Riding on the roads...........discuss

J

JillA

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2007
Messages
8,173
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
After hearing about yet another nasty accident where a horse and rider were hit by a car, and pressure to make it illegal not to pass wide and slow, I wondered how people ride on their local roads.
I don't do hack out any more, but when I did, I wouldn't tuck in as tight as I could to the near side, I reckon that invites drivers to squeeze past. I rode in the middle of my half of the carriageway (unclassified roads) and a good foot out from the verge (A and B roads) - I didn't do more than cross trunk roads. Or two abreast and be prepared to go into single file once a driver has slowed down. IME this forces drivers to slow and overtake properly, however much they might resent it, and made it safer as far as I could tell. I also asked nicely for them to slow down and always thanked them, but I hope everyone does this.
What is current thinking in road safety training?
 
To be fair, where I hack the majority of the drivers are very considerate. I always ride out in a hi viz exercise sheet, gilet and breastplate and this seems to make most drivers slow down. Likewise, I will always say thank you whether it's with a hand signal or additionally with saying thank you verbally as well. I will also give my horse a big pat whenever a car goes past as I think it makes drivers more aware that these are animals that need positive reinforcement when cars goes past (although my girl doesn't need the praise I don't think it does any harm). However, I may just be very fortunate where I live :).
 
I don't ride on any A roads (the main ones near us which are actually a fair distance are all dual carriageways) but on lanes and B roads I do tuck in. My ponies are smallish and moveable and can cope with being passed, but it's being hit up the rear on that killed two horses on my routes in the last 5 years and worries me. If I hear something coming fast I pull over onto the path or into the verge (or hedge or ditch). Another was killed by a motorbike but the horse was bolting out of a junction.
Also drive on the roads a fair bit and place myself like a car. Tend to get much more respect with more than one horse in the carriage!
 
Last edited:
My gelding is totally unconcerned about traffic, he's more unnerved if something stops for him to pass. He obviously finds kindness highly suspicious!

I'm close to a lot of bridleways but have to go about 5-10 mins on country lanes to get there. On some longer routes there's a very busy A road to cross. I try to be visible, polite, and minimise the amount of time I spend on the bends. We always go out in hi viz, and I wave and smile and mouth thank you to anyone who goes even fractionally wider and slower than they were before they saw me. I find a really big smile seems to encourage more considerate behaviour. As the roads can be very narrow in places I trot the bits where I don't want to hang around, and if I see a car coming behind I try to trot on to the next gateway or wide place to make it easier for them to pass. If I know there's a bad bend coming up ahead I stop and wait on the straight bit beforehand so they can see they're safe to pass and don't have to follow me.

In some places I do go out to the middle of the road. There was a bridge where my lad used to be kept, which was only wide enough for one car at a time. I would always pull to the middle of that to stop anyone trying to sneak through and squishing us against the stone wall, but again, I would trot on so I wasn't holding anyone up for too long. Likewise when we do have to negotiate road junctions, we behave like a car and pull to the middle, after the incident when a motorbike came and queued up alongside me to pull out! He was so close I could have stuck my foot out and knocked him over, and when it was clear he revved up and shot off. I was so glad I was on Billy, as he merely fixed the departing motorbike with a withering glare, rather than levitating over the hedge (which I don't think would have been too unreasonable a reaction!)

Generally I think drivers are more considerate if you acknowledge they're there, smile, and look like you're making an effort to get out of the way, or to a safe passing place, and make it as clear as possible where you're planning to go. It's like cyclists, I'm more resentful of being stuck behind someone freewheeling than if they're peddling like mad!
 
I have to use a 300m stretch of 50 mph road to get to a great bridleway network. 90% of people are great and surprisingly of the 10% lots are older people who I honestly believe just don't see us until the very last second (a horse was hit on the stretch of road a couple of years ago but an elderly driver who 'didn't see it')

You get the odd idiot doing 90 mph on his phone or the council employed dustbin lorry driver that I had to flag down who complained "I was only doing 30 mph!", equally I had at the weekend someone towing a 505 IFW horse trailer that flew past me clanking and rattling at easily 35/40 (given I was in hi vis and on foot leading an obviously nervous baby TB) you'd have thought they would have known better.

I too don't try and be too close to the verge but do dive for cover when I can hear that they haven't seen us !
 
I don't ride on A roads my nearest is the A1 I do cross it now and again though .
But I do ride a lot on the road .
I like JillA don't squeeze into the side and invite the drivers to get to close particularly when cars are coming from the other way.
If cars are coming the other way I stay away from the edge mad make it impossible for the car to get past .
I am happy to ride side by side if I feel safety dictates this is the best thing to do.
I will of course use verges and gate ways when I can .
Most drivers round here are good and considerate .
We see a lot of huge agricultural traffic and they are great.
Drivers round here have to cope with mums with prams ( no pavements ),runners ,walkers people on bikes ( huge numbers of those ) sheep and cattle ,horses are only one of the slow moving vulnerable road users that drivers cope with .
 
I'm incredibly fortunate where I keep my lad, as we're in the middle of the National Forest and the farm is given over to several hundred acres of woodland interspersed with grassy paths for us to hack on. However, I do occasionally hack on the local roads which are, by and large, pretty quiet and road uses are used to seeing horses so are generally pretty respectful. But, of course, it only needs one idiot and sadly they are out there. My biggest bug bear on our local lanes isn't cars as much as bikes!! Whilst most cars and farm traffic slow up to pass, we seem to get lots of bikes - often in groups - who can be an absolute menace, speeding past without any effort to slow down. Riders (usually blokes!) have been heard to make remarks about "@£$%!@! horses on the roads", as if we didn't have a right to be there. One pair passed me recently approaching from behind and one was heard to say to the other .. "... did you see the a&^* on that??!!!" (I assume he was referring the rear end of my highland and not my own posterior!!) ... but clearly hadn't seen himself from the back in lycra cycling shorts!!!

I always wear a HiViz tabard as a minimum but am consistently alarmed when I see other riders not bothering. I'll probably get a hat cover for the winter as well.

All in all, riding on the roads is a necessary evil. Tolerance and education are key for all parties but I fear that accidents will still happen.
 
I take out rides of up to 10 ponies, mostly ridden by children out on the road regularly. It's B roads and unclassified lanes, so many are single lane with passing places. Like Jila, I think it's important to ride confidently out in the carriageway until it is safe for someone to pass, then pull aside to make it easier for them. For much of the time we have the lane to ourselves, but there are lots of bikes, and a steady stream of cars who need to pass us. The kids are all trained use verges and passing places on my instruction... as they all turn together it looks like a musical ride, which always tickles me.

We don't generally have issues. Drivers slow for horses, and the ponies are very used to agricultural, heavy and vintage traffic, because of where we live. Children can be a bit of a loose cannon, but after years of training, but they all know what they're doing, and the teenagers direct the younger ones about signalling, road position, giving way, priority at roundabouts etc, without my help. :)
 
Unfortunately todays drivers are driving very solid and powerful cars and most have had nothing to do with horses. They tend to speed down country lanes completely unaware that they meet slower moving road vehicles and very rarely slow down when going around blind corners.
Having ridden in both urban and rural areas I believe that one is far safer riding in the middle of London (which I did for many years) because there is a 30 m.p.h. speed limit almost everywhere and most the roads are straight so there is good visibility.
As a child I cycled everywhere and also did my cycling proficiency exam which I believe gave me a good foundation for cycling and riding on the roads. (I also did the BHS Toad Safety course and exam).
Before Hi-Viz arrived on the scene I would wear an orange Kagoul to make myself more visible on the roads.
My advice is never ride when there is low bright sunshine as it completely dazzles other road users, always wear long sleeved Hi-Viz jackets so that other road users can clearly see your hand signals and above all thank passing motorists even if it is just with a nod and a smile on ones face.
Sadly there are far too many horse riders that never thank other road users for slowing down which I believe makes it more dangerous for other riders.
 
I ride on unlit country lanes.

I actually find it easier in winter as there is no chance of a car sneaking up on me as I can see them coming for miles. Having said that the majority of drivers that use these lanes are locals and know that there are riders about - in general they are very courteous and will wait until I find a gateway to pull into. I do try to trot (where possible) to get out of the way. We do get the occasional numpty screaming through as the lanes are national speed limit - last winter I started taking pictures of number plates and reporting them afterwards - for those types of drivers I have to admit I stay in the middle of the road at walk and yes I've had 'words' with a few.

I have more problems with dog owners on bridleways than I do with car drivers.
 
I live in Ireland on a quiet country road (lane, really) and you couldn't PAY me to ride on it. I haven't ridden on the road for nearly 20 years, very few people ride out here, and it's because it is just not safe to do so. Drivers know nothing about horses or how to pass them, rural speed limits are still very high (and that's if people were inclined to observe them....), and modern drivers are simply not going to make allowances for horses. For me, the day of the horse on the roads is over.
 
I do most of my riding on the roads. In Hertfordshire I had to ride on some busy roads and go on bridges over dual carriageways etc... There were some routes that were best left to early on a sunday, you didn't want to use a couple of the narrow lanes during school pick up time and always ride over the middle of canal bridges, so no-one tries to squeeze past when there isn't room. I always wore Hi viz. Most drivers were very good and I did thank them whenever it was safe to do so.

Now I'm in Powys and I ride on quiet lanes. I meet more escaped sheep and farm vehicles than I do cars. I still wear hi viz though as the local farmers (I know most of them personally) have stated how useful it is to see me in plenty of time. Generally they seem more interested in having a quick chat, although I have helped herd some escaped sheep before! The main car I have to watch out for whether driving, walking or riding is the postman - they always go too fast for the road IMO.
 
I know it's safer and this is going to be controversial but I do worry that hi viz puts the responsibility on to us riders. The car driver who only has one eye on the road because he thinks that if there is anything there it will be blindingly obvious might not see a cow or sheep or pedestrian. I was taught to drive in such a way that I could stop if there was any reason to, whether it was a sheep, cyclist or horse and rider. If you can't see the road ahead clearly with or without hi viz you should be aware that there might be something just beyond what you can see. Sheep and escaped dogs don't wear hi viz.
 
My old horse was incredible with traffic and I never worried about what I would meet-I was in the east and the A roads were very wide with good visibility. It was pretty rural but A roads are A roads. I've since moved somewhere very rural (ie only 3/4 households and a farm within several miles) and I do have to go on the road to get to hacking but am unlucky if we meet as much as a quad or a tractor although we are on a national cycling route.

I would hate to ride down south now, I dont even like driving down there much! sheer volume and speed of the traffic is so much more than up here (Aberdeen and Glasgow excepted!)

oh, and we wear hi viz-its useful to others and hopefully means they can find me if needed :/
 
Wooly Hat n Wellies has summed up what I was going to say.

I have noticed an increase in drivers who, rather than slow down for a blind bend on a single-width lane with very high hedges, beep their car horn before and during cornering while still driving far too quickly for the road!

When I hear the 'beep beep' of a maniac with a death wish now I put the horse and myself into the nearest passing place as quickly as I can and wait for them to appear and go past. One day they'll meet a tractor coming the other way and won't be so lucky.
 
I don't ride out very often on the roads, but when I do I tuck in/ ride on the verges. I would much rather someone come flying past me closely than driving into my horse's rear.

We have yawning great verges around here which are mown and I find it inconsiderate/rude that some riders still insist on riding in the middle of single track roads when there is traffic coming in both directions.
 
DirectorFury said:
Wooly Hat n Wellies has summed up what I was going to say.

I have noticed an increase in drivers who, rather than slow down for a blind bend on a single-width lane with very high hedges, beep their car horn before and during cornering while still driving far too quickly for the road!

When I hear the 'beep beep' of a maniac with a death wish now I put the horse and myself into the nearest passing place as quickly as I can and wait for them to appear and go past. One day they'll meet a tractor coming the other way and won't be so lucky.
Click to expand...

ha, yes used to get them where I used to live, there was a blind bend followed by a single track bridge so this bloke used to do it so he wouldnt have to stop. I used to have to bring my horses up from the field that way. I once blocked the road (I was on foot) at the bridge when I heard him and told him how stupid it was when there was nowhere to actually go! He did stop doing it for a bit-so arrogant.
 
Most of my riding is done on lanes, which can be busy at times. There are a couple of stretches of manic A roads I have to do as well.

I always ride with high-viz tabard/leg wraps/hatband and in the winter add maybe a tail thing or rug if it particularly dull or raining.

On the lanes I usually halt and let the vehicles come past, and wave and acknowledge them. On the main road I trot on, as it isn't very far and there are double white lines one end and a 40 mph speed limit the other end. I try to anticipate the traffic and act in what seems the appropriate fashion. For instance, if there is a long, long line of traffic coming on the main road I will take refuge on the pub car park and let them go past.

I would say that 99% of drivers are considerate.
 
I ride in the middle of "my" lane - the edges of the lanes I ride on are very broken up and very difficult to stay on without the horse tripping for any length of time. I have large, very visible horses and am frequently riding and leading, so I take up a lot of space.

I have more problems with cyclists than I do with motorised traffic, to be honest. I haven't got a single good word to say about people who cycle.

I get out of the way of traffic as and when necessary, but most of the time, they'll pull over for me. It's a very rural, agricultural area and most people are aware of horses/non car traffic. The combine was particularly good the other day!

I did have a bad day last winter, when the local council gritting lorry slowed as it saw two horses on the road (me and a friend), and I saw him reach up - I thought to adjust the gritting mechanism as we passed - but no, he then drove on, and GRITTED us.
 
The majority of drivers are fine but the odd one that isn't is just downright dangerous. One clipped my foot with their wing mirror on Sunday that it was enough to wrench me sideways in the saddle and pull their mirror off. Of course, I was the one that was sworn at...
 
Drivers around my way are really considerate. I ride a short distance on a B road but have the fortune to come out on a straight bit so drivers have plenty of warning. There is the occasional knob but they really are the exception rather than the rule, many oncoming cars also slow down. On the country roads, it's pretty much single track so I pop up on the verge to allow cars past. They're appreciative and go past slow.
 
JillA said:
I know it's safer and this is going to be controversial but I do worry that hi viz puts the responsibility on to us riders. The car driver who only has one eye on the road because he thinks that if there is anything there it will be blindingly obvious might not see a cow or sheep or pedestrian. I was taught to drive in such a way that I could stop if there was any reason to, whether it was a sheep, cyclist or horse and rider. If you can't see the road ahead clearly with or without hi viz you should be aware that there might be something just beyond what you can see. Sheep and escaped dogs don't wear hi viz.
Click to expand...

Does it matter? You're alive to live another day if you wear hi viz. Just put the damn stuff on, you can't rely on drivers having the same moral code as you.
 
99% of my hacking is road, so I see all types. I find tractor/ lorry drivers mostly to be very considerate also motorbikes (of which there are a lot here) but general car drivers some not so much!
I try to 'pull over' where possible and let people past me. But I did have an incident the other day where someone deliberately ignored me asking them to wait and nearly collided with my horses' arse! (I asked for a reason) going up a steep hill and sharp narrow bend, I trotted to get round quickly but saw someone ahead was spraying a hose that was going onto the road. (Knew my horse would shoot sideways at that) I could see the car behind me was desperate to overtake even though it was a blind bend, so I put my hand out looked at them and asked them to wait. They didn't, horse went sideways as they tried to overtake me and narrowly missed the car which had to brake and the driver looked terrified. Stupid thing is in about 2 seconds the road was wide, long and clear perfect to overtake. I hate to stereotype but certain types of car do seem to have more impatient people driving!
 
I have to ride on the country lanes to get to the off-road bridleway routes and i generally find people are considerate. My horse has a thing about riding right up against the walls, then spooking when my leg catches the wall, so i tend to put her in the middle of my side of the road. I pull over for cars to pass when its safe. Only had a few issues, one was when a car beeped its horn at us from behind, thankfully horse didn't react. The other was when a lorry came up the road, it pulled over, turned the engine off, pulled the wing mirror in. 'great' i thought, especially as horse was looking rather unsure about it. quietly walked passed, thanked the driver twice to which he said 'has it only got one gear'. Didn't quite know what to make of that really.
Any way, i find tractor drivers the most considerate in general.
 
I hack out on the roads around the yard. Generally drivers are very considerate. The cyclists tend to be generally ok bar the ones that are in too much of a hurry to slow or stop of 2 secs. We've a lot of dirt bikes in the area and they are all very lovely when we pass them on tracks too, often they go above and beyond to help get horses past. Its the lorries, vans and curriers that are the problem. Hacking out by myself on a narrow road, a lorry bombed up to me far too gas and had to slam on breaks - all I could think was "if I'm going to be hit by an arctic, should I be hit head on or side on" as honestly thought he wasn't going to pull in or stop. The other day the neighbour was hacking out with horses from the yard and got ran off the road by a DHL van. Her horse ended up on his side on a 6 foot bank and driver didn't even stop. That did make me rethink my plan to start hacking out the 3yo!

The worst though is farm traffic in a hurry to beat weather/get bales in/fields ploughed. Had an incident where we met a combine in a hurry who didn't stop or pull in and horses ended up bolting down a foot path as had nowhere else to go. Now I am very conscious of checking what's going on in the fields and keeping up with the farm happenings in the area.
That and avoiding the roads on Sunday - too many cyclists, motor bikes, leasure drivers etc !!
 
I hate riding on the road... I won't hack out alone (although I am sure my boy would be ok) I just don't like the roads by us. We have to go straight out onto a 50mph road. :( I always ride in hi-viz, have quarter sheets ect... My boy is fine in traffic and doesn't bat and eyelid unless something is to close to him.

On Saturday morning we were out in a group of about 5 and I was bringing up the rear of the ride (I was lit up like a Christmas tree with all my hi viz you couldn't miss me!!) and we were just coming off the 'busy road' onto the 30mph and a 4x4 with horse trailer on the back came past at about 30, and was very very close to my back end before moving over. They were probably a horses distance from the others in the ride and closer to me.

Then we were just coming back to the yard and we had a queue of traffic behind us. At this point there was no verge to step on but 20m down we were pulling in. My boy started tucking his bum in and prancing (not like him on the road) and the car was getting louder. So I looked back to find a learner car, with the instructor in the passenger seat nearly touching D!!! I signaled at him and as his window was open I asked him to pull back as he was to close. Then they pulled back and pull along side me (as there are cars coming) with the window open I could have reached into the car and touched the person!!!!

If this is a driving instructor we have no hope!!! I was to busy concentrating on Dan to get the driving instructor name and plate but I wish I had a go pro or something similar!! It is next on my list of things to buy!
 
All of my hacking involves some degree of roadwork, some 100% on the road apart from our drive. I ride on a mixture of tiny country lanes and fast B roads, very occasionally I cross or do short distances on an A road. I always wear hiviz on myself and my horses and I've also been using a hat cam for the last 18 months following an 'incident' where someone tried to overtake me into an oncoming van.

I would say drivers I meet fall into a few categories; I meet about 5% of drivers who look terrified of me and come to a complete stop, 60% slow down to some degree and make some effort to pass wide, 30% pass wide but don't slow at all, 5% are total idiots and overtake on blind bends or into oncoming traffic.

I meet a large amount of lorries as we are close to a quarry, 95% of these slow and pass wide. I have noticed however that lorries (and tractors) who I meet on a regular basis gradually pass me faster and faster as my usual hacking horse doesn't react to traffic. Never had an issue with motorcycles and most cyclists shout out, the ones that don't I always ask if they could call out if they see a horse in the future and they have always been very pleasant about it.

I've now been riding on the roads almost daily for nearly 25 years, I don't think the traffic is any worse (in terms of manners) now than it was then apart from the roads being busier and vehicles seem larger. Personally I'm happy to share our public highways with anyone, be it large slow vehicles, cycles, pedestrians, caravans etc. Yes sometimes I'm late and it is frustrating to get stuck behind someone but I try to allow extra time when I plan my journeys and I would rather everyone got there safely. I do think that some people don't have a clue about how to drive around animals and it would be beneficial to see safer driving campaigns, this is the main reason I choose my please pass wide and slow tabard as I think some people genuinely don't know to do that.

ETA - I've also seen some dreadful riding on the roads, education should be both sides, both riders and drivers.
 
Last edited:
JillA said:
I know it's safer and this is going to be controversial but I do worry that hi viz puts the responsibility on to us riders. The car driver who only has one eye on the road because he thinks that if there is anything there it will be blindingly obvious might not see a cow or sheep or pedestrian. I was taught to drive in such a way that I could stop if there was any reason to, whether it was a sheep, cyclist or horse and rider. If you can't see the road ahead clearly with or without hi viz you should be aware that there might be something just beyond what you can see. Sheep and escaped dogs don't wear hi viz.
Click to expand...

If this was in reply to my post about the local farmers being keen on my hi viz, I should explain why. It's really because they can see me through the hedges, which means that if they are fertilising their fields and see me coming, they can pause the fertiliser while I go past (this has happened). So it's not just for other 'on the road' users, but other 'by/near the road' users.

Everyone who lives here does go slowly anyway, we know that there could be sheep/parked tractor/whatever on the road. It really is just the postman and the odd visitor who go too fast.
 
I used to hack all the times on various types of roads to get to bridleways. Then we had to stop riding on roads after work because of rush hour traffic, now, where I keep my boy, to get to the bridleways we have to hack about half a mile on the A404. I ONLY ever do it with company, not because I'm a nervous rider or because my boy's bad in traffic but because IMHO 2 or more riders are more visible than one. I HATE having to ride on that stretch but it's the only way to reach the bridleways even though there's a vast verge that, if a track was made would allow riders to reach the bridleways more safely (It's overgrown with hawthorn bushes and the like).

I do find that a lot of drivers are considerate and I ALWAYS make a point of smiling and thanking them. Motorcycle riders are brilliant, not so (in general) bicyclists. I find on the whole men of a certain age in big 4 x 4s seem to be worst.

I really wish there was a way for farmers/landowners, riders and the local councils to get together a come up with schemes for safer riding - I certainly wouldn't mind paying a reasonable yearly fee for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top