Poor Standards

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Dunno

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Hi
Wondering if any one can point me in the right direction i have been in touch with the BHS the pony club and neither want to know or so it appears!

The problem is that i keep seing a group of riders with out safety hats and using mobile phones whilst riding on a busy country road, it is always in the same stretch of road and i believe from the local farm as they have horses on a reign

These are very young riders and i feel that an accident is waiting to happen as i have seen this so many times now as i drive this road frequently.

I would be gutted if something happened and i had not done something, So i would appreciate any guidance, as i am not a rider or know much about the equestrian world, all though i am an instructor in several other sports !

Thanks everyone in anticipation!

Dunno
 
if the riders are over the age of 14... then there is no legal requirements for them to wear a hat so unfortunatly not a lot you can really do. As annoying as it is, and blatently dangerous.. theres not alot you can do.

Lou x
 
you could ask the police to go and have a friendly word, say that a concerned motorist has made a complaint.
if they're under 14 they're supposed to have a hat on.
i don't think there's much else you can do, unfortunately.

btw, they might well take heed.... someone whose house i used to ride past made a complaint to my mother (i was about 24 at the time!!!) because i rode past hatless (it was a horse i really trusted, and i was being a bit slack tbh). i know, i know, big smacks etc.
he told mother that he was a head injuries specialist at the local hospital, and implored her to beg me to always wear my hat on the roads... as he didn't want to see me on the operating table in front of him 1 day.
it made an impression. i always wear a hat now.
 
Hi,

I am not sure that there is much you can to be honest. I don't think that it is actually a legal requirement to wear hard hats when riding, as yet. Unless they were members of the BHS or PC on an organised activity (and hard hats are de rigeur at those, H&S and all that) then those organisations can do little about it either, much as they might like to.

These will not be Riding School clients (H&S, insurance)
I suppose you could try to talk to the riders concerned or visit the farm to voice your concerns, you could mention that insurance will be void if not wearing appropriate headgear, but, (no offence, I understand where you are coming from) be prepared to get told that you are an interfering busybody.

You may have the best of intentions but they may not see it as such, at least if you speak to them if something happens your conscience is clear, it'll be some poor passerby in a car that gets hurt, not them...Sods Law
 
i dont think a hat is a legal requirement on the road riding (yet) but a bridle is?! you could stop and point out the pit falls of lack of hats or call into the farm wher they are kept and voice your concerns!
 
Lets not interfere with people too much. The roads are full of cars with defective lights, defective tyres, drivers who are uninsured, untaxed and unlicensed. But little seems to be said or done about them. Personally I would rather see them targetted, and speed limits on rural roads reduced to 40mph max and less in certain areas. This is a far bigger problem.

You know, theres part of me that admires the fact that there are still young people out and about in this country prepared to take what are now seen as risks that used to be commonplace just maybe 20 years ago. When we did such things as jump bareback, ride our ponies from the field in headcollars, etc.. They are slightly increasing their risk but are still going to be much healthier in the long run than those young people who have never played outside, handled an animal or done anything that is not strictly controlled and risk assessed.

IMHO the blame culture has gone way too far in this country and these people are doing nothing illegal. The onus is still on drivers to avoid hitting people, not on those to avoid being hit. As a solicitor, there would be a minimal % deduction for contributory negligence should a driver hit a rider not wearing a hat but it would not negate the driver's breach of duty of care in hitting them. So lets not have non-lawyers dictating the law.

As you are an instructor in several other spors, you are probably more likely to be so in a situation where you are employed or contracted as such. It is more than likely that these people are riding their own privately owned horses or those belonging to others under private arrangements, and are not subject to any of the strict requirements that you are.
 
Thanks for your comments; I can’t believe that your governing bodies do not want to know!

And why should I be fined and loose my job if I use my phone whilst driving and yet a horse rider can get a way with it! As they say the Law is an A**E!

Sorry but I could not forgive my self if anything happened to a child, I feel sure that this is from a riding school that is Pony Club registered, and if I am correct innocent people are going to them with their children in good faith expecting a high standard, and if they are flouting the standards in head gear etc, where else are they doing it!

Most establishments I have seen have novice riders lead on the road whilst the instructor walks beside the horse, not this place they ride another horse with 2 pupils behind on reigns and a couple of times when the air brakes have gone off the horse is spooked!

I do not feel that I can confront the establishment as I appreciate that the comment will be what do I know! Which is true hence the reason I have posted this thread !

I did find out from the Pony Club that if they where involved in an accident whilst not wearing their safety helmet it would invalidate their insurance! So now I know where the saying came from “Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted”!

Thank you all once again
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for your comments; I can’t believe that your governing bodies do not want to know!

And why should I be fined and loose my job if I use my phone whilst driving and yet a horse rider can get a way with it! As they say the Law is an A**E!

[/ QUOTE ]

The law is applied as it stands and not as individuals would like it to be. You sound very emotional - I think it very unlikely you would lose your job for driving using a phone as it is unlikely to result in a ban without an additional complicating factor. NB there is no attribution of governing body here and therefore you cannot blame the organisations which you contacted if they have no responsibility. Riding, is one of many sports which it is possible to participate in without a governing body. If you saw a runner without reflective clothing running along the same road, would you expect English Athletics to do anything?

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry but I could not forgive my self if anything happened to a child, I feel sure that this is from a riding school that is Pony Club registered, and if I am correct innocent people are going to them with their children in good faith expecting a high standard, and if they are flouting the standards in head gear etc, where else are they doing it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Again, this is postulation and since the allegations you are making are quite serious it would be better if you had accurate facts to hand. I am not aware of any riding schools that are pony club registered. Some are registered with the local authority, but who knows if this is a riding school or a private livery yard!

[ QUOTE ]
Most establishments I have seen have novice riders lead on the road whilst the instructor walks beside the horse, not this place they ride another horse with 2 pupils behind on reigns and a couple of times when the air brakes have gone off the horse is spooked!

[/ QUOTE ]

Spooking cannot be irradicated. Horses are animals, not machines. There is no protocol for the use of lead reins.

[ QUOTE ]
I do not feel that I can confront the establishment as I appreciate that the comment will be what do I know! Which is true hence the reason I have posted this thread !

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably a good idea, some parents can be very sensitive of unknown adults appearing from nowhere and commenting on the activities of their children.

[ QUOTE ]
I did find out from the Pony Club that if they where involved in an accident whilst not wearing their safety helmet it would invalidate their insurance! So now I know where the saying came from “Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted”!

[/ QUOTE ]

This is simplistic. It would depend on the terms of the contract of insurance. As a solicitor, I would never comment on the terms of a contract I have not read. It may do, it may not do. It may be voidable and not void ab initio. It may introduce an element of contributory negligence. It may not.

If you really are that concerned, contact your local authority to see if there is a registered riding school in that area or phone the police (who will probably tell you there is nothing they can do). If they were going to do something, they would certainly investigate the actual facts in order to ascertain the veracity and to ensure they are not the comments of a person who has a hatred of horse riders on roads, which is not unknown.

It has already been established they are doing nothing illegal so I suggest if you think there is a real and genuine safety concern, contact your local authority to see if it is a registered riding school, or your local police. However, please be aware that not everyone has the same attitude towards strict regulation of "standards", and not everyone is subject to them. Sometimes you just have to be tolerant towards the other people who share this crowded island of ours otherwise you can end up causing yourself more trouble in the long run.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Lets not interfere with people too much. The roads are full of cars with defective lights, defective tyres, drivers who are uninsured, untaxed and unlicensed. But little seems to be said or done about them. Personally I would rather see them targetted, and speed limits on rural roads reduced to 40mph max and less in certain areas. This is a far bigger problem.

You know, theres part of me that admires the fact that there are still young people out and about in this country prepared to take what are now seen as risks that used to be commonplace just maybe 20 years ago. When we did such things as jump bareback, ride our ponies from the field in headcollars, etc.. They are slightly increasing their risk but are still going to be much healthier in the long run than those young people who have never played outside, handled an animal or done anything that is not strictly controlled and risk assessed.

IMHO the blame culture has gone way too far in this country and these people are doing nothing illegal. The onus is still on drivers to avoid hitting people, not on those to avoid being hit. As a solicitor, there would be a minimal % deduction for contributory negligence should a driver hit a rider not wearing a hat but it would not negate the driver's breach of duty of care in hitting them. So lets not have non-lawyers dictating the law.

As you are an instructor in several other spors, you are probably more likely to be so in a situation where you are employed or contracted as such. It is more than likely that these people are riding their own privately owned horses or those belonging to others under private arrangements, and are not subject to any of the strict requirements that you are.

[/ QUOTE ]
Hear Hear well said
smile.gif
smile.gif
 
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