Tractors Vs Horses On Roads

[timeandchance]

I have never felt so angry as I do today!

Went out nice and early this morning to ride with Jaylen and all was going great....

Until....

....we get to the bottom of a hill it just took us quite a while to walk down (long hill) and we hear a tractor coming. We hoped it wouldn't turn up the road and we'd get past it....but that wasn't the case. Now, there's a farmer around here and he hates horses and is of the opinion that we shouldn't be riding on the road! Anyway...he comes round this corner and drove straight at us with a massive bale of hay on the front of his tractor, didn't even slow down, and even though he was indicating to turn right (which he could have done easily) he kept driving at us....forcing us to turn and trot all the way back up the hill....all the while both horses wanting to take off for home!

TBH with y'all....it was actually a horrible experience and it made me so angry!

No real purpose to this post.....but I feel better for ranting!

 

[Happytohack]

go rant girl!
Luckily the gee-gees were sooooooooo good. And this is the same maniac who drove at us last week (see last week's post). Reporting him to the police makes him worse - he just doesn't think horses should be on the road full stop

Luckily we know his name now.... Apart from that - a brilliant 3 hour ride

 

[timeandchance]

[ QUOTE ]
go rant girl!
Luckily the gee-gees were sooooooooo good. And this is the same maniac who drove at us last week (see last week's post). Reporting him to the police makes him worse - he just doesn't think horses should be on the road full stop

Luckily we know his name now.... Apart from that - a brilliant 3 hour ride

[/ QUOTE ]

His name and where he lives.....and did you say your OH has his plate number too?

If we DID report him, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on!

I'm just glad that the horses we're good...and it's actually probs better that we didn't have Pambi with us!

 

[Patches]

I see this from both sides as a horse owner and a dairy farmers wife.

My husband, his father and the farm hand we have here would all stop to let a horse pass, pulling out of your way into the side of road most times and especially if you signal that your horse has a problem dealing with tractors. When I ride on my horse and my daughter is on her pony I have to admit that I wave tractors past and my family don't stop, although they'll lower revs, for us as they know that our horses are more than calm when faced by the heaviest of machinery/vehicles.

I can see that you are frustrated and annoyed as this farmer does seem, on the face of it, to act purposefully in a menacing way towards you on the roads. However, we have had many occasions where horse riders will go absolutely barmy with us and moan at tractors always being on the road. We have a business to run and as such it is a requirement for tractors and other machinery to use the road during the day. Horses that bolt when they see our tractors, even when we do all that we can to help them, are not our problem. It's rider's responsibilty to ensure their horse's suitability for road work, not ours. If the horse and rider cannot cope with tractors then maybe the farmers who claim these horse's shouldn't be on the road do have a point?

I'm not getting at you, as your farmer does appear to be extreme and it appears there wasn't room for you and the tractor to pass. In general terms though horses really can be and should be dessentised to cope with any traffic. I would hate to be riding on a horse worrying everytime I hear the sound of a lorry, bus, tractor or motorbike. If my horse was like that, I wouldn't take her on the road as my safety and her safety is paramount. I'd also feel incredibly guilty should she be injured or a driver has to face the emotional guilt of believing they caused an accident should my horse react irrationally.

Now, I realise that all horses can be unpredictable and my horse does occasionally jump at leaves, dogs darting at her and the like. Accidents can and will happen but I do prefer to lessen the odds by knowing my horses are up to the task in hand.

As I said, this is a general observation/opinion and not at all directed at the situation you found yourself in today.

 

[timeandchance]

You're right Patches...he really is an exception! I wouldn't take Charlie out on our roads if I didn't think he was happy with it, and he really was very well behaved considering what he was going through.

The way I have made my post, I'm not getting at all tractor drivers....they have just as much right to be on the road as a rider with their horse does. When you consider that this particular man almost killed us walking through the council housing estate last week (trying to overtake a car that had pulled over to let us pass) and almost crashing into us.....he is definately the exception.

When I used to ride my old horse out (a chestnut ex-racer TB mare...very highly strung) me came across a tractor driver towing a slurry tanker...who kindly stopped, switched off his engine, and waiting till I was along way up the road before he started his engine and drove off, which makes confirms even more that this person is an exception.

I'll reitterate(sp?) the point that I'm not getting at ALL tractor drivers...just this certain one and the experience he put me and Jaylen through today!

 

[Tia]

Vehicles travelling uphill DO have right of way so in this case the tractor was actually correct to continue; sorry.

All my horses LOVE tractors - they bring their food!!

 

[Tia]

This guy does sound like a bit of a loon to be honest

- keep out of his way LOL!!

 

[Patches]

Oh yes, as I said I wasn't getting at you at all.

I have known of horses that cannot cope with a tractor when spotted on the horizon and will almost always bolt when being pressed to pass it, whether it's engine is running or not.

In those circumstances I fail to see how a farmer could help the rider and therefore question if they should be riding such a horse on the road.

The farmer across the lane from us is pig ignorant and he won't even make eye contact when he passes you, won't slow down or even take a widebirth. He took my riding crop with him one day when he passed me, he was that close! Problem is, I don't suppose there is any written rule that says lorry and tractor drivers are obligued to stop and switch off engines....it's the good ones and like we all know, there's always one that spoils it.

Your local farmer clearly has something against riders, for whatever reason though.

 

[GTs]

I personally think the easiest way to solve this problem is training your horse - none of mine would have had a problem with it. Infact Chico would probably want to chase after it, wanting to know if the bale of hay was for him!

 

[timeandchance]

Tia...it wasn't whether he had right of way or not that bothered us....he has just as much right to be using the road as we do. It was just the way he CHASED us back up the hill.

Patches....we knew who it was which is why we turned and went back....if we had tried to pass him and keep going he probably would have killed one of us, both of us, and/or our horses....but something is hopefully going to be done by him. It wasn't like we wanted him to stop/switch off etc (the example I gave was just to say I wasn't saying all farmers are like it round here).....but just a little space and less speed would have been considerate (I guess a 60mph road and a person like that really equals what we faced today)

GTs....like I have said above...neither of our horses have a problem with tractors in general...but this guys irractic driving could have seriously injured one of us without it being due to our horses spooking....he would literally just drive at us. He almost killed us the other week (see post: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/sh...ue#Post1450087)

 

[cariadssogreat]

Ditto all of patches - I am in the same situation - OH is a farmer and I have horses. Ditto ditto and ditto some more.
BUT timeandchance - I'm sure in my last reply to you last time you posted this REPORT HIM TO NFU!!!!!! They are almost guaranteed to be his insurers and they would not be happy to know that he is behaving recklessly and causing hassle all the time - I'm sure if you metion it to them and mention the police involement then they will talk to him as they will not want the liability. Short of that I dont see what else you can do,

 

[ladylisa]

you must report him every time his does something like this, in the end he will be stopped!

 

[Patches]

Yes I agree. The farmer across from us is ignorant but he's not reckless by any stretch of the imagination.

The farmer you are talking about clearly has deep seated issues with regards to riders and he needs to be made aware of his actions before it is too late. You have to report him so that if, God forbid, the worse does happen one day there will be a clear history of his intent.

 

[Happytohack]

[ QUOTE ]
I personally think the easiest way to solve this problem is training your horse - none of mine would have had a problem with it. Infact Chico would probably want to chase after it, wanting to know if the bale of hay was for him!

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a narrow country lane, one tractor's width with nowhere to go. The most annoying thing is that the tractor driver saw us and passed a pull in to continue towards us. We had no alternative but to turn round and get out of his way, with him revving his engine behind us. As soon as we were able to, we pulled off the road, stood quietly as he passed. Neither of our horses have problems with tractors, but a bicycle wouldn't have got past, let alone a horse.

 

[spooks]

where in east anglia are you two and how often do you meet this lunatic while you are hacking? as already said you need to report this idiot everytime, i know you said it makes him worse but surely the police will have to do something the more complaints they get. keep a diary of incidents to.

 

[timeandchance]

furryears - It was my friend Julie that posted last time...but we are seriosuly considering getting something done about it now!

Patches - it's only a matter of time before something happens....either with one of us and our horses, anyone elses horses around our way....or, say one of the children int he housing estate he also drives through jsut as wrecklessly!

Megotto - we're near Beccles in Suffolk (near Lowestoft by about 9 miles).....as Julie has said it is a very narrow country lane and we did eventually manage to get out of his way...and neither of our horses had a problem.

If it had been any other tractor driver around here we probably would have pulled over sooner and managed to get past, but with him we knew it was impossible. We both said though that if we had been on our own it would have been worse....and I was scared as it was.

 

[GTs]

There is always situation where you can not really do anything, however I just hate when people complain when it is atleast 50/50 to blame - you can not control other drivers, just your horse so doing everything you can to give you and your horse the best chances is best!

 

[timeandchance]

GTs...liek I say, it wasn't really our fault, and unfortunately we came across one of the exception tractor drivers... but we lived to tell the tale. One day someone might not!

 

[Patches]

You'd of course recognise the tractor. I know when I see the farmer across from us that it's him. Mostly because his tractor is red and all 6 of our road going tractors are Blue Fords! lol

I think the idea to keep a diary of his actions is a good one and then band as many horse owners together as possible who've been affected by his driving to go and complain. The community beat officer, if you are a rural viallage, is usually a local resident and I find them more caring and sympathetic to deal with. Would much rather have a word with ours than phone the station in the nearest large town to us. Only other option is to have a word with your local councillor.

Above all stay safe. Does he milk? If he does, milking time is sure to be a safe time to ride out....of course that means early morning rides as it's too dark when he's evening milking.

 

[timeandchance]

I have no idea whether he milks or if he has a beef herd (that's possibly more likely though).

I think this time we're definately going to have to do something...and now we have his name and everything we have more grounds to get it done! We ride out really early anyway...but it only seems to be a Sunday that we bump into him!

 

[pagancluf]

OMG well done - if my oldest horse met with a tractor he would spin and bolt?? dnk why but he has a real fear...We have a farmer in our area that dn care re horses and will go flat to the floor if he see's one of us in distress - Caled Bob Martin (ha ha dogs happy pills.._) but he seems to get his kicks off seeinghorses afraid!!!????

 

[timeandchance]

Finally....somone who understands and knows what these people are like!

I'm just glad we've got good horses!

 

[sadie_king]

i would just like to say its not the case of training horses to like wreckless farmers with tractors and if u have a horse unless thay r brain dead will always have a fear of somthing i have had the same farmer come up behind me on a blind corner with his hand flat on his horn and i reported him to the police he said horses dont belong on the roads and he did admit to the offence and got away with it and my mare was goodUNTRAINED this was on a country bck lane thank god i never had my son on his pony at the time .HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE ,THE WAY HE HAS LITTLE THOUGHT FOR HORSES AND RIDERS (UNTRAINED LOL) IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME B4 SOME ONE GETS HURT .,OR EVEN KILLED.

 

[sadie_king]

may i just say 90% of farmers r good people and do consider horses