Road incident, really upset

L

Leary

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Went out for a hack this morning, was going really well until my mare and I came across a tractor in the road with a hedge trimmer type attachment to it. He pulled the tractor over, the road is only a single lane country road so you can't get two vehicles to pass without having to pull over. My mare froze, she has spun with me before and so I tend to dismount when I see lorries or tractors. Anyway she refused to be lead past, throwing her head in the air etc. The driver was getting really impatient and was shouting go on then, come on etc. I asked politely if he could turn the engine off and he flew at me, throwing his body about and shouting. He did turn the engine off eventually, but carried on with his remarks as I walked past, my mare was fine once engine was off. I didn't get back on and walked home crying. Am I being pathetic, should I have stayed on?? Sorry to vent but it really upset me.
 
No insult, but the farmer wasn't exactly being helpful. It would have been quicker if he had just turned his engine off and let you go past.

He was just annoyed as he probably had to get a lot through in an hour and took out on you. Just remember that it is not the most important thing in the world to get upset about!
 
I think you should have stayed on, yes. Farmer was in a grump, was rude and it was uncalled for and it really isn't personal so try not to get too upset.
 
Nope you kept yourself and yopur horse safe, that is the most important thing. Forget about the farmer, he was proably having a bad day (not that, that is any excuse).
 
There are some right impatient a**eholes about in the world today that just need to take a chill pill and relax. It aggrieves me when I hear stories like this because you need to do whatever to get past these things when on a flighty scared horse. Why the hell can't people be patient and wait?
I am sorry you had such abuse and hope that you come across him again in the car so you can take details and report him.
 
No you were not being pathetic.

My little mare was awful in 'big' traffic. I'm not sure I'd have got her past at all.

The tractor driver could have been far more understanding.
 
l would have stayed on board and told him to f**k off!! Miserable b******d
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That's terrible, all farmers around use are so good about turning off their engines. You never know though you may have been unlucky and could have been the 50th rider to go past or something and got the brunt of his frustration as maybe he'd only moved about a foot all morning! I would just forget about it, he's probably realised by now he was rude.
 
Oh bud, what a pratt of a driver
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don't let idiots like that upset you, i think you were really brave to get her past it, don't let this put you off, the tractor drivers in the area are real a***holes when it comes to passing horses
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Well done for getting Liri past
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and remember it's not your fault you have as much right to be on the road as he did.
 
You're not being pathetic - things like that can very upsetting! Maybe he didn't realise the difficulty you were having but there was no need to be rude and intimidating. My mare is the same with tractors, lorries, etc, especially trucks with a flatbed for some reason. I feel safer staying on though, but whatever works for you and your horse. Hope you're feeling better now.
 
You are not pathetic at all, I came off last week due to an impatient tractor and hedge cutter. He was a contractor so not one of usual friendly farm workers that I see when I'm out and about. He wasn't even aware that I'd come off, even when our yard owners husband asked him later on, as they work together at the mo. He just said he had a seen a horse and rider in reflective gear and then the rider walking along the path but thought no more about where the horse might have gone. Which was back to his field after rearing up so high that I ended up behind the saddle and crossing a big busy main road on his way.
Agree with 2K85 even though I did come off this time I tend to stay in the saddle if I can as I have more control there than on the ground, but that's MO.
 
Thank you guys for your support. I wish I had the courage to stay on. I stayed on for white vans this morning but that was as big as it got.
 
Personally I would never get off as I do think you have more control on top, but if you don't feel confident enough to ride through a situation then you were right to get off as you would be unlikely to win staying on top. Out of my 8 horses, only 2 would probably go past a hedge cutter on a tractor like that and these are all horses that have lived on a working farm with tractors going past their stables for the past 7 years. I would be hopping mad with the tractor driver if I had had the pleasure of coming across him & would probably have found it difficult not to tell him what I thought of him!!
 
Oh I hate situations like that..I tend to stay on because I cant get back on my mare as Im quite short! I probably would of been upset too..someone having a go at you when your trying your best to get past without any hassle!
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Poor you. Remember if you ever see that inconciderate (sp?) farmer again you give him a very clear 2 finger wave!
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Dont let it worry you i get that all the time from ars3hole drivers where i hack.
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What you did was perfectly correct.

You asked the driver of this vehicle to turn off his engine. He failed to do so. He was therefore driving without due care and attention or even driving in a manner that could endanger lives.

If you feel that you can control your horse better by getting off him then that was the correct action to take.

He may have been a farmer or a contractor working for a farmer or even a contractor working for the local authority. However he is in charge of not only a vehicle but a vehicle that has dangerous machinery fitted to it.

I would be tempted to go the local police station and report the incident. Ask for an incident number. If you or anyone else have any more unfortunate incidents with this person then your original incident can be refered to and used to support a case for prosecuting this driver.
 
Clearly the farmer was in a grumpy mood, so don't let him affect you!

On the getting off issue, for years I would stay on no matter what (well, at least until I was off-loaded by the horse that is) One day I was talking to my instructor (BHSI, has evented 3 star, dressage to advanced) and she said how pleased she was her horse had walked past the pigs on a hack for the first time ridden. Ridden??? Turns out she had been habitually getting off and leading until the mare was ready to overcome her fear. Since then I am much more willing to adapt, if a horse feels safer ridden I stay on but if it looks like choosing to lead today will solve problems in the future, why not lead? There hasn't been a single time I have decided to lead that I have regretted the decision.
 
How upsetting for you.
I would have led her past too as she was genuinely scared and not being naughty. I think that is the kinder option than using a stick to get her past.
Don't let his abusive manner upset you though - like others have said, he was probably having a bad day!
 
Thank you all so much. You have really cheered me up. Thank you Booboos for what you told me about your instructor, and for everyone's advice. Really respect the riders who stay on, but thank you to those who don't, I don't feel quite so alone now.
 
i actually went "aaah" outloud reading that. bless you. you did the right thing for you and your horse dont worry about that gurmpy old tosser he does not rule the road!! my mare wouldve been the same so i know how you feel and i probably wouldve cried too lol.

no need for him to be like that and had he been more helpful it would have been quicker for HIM. a-hole.
 
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Poor you. Remember if you ever see that inconciderate (sp?) farmer again you give him a very clear 2 finger wave!
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Dont let it worry you i get that all the time from ars3hole drivers where i hack.
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as tempting as this is i cant advise against this enough... i have done this before, as has someone else i know (who was leading their niece)
both times ended up in the driver stopping and reversing, getting out and threatening etc... so even though they were wrong in the first place it just ends badly as the horse ends up getting frightened by the raving loony waving their arms around in the road shouting threating to bash your head in etc!! not nice i definately wont do it again, well unless i dont think they are going to come back
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You asked the driver of this vehicle to turn off his engine. He failed to do so. He was therefore driving without due care and attention or even driving in a manner that could endanger lives.



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Ditto that!
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I don't think you should only respect people who stay on their horses, why not respect those who do whatever works best for them and their horse - as you did? On or off, the right thing will be different for different horses.
Do you know this was the farmer? It could have been an employee or contractor. I'd be tempted to find out and complain.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Poor you. Remember if you ever see that inconciderate (sp?) farmer again you give him a very clear 2 finger wave!
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Oooh, many years ago a friend I was hacking with did just that to a w@*!er who sped past, he went ballistic, totally freaked - he reversed back up the road so fast and screeched to halt, got out and started trying to pull her off her horse, yelling madly about us giving him the "Harvey Smith"
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i was terrified we had to trot off up the road as fast as we could with him trying to get back in his car
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and chase us. I will never forget that and for some reason a girl on a horse giving a man in a car "sign Language" seems to send them nuts
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What an ar**hole, how dare he be so nasty to you, especially since he is a farmer. You'd think he had some understanding of animals.

Don't let him upset you (although i think i would of probably cried too!!) You did the right thing, you and your horse are safe so lets hope you don't meet him again!!
 
I am in the "getting off brigade" too! Will not have an argument with a horse on the road, too slippy, also its not fair on any drivers who come along whilst you are having this "debate"! Also, its not giving into the horse, he/she is saying he doesn't want to pass whatever, not he doesn't want to pass it with you on top! If your horse trusts you enough to follow you past the scary monster that is an achievement in itself! My horse was a bit of a wally in his younger days; my friend hacked him out once and got stuck. She thought I'd be very pleased that she hadn't "given in" and got off him and was quite hurt when I bollocked her for turning round and coming home!
 
The driver was probably NOT the farmer - why not try to find who the fields belong to and go and speak to them and explain the problem. Farmers are usually pretty good about this type of thing. You never know, if you get a decent communication going between you he may even allow you to come up to the farm and try to desentitise her.
 
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