Thanking Drivers

dianchi said:
I often worry that drivers cant see me thank them, I usually ride out with two reins and a whip, and not always sure that a nod is noticed?

Flip side nothing pee's me off more than when I do make the effort whilst driving to pull off out the way and get nothing- not even acknowledgement from riders- almost want to get out of car and say they give riders a bad name!
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I did exactly that this summer. I was in a tractor, pulled into the side and turned the engine off because one of the horses looked stressed. She didn't even make eye contact with me so I got out and told her exactly how rude she was. They're from my area too so most likely any car drivers who slow down for them and get no thanks will speed past me next week...
 
I had an odd one this morning. Hacking home down potholey unadopted road and two cars came past and swooshed through puddles, but slowly. Pony was very good but the next car along who I knew kindly stopped and waited. As I drew level with him a girl on a moped came up behind him went around him and snuck through the gap between his car and pony- which wasnt very big!!!
 
I say thanks to everyone that has slowed down. Haven't met many horrors round our way so normally the ones who don't get thanked are the ones who don't slow down when approaching me head on. Usually the people that overtake do slow down and give a wide enough berth. The driver who decided to overtake as we were about to turn right into our yard got a different hand gesture and a "what are you doing?!"

Was driving to my BF parents Sunday and we pass a riding school. They have the school at the top of a hill and field at the bottom so we sometimes meet the leading the horses to the field. Saw them out on Sunday, about 5 or 6 ponies being led by children with 2 adults. I slowed down and pulled right over to the kerb and NOT ONE of the children or adults said thank you. Felt like winding down my window and saying "thanks for the acknowledgement!".
 
I always thank everyone who passes us, although the ones that shoot past too close or too fast can't actually heard the word duck head that I shout at them along with the smile and nod or wave.

On virtually the only occasion that I didn't thank someone, because my idiot of a horse had lost her braincell because a cow had popped its head over the fence and gone Moo, the extremely unpleasant driver of the Landrover (with two sheep in the back!) stopped, got out and had a real go at me. I tried very hard to speak to him, apologise, try to explain that it was an oversight on my part due to trying to cope with a misbehaving horse, but he went on so much that in the end I had to put my "manager" voice on and tell him how offensive I was finding him.

Most people really appreciate being thanked, and I have to say in my neck of the woods drivers are generally very good towards us horsey folk.
 
I'm often riding with a group of children. If someone looks like they're not going to slow (and assuming it's safe to do so), I position myself further out into the road, such that I force them to slow before I'll get out of their way.

That's when I give them a huge smile, and a 'thank you' - even though they've only slowed because I was in the way.
 
My old yard owner also used to gesture frantically at those that didn't slow down, it was like she was shaking a fist full of coffee beans!!
I always thanked regardless, its kind of habit. It always annoys me when riders don't thank, or even acknowledge the fact that you've slowed car and passed very wide.
 
Then of course there's the drivers who like horses so much that they make sure to pass extra close. I thank them with a friendly pat on the roof with my schooling whip :P
 
suzi said:
This.

I have mastered the art of the massively over exaggerated thank you gesture and am now working on including an element of sarcasm but it's hard to work that into an arm movement.
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I have found a flamboyant salute works well for the sarcasm and maybe a small bow.

I tend not to thank drivers who try and kill me I have been known to park in front of them and explain vigorously their wrong doing. However I do try and thank and acknowledge as many as possible with a nod, if it isn't safe to take my hands off the reins, a smile and a wave. This may be a little half hearted if they are going to fast to notice or won't make eye contact. You come across all sorts I think from lorry drivers who turn their engines off to buss driver who drive at you on the wrong side of the road and I really don't think a lot of non horsey people actually care or notice what your doing with your hands. We as riders have a unique pesrpective in knowing what should be done and experiencing being on the other side. I stopped to help a lady the other day whose horse was being harrassed by a small herd of pugs. If I hadn't been horsey I suspect I would have just tried to squeeze past as the horse although distressed was stationary who knows. Some people I have met have tried to do their best and inadvertently made the situation worse for example pulling over and driveing over a log with sounded like a bullet spooky both ponies.
 
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