Passed yet more riders who didn't thank me for slowing down

[npage123]

Rant - sorry.

I really can't believe that there are still horse riders out hacking who do not make any sort of effort whatsoever to thank drivers who slow down for them. The 2 horses who I passed the other day seemed to be very good on the road - no spooking about or not even 'looking' at stuff much - so there was no excuse for the riders to not make some sort of effort to say thanks to at least one of us three 3 cars passing them.

I always slow down to a crawl when passing riders (and that's what I always wished so badly would happen when I used to do roadwork). I'm completely taken aback if none of the riders nod a thanks, lift a quick hand to say thanks or often not even making eye contact with me. Do they really not realise how annoyed this would make car/lorry drivers who already feel as if horses ought not to be on public roads!

(I couldn't shout out the window to them that they should have thanked me for slowing down as I've had flu for 2 weeks now and have not voice at all - they wouldn't have heard my whispering at ll.)

 

[lindsay1993]

I always thank and acknowledge drivers who slow down. However, the lady I sometimes hack out with never does. It bugs me so much, as she's the first to write a complaint or e-mail to someone if they don't slow down enough, but fails to thank the ones who do.

 

[Goldenstar]

I of course slow down for horses , but I don't give a rats behind if the riders thank me I just can't understand why people get so worked up about it .

 

[supsup]

Well, I always thank drivers as best I can (sometimes not a good idea to take a hand off the reins...), but I still would not expect any other road user (cyclist, horse rider, pedestrian) to thank me every time I drive past them when I'm in my car. They have a right to use the road, and to be treated considerately, it's not a concession I have to make out of the goodness of my heart. I am aware that many drivers don't think that way though, so I will continue to smile and wave while on the horse in an attempt to keep up good relations with the rest of the driving public.

 

[Kat]

Perhaps you just didn't see them wave thanks. There is quite a time while you are passing when you can't see any hand signals given due to the rider being above the height of the window.

 

[npage123]

This is a possibility what sometimes happens, but on the most recent occasion (and the occasion that prompted me writing about it) where I wasn't acknowledged, my OH was in the car with me and he didn't see any form of a thank you either.

I really just feel that if I as a car driver show a horse rider courtesy, then they can make a bit of an 'effort' too. I'm a rider myself and completely understand that it's not always possible to e.g. lift a hand with the rein still in the hand to thank a driver, but a quick nod of the head to thank someone who went out of their way to slow down, really isn't much to ask for at all.

 

[HashRouge]

Although as a rider I always used to say thank you to cars, it doesn't bother me as a driver whether I'm thanked or not. Obviously it's nice to get a thank you, especially if you've had to wait for quite a while, but I don't understand the assumption that you ought to be thanked for obeying the rules of the road. Also, if someone is hacking down a road with a fairly regular flow of traffic, can they really be expected to say thank you to every single car that goes past them?!

 

[ester]

Although as a rider I always used to say thank you to cars, it doesn't bother me as a driver whether I'm thanked or not. Obviously it's nice to get a thank you, especially if you've had to wait for quite a while, but I don't understand the assumption that you ought to be thanked for obeying the rules of the road. Also, if someone is hacking down a road with a fairly regular flow of traffic, can they really be expected to say thank you to every single car that goes past them?!

You can start to feel a bit like a nodding dog if you do! No one else is expected to say thanks for waiting/not driving into me

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I of course slow down for horses , but I don't give a rats behind if the riders thank me I just can't understand why people get so worked up about it .

Maybe it is because we can guess what a non horsey person would think!
That is for example: driver gets peed off being behind horses. .......riders do not thank him when under duress he passes wide and slow. So next time driver meets a group of horses he thinks, "Sod that next time I wont slow down."

Results maybe catastrophic or bad injury to horse or rider.

I always thank a driver if :

They slowed down or stop
Turned the radio down
Or passed wide
Turned the siren off. ( police ambulance etc )
Turned machinery off. (Lawn mower hedge cutter etc )

It is comon courtesy

I either nod or raise my hand, it is no different than thanking a car who waves you on or lets you go.



As per my quote:
{ It cost nothing to say thankyou to a car
It could cost the life of your horse if you don't}

 

[Fidgety]

Perhaps you just didn't see them wave thanks. There is quite a time while you are passing when you can't see any hand signals given due to the rider being above the height of the window.

It's always possible to raise a hand when the car has passed to the front of you when they can see you in the rear view mirror, or if they are traveling towards you to at least meet their eyes, smile, mouth a thank you (or as has happened to me, rolled my eyes in a jokey way and mouthed a 'sorry'). As HGA says, my/A N Other's perceived lack of road manners might well be the reason that that particular driver doesn't slow down for the next horse...

I do get cross when my courtesy towards any road user isn't acknowledged - to me, it's no different than waltzing past somebody who has held the door open for you and not acknowledging their existence. It's manners - and now I feel like my grandmother for bemoaning the lack of them 'these days' ;-)

 

[Kat]

It's always possible to raise a hand when the car has passed to the front of you when they can see you in the rear view mirror, or if they are traveling towards you to at least meet their eyes, smile, mouth a thank you (or as has happened to me, rolled my eyes in a jokey way and mouthed a 'sorry'). As HGA says, my/A N Other's perceived lack of road manners might well be the reason that that particular driver doesn't slow down for the next horse...

I do get cross when my courtesy towards any road user isn't acknowledged - to me, it's no different than waltzing past somebody who has held the door open for you and not acknowledging their existence. It's manners - and now I feel like my grandmother for bemoaning the lack of them 'these days' ;-)

Agreed but often people don't time it right. The other week my OH was ranting about a group of riders not thanking him until I pointed out that they had just while he couldn't see them but I could from the passenger side.

The lady that carriage drives and I groom with says her husband reckons she always waves thanks at the wrong time so drivers can't see her even though she is really careful to thank people.

Roll on summer when windows are open and tops are down so we can just shout "thanks"

 

[Achinghips]

I always thank drivers who slow or stop out of courtesy, but I don't care whether they thank me or not, drivers have a responsibility to be courteous but more importantly to obey the Highway Code, which does not stipulate riders have to thank drivers for obeying the law. On a busy bumper to bumper street you can't thank everyone .....

 

[claireannejames]

Yes, this drives me nuts - that people get wound up about being thanked!!! Do you expect every cyclist to thank you when you pass them? Every car that stops at a T junction, do you wave at them as you pass? No - because it's the rules of the road. I drive and wouldn't expect riders to thank me for passing WIDE and SLOW it's in the highway code. I thank people when I'm riding if they've had to wait for a space in oncoming traffic to pass, just as I would if another driver let me out at a junction for example. Otherwise I do it when I can but sometimes there's too much traffic to wave at everyone, and in that case why should car drivers get all stroppy just because they aren't getting their due share of deferential grovelling from those of us who dare have our horses on the road!!!

 

[claireannejames]

.....also, I DON'T thank drivers who slow from 40 or 50mph to 30mph and think they are doing all they should because they've passed wide, nor do I thank those who slow to 15mph but squeeze past with oncoming traffic less than a couple of feet from my right stirrup. Which is MOST DRIVERS!!!!

 

[elsielouise]

I have just started riding and leading with my young son on the road. We don't have more than 200 m before a bridle path and I keep him on the lead rein even tho he is competent off as I simply don't trust traffic to give him the room he needs if not tucked right inside me and my mare.

Anyway - we always thank drivers. I've taught him to make eye contact with the driver and smile instead of waving. I also smile and thank drivers but he gets waves back. Whether it's 'our right' to be riding two abreast on the road or not I don't care, what I do care is that we are safe and if it costs a smile a second. I'm happy to ride round with a big grin the whole time!

 

[applecart14]

You can start to feel a bit like a nodding dog if you do! No one else is expected to say thanks for waiting/not driving into me

^This^ I just LOL in the office. You are quite right Ester