Reported bus driver & Road Safety

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rachier

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Before Xmas, me and my friend with a young horse were on a hack on a local road which is meant to be a 30mph limit, however its long and straight so cars tend to come down it really fast.

My friends horse had been quite spooky already on the hack so we decided to go home - seeing a bus comin towards us doing about 50mph, we asked him to slow down using hand signal in highway code.

He looked and ignored us (he could probably see the panic as her got closer). My friends horse reared up and almost landed on me luckily she got a fright when she hit my horse and calmed down. Needless to say he slammed the breaks on when he saw what was going on.

Personally I think its inexcusable, especially because he will have passed advanced driving tests, and I rang to complain. The bus co manager assurred me that he would reprimand the driver accordingly.

It was a lucky escape, and makes you reconsider yours and your horses safety on the roads.

Does anyone know of any road safety groups or organisations I can join to raise the awareness of horses on the roads? Its such a shame that it is not safe on the road for us.
 
you should have rang the police also try local council. were you wearing fluorescent clothing ? i always hack out in a tabbard that says caution young horse on the front and please pass wide and slow on the back (i had to cut and saw two tabbards together), horse has fluorescent leg boots. insurance would see you in wrong if no fluorescent clothing was worn and there had been an accident.
 
It makes me so mad when professionals out on the roads act like this.
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A few years ago I was run off the road (whilst hacking) by a bus in the village I kept my horses and had hacked out in for years.

I got part of the plate and rang the bus company to complain. They were actually very helpful and apologetic, and the amazing thing was that for years afterwards I never had a problem with buses in the area
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They were all super friendly and patient! I think someone got a serious telling off
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We have quarter sheets, tabards and ride out in bright coats so there was no excuses.

It makes me sooooooo mad!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I was recently coming back from a hack and there is a dip in the road which often floods right over. I was approaching said flood when this complete idiot came hurtling right through it at about 25mph (doesn't sound fast but far too fast to be passing horse on single track road through deep puddle) and promptly soaked both me and Jack. Luckily he's fine in traffic and didn't mind at all but I took the plate of the car anyway and phoned the police as if it had been a different horse or day he could have cause a serious incident. Some drivers just don't appear to care.
 
If you know what company it was, it would be worth ringing them. I'm sure the drivers would all get a lecture of some sort at least - it really made a big difference for me, and even if you don't get the benefit of it, it may save someone else from going through the same or worse
 
some drivers are so stupid. i'm so evil with drivers that get too close lucky my jack is good on the road too. i carry a dressage whip with a flap at the end that i've put yellow tape on when cars go to pass i stick my whip out straight if they get too close they'll get a smack. very effective if they stop i act all inocent and upset that they hit my horse !
 
I hold a bus licence and trust me they are not advanced drivers! They have to undergo familiarisation training in a bus for around a week, then you take your test. I am a reasonable driver but nothing special. You should get the "fleet number" which will always be on the bus or the reg number, report it to the local bus depot,they will act on it, most are quite good.
 
Where we are now the bus drivers are fantastic, all of them without fail.
When we got Nelly over 20 years ago and kept her in a stables in a very rural village the story was very different. One day as we were leading her up from the field a bus came towards her, hitting the trees. My sister waved him down but he kept on coming, the mare broke the headcollar and took off down the road. I chased the mare while my sister danced in the middle of the road to stop the bus, only moving when she was too close to being run over! No-one hurt but the mare never did like buses.
 
things are so bad on roads round our area now that we are currentley doing articals in local papers and hope to local radio on board too
 
I am going to get shot down in flames here but - whilst the bus driver was at fauult for not slowing down, a couple of things concern me about your behaviour.
I would never take a young horse on a busy fast road which is also used as a bus route. It would be hacked on quiet roads and only ridden by very competent people.
You say the horse got spooky, it implies (may be wrong) that it was shying into the road and getting wound up. Also sounds like you were out of your depth.

I think you were not blameless in this incident and now potentially have a horse who is bad in traffic and/or scared of buses. You also could consider yourself lucky your young horse didn't sit on someone's bonnet and injure itself or a third party.
 
Hang on a minute though Siennamum. The young horse was out with another horse as a nanny. And *all* horses have the potential to be spooked by something. How are young horses going to learn if they don't go out with good safe company? And how do you know that this young horse hasn't been ridden on quiet roads for months and months before this incident?

What a harsh post when none of us know all the facts!

OP I'm just glad that you were all okay and nobody got hurt, horse or human.
 
You could well be right ISH and I could have read too much into the post. We shall have to wait and see what OP says.
I drive a lot though and have far more experience of bad behaviour from riders than I do dangerous driving when I'm riding. Car drivers are ignorant and I often get exasperated at how close they pass and their lack of understanding, BUT that's poor education, there needs to be more focus on the correct way to pass a horse.
It's my job as a rider to have well behaved horses, and the law that I am in control.
I have never had to turn round and go home because a horse is behaving unsafely, because I do the preparation before they go on the road and I will STOP the traffic if a dangerous situation might occur. (and often do so because I hack with my children)
I think when there is so much less tolerance towards horses on the road, we have to be far more responsible and accountable for our actions, for the sake of our horses if nothing else. Unfortunately because there are so many inexperienced riders about (and not taking about OP here) we now see some unbelievable sights on our roads, riders who simply shouldn't be out of the school on busy roads, on horses they can't control with no thought for safety.
 
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