Should age 15 and under be accompanied by and adult out hacking?

[barnbrookaa]

Sorry guys mini rant but thoughts appriciated.

Driving home from work this evening at 7.30 i came across two girls, no reflective items on them or thier ponies.

I didnt really see them until i was right behind them, they on rode past a very large gateway (which i would have stopped in to let cars past) and continued along a snaking road. They then called me past..... blind bends ummmm no thanks.....i waited until i could see a clear path myself, they seemed to have no raod sense or awareness of what they should be doing. As i drove off they rode side by side again along the snaking road!!


Should they be accompanied???? or am i being really old and boring???

 

[MrsMozart]

I'm not sure it's an age thing - I've seen adults doing the same

 

[Bikerchickone]

I don't know about the legal view but I would say they should have had hi viz on! The evenings are lighter now but I was horrified at how dark it was along our lane when I rode out at about 7 last night, in full hi viz might I add. Do you know where they came from? Might be worth a polite word on the yard.

 

[Spiritedly]

I think it depends on the child. I wouldn't let my 9 yr old out unaccompanied no matter how sensible he is but my friends 13 yr regularly hacks alone and is very aware and responsible.

 

[Wildforestpony18]

I think it depends on the responsability levels of the child, and the type of area (roads or fields) and of course if the child can handle the pony, also if the pony is trustworthy.

 

[redheadkelj]

I used to ride alone at 15 (mainly because my horse was too mental to be ridden out with anyone and would go bonkers if he was with another horse) but I was always considerate to drivers and wore a reflective... usually. There is no rule (I don't think) about kids not being allowed on roads on their own but if they cannot be trusted to behave sensibly then they shouldn't be out there...!

 

[barnbrookaa]

Unfortunatly i dont know where they are based but it does scare me they lack of road safety and road awarness that is going on.

 

[tamsinkb]

Tricky one.... depends on the child really - and the adults they are with. Around here we have a couple of teenagers very similar to those you have described who regularly hack out with thier mother who is even more ignorant and clueless!!

 

[frazzled]

My 14 yr old hacks out on her own and has done for 3 yrs or so. Is very polite and has good road sense. I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with age but manners and commonsense.

 

[Fimbacob]

No you are not old and boring! Lol! It all depends on the maturity of the riders. I was hacking on my own from age 13 but had been lucky enough to have learnt how to behave to other road users from an early ages.
These riders definately need some education on how to ride on roads though. There should be something like the cycling proficiency test for horses, I agree, especially as horses are so unpredictable. Hi-Viz is a necessity! I know there is a BHS/pony club test for this but I do agree all riders should have one. Perhaps we should petition the BHS or something! I am not a parent but if I was, I would certainly want my child to be traffic aware before letting them hack out on their own!

 

[Gracie21]

We used to ride out all the time from 11/12 year old! My sister rode out with her friend from the age of 9 across the common.

 

[Mad_Cow347]

I agree with everyone else, it 100% depends on the person. Not all teenagers are stupid & many can do these things safely, I used to ride with a friend when I was younger & we were pretty sensible. Unfortunately people like this end up ruining it for others who can do things sensibly.

I always wear a hi-viz tabard when I ride out, whereas my sister & mum don't even own one.

 

[Fimbacob]

In addition to previous post, Air Ambulance are requesting that all riders wear Hi-Viz as it makes them much easier to spot in the air if there is ever an accident, especially off road where directions are difficult. And one thing my friend told me that really rang true was that if ever there was an accident with a car (heavens forbid!) and that it went to court, the rider must demonstrate that every available caution was taken to prevent an accident making them less liable for the accident caused. IMO a learner drivers L plate (even if neither horse or rider is a learner) over a Hi-Viz vest makes drivers respect them more as they understand/recognise this symbol and will take more care. Hope this helps!

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with age but manners and commonsense.

This /\
I have been hacking out alone since I was 11years old, am now 31

 

[lme]

My 13yo regularly hacks out alone but she wears hi-viz and is sensible in traffic / courteous to other road users.

 

[catwithclaws]

i find this question quite tricky - im 23 and often hack out with u16's on my yard - luckily they both ride very well and have reasonably sensible horses.

however if there WAS to be some form of accident - would i be held as the 'responsible/supervising adult'??

there is a new girl started sharing a horse on our yard but she is only 12 and i've not seen her ride - if it was the case that i was the 'responsible adult' then it would worry me to be riding out with her - however there is a rule on our yard that u16s cannot ride without an adult on the yard, so bit of a catch 22??

tricky one OP, tricky one!!

 

[StarlightMagic]

I was hacking out alone/with a friend on foot or on a bike from 12 years old. Pony was my responsibility, and I was more than competent enough to do it. Just takes common sense, sadly this seems to be in short supply these days.

 

[TheoryX1]

Mini TX has hacked my horse out since she was about 10 or 11, she also hacked her old pony out on her own at the same age. She is polite and courteous on the roads, always wears a hat, have to say convince her to stick the hi viz on, even though I have a nice breastplate that doesnt look too gruesome. She also has good road sense as well. She's now 17.

 

[JFTDWS]

No they shouldn't be accompanied, necessarily, though they should have more common sense I was hacking out alone at 13 fwiw.

 

[HashRouge]

I don't know...I used to ride out on my own at 15, but I was the sort who was "old before their time" so was always quite conscientious. But I still did silly thinks like forgetting to take my phone with me so when I went out for a 2 1/2 hour hack in the evening and didn't get back until 10pm, my parents were understandably panicky!
But my sister recently had an upsetting encounter with two girls she knows, neither of whom can be older than 15. My sister is 18 and very responsible, and was hacking down the road on my mare when a woman pulled up next too her, wound down the window and asked if she knew the two girls who were riding behind her. They were some way behind at this point and my sister couldn't see them clearly so said "no", and the lady told her that when she'd driven past them, one of the girls had been hitting her horse around the head! My sister rode on, and eventually the two riders caught up with her, at which point she realised that she did know them. So, not being one to beat about the bush, she asked which one of them had been hitting their horse around the head. One of them eventually owned up - apparently her horse had been spooked and had gone into canter, so she thought it would be a good idea to hit it round the head . My sister told her straight that she'd been an idiot (I think her exact words were "maybe if you learnt to ride properly your horse would behave better" ) but sadly I doubt that the girl is going to do anything differently. Which does make me wonder whether she ought to be supervised when riding!

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

I've hacked out alone from 11 and never had a problem. I used to help at a local trekking centre and go alone with rides out so I could help the novice and lead little ones. It was once remarked that I was more competent and responsible than the 26 year olds that worked there

 

[Ladydragon]

Should they be accompanied???? or am i being really old and boring???

My son is 14 and hacks out regularly on his own... But, he knows hand signals, wears hi vis (mobile phone, tags on horse and himself etc) and is on an older schoolmistress who's a wise old own with plenty of road sense herself... He'll only hack the TB out with company - although the TB is bombproof on the roads he's still young and green and far more reliant on his rider... Son isn't confident enough to take him out alone which is a pretty mature assessment IMO and I wouldn't let him if he wanted to...

Riders who haven't got the foggiest idea about signalling, have limited control over their horse and very little road sense are alive and kicking in all age groups...

 

[lilly1]

Well I used to hack on my own from the age of 11 and managed to stay safe albeit with a few near misses. It wasn’t that many years ago either. In fairness I was a better rider then than I am now . Would I let my own child do the same? No way, at least not on roads anyhow!

 

[tinap]

Don't know if there's a legal age but I don't let my 16yr old go on her own (no other kids on yard) . I go on my bike with her. Not because she's not capable, but I don't trust the drivers & you never know if something could spook the pony.

 

[tinap]

Oh & she passed her riding & road safety with flying colours, so knows how to act on the roads regarding signals etc.

 

[monkeybum13]

I've hacked out for years on my own although when I was young this was on private land so no roads to contend with.

 

[Kiristamm]

Oh & she passed her riding & road safety with flying colours, so knows how to act on the roads regarding signals etc.

I have just finished training (today) the most recent cohort of trainees for Riding and Road Safety at PC. 100% pass rate... however, due to H&S we are no longer allowed to train them on the roads, but on simulated courses. There has been a drastic reduction in the competency of the children, as they really miss out on training in a real life situation.

For me, it is a sorry state of affairs that we will present children with a certificate stating competency, when they really have received (IMO) a radically reduced and limited training.

I am sure that those of your children who do ride on the road have been trained, but I feel the value of this award has been diminished.

 

[Hutchlou]

My daughter is 11 & very sensible. However, I don't even let her wander about the streets on her own, so why would I throw in the extra uncertainty of letting her wander about on her pony?

 

[tinap]

I agree Kiristamm. Daughter passed hers about 5yrs ago. Only after she had first passed her written & then simulated was she allowed to do the road test - & that was about 20yards down the road & back!! Barely any actual road work involved in the test/training!!

I drive her nuts though because while I'm on my bike I still remind her to say thank you to drivers & always get the reply "I know mother! I aced my R&R safety, I know what I'm doing"!!!

I would like to let her go out on her own but even with the 2 of us fully hi-viz'd up (yes me on my bike too!) , I can honestly say on a 6 mile hack on a fairly busy route, maybe 1 driver will slow down & give extra room. I'm thankful the pony is good in traffic

 

[FairyLights]

I hacked out alone from age 11. At 15 I was hacking out alone a young flighty pony which I had backed myself and was schooling.