What's the worst thing you encounter out hacking?

One of the worst things I have had to encounter is all the lorries and equipment needed to resurface the lane that I used to ride on. They sprayed what looked like tar on top of the original road surface and then the lorry behind which has some sort of conveyor belt system on it followed spraying little stones all over it. This wasnt long after I had had my horse and my first hack alone on him! We ended up stopping at the top of someones driveway to let it all pass. He was unfazed by it, but then proceeded to spook at a branch sticking out of the hedge.

Another time whilst riding through a housing estate we used to do a loop and trot up the main avenue. Halfway up we encountered kids coming down the hill towards us at speed - lying on skateboards!! Horses were not very happy!
 
The horse and rider who only ever come out on a Sunday, where the horse has an arched neck caused by his strong bit in tight hands and three foot whip, with sweat and saliva dripping everywhere, sparks flying from the shod feet in his knee pads, over reach boots and bandages, martingale and flash, nostrils the size of pint pots, as his sugar rich blood coarses through his fryed brain, will he buck or will he rear or continue his sideways motion spooking at anything and everything he sees. The fixed grimace on the face of the rider, clad in body protector, gloves, hat and spurs with an ominous fluorescent glow.
 
Worst thing was a few years ago but 2 steam engines coming up the road. Old boy I riding took one look and bolted in the other direction lucky for me towards home and I stayed with him. Dad thought it was funny asked where they were and dashed up the road to watch them. No question as to find out if we were ok.
 
AndySpooner said:
The horse and rider who only ever come out on a Sunday, where the horse has an arched neck caused by his strong bit in tight hands and three foot whip, with sweat and saliva dripping everywhere, sparks flying from the shod feet in his knee pads, over reach boots and bandages, martingale and flash, nostrils the size of pint pots, as his sugar rich blood coarses through his fryed brain, will he buck or will he rear or continue his sideways motion spooking at anything and everything he sees. The fixed grimace on the face of the rider, clad in body protector, gloves, hat and spurs with an ominous fluorescent glow.
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Since when did wearing a BP, hat, gloves and hi viz make you a nutter?

I found the description of the horse rather funny!
 
My two worst moments involved flying objects. I was totally relaxed hacking along when TWO pheasants flew out by the horses front feet, squawking & flapping (as they do). The lad took off vertically & came down on the opposite side of the (single track) road, when I eventually came down the horse & saddle were no longer under me.. Ouch ! boy that road was hard & I had to call out friends on the mobile to catch the blighter who was heading back to his field. Another do was low jet, far lower than they are allowed, coming straight at me. I was lucky the horse stood but I thought iI had had it.
 
My friend and I were riding alongside what we always believed to be a disused air strip and I turned round to see a lightaircraft heading towards us! By the time I'd got the words out to tell my friend they'd landed beside us and luckily had moved along so quickly the horses barely had time to register it was there! When I sold my boy I could fairly honestly say he was bombproof!

My current horse however is fantastic with tractors, lorries etc,,, but nearly caused an accident once where we were cantering merrily along, she screached to a halt nearly causing the 2 ponies behind us to crash into us - the offender? a patch of white flowers! She certainly lives up to her Silly Tilly nickname!
 
horse generally scared of : bunches of grass which stick out a bit, or have slightly different shade of green, also the left over patches from puddles, patches of mud on grass or groups of daisies, also parts of hedges that don't have leafs, butterfiels, birds, rabbits, dogs which are in their garden but the ones that are loose are fine, bikes, sticks, stones, people in their own gardens, grills, sheep basically all the things that ARE supposed to be there, yet plastic bags, red tights, huge tractors with stuff behind them, cans, plastic bottles, bin bags etc are absolutely fine cuz according to my horse, its supposed to be there! and ...

Did you know that the yellow stripes on the roads are trotting poles?!

:D
 
I can't get a pic as I'm not riding currently (broken knee) but one of our rides goes past a house with a 10foot high plastic giraffe in the garden!
 
A twitcher who was sat in his hide and had put decoy pigeons under an oak tree on the bridle path. Wouldn't have been a problem had he not stood up with his ivy covered helmet on just as I was approaching. Poor pony spun away and left me flat out in the dirt. He got a few choice words from me :o:D.

Currently, a female milk tanker driver who more than once has locked her tyres and screeched to a halt as she was coming too fast :eek:.
 
I don't think I've ever met anything really scary out hacking, but my mare did once turn tail and flee when she saw a donkey approaching her! We've since moved onto a yard where there are 8 or 9 donkeys so she's gotten over her fear!
 
Land yachts, and a dead penguin down the beach, as well as loads of bluebottle jellyfish, which Tally tries to pop. A friend of mine once had to turn back hacking on the beach down south as a big bull sea lion came out of the water, and all the horses bailed for home.
 
A hack around the village when our annual Scarecrow festival is taking place can be interesting. There are up to 100 scarecrows around the village usually in front gardens or on the verge outside houses. Over the years there have been all sorts of things including dalek's, sharks, superheroes, gruffalo's, humpty dumpty, and a replica of the Grand National. Worth a visit if you are in the area (Herts/Beds).

Here is a link so that you see what I mean:

http://www.flamstead-herts.co.uk/gallery/scarecrow2010winners.html
 
Have also been out hacking only to turn round and lots of cows coming up behind! farmer was obvo moving them but they move pretty swiftly! jazz frooze then jumped sideways and tryed to bolt home.. :o
 
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