Motherfluffin’ drones

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gingergreg

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Went out for a lovely Boxing Day hack, happened across a manchild flying a drone - dear lord, it was so loud!! Ginger boy totally freaked so I took him down a different path, only to find it was a dead end 🙈 finally managed to get him past drone man and we jogged all the way home. Some people are just so inconsiderate, why couldn’t he have just landed the damn thing until we’d gone past?
 
That's a pain. :(

But did you ask him to land it? If he wasn't horsey he may not have realised that it was freaking your horse out (even if you think it should have been obvious), or realised that landing the drone would help.
 
I'm looking forward to getting one so OH can film me XC and on the beach!

In other news I bet once we have had a few films the horse will be drone - proof.

If you can't beat 'em - join 'em!
 
No problems here with noise, however I did have the hack from hell 12 months ago to the day. Horse was already on its toes as had encountered farmer driving sheep down a track fenced on either side straight to us. However, we then went on to meet family and offspring out on same track a couple of miles further on - unfortunately, they were flying a drone about five foot up off the track straight towrds us and due to the tree coverage had nowhere to take it other than to land it which didn't seem to occur to them. Olympic standard acrobatics on the part of the horse ensued, physics defying stickability on my part plus a few chosen words (not proud of that but sometimes needs must to focus attention of others) and we all survived.
 
I could barely get my horse past him let alone approach to ask him to land it! If it had been too much, I’d have dismounted but I’m always pretty loathe to do that unless it’s a last resort. From a distance it almost sounded like screaming children, up close it was a loud whistling/whooshing kind of noise. I think he’d have been fine with some company. Just took me by surprise as he’s usually such a laid back character.
 
It is illegal to fly them within 50m of anybody that isn't with you. That is my understanding anyway. So they should be moving away or landing the thing when people approach or they are approaching people. Of course they could always go 50m up as well and 50m isn't that far but should be far enough...

I am considering drone proofing The Beast though if I can find a tame drone owner. Just for the sake of not getting a scare at some point.
 
Eek, OH got one for Xmas and suggested he take it out hacking with us! You can attach a camera so could fly along side us. Sounds like we might well be flying if horse has a spasm at it! Saying that, he tends to go towards anything he's not sure about seems to be more curious than scared, he's an oddball like that.
 
Ok so in my mind drones are fitting into the list of things we as riders need to prepare our horses for, not different to tractors, dogs, trucks, cars, bicycles, low flying military helicopters and planes... you get my drift. And in fairness they are only like us, going about their day enjoying their chosen activity.
We as riders need to get our horses in a place where they can cope with these things, as unless you live in a indoor arena bubble you will face them at some stage. Equally we as riders need to know how to handle these unforeseen experiences as I have seen all to often the rider making the situation worse, by working the horse into a tizzy. Sadly many moons ago myself included.
 
Just bought my son a drone. It's an amazing bit of technology. I plan to drone proof the horses then ask my son to film me. It is very loud though!!
 
prodigal2 said:
Ok so in my mind drones are fitting into the list of things we as riders need to prepare our horses for, not different to tractors, dogs, trucks, cars, bicycles, low flying military helicopters and planes... you get my drift. And in fairness they are only like us, going about their day enjoying their chosen activity.
We as riders need to get our horses in a place where they can cope with these things, as unless you live in a indoor arena bubble you will face them at some stage. Equally we as riders need to know how to handle these unforeseen experiences as I have seen all to often the rider making the situation worse, by working the horse into a tizzy. Sadly many moons ago myself included.
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I do agree with getting horses used to things but drones are not the same in my view. For one they’re not allowed too near people without their permission but people do fly them too close, where is privacy in all this? They’re not supposed to be flown from private land without permission from the land owner.

Should I now buy a drone so that I can now acclimatise my horse? Planes and helicopters are something that a) are flown by professionals 2) doing a job 3) you usually know if you’re in an area where this is a hazard.

A few months ago one was launching one on the other side of the hedge from our school. That could have caused a serious accident and is not something one should have to deal with necessarily in an unplanned way in the confines of an arena. It could have been a just backed horse in there.

Looking forward to future summer days filled with the sound of drones.
 
For information, there's a website put together by the Civil Aviation Autiority, http://dronesafe.uk/, but it really is a bit basic and more pretty-pretty than informative. The kind of thing that a responsible parent would sit down at with a kid before the kid goes out flying the new toy.

If I ran into the situation of drones scaring my horse more than once in the same place, I'd do proper research and print up some flyers quoting the letter of the law, an explanation in plain English, and a warning that at the next infraction, the drone flyer would be photographed and immediately reported to the police and to the CAA.

Of course, this means having to get close enough to hand over the flyer... Maybe roll it up, and attach it with a string to a stone, and throw said stone at the pilot. I mean, to land at the pilot's feet, not at all with the intent to cause injury. However much deserved.
 
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AS above I’d suggest looking into the legalities if flying on, I don’t think they are supposed to be used on public land. Worth checking
 
Keith_Beef said:
Of course, this means having to get close enough to hand over the flyer... Maybe roll it up, and attach it with a string to a stone, and throw said stone at the pilot. I mean, to land at the pilot's feet, not at all with the intent to cause injury. However much deserved.
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Well that's a plan for sure.
 
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We regularly work horses with drones. The large, professional ones sound like an angry swarm of bees and some horses can be worried by them but all it takes is a little preparation work and they are soon oblivious to them. The best thing to do if horses are worried is to fly the drone upwards out of sight, but I don't suppose the average amateur operator is aware of the potential upset to the horse, or what to do to prevent it.
 
Cortez said:
The best thing to do if horses are worried is to fly the drone upwards out of sight, but I don't suppose the average amateur operator is aware of the potential upset to the horse, or what to do to prevent it.
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(emphasis mine)

Like the average dirt bike rider, kiteboarder (got a scare from one of those the summer before last), or any other "non-horsey person".

I only took up riding on a frequent basis in 2012, but even before that I was brought up to know my way around them as a pedestrian, a cyclist, motorcyclist and car driver. I don't know what kids learn in school these days, we had the Tufty Club when I was really small, and then the Green Cross Code man later, and the mounted police would come into school sometimes. Then there were horses on the lanes around where I lived and the odd ride on holiday.

But I wouldn't expect a random drone-pilot met on a path to have any idea of how to behave around horses, or to have any idea of the responsibilities of a drone-pilot. Especially three or four days after Christmas. Perhaps I have a low opinion of people in general.
 
Red-1 said:
I'm looking forward to getting one so OH can film me XC and on the beach!

In other news I bet once we have had a few films the horse will be drone - proof.

If you can't beat 'em - join 'em!
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I love this! And if your horse doesn't quite enjoy it the first time you'll get some brilliant footage of you going faster, and faster, and faster....! :D
 
gingergreg said:
Went out for a lovely Boxing Day hack, happened across a manchild flying a drone - dear lord, it was so loud!! Ginger boy totally freaked so I took him down a different path, only to find it was a dead end �� finally managed to get him past drone man and we jogged all the way home. Some people are just so inconsiderate, why couldn’t he have just landed the damn thing until we’d gone past?
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I am getting one from hubby as a xmas present to take photos of the yard and horses, it wont be near anyone else but our land.
 
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