Speeding giant tractors and huge farm machinery

[Patchworkpony]

Speeding giant tractors and huge farm machinery on country roads make it pretty well impossible to hack safely and happily anymore. No wonder lots of people ride only in arenas. Oh for my childhood days when I could ride for miles in a totally carefree fashion!!!!!!!!

 

[Christmas Magic]

Sorry, Where do you expect to find farm machinery, the City of London?

If you live in the country expect them it's where they live.

 

[Dubsie]

You obviously need to introduce your horse to big machinery more often. Went for a hack to a new place at the weekend, met three big tractors with spreaders and other big equpipment on the back. Stopped to talk to one, and the other 2 farmers came over in their tractors to chat, Pony was fine despite being more or less hemmed in on 3 sides.

However I went to see to them just now in my posh purple coat (not for going near ponies as it's clean) and above mentioned pony decided it was a breathing dragon on my back. I'd have been fine if I was in a big tractor.

 

[Patchworkpony]

The word I used was 'speeding' - of course they need to be there but so many show little consideration to horses. My friend has twice been badly injured by bolting driving ponies that were running away from tractors that just kept coming even though she begged them to slow down!

Maybe she shouldn't live in the country anymore even though she was there long before young, often under age, tractor drivers stalked the narrow twisty lanes of rural Devon with their monsterous machines.

 

[Littlelegs]

I've not met many speeding tractors, do ferrari make them round your way lol? Just get horse used to them, farm machinery etc is the same as hgvs etc, something they need to be ok with. In school holidays a travelling fair goes down a road we hack on. Met them a handful of times, huge artics with rides on & huge tarpaulins & loads of flatbed trailers, caravans etc. Last year I went up while they were packing up & got a rough time from them & took daughters 4yr old out with mine who's seen it all before, to stand in a side road & watch them pass. Since then we've had the whole lot pass us out hacking & the youngster doesn't bat an eyelid.

 

[ribbons]

Oh dear, sounds like you have some very inconsiderate farmers in your area. I must be just lucky, I've never come across one like that. Yes the machines are huge these days but I always find the farmers very understanding when they meet horses. I would try and find out which farm they come from and pop in for a friendly chat and explain your concerns.

 

[Taisypops]

Me and two of my friends were chased down a very narrow track by a farmer in a massive tractor with a trailer on the back with about ten bales big bales of hay on it. We had a good mile and a half to go before the track was wide enough to pass and he reved the engine very loudly and tooted the horn at us the whole way, he was also only a few feet behind us!! All the horses were freaked out and all usually very capable of quietly walking past a considerate farmer in a tractor....so I understand where the OP is coming from....x

 

[AdorableAlice]

The tractors and machinery are certainly a lot bigger then they were in my childhood, but it must be remembered the farmers are doing a job and this year their job has been near on impossible.

At harvest time and silaging I think, if at all possible, we should ride our horses very early to stay out of the way of the farmers. They cannot combine and haul corn before the dew is off.

The farmers are governed by the weather and I really think horse riders should stay out of the way at busy times if we can. I am fortunate enough to be able to go out very early and it is a lovely time to ride in the summer months

Remember they are harvesting horse feed, bedding and the food on our tables, at the height of the season they are working 18 hour days. I really don't think it is unreasonable for us not to get in the way.

 

[Patterdale]

Most tractors are limited to 32kph which is roughly 25mph. That is full pork and it can take a bit of pushing to get there

Maybe your farmers have been souping them up on the sly?? I'm picturing tractors with massive spoilers and neon downlights

 

[Patterdale]

Ps Adorable Alice totally agree!

 

[pixie]

Its not exactly a surprise that they are in a bit of a rush. The weather has been shyte for farmers. They have had to work as fast as they can for as many hours as they can to try and get the work done, and its still not enough. There are still fields around these parts that are unharvested or with straw that is unbaled and starting to rot from all the rain. This is their livelihood.
So I'm sorry if they don't have the time to slow down to a crawl behind your friend whilst she flounce about on her pony.
You live in the countryside. Either get used it to the tractors and machinery or don't hack on the roads.

 

[Pale Rider]

Me and two of my friends were chased down a very narrow track by a farmer in a massive tractor with a trailer on the back with about ten bales big bales of hay on it. We had a good mile and a half to go before the track was wide enough to pass and he reved the engine very loudly and tooted the horn at us the whole way, he was also only a few feet behind us!! All the horses were freaked out and all usually very capable of quietly walking past a considerate farmer in a tractor....so I understand where the OP is coming from....x

This is a specific offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988

Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 3: Careless and inconsiderate driving

“If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence.”

Someone who behaves like this driver needs prosecuting, I would have no hesitation in contacting the Police over this, or giving evidence in court about it.

 

[FfionWinnie]

The chances are they aren't speeding. It's quite hard to speed behind a pony. Personally I'd smartly trot out the way and get into a gateway or somewhere they can get past. If your pony cannot stand to let them past then I'm afraid it's not the farmer at fault.

I specifically took my pony past the combine and when she was ok I asked my neighbour if I could stand her while he went past (not impeding his work obv!!).

 

[Patterdale]

You don't know the circumstances though.

If I was carrying bales down a mile and a half of track on a busy day and two pony people were pootling along in front I'd be pretty ticked off if they didn't either move over or trot on.

Like I say - don't know the circumstances.

 

[Pale Rider]

You don't know the circumstances though.

If I was carrying bales down a mile and a half of track on a busy day and two pony people were pootling along in front I'd be pretty ticked off if they didn't either move over or trot on.

Like I say - don't know the circumstances.

When someone does something like this behind horses, I don't care how ticked off they are, they have a responsibility not to cause an accident. Just because you are a farmer, doesn't mean you can bulldoze your way round the countryside, because you're busy. I've been in farming all my life, I know about long hours and hard work. Behaving like an 'arrogant dick' towards horse riders is not only stupid, but self defeating, slowing down, and being 'considerate' often is quicker than upsetting horses then trying to clear up the mess afterwards. Lorry and car drivers can be stupid, but, someone in farming should know better.

 

[Jazzy B]

Its not exactly a surprise that they are in a bit of a rush. The weather has been shyte for farmers. They have had to work as fast as they can for as many hours as they can to try and get the work done, and its still not enough. There are still fields around these parts that are unharvested or with straw that is unbaled and starting to rot from all the rain. This is their livelihood.
So I'm sorry if they don't have the time to slow down to a crawl behind your friend whilst she flounce about on her pony.
You live in the countryside. Either get used it to the tractors and machinery or don't hack on the roads.

^^^^^this

 

[Clodagh]

Speeding giant tractors and huge farm machinery on country roads make it pretty well impossible to hack safely and happily anymore. No wonder lots of people ride only in arenas. Oh for my childhood days when I could ride for miles in a totally carefree fashion!!!!!!!!

You do have a point, we get a lot of Polish guys corncarting in the summer and I'm sure they are going for a land speed record, it is scary. Luckily here in Essex I can usually get off the road (stand on said farmers crops if necessary!) but in Devon it must be a nightmare. Modern tractors are so fast and powerful. I do acknowledge that its a busy time (I'm married to a famer) and I don't hack after 10am in harvest but you can't manage that all year.

 

[Clodagh]

When someone does something like this behind horses, I don't care how ticked off they are, they have a responsibility not to cause an accident. Just because you are a farmer, doesn't mean you can bulldoze your way round the countryside, because you're busy. I've been in farming all my life, I know about long hours and hard work. Behaving like an 'arrogant dick' towards horse riders is not only stupid, but self defeating, slowing down, and being 'considerate' often is quicker than upsetting horses then trying to clear up the mess afterwards. Lorry and car drivers can be stupid, but, someone in farming should know better.

Agreed.

 

[Taisypops]

This is a specific offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988

Road Traffic Act 1988, Section 3: Careless and inconsiderate driving

“If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence.”

Someone who behaves like this driver needs prosecuting, I would have no hesitation in contacting the Police over this, or giving evidence in court about it.

We did contact the police and they went round to see him about it. I totally understand that farmers are busy espically when they are baleing. Anywhere else Ive liveried the local farmers always told yard owners when they were baleing and no one hacked out till they were finished. We had no idea he was in the field baleing at the bottom of the track till we got a mile and a half down it!! We only had about 100 yards to go till we would have been past the gate of the field he was in and rather than wait thirty seconds for us to be out the way he pulled out the gate an accelerated towards us, I actually thought he was going to run us over for a min he drove so aggressively. About half way down the track there is a gate to a field that had no animals in it, so we had thought we could nip on there and get out his way but when we went towards the gate he went mental and started shouting and swearing at us. If he had backed off us and gave us space we would have trotted the horses but he was so close that we all just managed to remain in control.....I am eternally grateful that we didnt have a young horse, a sick horse or a kid out with us!!

I agree that horses that are on the road should be traffic proof and I think the fact that all our horses are so well hacked on busy roads with tractors, buses, motor bikes and lorries is what saved us.

He deliberatly pulled out in front of us and forced us to turn back, so he caused the delay however in a rush or not he has not right to have such a disreard for others....x

 

[Foxhunter49]

I so agree with Alice!

We are on a single track twisty lane and when they were finally able to go silaging we kept off the roads.

Just a couple of weeks ago I started leading out three three year olds (from another horse) only to find that they were silaging further down the road. Made no difference, not one of the youngsters took any notice of the tractors and rattling empty trailers yet they had never been off the place before.
The drivers did slow down as they do when they see the horses.

 

[Horseyscot]

Whilst I agree the farmers behaviour was totally unacceptable, have you considered he may have owned the track you were riding on?

Lots of good posts here, glad everyone isn't anti farmers ! Most of us are ok!

 

[Patchworkpony]

Thank you Pale Rider. I have lived in the country most of my life and a good many tractor drivers round here are not the local farmers but contractors paid by the hour. They don't give a damn about other road users. Forget about the horse problem then what about two of my neighbours being hit by tractors and then being told it was their own fault as they 'got in the way'. Vets, doctors, ambulance drivers etc. are under pressure but they don't see themselves as self important and behave badly on the roads.

By the way what about the lovely well mannered coloured cob that was out hacking driven into from behind and instantly killled by a speeding milk tanker. Perhaps he shouldn't have been in the countryside annoying the 'busy' farmers. What a lovely world we live in!

 

[Taisypops]

You don't know the circumstances though.

If I was carrying bales down a mile and a half of track on a busy day and two pony people were pootling along in front I'd be pretty ticked off if they didn't either move over or trot on.

Like I say - don't know the circumstances.

you dont know the circumstances either, track was too narrow to pass not because the horses wouldnt, the track has big hedges on either side and the tractor was the width of the track. We were nearly past the gate when he pulled out in front of us, he could have waited thirty secs and we would have been out his way. I with we had been "pootling along" would have been far more pleasnt x

 

[Taisypops]

Whilst I agree the farmers behaviour was totally unacceptable, have you considered he may have owned the track you were riding on?

Lots of good posts here, glad everyone isn't anti farmers ! Most of us are ok!

Its a public right of way between his fields. If he had gave us the heads up that he was baleing we would have went another way...x

 

[Taisypops]

Its a public right of way between his fields. If he had gave us the heads up that he was baleing we would have went another way...x

BTW I agree most farmers Ive encountered in tractors have been very considerate x

 

[Shysmum]

Let's see now - kids that look about 15 driving, check. On their mobile phone, check. In the middle of the road, check. Straw stacked high on trailer, held up by god knows what, check. Speeding ESSENTIAL, check. Especially around narrow corners - double check.

Or if you're lucky, the tractor that has the two " spike pincer things" left down as you come round a corner towards it - special treat ! Also a fan of the spikey machine that's about 2 feet wider than the tractor - been in the hedge a few times avoiding those.

And this is what you get on main roads, as well as country roads. Thankfully I drive a huge LANDY - lucky enough to have lots of off road hacking this time of year.

They don't ever seem to be local farmers either( who are very considerate), so must be contractors. And when we saw the report of a driver crushed in his car by one of these stacked trailers falling on it, well......

No reg plates, as in no ID, often no lights or indication. Hmmmm. Why are they allowed to do it ? Can someone please tell me ?

 

[Cuppatea]

the solution is simple - get a job behind the bar of your local village pub. make fiends with everybody. Farmers soon slow down, stop, turn off engines if they think there is a chance they might not get served a pint later on.....!!

 

[erin82]

This is 1 I can see from both sides. we live in the country, and expect farmers to be busy trying to beat the weather at this time of year.....but does that mean its ok for them to have no regard for horse or rider?

I ride a natural worrier, he lives on a farm and thinks nothing of the tractors at home. However, he does worry and panic when confronted head on by a flashing light and rattling tractor and trailer on narrow lanes with high banks and hedges and very few chances to get out of the way. The local farmers are far more considerate than the townie seasonal workers....experience and a mutual respect are apparent!

Surely, it takes no longer to stop and if needed turn the engine off and let the horse pass than it does to sit far too close and 'push' said horse out of the way.

 

[devonlass]

A few years ago I was walking up to my field (also in Devon like OP funnily enough) with my niece in a buggy,and literally nearly went under the wheels of a 'speeding tractor'.It may well only have been going 25mph,but i can assure you when you're right in it's path with nowhere to go it looks a lot faster!!

I had to put myself and my niece up in the hedge to avoid being hit by it (I wasn't somewhere I shouldn't have been,simply the lane wasn't wide enough for a large tractor and trailer and have room to pass),and the driver didn't even seem to notice let alone stop to apologise and check we were ok

I know most of the farmers around here (lived here nearly all my life) and have to say they are all far more considerate,didn't recognise this particular one (lucky for him i have to say),but he drove like an absolute idiot and busy or not there's no excuse for it.

Luckily have never come across anything that bad whilst out riding (don't even want to think about how much worse that situation would have been if on the back of a horse),but have to say that even though my horses are about as bombproof with traffic as it get's,when you're in narrow lanes with very little or no room to move/pass,large vehicles going too fast,with little or no consideration can be scary and dangerous.

 

[Potato!]

I think you will find that you can legally drive a tractor on the road at 16. My OH is a farmer in Devon and I've always found farmers to be considerate my OH had to sit in his tractor with the engine off I might add for some completely over horsed idiot to pass on a road that was wide enough for two tractors to pass while said horse danced about. Funnily enough he was trying to beat the rain and failed. 15 minutes earlier and he would have got his bales in our of the torrential rain! 200 bales wasted! Whilst I agree that this driver (most probably a contractor and not a farmer) was unacceptable. I feel that farmers have a hard enough time earning their living. I wonder if these people who spend their time moaning about the farmers getting in the way of their pootle up the road on their horses are the same people who spend their time moaning about the price of food, feed and bedding going up!