The correct speed to drive past a horse

I think it's totally dependent on the conditions as others have already said. However, if I feel someone is going too fast I will do the 'slow down' signal although lots of drivers don't seem to understand this where I ride. My horse is fine but he is a horse and can randomly spook so I'm always wary of people coming too close, just in case.
 
DecemberBlossom said:
It depends on how neurotic the rider is... I believe the speed you should pass at is proportionate to the amount of hi viz the rider is wearing :D

Although that said, care must be taken with the highest of hi-vizzers who undoubtedly will berate you regardless of the speed you pass at, and simply hate you for daring to drive on a road at the same time they had planned to ride on it ;)
Click to expand...

You must be lucky enough to have a horse that is an angel in traffic to not care how fast traffic comes past you. To sit on a horse that is not as good may alter your opinion. My horse and I were in an RTA, a driver would not slow down on a single track road and hit us. We were lucky, his injuries could have been so much worse. The last owner of one of my horses was killed on the road recently, and her horse, by a speeding driver.

So you know what? Neurotic and proud, hi viz all over me and the horse. Better that than dead.
 
Last edited:
Another one for space over speed :D

If you go too fast you curse and think 'slow down idiot' yet ive also had a few drivers that think driving right behind you (and driving v v v v slowly) is helping - and then Im thinking 'soddin go go go' ... depends on situation really - if I saw a flighty horse that 'looked spooky' I'd slow right down and wait for them to get to a safe place where I can pass yet if something looks half asleep it'd probably tend to give a wide berth still but carry on approx 30mph x
 
Plus ... I think high vis's that say something like 'keep back this horse kicks' would serve more of a purpose - un-horsey drivers dont understand how horses can be - we are talking about but we know what they can be like - some drivers dont have a clue how horses can react to loud noises (not their fault) - not just cars passing on roads - my arab wouldnt bother with a tractor coming past but a bright yellow newspaper trolley screaching past is something completely different :rolleyes:
 
I have to admit I am very lucky, G is an absolute rock, nothing bothers him - lorries, farm vehicles, a hoard of Harley Davidsons, he does not bat an eyelid.

I don't think any less of anyone who gets hi vizzed up to the max, fair play to them (I just don't myself, I don't want an argument about it) - what I don't like though, as a driver, is when I see/hear such hi vizzed people getting in a right strop about cars doing anything near them! Wearing the garble doesn't evoke you any more rights as a road user than anyone else, and what annoys me is people who think because they're wearing a faux police outfit or similar they become the most important thing on the road!
 
DecemberBlossom said:
I don't think any less of anyone who gets hi vizzed up to the max, fair play to them (I just don't myself, I don't want an argument about it) - what I don't like though, as a driver, is when I see/hear such hi vizzed people getting in a right strop about cars doing anything near them! Wearing the garble doesn't evoke you any more rights as a road user than anyone else, and what annoys me is people who think because they're wearing a faux police outfit or similar they become the most important thing on the road!
Click to expand...

Well, I do put hi vis sheets on my horses (lest they ditch me and run into a road, and to reduce the chance of some twit actually driving into them - don't really care how they pass or speed as my horses are trained to deal with traffic and mind their manners), and I agree with your sentiment, AB.

You see it in so many posts on here "shocking behaviour by car driver" rants, from people who seem to think the world should stop for them. I've also met a number of these on livery yards - the sort who scream at traffic passing in a way which is not remotely dangerous, and by the time you get back to the yard are telling everyone they meet about how someone SPED past them at 100mph (or other suitable exaggeration) and they nearly DIED.

Some people do over-react to these things, and their perspective is dubious at least. They do seem to be the people who own everything in hi vis, including their knickers, which match their "polite" police impersontion gear, with checkerboarding around the elastic, hi vis material and "CRIME SCENE KEEP OUT" written across the crotch :eek: :D
 
Last edited:
I think it depends on the driving conditions and the type of road incl. speed limits.
I don't mind drivers coming around us at speed; just as long as there is room to do so!

If it's a small country lane, I would expect the driver to slow and lower the revs, perhaps even going around at 10 mph, again dependent on conditions etc.


As a driver & rider, we can notice things other drivers may not notice. Such as a horse being a prat, puddles and potentially " deadly " objects such as rubbish & plastic bags.
 
I would suggest one should slow down to a speed which is sufficiently slow so that if the horse shies out that one can stop in time to avoid hitting the horse.
 
Thank you all for the responses, it is good to know we werent in the wrong. I must admit, I was only a convert to hi-viz last year and although I don't yet have the csi pants, I do have exercise sheet and tabard :) might just invest in something to make us visible from the front, our roads round here are so fast and bendy that I can't help thinking every second helps.

The thing that got me was that they were minus a hat, riding over the m25. I honestly believe it should be a legal requirement to wear a hat on the road!
 
It's a difficult one for me. Slow like 10 miles an hour perhaps. But for me I prefer a bit faster. Unless noisy I am fine with 30 miles an hour. My mare gets a bit ansy if drivers take to long and gets worried with them lingering. :rolleyes:
 
As people have said, I almost don't mind the speed, as long as passing cars give us a wide berth. I ALWAYS say 'thanks'! I'm lucky that H is pretty good about most things he encounters (except milk floats??!!) - but what really gets my goat is people revving behind us - this happened recently on the driveway to the yard. There were 3 or 4 groups of 2 or 3 people returning from hacks along the drive and this stupid bloke in a white van :rolleyes: went up behind each group and revved behind them (right up their bums!!) until each reached a passing place. Maybe he was impatient to make his delivery or whatever, but he could see some of the horses were upset and it only took a couple of minutes for people to get to the next passing place. I don't think it would have killed him to wait a bit. (some were wearing hi-viz, some not! I was ;) )
 
nicolenlolly said:
although I don't yet have the csi pants, I do have exercise sheet and tabard :) might just invest in something to make us visible from the front, our roads round here are so fast and bendy that I can't help thinking every second helps.
Click to expand...

I have a 360 degree exercise sheet, with a velcro neck thingy, meaning the beasts are visible from all perspectives without having to put anything else on (or deal with stupid leg wraps which get covered in mud / come off if you do more than walk :cool: )

Failing that, I will happily sell you some of the patented CSI pants (my own design) for you to wear over your jodhs, superhero style :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top