'Not great in traffic'

S

Skhosu

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2006
Messages
8,193
Visit site
What are peoples opinions on this? Quite often I talk to people who say 'but my horse doesnt like tractors/lorries/cars so I cant take my hand off the reins/all cars have to stop for me'
And was wondering, should these horses be on the roads? Obviously though they need variety and people only have access to roads, myself included, I have one pony who doesn't really like lorries and has been known to gallop past them, I currently don' take him anywhere I am remotely likely to meet them as I don't fancy meeting one, but gues others would just deal with the situation if it arose?
 
Interesting and contraversal one really. My response really is that riders should really take responsibility for their horse and know it's weak points. If that happens to be traffic...and they are dangerous or at risk of loosing control, I personally think they should take great steps to avoid these situations and if that means less hacking on roads or sticking to bridleways then so be it. At the end of the day, no horse is perfect and they all get spooked by things they see and traffic...but that spook and action needs to be contained and controllable by the rider or they are putting themselves, horse and other road users at great risk.
I have spent many months training my horse on the roads because he was not great with many things...heavy traffic being one of them...but he was never dangerous with them, just worried and spooky so I always had to make sure I could tuck him in somewhere. I used to take him out during the first summer I got him at 6 and 7 am in the morning because there was not a lot of anything around but I was guarenteed to meet aggregate lorries...who were considerate to horses. It did not take long for him to get used to them and he does not bat an eyelid for any traffic now. It can be done but I think people have to be sensible and either train it out of horses or ride in company with sensible horses to give them confidence etc.
 
mine isn't great with big vehicles or rattley trailers, she is much better in company so i tend to take her out with something reliable, and if i do hack alone i stick to the local quiet lanes, she used to be scared of cars as well but this has been resloved with plenty of hacking with confident horses. we have alot of lorries using one particular road from 8 am until 6pm, so i avoid it!!!! although we have a track that runs alongside this road behing a hedge i shall be using to get her used to them as the worst she can do on the track is run off upto the cross country feild!
such a difference from my old mare who would have been quite happy to hack down the M6!!!!
 
I can't have a horse that isn't good in traffic. We keep ours in the centre of Bath on a bus route and the chances of not meeting something and jumping on top of a car are pretty slim. That sort of horse is more likely to kill you than a habitual rearer and could also harm some innocent.

We had a horse that turned out not to be too great in traffic so we sold her cheap to a guy who was only going to ride her on bridleways around his thousand acre farm.
 
For me personally, I couldn't have a horse that was bad on the roads. There's not much that scares Ty, buses, tractors etc etc he does't bat an eyelid at (wonder if it's cause he's blind on his right side!)

Even when I whacked him and he galloped off down the road on his own, I was quite amazed that he went around the roundabout the right way!

In all seriousness though, I just don't see the fun in riding a horse that you're constantly worried they'll try and deposit you under a bus.......and I'm not a confident enough rider to deal with that....although some people obviously are! x
 
I agree with Pottamus. Amy was never 100% in traffic. Was very worried by buses and lorries, and things approaching at speed towards her.

However, it never stopped me from enjoying hacking her out. I simply rode out at times that I knew the village roads wouldn't be too busy. If I met a lorry or a bus I would either turn off or ask them to stop if it wasn't safe to continue. Most were obliging.

I'm lucky in that I ride a lot of youngsters, so anticipating these problems is no big deal really. You just learn to cope.

Amy wasn't lucky enough to have the start that these youngsters have, and so the problems continued - but certainly not to the extent where it was dangerous, or I couldn't thank people for slowing down etc.
 
Ive said this before and Im aware its quite controversial to state on an equine forum but I firmly believe that horses shouldnt be on the roads these days.

The traffic is getting worse and horses are flight animals... you can never predict 100% what they will do. While this applies to all areas of the sport, it's considerably safer for a horse to take flight in a school or other enclosed area than on the road. It's not just the risk to the horse and it's rider, theres a risk for other road users if a horse takes flight and the results can be so catastrophic.

I lost a friend after her horse (never put a foot wrong in traffic before) bolted out into a road and was hit by a car. The driver couldn't have done anything... she came out of nowhere. She died at the scene and her horse was PTS at the side of the road. The driver in question, wasnt even told at the time that the girl had died as he was hysterical. I cant imagine what the man has had to deal with.

Another incident occured at a stables I used to livery at where people used to hack up the side of the road (the council had provided a clearly marked bridle path along the side of the road to help the riders get into the nearby village. All the horses on the yard were very good in traffic.. even heavy traffic. Unfortunatly one day a pheasant shot out from under the hedge at the side of the path and someones horse spooked to the side (towards the road). She was hit by a heavy lorry which caused several collisions behind her. She died a few days later in hospital and 3 people in total were killed behind the wheels of their car.

The roads are dangerous enough without adding horses into the equation
frown.gif
As horse owners I think we need to take responsibility for the fact that we cant control the animals 100% of the time precisely because they are animals
frown.gif


Anyway! Dont mean to offend anyone who hacks out at all. It's just my opinion on the matter and my opinion stands as much to protect the riders as the horses and other road users.
 
I definately understand elements of your post. You have to understand that these are freak accidents.....freak accidents can happen to any person at any time in any situation.

My dad used to tell me about horrendous accidents he attended as a copper - one that sticks in my mind was the cyclist who was riding behind a tyre lorry, a truck tyre fell off the back, bounced in the road and snapped his neck in half - dead instantly. This couldn't have been predicted.

I do however, try and stick to quieter roads and I think that some horses do seem to have a healthy respect for vehicles and their own safety although non of us are 100% safe, you're right.

I just think it's unfair to keep an intelligent animal from hacking out and being stuck in a school 247.
 
I've got 2 that are very good in traffic but the only way to get a horse used to traffic is to get it out in it. We are lucky in that the stable yard is behind the haulage yard so within about a week they are ignoring 17.5 ton lorries. We also have access to a tractor at home & a wee ride on lawnmower, so by the time they ignore these things there isn't much they will meet on a hack that will phase them (apart from squirrels, leaves & other terrifying obsticles oviously!)

The wee one will hack past my neighbours helicopter as it takes off & not bat an eyelid
ooo.gif


ETS: I used to have a pony that was fine with orange double deckers but scared of red ones!
blush.gif
 
Oh Tierra, can totally understand why you feel the way you do after such terrible experiences.

However, not everyone has to ride on a busy road (although I appreciate that all roads have the ability of being dangerous).

Also, I do feel that more should be done to make motorists aware of the potential hazards when they meet horse riders. I have never, ever seen a safety advert on the TV regarding horseriders.

Also, if I couldn't ride on the roads then where would I ride? I certainly don't want to do endless circles in a menage and nor does my horse. In order to access bridle ways etc I have to go on the roads.

I am a responsible rider, and am aware of the hazards of riding on the roads - but it is my choice to do so.
 
My grey is fine in traffic but she isn't 100%, if there is a lorry thats comes at speed she would duck out of the road. So because i have around 600 acres to ride around i don't bother. I just don't see the point and i don't enjoy it taking her on the rods. My friend took her for hacks with me and she was fine there is nothing wrong with her i just don't see the point in risking it.

My cob however and ponies are 110% in traffic. I have to drive my ponies along the road and they love it, and my cob loves hacks along the road.

And im sorry but horses were here way before cars and we have the right to go on the roads. Cars should take more care and stop being so rude. If the government wants us off roads then they are going to have to provide us with more bridleways which are actually rideable!

When i start my livery yard im lucky enough to be able to provide off road riding as all our arable land will have headlands.
 
I would say Grace is not 'great in heavy traffic' because she is very green and has not seen much. However, I still manage to get her out on the roads because I believe the more she sees the better she will become.

I think by saying horses like this should not be on the road would be a bit unrealistic. They all have to start somewhere, and unless their field is next to a motorway etc. then I don't think anything prepares them for big lorries coming past except actually getting out there and doing it.

Grace will now walk over the motorway bridge on her own, which is something she would not have done when I first took her on.
 
General reply... not particularly targetted at AmyMay
laugh.gif


I wish I had the answers... and I know some people just have no choice on where to ride. Im not pointing fingers and I know some of you have to go out. I just believe that there needs to be some other way of addressing it because the roads arent safe for you.

Stimpy - yes they can be classed as freak accidents. But a cyclist going out on the roads doesnt have the element of unpredictable behaviour from his bike that we have from horses. Of course there are always uncontrollable factors such as weather conditions, poor road surface that can have an effect (and we as riders are victims of these also). There will always be RTAs and they're all tragic but with horses there is the added issue that we're taking unpredicatable animals onto the road... not a bike or a car.

AmyMay I agree with you... I dont think enough is being done to promote the issue of horses on the road. I keep "hearing" claims that the BHS are running "another" campaign or such, but I never actually see them. I stop traffic frequently to let horses cross or to let them turn without people sitting up their backsides purely because you still see sooooooo many people trying to squeeze past horses when they could just wait for what my eqauate to 30 seconds.

I agree that horses need a varied routine although I also think riders do place unnecessary stress onto themselves by feeling they HAVE to do x, y and z when they dont. Horses do adjust quite well to most routines. Mine does a combination of school work, jumping and ground work. We used to be able to hack around the farmers fields next door, but he needed to use them for cattle this year so it's a no go. He's out in the field for several hours a day being a horse (and this for me is the *most* important part of his routine) but I dont believe he actively "misses" going out on the roads. Im moving soon-ish to somewhere that has private hacking on an estate and i'll definitly be incorporating hacking into his routine then but if I had to go somewhere again without off road hacking, I'd not beat myself up over not getting him out.

I wish I had the answers to this... really i do because while it is your choice as a rider to go onto the roads (and again, i dont blame you or hold you at fault for making that choice), you arent only taking responsibility for yours and your horses life but also other people (and yes, the same for a car but again, while risky, cars dont have a mind of their own).

I really hope ive not offended anyone by this post. I know many of you dont have much choice
frown.gif
 
If we work on the basis that we shouldn't go out on the roads because of 'freak accidents', then perhaps we ought to stop riding altogether. I know of people killed in freak accidents whilst riding in schools, fields and on bridleways.

Personally I have no choice but to ride on the roads, particularly in winter, as I have no school. We are lucky that we have a network of quiet lanes, several bridlepaths and I have permission to ride in a couple of private woodlands.

On the other hand, I don't take unnecessary risks - I wouldn't choose to ride on some of the busier roads round here.
 
Hehe.. I already said that riding is a risk sport and we ALWAYS risk something happening. But a horse loose in an enclosed area isn't as likely to hurt other people as a horse bolting about on a road (be it country lanes or main roads).

You take that risk when you get on board and its your choice. If something happens while you're in the school then its awful but it was your choice. If someone else is killed on the road because of a horse bolting loose, it wasnt their choice :/

Thats only my point..
 
Mine isn't great on the roads (alot better than he was) but doesn't like tractors and great big lorries etc but i also know when he is getting worried about something i am very aware that he may spook etc so i am always thinking ahead on the roads luckily it isn't very busy where we are
smile.gif
 
My two are both great in all heavy traffic they have to be as were I live we have some fantastic bridleways but to get to them you have to ride on busy roads. Both my welsh section d and my young fresian have be driven, it makes a big difference and I spent a long time long reining them in traffic as two years olds, so when it came to riding them they were fine. However both can spook at umbrellas or bags etc as most can I think you have to accept that if you ride horses its a risk were ever you are. My friend had her worst accident on the Pennine Bridle way miles from anywhere on her normally bomb proof mare was spooked by a hiker.
 
I agree that horses and vehicles are not an ideal combination. However bridleways are bisected by roads, do not link up in any kind of useful fashion and are often unrideable. The BHS does have access officers who are trying to address this, but the only way around it I can see in the fairly short term is to support organisations such as TROT, who plan circular toll rides
 
[ QUOTE ]
But a horse loose in an enclosed area isn't as likely to hurt other people as a horse bolting about on a road (be it country lanes or main roads).

[/ QUOTE ] I know of quite a few cases of other people being hurt at shows where a horse has bolted, got loose or jumped the ropes. So should we stop going to shows as well, because of that risk?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reducing risks by wearing hi viz gear, avoiding rush hour if you can, not riding in heavy traffic if you can avoid it, etc., etc. But to say horses shouldn't be ridden on the roads at all is just going too far in my opinion.
 
Although i can agree with alot of what you say not everything is black and white.A horse that might shy at a car one day might walk past it the next.They are animals not machines.Not everybody is fortunate enough to have acces to a decent bridleway network so roadwork is the only option.Bridleways are being shut down daily because of one thing or the other.I would love to have to do no roadwork but that isent possible.My horse 4 years ago was as traffic shy as you could get.I have owned from when he was a foal and nobody else has ridden him apart from me on the roads and one day something just clicked in his head (to this day i have no idea what) that traffic was nasty monsters that wanted to eat him.I couldent hack out at all!.But since moving him to a place that is a working factory with Artics,forklift trucks,cars you name it and he has too face it.He is almost 100%.But i know when he dosent like something and fortunatly when he dosent like something coming towards him or behind him if i stand still he will let anything pass him without any fuss at all.Sorry for the essay!.
grin.gif
 
My last mare was absolutely bombproof in any traffic, however she was just plain naughty, rearer, napper, jogging into middle of road etc, so I had to stop hacking her out on the roads.
she was even worse in the school however so I had to make the decision to sell her because we HAVE to ride on the roads to get anywhere.

Current horse is very very good in traffic, he can be a little wary of noisy lorries and tractors but all he wil do it jog a step or stand up straight.

But of course no matter how good a horse is in traffic it doesnt mean no traffic will ever scare them.

I wish I lived somewhere where there was instant off road hacking, practially all my hacking has to be done on the roads.
 
Interesting range of views! I only have roads to hack on, only one bridleway over here I think, and nowhere near me. I am lucky in that we don't meet many cars but I have had some dificulty with an excited tbx on one of our busiest roads, even then I never felt in 'danger'.
I don't agree that horses shouldn't be on the road, they were there first and it is a necessary part of my riding for all of mine, they'd be sour if they weren't ridden out.
 
I don't agree that horses shouldn't be ridden on roads either. I always wear high viz clothing and would only hack out on the busiest of roads out of rush hour and with a 'bombproof' companion, I would say both mine are virtually 'bombproof' in traffic and listen to my aids, as long as I am confident they will pass the scariest of things or stand relatively calmly and let something pass, Lady has on occassion done a few steps of joggy trot to catch up with the horse in front when something particulary unusual traffic wise has frightened her. I have taken both mine down a short stretch of dual carriageway to get to a particularly nice ride and regularly hack on B roads as well as country lanes.
 
No-ones horse was born great in traffic, they learn to tolerate it through exposure. My horse used to be in a field next to a very busy A road but that didn't desensitise her, it took riding her on a busy road to teach her that traffic was okay.

I ride wearing lots of hi viz, avoid rush hour and try to keep to quiet roads but I do occassionally have to ask lorries to stop for me. For example, I went out for a 8.30 hack on boxing day, not a soul around, and met the milk lorry down a narrow lane. You can never guarantee that you aren't going to meet lorries in an area with cows.

Daisy is getting better all the time but wouldn't learn if I didn't expose her to it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top