riding in the town yes or no??

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wildpoppywild

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i often ride in the town a live its not a big busy town or anything. but i like the wee route i go
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i am always polite to drivers will pull in and stop in passing place to let them pass. always say thank you etc. and well im shocked at how drivers have been acting towards me recently, i actually had someone speed up towards me on a narrow road almost hit my leg they were so close. i had someone rev their engine behind me the other day and scared Ab's
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the scowls you get are crazy. even when i let people pass i dont get a thank you or anything.

is it wrong for me to ride in the town, as i say im always curteous (sp) to drivers wear reflectives etc. have i got it all wrong?? are horses not allowed in country towns??
 
I'd ride through one
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. We went through a village the other day, everyone was lovely, apart from one embittered old bat
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.

I don't think there are any laws stopping you riding in a town...
 
they never used to be as bad, dunno if its people who have just moved here since all the new housing was put in? an there maybe not quite used to country life yet lol!! but surely its common sense not to rev ur engine behind a horse?
 
You have every right to be there, so if you enjoy the ride keep doing it! As you said you're always courteous and let people past whenever you can. The drivers just can't cope with getting to their destination a fraction later!
 
I regularly ride through the centre of Richmond to get to the park. I have to ride an hour through London to get there, even across the A4 and past the crown court.

All you can do is be polite and try to minimise the wait, if drivers don't like it bollocks to them!

I get so pissed off with people knocking my stirrup or beeping their horns. It really annoys me!
 
As far as I am aware horses can legally use all roads (few exception like motorways) you are required to follow road rules like a car, and it is actually illegal to ride on the pavement.
Sadly there are alot of rude ignorant people/drivers out there. So just keep smiling and thanking people and hope none of the idiots hit you / scare the horse.

I wouldn't let them stop me, I think we need to defend out right to ride where we like and fight the dominace of cars as a means of transport (enviromentalist in me coming out sorry).

Near where I live some people have started hacking to the shops, they hitch their horses to the rail in carpark spaces leave the daughter on guard and go shopping packing it all into saddle bags. I spoke to them one day, they do it to make a point rather than convenience as you can't buy anything that needs refrigerating or is breakable i.e. eggs!
 
I think sometimes it can actually be safer to ride on 'main' roads through towns etc as there are speed limits - country lanes can be terrifying, and its not as if most boy racers there are exactly courteous
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yep I think it's brill, really good for getting them out seeing stuff and just getting used to the world and in general switching off a bit, my horse was better in the town for all the traffic compared to the tiny back roads wheere cars zoooooomed past. In the town we could happily have double decker buses, artic wagons, swingy shop signs, market stalls, dustbin wagons.......

Only advice would be to make progress where the taffic gets blocked easily - so just trot on and thank people that let you through when its your right of way - and follow everything you would normally if you were a car (ie. stop at red lights, give way if your side of the road is blocked), yardy ya - and pull over every now and then to let any traffic thats piled up behind you past. Other than than i think it's really good for them and brilliant exericse. just keep your eyes open for small children and rubbish which might get caught by the wind.....
 
I ride around the centre of Bath. I think people are so shocked to see a horse they all stop. I wouldn't do it though if my horse wasn't good in traffic, and there aren't really any bridleways anyway.
 
Ooh I wonder if your one of the people who rides past our house! I've always wondered where they keep their horses.
 
My old horses Gypsy and Spot lived on a city farm in Leeds so they were only ever ridden in the town and it wasn't ever really a problem because they were used to it. That said I was sensible about where I took them and at what times of day to avoid the busiest and most congested areas.
 
see i live in a small town in the borders no traffic light no congestion or anything lol a real country town an there still a***es about it there loadsa folk who ride on the roads round here
 
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Ooh I wonder if your one of the people who rides past our house! I've always wondered where they keep their horses.

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Depends where you live
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Used to hack around Central London. Speed limit was 30 m.p.h apart from Park Lane which was 40 m.p.h. Hardly ever had a problem with motorists.

I always wear a Hi-Viz long sleeved jacket so that other road users can see my hand signals from a distance.
 
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