Mobiles phones and riding...come on be honest

[nikkiportia]

The other day I was in the horsebox approaching a lady riding along the road. Both horse and rider very relaxed and comfortable and not phased by the lorry. However I was horrified to see the rider chatting away on her mobile.
I'll be the first to admit I've talked on the phone whilst riding before, but out on the roads???? With a horsebox approaching too? The horse looked very safe and didn't blink an eye, but in the interests of safety do you think she should've been riding with one hand and on the phone in this situation?

So I'm wondering what everyone else thinks about riding and mobiles? Do you talk on the phone whilst riding? Hacking out? Do you text? Do you answer a call to stop it ringing and explain you'll ring them back? What do you think is acceptable and what is just darn right craziness?

 

[BarmyC]

i use the phone out hacking. Its the only time i have spare to make any calls.

If there was any hint of a problem i would hang up and ring them back later but if nothing is wrong i will happily chat for hours....

Shoot me down if you will.

 

[pocket]

I carry my phone for emergencies, the one time I tried to txt in the woods, I ended up in a bush, so never done that again. I have also driven past people chatting and having a fag whilst riding.......madness

 

[the watcher]

So is it the riding one handed that is madness - or the concentrating on something else - because if one handed riding is a crime I am guilty

 

[WFL]

I sometimes check my email whilst hacking.

 

[nikkiportia]

I'll be the first to admit smoking a couple of times on horseback, but only at the yard.
Half of the work riders in newmarket seem to smoke and ride

 

[NeilM]

My wife carries her phone when riding, which can be useful to find out where abouts she is when I'm working / waiting for her to get back.

Mine on the other hand gets left in the car whenever possible and switched off at weekends

I figure that companies managed perfectly well before mobile phones, why do they need 24/7 contact with staff now

 

[moodymare1987]

I have been on the phone to someone in canter haha, I have texted someone in trot, I am guilty of that, But not on the roads though.

 

[Smash]

I hate mobiles at the best of times so no, I don't.
I can't imagine anything is that important that it can't wait,

 

[xxpopcornxx]

i carry my phone for emergences
but f someone rings me i will stop the horse and then answer it

 

[teapot]

I've done it when I've needed to. Was front escorting a hack and we were going be back later so had to ring yard to let them know

 

[Sooty]

My OH ended up getting a second phone. HIs work gave him a mobile then rang it all the time, even when we were on holiday. Now the work one gets switched off when he leaves the office. So they ring the house phone instead... I haven't ridden and talked on a mobile because I didn't own one the last time I rode, but I used to ride and talk to a friend or ride and smoke, so can't really see the difference. However, I am so safety conscious these days I would probably do neither!

 

[trundle]

I always have my phone on me when I ride, just in case. I use the music player when I'm schooling on my own, becasue then we can both listen to the music (Brooklyn likes music). When i hack her out, its useful to have the phone with me so I can ring Cazza and say, "she's thrown me in the top field again, can you come and rescue me on the quad....!"

 

[spitchwick]

I carry my phone for emergancies, but never use it.

 

[Tinkerbee]

im prone to riding while texting

But only on straight stretches and can text without looking at phone

will occasionally answer the phone as well, but am willing to just chuck phone if I need to

 

[Nickijem]

Guilty!
Only if someone rings me though. I don't purposely use my phone when riding.

 

[Monsie]

I admit t all three baddies! I have smoked while hacking, been on phone while hacking and ridden one handed alot! but where we live is so quiet cars a rare enough and if I think there is an issue I will put down phone/ciggy! On a young horse I will smoke or ride one handed, but I don't use the phone as I don't want to break it if I need to take control quickley! I think if it is done sensibly then there isn't a problem. I think if a horsesbox/lorry was coming toward me I personally would have put phone down.

 

[Emsibuddy]

My brother often phones me whilst I'm either getting on the pony or riding it, wondering where my parents are. He doesn't phone me any other time, I swear he does it on purpose

So yes, I have ridden up a fairly steep hill on a road whilst talking on the phone

Not on purpose though, and on a very safe and slow pony!

 

[rotters13]

I have used my mobile on country lanes. Only because I know that my horse was very safe on roads. On main roads I wouldn't dream of it!

 

[Mavis]

Im feeling very honest today...yes Ive used the phone for calls and texting whilst out on my horse who can be a bit daft hacking out alone. Probably would stuff phone into pocket if a lorry/motorbike/horse eating plant was approaching though.

 

[marieE]

i get bit bored hacking alone so if i have calls to make i use my hands free in only one ear, my old phone was so big it wedged nicely in the harness of my hat, so am i guilty?!

 

[Scruff]

I talk on my phone all the time - but I use my hands free kit, so phone is in my pocket. It kind of makes me feel safe (although it's a completely false sense of security

) that someone knows what I'm up to when I'm schooling on my own late in the evening, or on the hills with my baby...

Haven't done it on the road though; my baby mare is a bit of a liability!

 

[eekmon]

Yes guilty! Do chat/tx on rides ( not on roads though) Even ( shock horror) Stick one earphone in from my i pod sometimes

 

[Pedantic]

Whats the point of going for a ride and then spending your time on the phone, I hate having to talk on the phone when riding, I wont use it if on a main road, off road on bridleway ect yes, smoking while riding, sheesh give the animal a break, one handed, yep loads off road, on the road two hands except for signaling and pushing buttons on pelican crossings, your sitting on a living breathing creature, I dont care how safe anyones horse is supposed to be, shite can always happen, ask her who rides round near where I live who doesnt wear a hat, rides in the dark with no viz gear and has total slack reins while on the road using her mobile, oh you cant, she's in hospital with her head caved in at the moment

 

[i_should_be_working]

Guilty - sometimes its just easier to deal with the call there and then or call back home if I am going ot be very late back. Only on little roads though and my old horses were very good on the road and seemed almost better if I was distracted. New boy - I have taken calls when on him in the school but turn volume off when hacking him as I don't need any help to wind him up. I did get stopped on the road by an off duty policeman that I knew very well and he said it wasn't sensible and strictly speaking not against the law but if I had an accident whilst on the phone I could be "negligent". My old company had conference calls 4 times per day at the weekend (even my weekends off) and the only way to get the horses exercised was do dial in to the call while riding - but not on the road as it would be too noisy and whilst moving I might lose network - needless to say I left them when I wanted a life!

 

[foxend]

I'm GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!!!

I hold my phone to my ear with one hand and hold my reins in the other.

I've got a lot of country lanes near me so tend to wait until I'm on them before I use my phone.

Yes I know I'm wrong, doesn't matter where I am, my horse could easily be spooked & I could drop my phone and crack the screen, or even worse never see it again!

 

[zigzag]

Yep, I talk on phone when riding and I smoke as well

 

[wkm]

I would not dream of riding without my mobile. I have had to use it to call an ambulance, and other assistance when I came across a rider who had fallen off and bumped her head. I have rung a farmer to tell him his 100 cows had escaped from the field and were heading towards town, I rang the same farmer to tell him one of his sheep was in difficulty lambing, and I have taken a call from my vet when my own horse was seriously ill and I was riding someone elses for the results of her tests...... just a few examples. It is not a "chatting" device although I do pick up messages or calls but only when safe to do so. I was taught to ride and be safe - chewing gum is a choking hazard and smoking well that has it's own health warning without doing it on a horse! I think common sense needs to prevail but of course that is another story.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

I've texted and spoken on the phone whilst riding, but never have on the road. But smoking, never have any intention to (smoking in general not just on a horse) but I think its pretty disgusting to smoke whilst riding. But Millie's Mum, you say you do it on a young horse, but you won't use your phone in case of breaking it. So if you suddenly need to take control and happen to open your mouth and drop your fag out, do you not think that that is going to be a hell of a lot more harmful to the horse than you just breaking your phone?

 

[Blizzard]

Yes I will answer my phone or even ring someone if needed while hacking.

When schooling Im even worse and have been seen with Lance standing there with his reins on his neck while Im texting with one hand and shielding the sun from my phone with the other.