Thanking others when out hacking

[Wishfilly]

I suppose some of it depends on your reasons for hacking- not in terms of thanking drivers but how you interact with pedestrians etc.

If you hack to relax/for the fun of hacking, then chatting to everyone you pass is probably fine. But if you have nowhere to school, and do a lot of your schooling out on hacks, then you probably don't want to chat/stop to speak to everyone you see! Obviously it's still good to be polite, but it might explain why some riders are less keen to acknowledge others?

I do also think if you are actively holding traffic up that's a bit different as it encourages impatience- I know sometimes it's essential with a young horse or one who's being rehabbed, but an explanation for drivers is probably appreciated!

FWIW, I think wearing high vis is in a completely different category to thanking drivers. Not wearing high vis can make you really very hard to see in certain situations and is essential for everyone's safety. This also applies to other safety things like using proper tack and leading horses correctly!

Normally I just do it automatically without realising what I've done ?

I would really try and avoid doing this, as it might give them the idea that they have passed safely if they do see you doing it!

 

[Caol Ila]

What, one of these ? A82 Glencoe Pass on a blimmin‘ horrible wet and windy day with dire weather warnings. Lands End/John O’Groats 2018.

In case you’re worried that the support vehicle was tailing him and holding up traffic, it was just waiting until it was clear to overtake . The wind was buffeting the cyclist (son no 1) sideways.
View attachment 52769

ETA I’m a serial thanker if I’m on a horse, and if the occasion warrants it, on my cycle too.

Maybe people think horse riders or mountaineers are crazy and don't get why anyone would hike up a hill, but the A82 cyclists are truly baffling, and it's far more deathy than climbing or riding. Riding on a narrow, wiggly road with constant -- and I mean constant -- traffic, no room on the hard shoulder, blind corners, and about 30% of the people on that road are useless -- they either can't keep the car in a straight line while driving at no more than 35, or they are doing insane overtakes on aforesaid blind corners. I hate that f-ing road. In a car. One day, I'm going to compile all my dashcam footage into a 'best of Highland driving' montage. I always see crazy sh(*t.

Yesterday's winners, however, were cyclists. They include the herd of ninja cyclists (every one in black) on the wiggly section between Tarbet and Ardlui, and the wobbly cyclists teetering across the lane, on a tandem no less, just before Crianlarich.

Relevant to this thread, I have never seen anyone riding on it. We're not that crazy.

 

[Quadro]

My neighbour has one Highland pony she keeps on it's own. she makes a massive drama about everything on the road. Turns him sideways to block cyclists etc, won't let cars passed as she plods along in walk (single track road). People understandably get very annoyed with her. She even makes a fuss about my dog if we walk pass with him on a lead, and used to my yard of horses. It means that people then roar past me and the youngstock that are being broken even though we are very courteous, always pull in asap and thank drivers. Her attitude on the road spoils it for others, plus her horse would barely move if you shoved a firework up it's arse

 

[Tiddlypom]

Maybe people think horse riders or mountaineers are crazy and don't get why anyone would hike up a hill, but the A82 cyclists are truly baffling, and it's far more deathy than climbing or riding.

The lack of alternative routes forces many cycle tourers onto that road. It is the hairiest section of the LEJOG by far.

As a cyclist, I am also baffled why any cyclist would wear black on the road, but a lot of them do.

 

[Caol Ila]

I know there aren't many alternatives around there. But...why would people do it for fun? Probably about .00000000001% of the cyclists on it have to be there.

It's the most direct way, but you can wiggle about on less busy roads. And use the West Highland Way and then Great Glen Way if you have a mountain bike!

In a moment of boredom, I once searched for cyclist's comments on Hi-Viz (one too many near misses on the A81, which I use to get to the yard). Apparently it isn't nearly as accepted as it is amongst equestrians, and there were long, angry threads on forums about whether or not cyclists should wear it and whether or not it "works." Whenever I'm out on a bike, I wear something bright and my helmet is Hi-viz yellow. I also stay off main roads as much as possible.

 

[Asha]

I thank everyone. If theres a car/ bike etc behind us we trot on until we can pull in and let them overtake. I appreciate that hacking on the roads is getting more dangerous, so just feel that if we do our bit to be polite/considerate to the other road users ,then they in turn may become a little more considerate/patient to us. So far where we are everyone is friendly and seem to appreciate that we get out the way when possible.
Manners cost nothing, but go along way

 

[Teaboy]

Can’t stand rude riders, cyclists or drivers! There’s no excuse for it.

I thank people that are polite on the road, make some attempt to slow down etc. I also say hello to cyclists and walkers. The only time I haven’t is if I’m keeping the lid on a horse and then generally I’m with someone else who thanks then instead and even then I try and smile and nod anyway.

 

[WandaMare]

My neighbour has one Highland pony she keeps on it's own. she makes a massive drama about everything on the road. Turns him sideways to block cyclists etc, won't let cars passed as she plods along in walk (single track road). People understandably get very annoyed with her. She even makes a fuss about my dog if we walk pass with him on a lead, and used to my yard of horses. It means that people then roar past me and the youngstock that are being broken even though we are very courteous, always pull in asap and thank drivers. Her attitude on the road spoils it for others, plus her horse would barely move if you shoved a firework up it's arse

I used to hack with a lady like this, she was the only person close enough to where I live to be a hacking companion, so having a young horse I had to grin and bear her road crazy behaviour. It seems to be a manifestation of their nerves, but I also came to realise that she was a complete control freak, and making people wait behind us for an unreasonable amount of time was a power thing with her. One minute everything would be perfectly pleasant and normal and the next she would start ranting to a cyclist, or some poor driver, and occasionally she turned it on me. Once I waved a cyclist past, being able to see the road was clear over the hedge, as you do when you're riding, and then I got a lecture about how I should never give instructions to another road user because if they had an accident it was all my fault. I managed to tolerate her hideous, embarrassing behaviour for 3 years hacking together and then after one particularly bad episode I told her I wanted to get my horse used to hacking alone. If ever I see her out hacking now I always either hide, or appear to be going in a different direction.

 

[Quadro]

I used to hack with a lady like this, she was the only person close enough to where I live to be a hacking companion, so having a young horse I had to grin and bear her road crazy behaviour. It seems to be a manifestation of their nerves, but I also came to realise that she was a complete control freak, and making people wait behind us for an unreasonable amount of time was a power thing with her. One minute everything would be perfectly pleasant and normal and the next she would start ranting to a cyclist, or some poor driver, and occasionally she turned it on me. Once I waved a cyclist past, being able to see the road was clear over the hedge, as you do when you're riding, and then I got a lecture about how I should never give instructions to another road user because if they had an accident it was all my fault. I managed to tolerate her hideous, embarrassing behaviour for 3 years hacking together and then after one particularly bad episode I told her I wanted to get my horse used to hacking alone. If ever I see her out hacking now I always either hide, or appear to be going in a different direction.

I also hide! I think my neighbour is just a bit of an arse. She has done it to me when I have been driving, and about to turn into my drive way which is fairly steep, and at the time I drove a fairly low car. She has fallen out with her closest neighbour as him using a chainsaw affects her horse in a field 400ms away apparently!

 

[BBP]

On Saturday mine was one of those horses that shouldn’t have been on the road. Of course I didn’t know that’s how it would turn out, he has walked that short stretch of road a hundred times and been completely fine. But on Saturday, being led out in hand due to rehab, he lost his mind and was spinning, rearing, dragon snorting, fell over, just a really awful, scary experience. As you can imagine, out of a sense of preservation for their vehicles, most drivers passed me as slow and as wide as they could, and waited a sensible distance away as I wrestled with him. Despite having my hands full I absolutely thanked every single one of them as best I could with a nod or mouthing thank you through gritted teeth. I’m always a thanker anyway, I want drivers to see me as human and vulnerable not high and mighty and rude.

I was shocked the other day to meet a horse on the road whose rider had no high viz, no riding hay and who didn’t acknowledge me. I don’t mind not being thanked, but the lack of hat and high viz felt really foreign to me.

 

[DabDab]

No hat
Gosh it's years since I've seen someone out on a horse without a hat...I didn't think anyone was nutty enough to do that anymore. I was thinking the other day that it's a while since I've seen someone on a horse without hi vis.

 

[BBP]

No hat
Gosh it's years since I've seen someone out on a horse without a hat...I didn't think anyone was nutty enough to do that anymore. I was thinking the other day that it's a while since I've seen someone on a horse without hi vis.

I know! It was a really alien sight to me!

 

[Winters100]

No hat
Gosh it's years since I've seen someone out on a horse without a hat...I didn't think anyone was nutty enough to do that anymore. I was thinking the other day that it's a while since I've seen someone on a horse without hi vis.

Where I am it is common to ride without a hat - I have almost give up explaining hiw the risk/reward ratio is just not there. Baffles me that seemingly sensible people do not see the necessity, but I suppose each to his own.

In respect of the main thread, regarding thanking other people when I am hacking I am always careful to do so. Where I live there is a perception that horse riders are wealthy and entitled, and I am always keen to demonstrate that we are not. As our yard is next to a large forest I am very seldom on roads, but if I meet people in the forest I always greet them, and if they have children who look interested I always stop for them to pet the horse if they would like to. My view is that every positive experience makes it more likely for people to be considerate to riders in the future.

Bizarrely I have also met quite a number of people in the forest who think that te most helpful thing they can do when a horse is approaching is to stay really really still and hide behind a tree or bush until we are passing them. So in this case I always make a point to stop, thank them for thinking of us, and have a little chat about how horses like to know in advance that someone is there. Generally people are friendly and appreciate the contact.

Sometimes small things make a big difference to people's views, and really manners cost nothing.

 

[Caol Ila]

I am going to be honest -- I don't stop and let children pat my horse. I don't like children and I cannot be a*rsed. There are too many of them. I smile and wave and say hi. If they ask, "What's the horse's name?" or any other question, I tell them. That's as good as it gets. The only good thing about the pandemic is that it has stopped people from asking to pet her. More social distancing, please. Before Covid, I would tell people that my horse was a bit nervous and would not stand still. I was usually lying. 'I'm a grumpy, curmudgeonly git, but I've got past my mid-30s with no children of my own for a reason. I don't want to deal with ones belonging to random strangers if I don't have to.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I'm also like Caol Ila in that I don't tend to stop and let children stroke him, mainly because he is funny with new people and can get restless and the last thing I want is him to stand on some child's foot especially in this "compensation culture" day and age. If any ask ill just say he's very nervous.

I've also found like others mentioned up thread that people don't tend to know what the slow down signal means I've had to use it a couple of times. He also went to violently spook at a tent that had been dumped on the verges in the bushes the other day along a busier stretch of road, i hadnt seen it as it blended in and was also keeping a look out for cars behind as well. I went to tell the car approaching to stop so I could get him past safely and they just kept coming, albeit fairly slowly I think they thought I was thanking them

I dont tend to chat with people from other yards but do say thank you as I pass. One local yard in particular tends to consist of the nose in the air condescending types!

I also came across someone on a horse the other day on a country lane. They were talking to someone in a car. The car was in a lay-by and she was stood on the edge of the road. I was driving so waited as I assumed she'd turn and go into the layby behind the car. Nope she waved me past while continuing the conversation, I hated having to go fairly close to an unknown horse especially as while it may be reliable if it had got spooked it would have hit my car. Just move into the lay by, let me past safely then carry on your conversation

I think hi vis should be compulsory for cyclists and horse riders

Interestingly I've found with probably 1 notable exception, the most considerate when I'm riding to be motorcycles and dirt bike riders. I always inwardly tense as I see the dirt bikes coming as they're usually going along at a fair pace but they tend to at least stop, some even turn their engines off. I always put my hand up to thank people but in these cases I also ensure I thank them verbally as well

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Referring back to cyclists in black, saw one the other day, country lane, all black clothing, helmet and a face mask, one of the disposable ones. I just thought if you are so worried about your health that you are wearing a mask out in the fresh air why on earth aren't you making yourself visible. As they say 'nowt so queer as folk'.

 

[HashRouge]

Bizarrely I have also met quite a number of people in the forest who think that te most helpful thing they can do when a horse is approaching is to stay really really still and hide behind a tree or bush until we are passing them. So in this case I always make a point to stop, thank them for thinking of us, and have a little chat about how horses like to know in advance that someone is there. Generally people are friendly and appreciate the contact.

I ride in the woods a lot and get this all the time - approaching walkers will suddenly disappear into a bush/ behind a tree! My share horse thinks this is horrifying as "things hiding in bushes" is top of the list of things he is afraid of. Usually once the walker realises we seem to have ground to a halt they will re-materialise and I will always explain (in as polite, friendly way as possible) that he gets frightened when he knows something is there but can't see what it is. I like chatting and talking to people out hacking.

 

[Baywonder]

I am another who always says thank you to drivers, runners, cyclists, dog walkers and anyone else out on the road. If parents are out with children and it’s me safe to do so and the children show an interest (you can tell which ones do) I always stop to let them stroke DP as he loves children and as a ponyless mad kid years ago it made my day if I was allowed to touch one ?

I used to do this with my old boy too! Part of my hacking was through residential areas, and I always stopped to see if the over-entuisiastic kiddie shouting "Horsey!! Horsey!!" wanted to give my old horse a fuss. In fact, I used to stop for quite a few elderly people too, who used to be horsey in their younger years. Such a small gesture can make a huge difference to someone's day.

As a child, I lived very close to the local mounted police stables, and they very often stopped in front of my house for me to stoke them. It made my day too!

 

[stormox]

I dont let children pet my horse. I often tack up in a beach car park or woodland picnic area and the number of kids and adults who come up is unreal. I dont speak really as I am concentrating on tacking up and I certainly dont let them pat my horse, the number of kids that come close to her at the beach with bare feet is unreal and gives me the shivers! They may call me grumpy and stuck up but I'd rather that than get a kid injured.
Anyway the covid 19 is a good excuse to keep them at a distance now.