Scary tunnel lanes

Cloball

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Ok bear with me I am processing.
I have recently moved to a new area and am trying to find a horse to ride/share whilst I save for my own (life long dream coming true). Went to try a horse and went out for a hack and found the whole thing weirdly terrifying. Nothing terrible happened. The horse was bigger than expected and a bit on his toes at times but did nothing wrong. We met cars and trailers and some kayaks (on a car roof) and everyone was very respectful. But the riding on lanes with very high hedges (think tunnel), not being able to see further than the next corner and feeling quite claustrophobic and trapped is a whole new experience for me, I am a dry stone wall wide open field sort of gal. It's sort of shaken my confidence.
Am I alone in this? How do I deal with it apart from waiting until winter? I usually love hacking.
In all honesty my confidence has been rattled a wee bit lately so it might not be entirely the lane experience and it was a new horse in a new place. Maybe I am just getting old and windy :)
 

EllenJay

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If you walked down that land on foot, would you feel the same, or was it being on horseback that made you uncomfortable?
 

teddypops

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I was the same! I moved from an area with fences and walls where you could see for miles to an area with tall, thick hedges where you can only see as far as the next corner. I have got used to it but I don’t like it and I still feel very claustrophobic!
 

milliepops

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I'm not claustrophobic but one of my horses is, she *really* struggles with tall hedges.
It's more or less all I've had for roadwork for most of my horsey life. I think you do get used to it. You probably wouldn't have been so worried on a familiar horse?
 

Cloball

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That's a good point I think I would found it pretty stressful on foot or on a bike having cars suddenly appear just a bit easier to squash a person into a hedge I suppose, plus it was pretty windy so difficult to hear anything coming. Less than ideal I know.
I may have had a little melt down/over reaction that I was never going to find a horse/pony I enjoyed riding ever again. 😏
 

paddy555

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some of our roads are like that, quiet but very narrow and winding, often you cannot see round the bends. I find using your ears is the best way. After years of riding with banks with hedges on top I find my ears are very tuned in to any vehicle noise, which way it is coming and what vehicle eg car/lorry/tractor it is plus if it has a trailor. The horse also listens and often will pull into the side and refuse to move. At first we thought he was being awkward but then realised each time he did it a vehicle appeared.
 

Cloball

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Thanks for the replies! Unfortunately the lane is the only way in and out of the yard to get to better hacking. I think the wind made it much worse as it was difficult to hear anything so I was constantly have to look around.
 

Red-1

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I won't ride in areas like this. I am happy on busy roads that are wide enough, happy on our local lanes where there are verges to squash onto, but would not ride for pleasure where a hedge either side of the road meant I was a sitting duck for any traffic that was speeding.
 

Cloball

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I agree it's not the right set up for me but it's nice to know I'm not alone. Going to try and find somewhere local for a few confidence building lessons whilst I am looking... If anyone knows North Wales at all? ☺
 

J&S

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Most of Devon is like this! At least on a (biggish) horse you can see over the hedge, I took me ages trying to find my way around in the car.
 

vhf

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I have very similar - where I am now, there's barely room to pass a wary pedestrian in a car, never mind a horse, but thankfully the 90 degree corners weed out the speeders quite quickly... I used to have a large pom-pom on the top of my hat silk to try and be more visible over the hedges, but it stuck in the trees/brambles and was eventually killed by the cat... You do get used to it, and so do the horses, but that isn't quite the same as enjoying it!
 

paddy555

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Most of Devon is like this! At least on a (biggish) horse you can see over the hedge, I took me ages trying to find my way around in the car.

I've ridden Devon's high banks forever and I never even thought about scary tunnel lanes until this post. If I didn't ride on them I wouldn't get anywhere and my horse is 14.2. :D My biggest worry is probably damaging the paintwork on a car as I squeeze past, sometimes I get off and lead past if it is too narrow and fasten the stirrup up.

"I am happy on busy roads that are wide enough"

now on those I would be terrified.:eek:,
 

Jumoro

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When I first moved to Devon I found the banks & narrow, steep lanes nerve wracking to say the least. A few years on I've got used to them. It helps that my horse is a saint to hack - we both keep an ear open for traffic (he usually hears it first) and we can squeeze through the narrowest space!
 

J&S

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Most of Devon is like this! At least on a (biggish) horse you can see over the hedge, I took me ages trying to find my way around in the car.
Oh, I don't mind it at all for riding. The hedges form wind breaks in the winter!
 

Fransurrey

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I used to ride in an area like this and I know what you mean. I carried a crop with a piece of fluorescent (and reflective) tape on the end, attached so that it formed a tab that could be waved. I held it far out on bends and waved it, so that traffic coming up behind had an extra half second or so to see me. It made one heck of a difference.
 
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