OMG so nearly killed tonight (sorry long)

Y

yeeharider

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 July 2007
Messages
1,588
Location
half way over
Visit site
riding out tonight 4pm down a single track road that turns into a bridleway riding one horse leading another wearing high-vis clothing both horses wearing hi-vis exercise sheets and boots could see a car approaching along the road but I knew I could not make it into the passing space before the car got up to me big ditch at both sides of road. Car still coming up road at some speed I was thinking it will slow down soon,its not slowing down,its still not slowing down OMG its not gonna stop!!!! Am in the road with 2 horses waving my arms around and screaming at the driver to stop think I was on the point of passing out as she screeched to a halt her bonnet under my boys nose.Her explanation I could not see you for the sun. My question is if you cant see why are you driving so fast. She apologised but she scared me to death I can honestly say I have never been so frightened in my life have ridden 30 years+ in the heaviest of traffic but my god I thought my time had come am still upset now
 
Oh, lord, that sounds like a horror story,
God, you should have taken her car registration and reported her to police,
Sounds like she was a dangerous driver,
Stiff drink and hot bath, and deep breaths,
Poor you and the horses, atleast your all ok.
 
How terrifying, your heart must have been leaping out of your chest!

Mind you I have had that as a driver. Driving along a lane with hedgerows and could see fine. Got to a bit where there was a bend and gap in the hedge and the sun hit me and I was completely blind. Damn near mowed down a pair of old biddies out walking. I thought I was going to throw up (they were similar)

Not saying that's what happened as you could obviously see the car from some distance but it is possible
 
What a story. Things like that make you appreciate the fact that we're all fragile and mortal
Cuddles and a hot water bottle for you and both neds xxx
 
Have to say I nearly hit a horse because of the sun. I wasnt driving fast but couldnt see the horse at all. I actually stopped and talked to the rider afterwards. It wasnt her fault or mine but i felt she needed to know that the sun had completely blinded me for about 100 yards, and she needed to be on the verge at that time for a few weeks. I am horse aware but most people arent so best to take precautions.

I slowed right down but still only just saw her and only just managed to avoid a collision.
 
god i was panicing just reading that not knowing how it ended. Finish the bottle your drinking then bath and bed!!! sounds like you have very brave horses, they looked after you!! Bless them, your brave neds love you!!
 
Oh 'eck, yeeharider, i've been there too.

What the hell else can i say, friend, when we do the job right, but drivers get it wrong?

Maybe best way is for law for 20mph on country lanes - well we have it round schools, for heaven's sake!! (When good roads already blocked by 'school run' which means 5mph if brave, cos daft women in 4WDs they can't drive, do daft things)

30mph on country lanes would be good idea, as compromise, rather than current 60mph.

I'm just so glad you and your horses are ok, yeeharider, and hope the stupid cow drives according to conditions in future, + i'm just sorry she hasn't got conviction she deserved.

All bests, + my understanding is with you BS x

PS: Anyone heard on Radio2 yesterday, that 89 yr old ran car off road on to pavement, killed 18 month-yr-old, Mum still in intensive care?
 
i was driving along a narrow country road tonight and couldnt see for the sun, slowed right down but it was scarey.
I am always ultra careful when riding and the sun is bright and low
 
many thanks for your thoughts everyone still shaken think I will stick to off road hacking in the near future Thankfully dont even think my boy noticed still had ears pricked remember seeing her rear view mirror through his ears he would not have known about it till it was too late
 
OMG I know how you feel. Thank god you're all OK!

Similar thing happened to me, when my horse was almost hit from the rear about 2 years ago. I was riding round the twisty lanes, wearing full high viz. I could hear a car coming fast from behind the bend, but i was on a narrow road with no verge. It was a big, new, mercedes saloon car, and came round the bend at about 70 (maybe even faster?). It hit its breaks hard as soon as it saw me - my horse bolted forward, taking off when the breaks started screeching. Luckily in that instance my horse bolting probably saved our lives. Thank god nothing was coming towards us. That was the last time i ever road round those narrow lanes. scary stuff. The driver of the mercedes didn't stop to see if I was alright, just overtook as I was pulling my horse up and carried on. I was in a complete state after that, and it still sends shivers down my spine thinking about it.
 
Oh gosh that must of been terrible, why the hell was she driving so fast if she couldnt see, stupid woman
mad.gif
hopefully she has learnt a lesson...without killing anything in the process.
 
Oh god I am so pleased you and your neds are OK. Really puts you off hacking on the roads doesn't it? Thank god, where I am now we have one lane which is a no through road, just have houes and farms on it so traffic is fairly limited and there is a verge along alot of it (thankgod as we get huge lorries going down it) but I would hate to have to hack on busy narrow lanes.

xxx
 
Thank goodness you're all ok! This post has really frightened me actually
crazy.gif
will be a lot more cautious of hacking out on the roads in similar conditions.
 
OMG. Thank God she stopped in time. That must have been absolutely terrifying. How were the horses afterwards?

I must admit - driving into strong sun is awful. BUT why on earth would anyone drive at anything but snail's pace when they cannot into the road ahead. Technically she could have driven into anything/anybody if her claim that she couldn't see were true. It doesn't bare thinking about.
 
Something similar has happened to me both as a rider and a driver.

As a driver, I was going down a country lane to the yard. Its quite bendy so you can only go about 15mph, which is exactly what I was doing. I came round one double bend and was literally completely blinded, hit the brakes and was at a stand still almost immediately but somehow still ended up slightly in the middle of the road in the path of a group of riders. I wound the window down and explained and apologized profusely but the lead rider still had a massive go at me (shouting and swearing) as she said I shouldn't be driving in dangerous conditions. Don't blame her of course as she was probably right but fortunately the horses weren't spooked. I was shaking for hours and had a good cry too lol!
 
[ QUOTE ]
she said I shouldn't be driving in dangerous conditions. Don't blame her of course as she was probably right but fortunately the horses weren't spooked.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you think these people arrive at their own yards by hot air balloon or something? I have seen some pretty appalling driving by people who I know own horses and who ought to expect them. At my old yard, there was one livery who always drove up the farm track at very high speed, and scared other riders on nore than one occasion.
 
god scary!so relieved you are ok!! It is terrifying when you get completed blinded by the sun but no excuse to be going that fast in that case, especially on a country lane FFS!!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
A warning to us all not to ride out when the sun is bright and low.

[/ QUOTE ]

And also not to ride and lead in a very narrow road. One horse under full control under saddle is enough to deal with in that situation.
 
You can Hi Viz all you like but a low sun can be lethal - I nearly got totally wiped out by a motorist who didn't see me on my bicycle. I broke my thigh and was pretty bashed. My bike was a crumpled wreck. The car lost its windscreen and ended up on the opposite pavement. I was lucky. Very lucky. And I never ride out in low sun.

So glad you are OK.
 
Thanks for all the replies and kind words The lane I ride down is not that narrow its used by artics going down to the pig farm and it now has passing places .Have been informed by local landowner that the driver is known for driving way too fast and has indeed been forced to stop more than once by him and his tractor. As far as riding and leading goes my horses are well used to it and very well behaved. Thankfully we are all ok and no harm done this time .Cant believe how shaken up I am ,didnt ride tonight
 
Hi again yeeharider,

Hope you're ok (along with other friends who've had similar scares - myself included).

Just an additional thought, if you wanted to identify the driver - it was a single track road, leading on to a track, so sounds like she's local to area? So someone local must know who she is? Local pub may know, or local shop? Neighbours? Why not spread the word? Her subsequent embarrassment may encourage her to drive more carefully and with more awareness in future?

Rather than the other alternative of you being too afraid to ride on a quiet country lane, which seems so wrong.

All bests, anyway, and to the rest of us who have to sometimes ride on roads (and with huge thanks to milk tanker drivers + other professional drivers for respecting horses in my area), BS x

PS: Apologies, only just seen your last post. Let's hope the tractor gets her next time!! x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top