Serious subject - How car drivers tackle overtaking horses.

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Patches

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Have you ever wondered why the majority of car drivers are seemingly incapable of knowing how to overtake horses on the road?

I ride out most days and see the same thing over and over. There are three main "styles" of overtaking.



Pass wide, but like a bat out of hell.

Pass slow, but take the riders feet off with your wing mirrors

Don't pass at all, preferring to sit tucked up an inch from the horse's bum until the rider gives you a written invitation to overtake.





Which is worse? What way would you prefer drivers to overtake if they can't obey the "pass wide and slow" theory? Personally, I prefer wide and fast to the up my jacksy or so close I could shake their hand through the window as they overtake.
 
I'd go for option 3 - I don't mind drivers like that - I'm quite happy to signal for them to come past
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I don't mind if they pass wide and don't slow down much either, but I don't like it when they speed past much too quickly.

They should teach how to pass a horse in driving lessons
 
We have another variation here, pass fast and take the riders feet off with the wing mirrors! (preferably while making as much engine as possible) Any of the other three are preferable, although wide and fast is probably the best of those.
 
You're right Patches. I do my best to at least be seen by motorists, by donning the ultimate in hi-viz kit for me and horsey. An instructor once told me I could be seen from outer space - like the Great Wall of China - when kitted out for a hack! However, there are also different types of RIDER that the MOTORIST meets and has to overtake: (1) the po-faced plonker who just ignores all traffic and plods miles at walk in the middle of the road, ignoring every opportunity to pull into a gateway (2) the terror-stricken rider who grips the reins with both hands (and probably teeth too) and is incapable of smiling, nodding or acknowledging a courteous motorist and (3) the electric-bummed nutter whose horse piaffes in the middle of main road traffic while she makes angry signals to motorists to stay back. He he he! Any others out there?
 
There are a few around here who prefer to either trot up the middle of the road not giving you enough room to pass them...or those that go along chatting on their mobile phone, completely oblivious to the articulated lorry about to run into their jacksy.

For the record, I will trot into passing places, always nod and smile, or wave. Will wave cars around me when I can see around the blind bends and they can't etc etc. My horsey having a smiley face clipped into her bum also breaks the ice. I'm clearly not a toff with a plum accent......not least because I ride a carthorse!
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To be honest i would rather they pass me very wide and get it over with(obviously not doing 60,they usually get the finger when that happens
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),alot of drivers fanny about and give ya horse something to worry about!!I hate them being sat up my ass my horse eyes up suspiciously when doing this and tenses,i usually flag em past if it is clear!
 
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4- the ones that stare blankly at you when you have driven past both wide and slow!

Really annoys me!!

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Dont get me started on the pig ignorant horse riders that do not say thankyou to courteous drivers,that is probably why most drivers dont give a toss about us anyway.....stopping there,lol,could rant on forever about inconsiderate horse riders,lol!!!!
 
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(2) the terror-stricken rider who grips the reins with both hands (and probably teeth too) and is incapable of smiling, nodding or acknowledging a courteous motorist and (3) the electric-bummed nutter whose horse piaffes in the middle of main road traffic while she makes angry signals to motorists to stay back.

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Well I've probably been guilty of those two in the past to an extent. I always always thank motorists with a wave, nod and a smile if possible, but sometimes your horse is just being a sod. Much better to keep both hands on the reins and concentrate on the horse than gaily wave at the car driver as your horse swings its quarters and falls down a ditch!

To reply to OP - I think the best option of the 3 is to pass wide and fast, or sometimes to crawl along behing - courteous I think if your horse is having a bit of a moment!
 
Absolutely agree!!!!

Some of the riders attitudes around here are shocking. No wonder car drivers dislike seeing us on the roads.
 
I think I would rather have option 1, at least it gets them out of the way! Option 3 just worries me for no real reason.
Although it's very rare we get O3, most (not all, some are lovely) of the drivers round here just speed past like they haven't noticed you. It didn't help that we used to have a riding school just down the road from us who were so, so ignorant. They crammed as many on the ride as they could, then when they were out on the roads they didn't have any kind of order, they just went along in a cluster. So car drivers found it hard to get past, when they could get past they never got any kind of thanks so they just didn't even bother for us. Which is so frustrating as I and others at the yard do everything we can to make drivers lives easier.
 
If I have to make the choice probably the last one. At least then you stand a chance of communicating with them somehow and making your intentions clear.

I usually thank them then make a dive for the nearest gate way to let them past but I don't 'reward' them by moving over until they've actually slowed right down.

I ride defensively, always listening for traffic and to be honest have usually planned where I'm going long before vehicle's even rounded the bend. If there is no passing place then I'm ready to look them in the eye soon as they come into view. I rarely have any problems TBH but I think I'm naturally very confident and assertive with motorists as it goes with the job
 
Most the drivers around us are option 4 - pass very very very very very slowley - which is excellent except I can almost hear my horse shouting at them to hurry up if hes on the way home as I halt him to make it easier for them. I think he looks very big and capable of doing serious damage to a car but hes very good really
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Most drivers round here are very courteous and pass wide and slow.


Maybe that's because I assist them in letting them know what i'd prefer them to do. It's called using arm/ hand signals. I ask them to slow, then wave them on when it's safe. 99% of the time I get a smiley driver who is thankful that i've let him know it's safe to pass, or that i've let them know I'd like them to slow a little. A big cheesy smile, and a wave goes down well too.
 
I give them a cheesy smile too but I know for a fact that the car drivers around here wouldn't be very impressed to have me dictate when they can pass every time they came up behind me.

I'm lucky really because all of my horses are very good on the road and aren't bothered by whatever the idiot drivers decide to adopt as their overtaking style.
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If I can I stop the horse and let the car come past, I prefer them to pass wide but get on with it.

I did this originally as my ultra spooky horse would shy at a leaf in the hedge and leap out into the road. Still, making her halt every time a car came past resulted in the most wonderful responsive horse that would stop at the lightest touch of the rein.

The lanes are reasonably quiet, so I wasn't have to stop every 2 minutes.
 
you might well find alot of drivers just don't understand horses. If they've never been near a horse they don't know what they're capable of.
To unhorsey drivers they're just big ruddy animals on the road that could damage their cars, and they can be quite scary. So having someone reassure them that it's okay to pass, that you can take your hands off the reins safely, seems to do the trick.

I've only ever had one driver ignore me.
 
I prefer them to wait, and I always then briskly get to the nearest safe place for them to pass.

I never wave them on as if there was an accident this could make me liable for it. But as they are passing I always thanks and acknowledge them and SMILE (which of course might be a truly terrifying sight!)
 
i always put my hand up to thank drivers,if i need both hands then i nod.i trot around left bends and let cars pass when i can get in somewhere.if for any reason i had to give a driver an instruction then i make eye contact with them.
but
i never wave cars on or past or give instructions like that because i do not want the responsability if something went wrong.

(have noticed that if accompined by a bycycle the drivers think you are on something unpredictable and maybe crazy and give you a very wide berth)

bad at sp tonight.
 
We had a lovely car driver, a few years ago on a lovely warm summer's day, who was driving towards us and pulled over to let us pass him as the lane was narrow. We sort of bent down to say thank you as we rode by, smiling nicely as you do...............and realised the bloke was sitting there quite calmly completely stark bo**ock naked. Not a stitch. And no sign of any clothes in the car either.

A serious hazard to horse riders, wouldn't you say???
 
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We had a lovely car driver, a few years ago on a lovely warm summer's day, who was driving towards us and pulled over to let us pass him as the lane was narrow. We sort of bent down to say thank you as we rode by, smiling nicely as you do...............and realised the bloke was sitting there quite calmly completely stark bo**ock naked. Not a stitch. And no sign of any clothes in the car either.

A serious hazard to horse riders, wouldn't you say???

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OMG!!!
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The question on everyone's lips.......was he "buff"?
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I had a classic the other day..approaching a cattle grid and a car is coming towards us..instead of stopping and letting us get in by the gate to get through she came over the cattle grid and then stopped right in front of the gate where we were trying to go! had to wave her past quite closely so we could get to the gate!
 
I pass riders wide & slow, like many other riders. If the rider acknowledges the courtesy extended to them by me fine. If the keep their hands on the reins where they should be then that's fine. I don't much care one way or the other. By not nodding or waving to me in acknowledgement isn't going to make me pass riders any differently in the future. I don't see the problem.
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We had a lovely car driver, a few years ago on a lovely warm summer's day, who was driving towards us and pulled over to let us pass him as the lane was narrow. We sort of bent down to say thank you as we rode by, smiling nicely as you do...............and realised the bloke was sitting there quite calmly completely stark bo**ock naked. Not a stitch. And no sign of any clothes in the car either.

A serious hazard to horse riders, wouldn't you say???

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PMSL - I'd have fallen off laughing.....
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We have another couple round here:

Option 4
Car passes wide and slow on a national limit road on a blind corner! With me screaming myself blue that I realy do not want to be part of an RTA whilst saying thankyou for the wide and slow
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Option 5
Car passes in any way of the above, but with driver/passenger leaning out of the car shouting abuse! (think poo on the roads, horse having a moment, two abreast, etc)


Lovely!

And I allways say thankyou!
 
I don't have a problem with it either. I pass all riders just as politely regardless of whether I know they're "miserable ones" or smiley wavy types. I'm more bothered about my car and the rider/horse staying in one piece.

I don't always wave, I tend to nod and smile more than wave. The post was supposed to be about how some car drivers seem to lack the necessary skills when it comes to overtaking us on the roads. It's also pretty tongue in cheek, as I'm sure you could tell by my initial post.
 
I would have to go for option1, and get them out of the way. In my area I amazed at how impatient people are. Drivers regularly pull out to go around the horse when there is blatantly on coming traffic hurtling toward them at 50mph- it's frightening.

I look like a high viz queen and ignore the jaunts from others- I get so cross coming across a string of point-pointers (usually six two a breast being ridden and lead) with not a bean of reflective wear.

Beware of 'flicking the bird' to a high speed motorist...I had one once whizz past at 70mph who did not even lift off. I flicked him the finger, the next thing was he screamed to a halt the reverse lights came on and he reversed towards me at 30mph, we then had verbal in the middle of a B road for a few minutes. He was enraged that I dared to swear at him like he was some sort of god like person- I was obviously scum. What was worse was that he had his daughter in the passenger seat who was about 6 who had to witness the whole episode- frightening. I was very scared.

I think there should be a section in the driving test about driving in the countryside/passing horses and also that no one should be allowed out on the road on horse back without having passed a Pony Club / BHS Riding and Road Safety course.
 
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We had a lovely car driver, a few years ago on a lovely warm summer's day, who was driving towards us and pulled over to let us pass him as the lane was narrow. We sort of bent down to say thank you as we rode by, smiling nicely as you do...............and realised the bloke was sitting there quite calmly completely stark bo**ock naked. Not a stitch. And no sign of any clothes in the car either.

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I had to stifle a snigger but this ain't very nice at all! A few years back we had a spate of this in Meriden, Wark's. I just wish someone would do it to me so's I could jump off and thrash the bugger!
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mmm we cant win cos i was told by a driver recently when chatting that they dont like riders that "tell them how to drive and when they can overtake by signalling". instead twits prefer to overtake on a blind bend often meeting another car in opp direction. nice.
 
I pass slowly but determinedly, nothing worse than a doddery overtake! Will always flash my indicators or hazards depending on what kind of road Im on.
I overtake as Id wish to be overtaken myself.
 
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