Riding on a busy road.

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Steorra

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The horse I share is kept on a lovely private yard with a well surfaced outdoor school and a flat paddock for riding in. However there is only five acres in total so though I am welcome to ride in any of the empty paddocks it definitely doesn't count as a hack!

The yard gates open directly onto a busy road. It is one lane each way, fairly narrow, and national speed limit. It's long and straight so the visibility is good, but the cars do zip along.

200 yards down the road is a bridle path that leads onto miles of lovely hacking. So my question is: would you risk it?

It is the owner's decision in any case, and when she showed me the road on my first visit I said that hacking really wasn't a deal breaker - and it isn't. If I could only hack or only school I'd rather only school. I'm just interested to hear what you think. For the record there are a few other people on the yard, some hack, some don't.
 
As the bridleway is so close it would be a shame not to. I would wear LOTS of hi-viz and make sure that I timed my arrival/departure from the yard at the quietest time of day I could and then go for it! No road is ever 100% safe so you can only be as sensible and safety conscious as you can.
 
God i would definitely be hacking out - I could never just school - it's extremely dull boht for horse and rider (IMO) if that's all you do when you ride.

200yds is nothing and I assume the horse has hacked out there before and is good in traffic? You just have to take all necessary and sensible precautions - ie, wear high viz, know the rules of the road and maybe try avoid riding on the road at the busiest periods of the day if possible. At the end of the day i often find these types of road can be safer than 'country lanes' where the visibility is often not so good.

However, at the end of the day it is entirely your choice. riding on busy roads does not worry me at all but then my horse doesn't mind either. I have another pony who's not so good with large goods vehicles BUT if I was situated on a busy road and had to ride on it to get to the bridleways he's sure as hell would get used to it!!!
 
Is the horse good in traffic? Yes I think I would risk it to get to the bridlepath but go out with someone else and wear lots of hi viz so you can be seen. If it makes you more confident also have someone on foot who can walk by the side of you for the first few times xx
 
Does the horse do it with anyone else? If the horse is good in traffic cover boht yourselves in hi-viz and go a short way as a warm-down one day after hacking. In company (even if they are on foot) if possible. See how it feels.

If horse isn't good in traffic/is untested then personally I'd rather owner tried first (although good idea for you to have rider insurance anyway).

IMO most horses really benefit from hacking both in terms of fitness, bond with you and general interest.

Good luck!
 
we ride out nearly everyday on main roads for about half amile untill we hit the lanes.
yesterday we ended up meeting 2 artics which didnt take there foot of the throttle and 4 eight wheelers. my horse spooked not at them but the bird in the tree:rolleyes:
if your horse is good definetly do it and more you do the more you and your horse will build confidence.
 
Thanks so much everyone for your advice!

The horse has actually not been ridden on this road before, and the owner and I don't really know if she is good in traffic. She has been recently acquired and we don't have a full picture of her history. She is not nasty in any way but generally quite highly strung.

I fully agree that hacking would be very good for her brain (and mine!) and in my experience it is a great way of having fun and bonding with a horse. In terms of variation when she is in full work (but that's another story) she will be doing a combination of dressage, jumping, pottering around the paddocks and being taken out (ie boxed) either hacking or competing most weekends.

Do you think this would be enough to keep her happy?

Like I said the hacking issue is down to the owner to decide, but I am trying to make up my mind which way to go with it when we discuss things. If it was my old boy I would high vis us both to the eyeballs, ride early on a Sunday morning, and go for it. But then I know he is 100% in traffic.

I'm just rambling now! Thanks again.
 
Not quite sure from what you said as to whether the horse's owner is saying you can or can't ride down the road?
But if he/she is happy about it, and the horse is good in traffic, go for it. Nothing bores horses more than riding round and round their own field(s) and you say you have miles of bridleways etc after that 200 yards. Why don't you ask, at least initially, if you could join one of the other hackers?
 
i would say go for it as well but seeing as you don't know what the horse is like in the traffic then maybe just hack down and back with a safe horse from the yard. failing that one of you ride and the other walks making a point to slow the traffic down so the person riding can focus on the horse instead, you will know if she's safe or not after the first go but at least you will have the safety of another person/horse with you.

although saying what is the horse like when vehicles drive past/on to the yard?
 
My yard is exactly the same, straight out on to a busy twisty road. We have about 30 acres to ride on but it gets a bit samey and we have fantastic bridleways within half a mile either side. I would definitely be hacking out as long as the horse is good in traffic, I would pick the time of day carefully, I avoid rush hour like the plague, make sure you are hi vizzed to the max and also dont forget about low sun, choose your times and routes meticulously! Ane have fun!
 
I would ask the local Highways departent to erect triangular Horse Warning Signs. I would also suggest you take the BHS Road Safety Course and exam.
Always wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that other road users can see your hand signals more clearly.
Is theer any chance of getting an off road track from your yard to the bridleway?
 
PeterNatt, the road signs are a really good idea, and something we may well take up. We (horse's owner and I) are also planning to arm ourselves with a nice bottle of whiskey and see if we can come to some agreement with the farmer who owns the field opposite the yard entrance. Wish me luck everyone :)
 
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