Thanking others when out hacking

[Abi90]

I once pointed this out on a Facebook group. Said that there were some people in our village on lovely sane horses who appeared totally oblivious to the drivers and cyclists giving them plenty of space and never once said thank you. I said I had thought about speaking to them once to say that by not thanking people, when they were clearly in control of their horses, meant that drivers would be less inclined to help other riders and it’s just polite.

I then got attacked, I assume by the cohort of riders who don’t think thanking people is necessary, saying “how dare I expect a thank you for observing the Highway Code” and “what a self entitled driver” I was.

 

[OldNag]

I once pointed this out on a Facebook group. Said that there were some people in our village on lovely sane horses who appeared totally oblivious to the drivers and cyclists giving them plenty of space and never once said thank you. I said I had thought about speaking to them once to say that by not thanking people, when they were clearly in control of their horses, meant that drivers would be less inclined to help other riders and it’s just polite.

I then got attacked, I assume by the cohort of riders who don’t think thanking people is necessary, saying “how dare I expect a thank you for observing the Highway Code” and “what a self entitled driver” I was.

TBH trying to point out common sense on a FB group is pointless task

 

[holeymoley]

I’ve always waved or verbally thanked people for slowing or pulling over. I’ve been out with others though who don’t say or acknowledge anything.

However recently I find myself actually not smiling or waving but instead giving a growler for driving to close or a mouthful if they can hear me. This Covid has brought on a lot of idiots to the countryside that haven’t got a clue ?

 

[Baywonder]

Even if you need to keep both hands on the reins, an over-exaggerated nod of the head and a thank you can still go a long way.

 

[scats]

I’ve always thanked people, because, despite the fact that I know we have every right to be on the road and we shouldn’t have to thank people for driving safely, horse riders in general aren’t viewed in a very good light. So anything I can do to try and help break down this feeling many road users have towards us, I do. I’d like to think my actions would go some way to a driver being courteous to the next rider they meet on the roads, sort of like a knock-on effect. It only takes one seemingly ‘rude’ rider for people to tar us all with the same brush.

A few months back I was driving to the local shore to walk the dogs and two riders were chatting away to each other and crossed the road infront of me without even looking. They had no hi-viz on either and seemed blissfully unaware of other road users. Fortunately I had slowed right down as I had a strange feeling they were going to do something, but it annoyed me, as a fellow rider, so god knows how a person not so tolerant or understanding of riders would feel!

 

[Widgeon]

horse riders in general aren’t viewed in a very good light.

Exactly, I think this is unfortunately true - I occasionally meet runners or walker who scowl at me and seem to expect me to either be rude to them or to ignore them - I'm not sure why. Presumably other riders in the past have behaved less than well towards them. Smiling and saying hello usually results in a smile back so that's a win I think.

 

[ihatework]

I’ve always thanked people, because, despite the fact that I know we have every right to be on the road and we shouldn’t have to thank people for driving safely, horse riders in general aren’t viewed in a very good light. So anything I can do to try and help break down this feeling many road users have towards us, I do. I’d like to think my actions would go some way to a driver being courteous to the next rider they meet on the roads, sort of like a knock-on effect. It only takes one seemingly ‘rude’ rider for people to tar us all with the same brush.

A few months back I was driving to the local shore to walk the dogs and two riders were chatting away to each other and crossed the road infront of me without even looking. They had no hi-viz on either and seemed blissfully unaware of other road users. Fortunately I had slowed right down as I had a strange feeling they were going to do something, but it annoyed me, as a fellow rider, so god knows how a person not so tolerant or understanding of riders would feel!

That’s my general take on it too

 

[Pippity]

I'm the same as Scats. So many people view horseriders as universally rich and arrogant, and I like to do anything I can to help break that down. So when I'm hacking on the Trans-Pennine Trail, I'll let kids pat my horse. I'll smile and nod at people who look a bit wary. I'll thank dog walkers who keep their dogs out of the way, and the rare cyclist who actually deigns to slow down a little. And, when I'm on the road, I'll wave and thank drivers who slow down, and I'll trot on to somewhere where it's safe for me to wave them past.

It can get frustrating at times but we all have to put up with other people. Being polite just helps us all rub along together.

The other day, I saw two people riding abreast on a dead straight road, completely oblivious to the increasingly frustrated driver behind them - who happened to be a woman from my yard. There would have been plenty of room for her to pass safely if the riders had just stopped gossiping for long enough to ride in single file. If you're being inconsiderate enough to wind up a fellow horseperson, imagine what somebody who already dislikes riders would be feeling?

 

[HappyHollyDays]

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 ?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I don't like to take my hands off the reins but always over-enthusiastically smile/nod or mouth thank you. I also make a point of always thanking dog owners who have control or put their dogs on a lead. My hacking is on the South Downs way so we have many many dogs to contend with - some better than others!

 

[ponynutz]

Also a serial thanker here.
I would say though that it's shouldn't be a problem when a horse is playing up. That's not their fault!

 

[Dyllymoo]

I always thank people. Dog walkers who have control of their dogs, cyclists who slow down/ warn me they are coming up behind us, drivers who slow down (even if they don't slow down to the speed I would like, I still thank them as I think if I don't, they might not bother at all next time), anyone who waits for me or is polite to me.

I sometimes don't take my hands off the rein (depends what bit of road etc.) but I always nod and mouth/ loudly say "Thank you".

I do try to trot out the way if I can, but sometimes it isn't always safe to do so, especially when we are hacking on our own and just out of the yard, J can be a bit spooky for the first 10 mins and a spook in trot is ALWAYS worse with him then in walk (he will generally just banana/ look rather than shoot to the side). Again I always thank people for waiting for me and pull over as soon as I can to let them past.

 

[stormox]

I thank people who do something- slow down, pass very wide -stop........ but I dont thank people who are just driving past normally. Why should I? Thank people every time they drive past and a genuine thank you would lose its meaning.
If I pass a walker, or another rider I would slow down, and make sure it was ok to pass - would I speak? Maybe, but probably just nod my head in acknowledgement.
Too much smiling and waving for no reason makes people look like idiots!

 

[stormox]

The other day, I saw two people riding abreast on a dead straight road, completely oblivious to the increasingly frustrated driver behind them - who happened to be a woman from my yard. There would have been plenty of room for her to pass safely if the riders had just stopped gossiping for long enough to ride in single file. If you're being inconsiderate enough to wind up a fellow horseperson, imagine what somebody who already dislikes riders would be feeling?

Maybe one was a young horse who needed to be on the inside?

 

[Surbie]

I always thank people for being considerate towards us - whether it's drivers, cyclists, joggers or dogwalkers. It costs me nothing. While he's usually fabulous, I can't always take my hands off the reins as my horse can be spooky. I will give the biggest, cheesiest grin and mouth 'thank you' at them.

What I have noticed is how many drivers don't understand the 'slow down' signal and assume you are waving at them.

 

[Dyllymoo]

What I have noticed is how many drivers don't understand the 'slow down' signal and assume you are waving at them.

This... I have noticed this a lot recently and its driving me insane. Luckily J is super duper in traffic. Also the amount of L plated mopeds I have seen around recently as well, with one coming so close to us at around 30mph that I could have touched her on the head with my hand....

 

[Pippity]

Maybe one was a young horse who needed to be on the inside?

Nope. I was with a girl who'd been on a yard with them previously. Both horses were early teens and rock solid in traffic. The riders were just busy gossiping and completely oblivious of what was around them.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I always ride by myself now, but back in the day when my daughter came out with me, we both used to thank traffic, dog owners and generally greet everyone we met with a cheery hello, wave or whatever was appropriate.
However, I have noticed of late that when passing horses, riders are not acknowledging my presence. In the last couple of months I have had several incidences when I have had to wait for riders who are clearly overhorsed to sort themselves out by getting off for example. I've sat and waited ages whilst someone walked their horse towards me. I assumed that they were on light work and not able to trot, but when they had passed me, they trotted off! So why not trot towards me, even if they have to walk past? Just good manners not to hold up the traffic. No acknowledgement, just behaving as tho it's their right to own the road. I've waited whilst teenagers have tried to sort their horses out, even when a horse almost reversed into me at one point even though I was miles back from her. I then went out for a ride with someone else who I vaguely knew and I was appalled. She refused to recognise anyone else she met, and only spoke to one person to make some crass comment about her horse. I was just sooooooooo embarrassed. No wonder so many people think we are stuck up and rude. Needless to say, I have not ridden out with her again and I won't.
We all have to share the countryside and the roads together, being pleasant is so much nicer than this

I find some yards do have a lot of inconsiderate people, either just rude, or stuck up you walk past them and they look at you with a stern snobby look. Never say thank you when you wait for them to come through a narrow bit first, these people do it to cars too. I just say *Beam me up snotty*. Mount of times I have got dash cam footage of the same riders no hi viz on the horse, no indication, to thank yu and not smile or nod of the head.

There is no need for rudeness, or lack of acknowledgement.

 

[sam72431]

That is so ridiculously passive aggressive. It's not actually an obligation for riders to say thank you to you - and I'm fairly sure that the idiot drivers who don't slow down wouldn't slow down regardless of whether people thanked them or not. Also, does it not occur to people that sometimes you might just have missed the rider saying thank you? Like if they raise their hand or nod and smile once the front part of the car (i.e. where you are sitting) has passed them then you could easily miss it, likewise if they do it at a moment when you are focused on the road ahead and looking out for oncoming traffic. I don't know about you guys, but I don't overtake horse riders whilst constantly staring at them - I try to focus on the road and the position of my car.

Yes it might be but maybe it might make them think about saying thank you to drivers I obviously go very slow and very wide so literally no reason not to say thank you. My other half thinks horses on road shouldn't be allowed ? and that us horsey people are just obsessed with other road users going slow etc and it all stems from him often not getting a thank you for driving considerately now he is obviously not a complete a** so he still slows down etc especially as I ride and knows how much damage a horse can do to a car/ car can do to horse/rider but imagine how many not people think like him are complete a****** and will just speed past on purpose and cause an accident?!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I always thank people for being considerate towards us - whether it's drivers, cyclists, joggers or dogwalkers. It costs me nothing. While he's usually fabulous, I can't always take my hands off the reins as my horse can be spooky. I will give the biggest, cheesiest grin and mouth 'thank you' at them.

What I have noticed is how many drivers don't understand the 'slow down' signal and assume you are waving at them.

Very true, I was on my bike behind my horse yesterday, when flipping teenages, whizzing up behind us about to wizz pass and I had given the slow down signal, only to be met with a whats the ma..er. You mean MATTER!!! you slow down for horses and go wide!!!!!!!

 

[Caol Ila]

I do the 'Highland passing place' wave at drivers who slow down and ignore the ones that don't. But it surprises me that people get wound up by riders who don't thank drivers. Tbh, when I'm passing horses on the road, I couldn't tell you if the riders smile and wave or not. Because I don't care. I slow down because it's safest to do so and it's the highway code.

Now, the cycle tourers on the A82.... That's a whole 'nother rant entirely.

 

[9tails]

There's one particular rider that waves her arm up and down to each and every car that passes her in the "slow down" action. Every car passes her slow, wide and courteously but she scowls at all of them. One day I'll break that bloody arm.

 

[WandaMare]

I'm a thanker when I'm hacking, maybe just a little nod or smile but something to show I've acknowledged their consideration to my horse. I don't mind riders not saying thank you particularly, sometimes you can see they are concentrating on controlling their horse or their mind is somewhere else, but the ones who are just too absorbed in their chatting to even notice a driver waiting behind them or giving them extra space looks really bad imo. You can see that they aren't really concentrating on their riding either which could be dangerous when there is traffic close to them.

I stopped and waited a good few minutes on my motorbike over the weekend to let a group of young riders pass me and they were so involved in their chit chat I don't think they even noticed I was there. Not one of them even nodded to me while they plodded on by, I would at least have thought they would be more careful passing a motorbike.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Now, the cycle tourers on the A82.... That's a whole 'nother rant entirely.

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.


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

 

[paddy555]

another one who thanks everyone, vehicles, walkers, bikes and even other riders. If I get to speak to them for I always thank them and explain why they have done something helpful and how the horse sees things. Our roads are single track so it important with bikes etc as there is often not much room. I had one lot of walkers who were coming along a bridleway, saw the horse, walked back and hid in a gateway .Horse went from bomb proof to nervous wreck at what might be hidden.. It never occurred to the walkers that was how the horse saw things.

I often get the reply from bikers who slow down that their wife has a horse so some of you must be training your OH's very well.

 

[Chippers1]

I also thank everyone, including those that speed past!
With lockdown our closest bridleway which is a canal path has been over run with walkers and cyclists so I make sure to be polite and talk to everyone, even the ones that have miserable faces and walk/cycle off mumbling which has happened a few times! I guess they don't like the horse poo on their newly discovered route...

I'm finding a few people like to stop and chat and we've also taught a few cyclists that speeding up the inside of us on a canal path is not the ideal behaviour ? most most are really good and will call out and ask if it's ok to go to past so it's only fair that we are polite back, or pull over if we can. I feel like riders have such a bad rep that I'm over polite to compensate!

 

[HashRouge]

I also thank everyone, including those that speed past!

WHY on earth do you thank people who speed past you?!

 

[Chippers1]

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

 

[stormox]

WHY on earth do you thank people who speed past you?!

Exactly - I certainly wouldn't!! And they wont see anyway if theyr going fast!

 

[Griffin]

I am a thanker. I totally understand that in an ideal world, we shouldn't have to thank drivers for driving carefully (we were here first) but like Pippity, I think that so many people see horse riders as entitled snobs that we have to do what we can to show that we are not.

My horse and I drip with hi viz on the roads. I have a hat band and glove covers too, so that when I thank drivers (either with a nod or a wave) it is very obvious. I also carry a bright schooling whip because it helps to keep drivers passing at a better distance.

I have to say that where I am, despite having to use the roads to get off road, most of the road users are really good. I find motorcyclists the best and cyclists are either fantastic or awful (I do call after them to call "Hello" next time if they do their 'Tour de France' pass round the tail of my horse). Dog walkers around here are excellent too and often stop for a chat.