riders on the roads

[lovecharles]

Was coming home from study period at school today.

I was very surprised to see a girl riding an arab round the island on a main road! The horse looked a bit wound up, and she was riding almost in the middle of the road. No Hi-Viz. We passed her twice as i was dropping a friend off. Both times I slowed right down, and passed wide, and she didn't wave or thank me. If that was another driver, they prehaps wouldn't slow for the next rider. It's so annoying to make an effort and not be thanked. I ALWAYS thank or wave drivers that slow and pass wide, and try to stay in from the middle of the road. Is this just having a moan or does it annoy anyone else?

 

[charlie55]

Thats nothing, i passed a girl the other day riding a horse that was jogging sideways on the road, she was leading another horse, had no hat on and was holding a bottle of wkd!!! Stupid cow!

 

[lovecharles]

omg! stupid woman! do they have NO idea lol!

 

[lauraandjack]

Grrr people who do things like this make me MAD!

At the end of my mum and dad's road is a livery yard, so they get lots of horses riding up and down the road, mostly kids I might add. The number that are riding with no hat, never mind hi viz and often in poor light (even outright darkness) is just plain scary. But of course it would be a massive tragedy if one of these little darlings were involved in an accident (I just feel sorry for the horses).

Riders should always, always thank drivers that slow down, even if your horse is good in traffic the next one they meet may not be! Even if you can't take a hand off the reins a smile and nod goes a long way.

 

[3BayGeldings]

Dont even get me started

I make such an effort to say thank you to people who bother to slow down and pass wide, but when they dont i often dont blame them! Chances are they've taken the time to slow down for a woman like that in the past, have received no thanks and therefore dont bother to do it again in the future.

Winds me up SO much!

 

[lauraandjack]

I also cannot understand why so few people seem to wear hi vis.

Better yellow than dead.

 

[teddyt]

[ QUOTE ]
Thats nothing, i passed a girl the other day riding a horse that was jogging sideways on the road, she was leading another horse, had no hat on and was holding a bottle of wkd!!! Stupid cow!

[/ QUOTE ]

and disgusted

 

[Fizzimyst]

[ QUOTE ]
Thats nothing, i passed a girl the other day riding a horse that was jogging sideways on the road, she was leading another horse, had no hat on and was holding a bottle of wkd!!! Stupid cow!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh my god! What on earth is with some people

 

[happyhack]

it pi55es me off too. I was driving behind a rider on a big wound up chestnut cob the other day at the brow of a hill on a bend and she started waving at me furiously to overtake her!!!!! Needless to say I didnt!!

I overtook her in a safe place, no smile, nod or wave!! I pulled up ahead of her and said to her that she shoudlnt wave cars past like that as if there was an accident that resulted in her waving, she could be held liable for some of the costs. I also gave her a ticking off about not being courteous towards drivers. She got all defensive saying that her horse was being naughty etc etc and I said that a smile and a nod is always acceptable. I left on good terms though, the horse is a newly gelded 5 year old who was feeling a bit full of himself and I complimented her on him as he was absolutely stunning.

 

[Kenzo]

If there is one thing I can't stand about horse riders on roads (whilst we are on the subject) is ignorant riders that don't smile, nod or waive (none them cost anything or need too much effort) when drivers slow down to pass them.

Ok so it's common sense to slow down when passing a large unpredictable animal on the road, after all it could make a nasty mess of your car bonnet but car drivers are less likely to do so next time if you don't acknowledge them in some way to say... oh yes, i noticed you slowed down, thank you very much sir etc.

The ones that insist on riding 2 abreast on narrow roads through villages with blind bends yakking away to themselves holding all the traffic up without a care in the world or any concern for anyone else really annoy me, when all it takes is to go single file for 30 seconds or pull in to let the long stream of traffic go by, no wonder drivers get peeved off when they see horse riders because they have done it to me before and I just think ignorant set of so and so's.

Yes Kenzo is having another moan, Loose Women eat your heart out, I'm putting the world to rights today.

 

[diggerbez]

although sometimes those people riding two abreast might 'look' like ignorant so and sos but really be having a panic attack that horse is about to explode underneath them! i ony say this as i am just in the process of introducing my baby horse to roads and we go two abreast EVERYWHERE! this is because that whilst he looks (and indeed is mostly) very quiet and plodding along quietly he's terrified of things like puddles and so will suddenly leap in the middle of the road with no warning and so having nanny horse next to him stops me from getting squished. i may be a bit paranoid about this though as actually did get run into once when some stupid woman was trying to squeeze past my horse and he spooked and ended up on her bonnet- now i am terrified of drivers and roads

FWIW tho i do always try to shout thanks to courteous drivers!

 

[Kenzo]

[ QUOTE ]
although sometimes those people riding two abreast might 'look' like ignorant so and sos but really be having a panic attack that horse is about to explode underneath them! i ony say this as i am just in the process of introducing my baby horse to roads and we go two abreast EVERYWHERE! this is because that whilst he looks (and indeed is mostly) very quiet and plodding along quietly he's terrified of things like puddles and so will suddenly leap in the middle of the road with no warning and so having nanny horse next to him stops me from getting squished. i may be a bit paranoid about this though as actually did get run into once when some stupid woman was trying to squeeze past my horse and he spooked and ended up on her bonnet- now i am terrified of drivers and roads

FWIW tho i do always try to shout thanks to courteous drivers!

[/ QUOTE ]

I my self have a young horse and ride spooky types so I do understand and appreciate the importance of like you say having nanny horse and riding two abreast but trust me the ones I've having a grumble about do not fall into that category....I'm just on about plain ignorant riders.

 

[diggerbez]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
although sometimes those people riding two abreast might 'look' like ignorant so and sos but really be having a panic attack that horse is about to explode underneath them! i ony say this as i am just in the process of introducing my baby horse to roads and we go two abreast EVERYWHERE! this is because that whilst he looks (and indeed is mostly) very quiet and plodding along quietly he's terrified of things like puddles and so will suddenly leap in the middle of the road with no warning and so having nanny horse next to him stops me from getting squished. i may be a bit paranoid about this though as actually did get run into once when some stupid woman was trying to squeeze past my horse and he spooked and ended up on her bonnet- now i am terrified of drivers and roads

FWIW tho i do always try to shout thanks to courteous drivers!

[/ QUOTE ]

I my self have a young horse and ride spooky types so I do understand and appreciate the importance of like you say having nanny horse and riding two abreast but trust me the ones I've having a grumble about do not fall into that category....I'm just on about plain ignorant riders.

[/ QUOTE ]

oh its ok...i was just checking

i do know the 'type' you mean!

 

[Kenzo]

Yes sorry

I guess my winge might of come across the wrong way, I mean riders with reins like washing lines, too busy talking about last nights X Factor contestants, one hand on there hip and the occasional puff of smoke that pops out from under the riding hats lol, the sort of thing you do when you get off the roads and onto the tracks.

 

[ester]

depends on the road I am on, our lanes we are generally all super civil, pull in/trot on for cars etc and vice versa on main road it is a bit different.

I always try to thank but on main road prefer not to take hand off reins, my pone is fab in traffic but cannot always be trusted with a hedgerow etc, though he is less spooky on a busier road I figure it only takes a split second for him to spook at something and hence taking a hand off is not the best idea for me as a car comes past so I will nod and smile (or grimace depending on situation!). I do doubt whether many of those driving on the A38 would actually notice that I am nodding, I wonder if as horse riders we are actually paying much more attention to the horse and rider than other drivers and we notice it more, I find most drivers on this straight road which is 30mph barely notice me and by the time I nod and smile are well gone! I don't know, just a thought.

Also depending on distance travelled down the main road I believe I could be at serious risk of an RSI (repetitive strain injury)!

big GRrrrrrrrrrr at the no hi vis though, no excuse for that and highly irresponsible IMO.

 

[AmyMay]

If the horse was wound up then perhaps it wasn't safe for her to remove her hand from the rein to thank you?????

 

[E_Lister]

I tend to nod, smile, wave and mouth thankyou all at the same time to the vast majority of vehicles (the only exceptions being when they zoom past less than a metre away at 50 MPH). My friends think is is quite funny to see (they stick to one or two options) and even funnier as I also do it when I am cycling and even sometimes when walking along th footpath simply out of habit!

 

[megwan1]

the other day my dad was driving the crop sprayer down the road and came across two women on horses so because he knew where they'd be turning off the road and cos the sprayer is loud he stopped and turned the engine off til they'd turned off and i quote when he got home " the stupid b1tches didnt even acknowledge it" he was not amused! it doesnt hurt to nod or wave it gives a good impression.... as 4 hi-vis people want to check their insurance as many won't be valid if they arent wearing any! actually same for hats!