Was i in the wrong or the driver

[Templebar]

Only read page 1 but i would just like to add that the correct signal for asking them to slow is arm straight out as if signalling and waving up and down as they may not see arm straight out in front. Also it may seem clear to you following close but red and black may be hard to see. In future use a pair of white gloves or bare hand as this can be easier to see.

 

[Renvers]

Same thing happened to me and the driver carried on (known him for 30 years!) Police didn't want to know. Reported on the BHS accident website tho'.

OMG - were you ok? Pity the Police didn't want to know.

All these experiences you have all shared make me want to get a headcam in case it happens to me.

 

[Tnavas]

You would be on a hiding to nothing around here if you reported it to the police. Two horses from our yard were passed in the village high street by a police car doing a good 60 mph with siren and flashing light going . Didnt slow ,didnt switch off siren . What an ******** ,rather like his mate in another police car ,Kid on excitable pony ,it danced out into the road he didnt even slow down let alone stop. Both of which he could have done with ease.Fortunately no siren or lights but clearly in too much of a hurry to get back to the station and stuff his face with donuts.

Had this happen with an ambulance, my paddock at the time fronted straight onto the road, I was with my youngster, she tied to the gate post, me caught between her and the corner of the paddock. She was already panicking as the ambulance came along the road. I waived my arms and gave the known request to slow down it didn't and filly broke away and took off around the paddock with her rope trailing. Luckily she didn't get me on the way past.

I contacted the ambulance HQ they said well it was an emergency and I told them there were no other vehicles on the road therefore they had no need to be running both lights and sirens and then asked if they where desperate for business!

They were most defensive and when I consider the amount of money we pay them to attend whenever our PC has a competition you would have thought they would know better than to race past horses, especially when they are obviously terrified.

 

[Apercrumbie]

OP I'm glad you're ok. I'm sure you and Annie will bounce back with no issues, just make sure you stick closer to the lead horse next time.

Interesting that the correct signal is now to wave with arm straight out in front. When I was taught it was out to the side. Personally I feel that out to the front is dangerous - even if you had high viz gloves that would be very difficult to see for the driver. A very poorly thought out signal and potentially dangerous for horse riders.

 

[Tnavas]

OP I'm glad you're ok. I'm sure you and Annie will bounce back with no issues, just make sure you stick closer to the lead horse next time.

Interesting that the correct signal is now to wave with arm straight out in front. When I was taught it was out to the side. Personally I feel that out to the front is dangerous - even if you had high viz gloves that would be very difficult to see for the driver. A very poorly thought out signal and potentially dangerous for horse riders.

IT IS NOT CORRECT TO WAVE YOUR ARM OUT IN FRONT - go and read the BHS road safety pamphlet and go to the Highway Code site.

The CORRECT signal is to put your arm out to your side at shoulder height and then move arm up and down.

 

[EventingMum]

I'm a R & RS assessor and trainer. IMO the signals weren't consistent or clear, the correct slow down signal should have been given with the right hand. The lead rider could have checked on the position of OP and shielded her if it was known that her horse was likely to react.

A plea to all who venture onto the roads, please wear fluorescent gloves or at least light coloured ones - they really do make hand signals so much clearer for drivers to see.

 

[Daytona]

The man was a idiot , he should of done decent thing and slowed down, the Highway Code tells you to pass live stock slowly that was not slowly. I'd show that to police and ask him to be warned on how he should of approached as next time someone might get seriously injured

 

[Equestriangirl123]

A few things you could've done differently here .

1. Your friends high viz wasn't very noticeable , she needs to do it up across her chest or even purchase one that has flurorescent arms on it too.

2. It's best not to trot if you know your horse isn't keen on something you should've just walked him/her and kept your legs on and reassured them.

3. Your friends ( couldn't see yours) hand signals were not clear at all , you need to use very clear and almost over exaggerate your signals when asking someone to slow down .

However , the tractor driver should have slowed down anyway for you , it was clear you were having difficulty

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm glad you're ok and well done for keeping hold of the mare.

It looked like there was a little bit of panic and flustered miscommunication between you two as the tractor approached. You went back to walk, which is what I would have done if concerned about my horse's reaction to something, while your companion shot off in trot, like she assumed making a beeline as fast as possible for that entry way was the best thing to do. As others have said, that meant that the horses were separated and more likely for yours to spook.

To be honest, when I am riding on a two-lane road like that, traffic in the oncoming lane slows down just about never. Especially when I'm on a 30mph section of road, which is what you were on as well (according to my OH who used to work in Sanquhar). I hope (but don't expect) that traffic in my lane will as they swing around me.

When I go out with inexperienced horses, I always put my horse between them and the scary vehicle should one pass. Getting Annie used to your tractor is definitely the way forward and also, chat with the chestnut's owner about staying two abreast next time you go out on the roads.

 

[littleshetland]

OP I'm glad you're ok. I'm sure you and Annie will bounce back with no issues, just make sure you stick closer to the lead horse next time.

Interesting that the correct signal is now to wave with arm straight out in front. When I was taught it was out to the side. Personally I feel that out to the front is dangerous - even if you had high viz gloves that would be very difficult to see for the driver. A very poorly thought out signal and potentially dangerous for horse riders.

WHAT!! - Its arm out to the side like your 'indicating' right but move arm up and down (as per highway code).

For what its worth, I think perhaps your friend in front could have signalled 'slow down' as well. When I've nannied not very confidant horses along the road, I put the traffic proof one to the outside (not on bends obviously) and if something is thundering towards us they have more chance of seeing 2 abreast with the outside one signalling stop or slow. Fortunately this works well for most drivers, but theres always one or two that leave their brain at home that day....... glad you're ok tho.

ps Apercrumbie - who told you to signal like that!!?!!

pps - perhaps if you'd slowed to a walk, rather than a slightly panicky trot to the nearest driveway, it would send a calmer signal to the horse...?

 

[RunToEarth]

Glad you are OK OP.

I drive tractors and ride horses and will add my thoughts:

When you slow down in a tractor and gear down, the engine revs go up quite considerably, especially when you are towing a laden trailer. I didn't appreciate just how noisy gearing down was until my OH slowed down for me one day when I was on the horse - on a road like that where there is an amount of room I would prefer him to keep going at that speed than gearing down and creating more noise.

I agree with AM that you almost set yourself up there by not riding two abreast - you have to expect traffic like that if you ride on the roads.

 

[OldNag]

A plea to all who venture onto the roads, please wear fluorescent gloves or at least light coloured ones - they really do make hand signals so much clearer for drivers to see.

This^^ I see lots of peopel hacking with hi vis waistcoats but with dark gloves. Makes hand signals not easy to spot. I don't have hi viz gloves but I use hi viz leg wraps round my wrists - works a treat!

 

[Double_choc_lab]

Given that the tractor driver probably hasn't read a BHS leaflet or a highway code for a number of years he may be as confused as most on here are about the signals. I tend to point at the driver and then give a very strong STOP signal. Left hand raised with palm showing. Repeat as necessary. Also hi viz on the arm would have made this more clear. Still agree he was too fast though.

 

[AengusOg]

I tend to point at the driver and then give a very strong STOP signal. Left hand raised with palm showing. Repeat as necessary.

That's what we do here. It's the only thing they understand, and they really pay attention if you take up a bit of road as well. My wife rides more than do I but she isn't worried about stopping anyone she considers a danger, until she can safely get out of their way.

You have to take responsibility for your own safety on the roads these days and be assertive in doing so. Consider all other road users to be idiots until otherwise proven.

 

[AengusOg]

I drive tractors and ride horses and will add my thoughts:

When you slow down in a tractor and gear down, the engine revs go up quite considerably, especially when you are towing a laden trailer.

I drive tractors too; its easy to just throttle down, stop, and kill the engine till the riders get safely past.

On narrow roads around here, I always stop, whether driving a tractor or a truck and trailer. I'd rather take a few minutes more to get somewhere than be the cause of an accident.

I genuinely believe that most tractor drivers would have no idea how a horse may react to a moving tractor, fast or slow. These guys tend to think that horses and coos are the same thing.

I remember some years ago having some young horses in a narrow field next to young barley. One day the tractorman was spreading fert on the barley, oblivious to the fact that the pellets were peppering the horses through the fence as he did so. He hadn't even considered that that sort of experience could ruin a horse for life with tractors. He said the cows just stand there. I now get warning of such operations so that I can move the horses.

 

[turkana]

Glad you are OK OP.

I drive tractors and ride horses and will add my thoughts:

When you slow down in a tractor and gear down, the engine revs go up quite considerably, especially when you are towing a laden trailer. I didn't appreciate just how noisy gearing down was until my OH slowed down for me one day when I was on the horse - on a road like that where there is an amount of room I would prefer him to keep going at that speed than gearing down and creating more noise.

I agree with AM that you almost set yourself up there by not riding two abreast - you have to expect traffic like that if you ride on the roads.

That's intersting to hear, luckily the tractor drivers where I ride tend to be pretty good & slow right down, I can't say that I've ever noticed the engine reving

 

[Biglets Mummy]

^^^
This, definitely.

he should have slowed down in my humble....He didnt even make an effort to give you the chance to get into the turning. I totally agree with ringing his employers if you can. We did this with a large strawberry manufacturer where I used to live whose drivers caused mayhem in a very horsey area when the business expanded. It became too dangerous to ride out so we all wrote and signed to the owners who were mortified at the injuries that had occured and virtually over night the problem went away. Glad you both ok.xx

 

[Follysmum]

We are lucky that most farmers slow down as they see us approaching and will even stop on the narrow lanes and turn the engine off if they see horses maybe spooky. Glad you are ok, it can be frightening riding out on the roads these days.

 

[stilltrying]

Bit difficult to judge the distance, but i doubt tractor driver would have seen the signal to slow down as was quite a way off, rider in front stopped signalling as he got closer. Anyway I thought the signal to slow was arm out to side, but I might be wrong. He should have slowed down a little though, glad no harm done.

 

[Tiddlypom]

When you slow down in a tractor and gear down, the engine revs go up quite considerably, especially when you are towing a laden trailer.

Interesting. Can't you just take your foot off the accelerator and slow using the brake, like you can in a car, then change down once you have slowed down? Do you have to use the gears to brake?

 

[Suechoccy]

I've watched the video twice and picked up a few things each time.

1. The rider's hand signal to slow down, given with her hand directly in front of her body while the tractor is head-on, would have been very difficult to for the tractor driver to pick up from directly in front of her. She doesn't really raise her arm above her headline at all, esp with the movement of her horse trotting, her body rising and the fluo flapping in the wind. I would guess the driver never even saw her arm signal.

Signals have to be HUGE to be seen.
For stop - outside hand high up in the air, palm up, like a police officer directing traffic
For SLOW DOWN, outside hand high up vertical in the air and then wave it, straight-armed, up and down to shoulder-level in front.

2. Putting the horses two-abreast with trained horse slightly in front, would provide a nice safe "wall" between tractor and novice horse.

If you were sure the novice horse would react, then temporarily (even if illegal), move, in the above formation, onto the pavement or hop over the wall, to give a bigger safety margin so the novice horse feels less threatened.

3. The good horse is in front and as the tractor gets closer, a gap suddenly opens up between good horse and novice horse, so the novice horse is left unprotected and feeling vulnerable, hence the spin round and hop over the low wall.

4. I would stay in a slower-paced trot, so that everything happens at a slower pace and there's no chance of the horses getting a geed-up or tense message from either rider. Instead evrything is slow and relaxed and wow, there's a noisy tractor but hey, that's no big deal, we're just lopping along relaxedly and everything's slow and hunky-dory, and it's gonna go past us, and life is sweet, in our messages to the neds though in reality us riders are on the ball and making sure we've positioned them both just right and we're prepared in case of a spin or stop or leap. I realise you both trotted on in order to make the corner whch you would have done if the driver had seen your signal and slowed down.

5. The video bit of your fall looks almost as if you and the horse intended to jump the fence and then you jumped off. (I realise you didn't but to a non-horsey tractor driver who might glance back in his rear view mirror a couple of seconds later, by which time the horse and you are standing on the inside of that wall, may just think you decided to jump the wall and get off your horse). It wouldn't necessarily occur, because it happened very quickly so he would not have seen it, that you fell off because your horse spun and spooked as he passed.

5. So taking that all into account, I wouldn't pursue the tractor driver to complain. But I would seek out tractors and friendly tractor-drivers to arrange for some riding in fields/tracks/farmyards alongside working tractors.

Overall I think your youngster's spook and spin was very mild and you have a very good horse there whom you will be able toturn into an accomplished trafficproof neddy.

 

[Spring Feather]

Interesting. Can't you just take your foot off the accelerator and slow using the brake, like you can in a car, then change down once you have slowed down? Do you have to use the gears to brake?

You wouldn't really need to use the brakes to slow down if you're pulling a heavy load. The load will slow you down quickly. If you disengage gears and coast the tractor will stop soon enough. However then you have to pick back up the speed again (I use the word "speed" loosely, regular tractors don't go fast). Not a problem on small lanes, could be a huge hazard on a larger road like shown in the video as then the tractor becomes the hazard!

 

[dieseldog]

It could have been worse at least you missed the sign!

 

[domsmith]

It could have been worse at least you missed the sign!

Yes! i was amazed when i saw the film, that sign was so close.

Thanks again for all input i have learnt so much!

 

[Apercrumbie]

WHAT!! - Its arm out to the side like your 'indicating' right but move arm up and down (as per highway code).

ps Apercrumbie - who told you to signal like that!!?!!

Well that's what I thought it was and what I have always done - a few pages back someone posted a link stating that the correct signal was now out to the front so I assumed something had changed. If they're wrong (and I hope they are, as I said I think that's a ridiculous signal to use) then brilliant, I have been doing it right.