Riding ‘on the buckle’... minor rant

stormox said:
Suppose it was the other way around - you are riding or walking along a narrow track and a motorcyclist (or cyclist) came towards you with no hands on the handlebars. We all know the bike can be steered by weight and balance - but would you expect them to put their hands on the handlebars to pass you?
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If they were tracking straight and not waggling, I can't honestly say it would worry me. I mean, if they were on a busy road with children playing / likely to run out, I'd think it unwise lest the child runs under them - but on a quiet road? Their business. TBH, half the cars that pass are being driven by people on their phones which is probably worse (and, indeed illegal).

As for reassuring people - when people routinely have control of their yappy little mutts, I might care a bit more about placating their wobbles. That said, I'm not sure I've met a walker who has looked remotely threatened by my horses regardless of what I'm doing with reins - they usually either want to pat the pony or make inane comments about the weather. I'm happy to facilitate either.
 
I think riding a horse is a bit like driving a car, its not only your actions that you have to take in to consideration but everything and everyone that is arround you. So if an accident happens you can defend your actions.
I can not see how venting no matter how rude the stranger confronting you is makes a situation better. I would have listened, unless they were violent, thanked them for their opinion poilitely and walked off.
If this had happpened in our viilage, the chances are she would have been straight down the PC , telling them how rude and irresponsible the rider was, next step an article in the PC magazine,and whether its valid or not it gives the impression riders do not care about other users.
We have very few bridleways and byways and what there are are often cut in half by housing estates and A roads. If we want more access we have to share, and if we want councils to support us we have to show that we are respectful of other users, we are the minority.
How much easier is it to give funding to a route where the users, can be older people walking, or mum or dad with two children out for an afternoons bike ride, there are also more of them. Someone on 500kg of animal who's eye level is about 3ft above yours is intimidating, you may not think so but its is.
When the kids were small I spent a lot of time walking round our large commutor village on their old shaggy pony, going places where usually ponies do not go. We went to the pub, the village shop, talked to pensioners in their gardens, stood and grazed the ponies on the village green talking to people and basically went out of our way not to come across as entitled snobs.
There was a huge discussion about equines going under the under pass, the ROW went up to it both ends but the underpass was not part of the ROW, the village was split by what is now virtually a motorway. So we need people on our side. My mantra is be polite to everyone because you never know who you are talking to.
I watched three horses going down a track that goes past our house today, its not a bridleway, they were not ploddy donkey types and yes no matter how confident they were in their horse I would want them to take up the reins and have a contact if I was walking on that was a footpath which is maintained by the PC and the drainage board. I know why they were on it, because its the only link back to the village that is not on a busy road.
If you can not relax your hands, elbows and shoulders to give your horse a neck stretch whilist still having a contact, well its something I taught my daughters to do and they could even do on a TB with a fussy mouth.
 
Sugarplum said:
Equally.... how are riders meant to know how well trained a human is around horses? Especially those with dogs/cycles/cars/guns.

Get a grip people.

Get a grip.

It's a 500kg beast (there or therabouts) that is capable of wrecking anything to shreds yet has sufficient training to carry a lump on it's back and a metal thing between it's gums and walking through all manner of manmade claptrap without so much of a sigh even. You're telling me some dipshit walking along the lane needs absolute reassurance they are safe???

Are you a millennial?
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Well if that's how it's going to be...

Ok boomer
 
Riders have long bent backwards to give way to ignorant non-riders.

so much so, we have lost access and rights and have been forced in to roads and unhappy arrangements with other folk wanting to use the countryside for other pursuits.

whilst I’m in agreement that people should have control of a their horses, that is their prerogative. I’m not going to be held responsible for every hyperventilating namby pamby pedestrian that thinks my horse is about to eat them.

plus... these new “downhill bikers” that think they own bridle ways now... seriously now... you are all complete bumnuts.

horses were here first, whilst we try and be polite about our four legged afflictions, we shoulndt be held accountable for society’s mental issues about our existence.
 
I think I've only sworn at another road user once in many many years (i don't count muttering under my breath!) He stopped on a blind bend to shout at me for asking him to reconsider overtaking on said bend. I said "Don't stop on a blind bend". He said "I'll stop wherever I f'ing like", so I politely informed him that he was an utter dickhead.
I usually opt for educational chats- some more firm than others
 
honetpot said:
I think riding a horse is a bit like driving a car, its not only your actions that you have to take in to consideration but everything and everyone that is arround you. So if an accident happens you can defend your actions.
I can not see how venting no matter how rude the stranger confronting you is makes a situation better. I would have listened, unless they were violent, thanked them for their opinion poilitely and walked off.
If this had happpened in our viilage, the chances are she would have been straight down the PC , telling them how rude and irresponsible the rider was, next step an article in the PC magazine,and whether its valid or not it gives the impression riders do not care about other users.
We have very few bridleways and byways and what there are are often cut in half by housing estates and A roads. If we want more access we have to share, and if we want councils to support us we have to show that we are respectful of other users, we are the minority.
How much easier is it to give funding to a route where the users, can be older people walking, or mum or dad with two children out for an afternoons bike ride, there are also more of them. Someone on 500kg of animal who's eye level is about 3ft above yours is intimidating, you may not think so but its is.
When the kids were small I spent a lot of time walking round our large commutor village on their old shaggy pony, going places where usually ponies do not go. We went to the pub, the village shop, talked to pensioners in their gardens, stood and grazed the ponies on the village green talking to people and basically went out of our way not to come across as entitled snobs.
There was a huge discussion about equines going under the under pass, the ROW went up to it both ends but the underpass was not part of the ROW, the village was split by what is now virtually a motorway. So we need people on our side. My mantra is be polite to everyone because you never know who you are talking to.
I watched three horses going down a track that goes past our house today, its not a bridleway, they were not ploddy donkey types and yes no matter how confident they were in their horse I would want them to take up the reins and have a contact if I was walking on that was a footpath which is maintained by the PC and the drainage board. I know why they were on it, because its the only link back to the village that is not on a busy road.
If you can not relax your hands, elbows and shoulders to give your horse a neck stretch whilist still having a contact, well its something I taught my daughters to do and they could even do on a TB with a fussy mouth.
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Agree 100%
 
Regarding educational chats: Me, "Please don't put your child/baby onto that (loose, grazing in the open forest) New Forest pony!" answer: "Mind your own Effing business"! My response: " Ok, see you at the local hospital then". There are those who have absolutely NO regard for their personal or family's safety!
 
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