Squashed on the road!!!

[First Frost]

Hacking out this morning through a little hamlet just down the road from home.The road is very narrow for a short distance with appropriate warning signs on the road. No verge just a high hedges with hawthorn and brambles. Supermarket delivery van driver decided it was OK to pass in the narrowest section, giving me able a foot between van and my saint of a horse. Horse behaved perfectly but my arm has been ripped apart by the brambles and my breeches have also been ripped! Most frustrating thing was that 20 m ahead was a pull in place that i was heading for had he given me the chance. He wasn't going particularly fast but squashed us, so definitely not following the highway code.
I have rung the supermarket and made a formal complaint. They have asked for 5 days to respond. Lets see what happens!

 

[nagblagger]

Sorry to hear this, your horse must be a saint.
Follow it up with an email so you have an audit trail, take photos of your arm and breeches for evidence to show them, and even a photo where it happened showing the brambles.

 

[poacher82]

Gosh, sorry to hear this and good job your horse is so fab! Please report to the BHS - ideally both via HorseI app (so it;s recorded for stats purposes) and directly by emailing safety@bhs.org.uk - they have delivered driver training to many organisations, including some supermarkets - maybe they can get in touch and offer the same to this company!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Slightly different but I was travelling a horse in a trailer and a quarry lorry tried to get in the back with the horse. I complained to the haulier giving time and date. On that day there was 2 lorries travelling that route. If I had got the registration, unfortunately he was far too close to see much of his lorry, then they would have sacked the driver as they take that sort of driving very seriously. As there was 2 lorries and I couldn't give any more details they gave both drivers a stern talking to. I was very impressed with how they dealt with it. Hopefully the driver won't loose his job but he definitely needs a talking to. Hope your not too sore.

 

[AmyMay]

This is why so many of us ride defensively- in the middle of the road.

I’m so glad that your injuries are superficial- what a saint of a horse.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm at a stage where I avoid riding on roads for any length of time I'm lucky I often only have to do a few yards to get on the bridleways.

It's just got so dangerous it must be awful if you have to go along dangerous roads everyday

 

[little_critter]

Hacking out this morning through a little hamlet just down the road from home.The road is very narrow for a short distance with appropriate warning signs on the road. No verge just a high hedges with hawthorn and brambles. Supermarket delivery van driver decided it was OK to pass in the narrowest section, giving me able a foot between van and my saint of a horse. Horse behaved perfectly but my arm has been ripped apart by the brambles and my breeches have also been ripped! Most frustrating thing was that 20 m ahead was a pull in place that i was heading for had he given me the chance. He wasn't going particularly fast but squashed us, so definitely not following the highway code.
I have rung the supermarket and made a formal complaint. They have asked for 5 days to respond. Lets see what happens!

If you were heading for a pull in and you didn't want them to pass then I would have:
a) put myself in the middle of the road so they couldn't attempt to squeeze
b) pointed to the pull in area that you were aiming for so they know your intentions.

Sorry you met a wally.

 

[poiuytrewq]

This is why so many of us ride defensively- in the middle of the road.

I’m so glad that your injuries are superficial- what a saint of a horse.

Yes quite. My horse wouldn’t have liked that and therefore I’d have carried on in the middle of the road to prevent him passing, and probably p’d the driver off in the process.

Kudos to your horse OP. What a good boy!

 

[Red-1]

I would report them to the company, asking for the damages to be covered, possibly to the police too as a damage road traffic collision has taken place. Not between the van and you, but as a result of the van being on the road in the manner he was, between you and the hedge.

ETA, sorry, I re-read your post and you are actually injured. This is an injury accident, as defined by the road traffic act. If the company don't want to cover the damage, their insurers should. You are entitled to ask for their insurance details to contact them direct.

 

[irishdraft]

If you were heading for a pull in and you didn't want them to pass then I would have:
a) put myself in the middle of the road so they couldn't attempt to squeeze
b) pointed to the pull in area that you were aiming for so they know your intentions.

Sorry you met a wally.

This is exactly what I would have done, my mare would have freaked with any vehicle coming that close. She was perfect in traffic until someone came too fast round a blind bend on the country lane I live on & skidded on gravel and came to a halt about a foot in front of her. The idiot had the audacity to have a go at me when he almost did the same thing a few months later because I asked him to slow down . I do know who he is ,a pig ignorant git who thinks horses shouldn't be on the road mentality.

 

[Zigzagged6260]

Unfortunately there is an ever growing contingent of people that don't care about dangerous behaviour on the road - but most do care about being caught. I don't put foot (or hoof) on the road without a camera and am beginning to operate a zero-tolerance approach to what is submitted to police. Maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy but it seems like ever since COVID there is so little kindness or patience for each other any more - especially on the roads.

I have experienced the same situation as OP a few times lately. I've begun maneuvering towards a passing space and the car has squeezed past before I've had chance to fully move the horse and I out of the way. I agree with others that you have to position yourself to avoid this although when you have a queue of traffic behind you it is all too easy to want to show that you're trying to get out of the way as quickly as possible.

 

[First Frost]

Would have been more into the centre of the road but I had just had a cyclist coming in the opposite direction so was over on my side so as not to be too close to them!

 

[little_critter]

Would have been more into the centre of the road but I had just had a cyclist coming in the opposite direction so was over on my side so as not to be too close to them!

Ah - that's unfortunate.

 

[Red-1]

I do also wear a hat cam when riding out. I have noticed that people do treat you differently.

 

[PeterNatt]

I would report this incident to the Police and insist that they give you an ‘Incident Number’ (so that you know it has been recorded on their systems database). Most police forces now have a ‘Snap Portal’ where you can send in hat cam coverage. Check on : https://nextbase.co.uk/national-das...vFa_PnQDKOp32qyvuFZ7bJ4ewSEcZRiFl51xjDqfHA5Tw

Also report to the BHS Horse i App or www.horseincidents.org.uk web site as they collect statistics of horse related incidents, for statistical purposes which they need for when they are in discussions with central and local government to improve safety for Horse Riders and Carriage Drivers. For instance the Highways Departments of Local Authorities require statistical information to demonstrate issues and the statistics obtained from the App and Web site prove to be very useful.

In addition if you know of a number of incidents along this stretch of road you have the option of organising a Police ‘Slow Pass’ Operation along this stretch of road, which involves a ridden or driven horse being observed by Police Officers and any dangerous drivers are stopped and talked to.
To organise a Police Slow Pass Operation contact the Safety Department of the BHS H.Q.
Tel: 02476 840516 E-mail: safety@bhs.org.uk

As regards other measures you can take I would recommend wearing a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that other road users can clearly see your hand signals and also wearing a Hat-Cam such as the Techalogic DC-1 which films both forwards and backwards at the same time. (If you order on their web site www.techalogic.co.uk and use the discount code PWAS1 you will get a 7% discount)!

If you only get a partial number plate reading check here www.partialnumberplate.co.uk

 

[scruffyponies]

I was once sent up a 15ft banking on my saint of a little pony by a crazy Tesco van driver.
When I went into my local store to demand a complaint form they responded very quickly... that might have been because I was still riding the pony.

 

[Greylegs]

Why not name and shame the supermarket in question? …. This type of thing gives them all a bad name. Also some very good advice on here about reporting the incident to the police etc. Hope your injuries heal up fast, even if your jods are a write off …..

 

[DabDab]

Sorry you were injured, I hope you get a reasonable response from the company in question.

I had a driver do similar to me recently. Narrow road, high hedges, steep gradient with them coming uphill and me down hill. I stopped, pointed to the passing place just behind them, but they pressed on up, so I carried on standing where I was, over to the side but not touching the hedge, and just as I was thinking 'surely they're not going to try and squeeze past' I started hearing the scratch of the hedge on the passenger side of their car. As they got level with me they stopped, car now completely embedded in the hedge and looked out their driver side window at me. I shrugged and then walked on past the end of their (2yo, shiny BMW) car, and left them trying to manoeuvre it out of a hedge from a standstill on a steep uphill.

Tbh, given the poor decision making and driving skills on display I mainly went away feeling relieved that we had got off so lightly.

 

[SEL]

With HS2 causing carnage we have people diverting and I think satnavs see our "national speed limit" lane and send them down it as the fastest route. Single track and passing places full of potholes

Supermarket vans are usually ok. But I flatly refused to budge the other day and got more pleasure than I should from listening to the grinding sound as the low slung BMW hit potholes at speed. Idiot could have stopped just at the gateway and we'd have got past each other safely

I'm camera shopping I think. I hope you're ok OP - not nice

 

[Sossigpoker]

What I tend to do is stay in the middle so they can't (or at least shouldn't!) Squeeze past , I look behind me at them and acknowledge them and then give an arm signal showing where I am going to give way. Then over the top thank you and wave as they go past
I also wear a high viz and my horse as a mesh sheet where I've added a blue and silver checkered tape , like the police pattern,.as most people see the pattern and subconsciously think 'police '. I've also got a plastic whip with a square piece at the end , bright orange, that says PASS WIDE on one side and SLOW DOWN on the other. That stick seems to get their attention quite quickly.

 

[Melandmary]

I recently rang my local bus company and the cement works to complain about their idiot drivers and ranted about the need to explain the Highway Code regarding passing horses to their drivers. I must say the number 80 bus gives me a slow wide berth now .

 

[SantaVera]

I hope you tell the police

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hacking out this morning through a little hamlet just down the road from home.The road is very narrow for a short distance with appropriate warning signs on the road. No verge just a high hedges with hawthorn and brambles. Supermarket delivery van driver decided it was OK to pass in the narrowest section, giving me able a foot between van and my saint of a horse. Horse behaved perfectly but my arm has been ripped apart by the brambles and my breeches have also been ripped! Most frustrating thing was that 20 m ahead was a pull in place that i was heading for had he given me the chance. He wasn't going particularly fast but squashed us, so definitely not following the highway code.
I have rung the supermarket and made a formal complaint. They have asked for 5 days to respond. Lets see what happens!

I have had this many times, but I also use one of these to keep or in some cases whack vehicles if they are too close https://www.onlineforequine.co.uk/shires-economy-schooling-whip The orange one is really bright like hi viz, and pink is good too, I have one of each and vehicle do notice them. I wont hack out without them.

 

[Flying_Form]

Hacking out this morning through a little hamlet just down the road from home.The road is very narrow for a short distance with appropriate warning signs on the road. No verge just a high hedges with hawthorn and brambles. Supermarket delivery van driver decided it was OK to pass in the narrowest section, giving me able a foot between van and my saint of a horse. Horse behaved perfectly but my arm has been ripped apart by the brambles and my breeches have also been ripped! Most frustrating thing was that 20 m ahead was a pull in place that i was heading for had he given me the chance. He wasn't going particularly fast but squashed us, so definitely not following the highway code.
I have rung the supermarket and made a formal complaint. They have asked for 5 days to respond. Lets see what happens!

Gosh what a Saint your horse is - I don’t even think the horse I’d deem as the quietest on my yard would have behaved for that!

Too many people doing things like this on the road. I once had a modified car rev quite loudly out of impatience as it went by resulting in my very green horse nearly putting me and her in a ditch. It’s like they don’t even care or notice the repercussions of their actions of ignorance. You’re definitely right to lodge a complaint. That drivers actions were unbelievably dangerous. I’d even consider reporting that to the police.