agree with horserider 100%.

I hack my 4 year old on the roads daily, and can count on the fingers of one hand the times I have asked a driver to slow down or stop. I try to be as little inconvenience as possible, drivers get irate and pass too fast or too close because they are frustrated. When a car comes up behind me if we are in a spot where he can pass wide due to the width of the road or visibility I either get onto the verge, or into a gateway or I trot to a wider section.

Most drivers don't want to cause you any difficulty but being aggressive with them may change this. And if you are riding on the road your horse should be able to cope with normal traffic passing at more than crawling speed where there is space.
 
I used to ride on very busy, heavy traffic, serious roads and I can honestly say i was safer on them than I am on the country lanes i ride on now. When there is a constant flow of traffic and a decent width road, some considerate drivers will slow everything down and the horses trek along ignoring everything. On narrow lanes I think it takes a very ballsy horse to keep marching along towards sudden trucks, vans, etc coming towards you. Many slow to a crawl, I think that is appropriate on the kind of roads that are just wide enough for two cars to pass one another, but many think its fine to drive towards horses at 30, 40 plus. Scares the crap out of me and makes me wish i was back on major roads and housing estates.

As for hand signals, I also think waving your arm around adds to unsettling a horse that might be about to react to something, and as it is usually just ignored anyway, I rarely bother with "slow down". If anything big comes flying towards me, I'll sometimes move out into the road and ask it to stop. Yes it might be controlling and annoying to the driver, but if it saves my young horse from having an accident or a bad experience and losing his bottle, so he's a hope of learning to be bombproof as he gets older, I'm going to do it.
 
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