Riding on a busy road...

C

crystalclear

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 December 2012
Messages
634
Visit site
Just wondered what others do. There's a main ish road by the stables which is a supposidly a 60mph road though some go much faster! There is no verge but there is some pull ins and I have a young horse. I've been riding up there side by side with someone riding my other mare. I've found that if you go one behind another the cars do not slow down at all.

You have to go along this road only a short distance to get to beautiful hacking. We have been riding side by side which had made cars actually notice us and most have slowed down. However, with summer approaching there will be many more massive coaches and buses using the road. This concerns me. So would you:

A) ride side by side and get buses to stop/slow down (though most don't understand the hand signal for 'slow down'!)

B) Take up most of the road so any large vehicle has to slow down and then trot to a pull in

C) Don't ride up the road in summer

D) Something else...?
 
I would get my horse used to traffic so I could be confident that riding single file will not be an issue (in hi vis etc) and get along it as quickly as possible if no alternative.

There is no hand signal for "slow down". In the HWC, the arm waving commonly used for slow down actually indicates that you are planning on slowing down, not that you wish others to do so.
 
We ride side by side on a road like that near us as otherwise cars force their way through tiny gaps :mad:

It depends on the time of day I suppose, we try to miss rush hours but if a constantly busy road I would say trot side by side until off the road, and wear so much high vis they could see you from space :o so no excuses for drivers!
 
C) We live in a beautiful area that tourists like to visit in summer. I do not always have the luxury of a companion, so for me, it is C) do not use that road in summer :(
 
Ernie, this is what we have experienced too. We always wear high vis. My youngster is good in traffic with cars and vans but has not seen many double decker buses or coaches. The problem is it is a fast road. I stand her up there often when I know buses are coming just to show her then but it's hard to get her used to buses as I don't have one to hand
 
I would ride in single file - but not right to the side of the road, more towards the middle. That will encourage the drivers to slow down and give you a "escape space"
 
EllenJay said:
I would ride in single file - but not right to the side of the road, more towards the middle. That will encourage the drivers to slow down and give you a "escape space"
Click to expand...

^^^ This, I'd also try to pick a quieter time of day to ride out, make sure you've got decent hi vis on.
 
My youngster is a bit like that too And not very good with them rushing up his bum hence him on the inside by an experienced other horse. I find riding single file just encorages idiots in cars to squeeze by when things are coming the other way, unfortunately never going to be an ideal situation...
*Going off to dream of miles of riding without a road in site.. *
 
When we do 'big roads' we do pairs. Single file is no use as drivers think they can just squeeze past. Pairs mean they need to slow down to look and overtake.

If I was on my own (very rare!) I'd go single file nearest the middle if the road without being dangerous .
 
We are on a speedy tourist route where they go faster than 60, so I am careful about picking my time to ride - such as avoiding friday evenings, saturday and sunday mornings after 10 etc. Riding early at weekends is a good plan, or early afternoon before the tourists set off home. Riding in bad weather is wise too.
I tend to just ride alone and do my best to ignore the traffic. This has taught my horse to ignore the traffic too. I do have a tabard which says on the back 'please pass wide and slow'. I find that more drivers give me space when I am wearing that tabard than if I just wear a plain one. Also in poorer weather I have a huge orange exercise sheet - one of the equisafety ones. My horse's backside looks like a giant luminous jaffa orange and we get plenty of room in that!
I always thank drivers that slow down and keep in wherever I can. And on a bend I will trot and move out if necessary so drivers can see me clearly round the corners.
Personally I prefer riding my horse on the road to riding my bike, the drivers really don't give you ANY room on a bike!
 
does anyone else find that most drivers misenterpt the slow down signal for a wave and just wave back at you as they speed past. If the road is fairly narrow i find riding in the middle of the road (not around corners obviously) so they cant pass you out wait til they slow down and then pull in and wave all apoligetically (like your a crazy woman who didnt relaise you couldnt pass out at 100 miles an hour) I find that really works on narrow roads for me anyway :) i know its a bit cheeky but i have had people speed pass me at crazy speeds in the past and i find if they HAVE to slow down they will :)
 
Lots of good ideas, I guess its knowing as well when busy times will be. I don't mind meeting big vehicles so long as they go past slowly but it seems sometimes people are in another world! Glad I'm not alone on this
 
I'd just get the horse used to it so I could ride alone down it. So for a short time I would ride double with the youngster on the inside of an older traffic proof one till it was also unbothered.
 
Hi vis plus two red bike lights ( avalible at all big supermarkets for a few pounds) put one light on the back of you're hat or saddle. The other cable tied to the end of a schooling stick held to the right. Makes a bigger visual target for the traffic. They slow right down not knowing what to make of you. ;~)
 
Great idea with the lights too :) as I say she's pretty good with cars etc its the buses and coaches which inevitably use the road more in summer and I'm unable to practice taking some past her which is a shame. In an ideal world I'd love to have a friend with a coach who could just continually drive up and down the road past her - that would be fab!But as I say I do often stand her at the too of the road when a bus is passing, so just concerned about them slowing down etc or whether not to use the road at all in summer due to not knowing...
 
Last edited:
Side by side, we do this on most national speed roads but are quick to trot on or pull in. Yes people will slow down more as they have to navigate you.
 
After having a bit of a break from regular riding due to the winter weather the first few hacks I led our mare down the fast road and mounted on a side road. Always rode back along the fast road on the way home, as she had behaved fine out on the main hack.
 
Firstly ensure that you wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that other road users can clearly see your hand signals.
Take the BHS Road Safety course as you will learn additional skills for riding on the roads and the correct way of slowing down vehicles.
Get together with other local riders and develop an off-road route. Your local BHS bridleway officer will be pleased to help you.
Avoid riding on the roads during rush hour or when the sun is bright and low as this can blind the vision of other road users.
 
I had an accident in January on a road that from its width, blind bends, and lack of verges should be a minor country road. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a rat-run for megalorries looking to avoid a few clogged-up roundabouts. My pony has always been very good in traffic, including some major roads, but having a lorry barrel straight towards him far too fast on a narrow road was too much, and he spun and bolted, leaving me to splat on the road. The driver reportedly didn't stop (I don't remember the hour after the accident very well). Attempting to lead along that road, in company with other people on foot in hi-viz, revealed that many of the lorry drivers simply take no notice of you whatsoever. My only alternative is to box to ride every day except possibly Sunday, when these idiots will hopefully stay home. Then, I might risk the short stretch to get to off-road access. I appreciate that these drivers have a job to do and don't want me on the road slowing them down, but I don't want to be there either, and wouldn't, if I had an alternative.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top