Would you call anyone other than the police?

kellybee

kellybee

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A few weeks ago, on my way to the yard at 3.45pm, when the sun was low and glaring in my face, and I could hardly see a thing even with sunglasses on in the car, I turned a bend in the lane (slowly) and came face to face with three horses, the first was a TB jogging at me sideways, the two behind it were two abreast. Only one was wearing a hat, none were wearing hi-vis.

As I got to the yard someone was talking about almost hitting the same trio at the other end of the lane. A few days later I saw a woman on the main road, SIDEWAYS on a TB, leading a foal on the OUTSIDE. No Hi Vis, no hat. Just sunglasses.

Today, at twilight I saw her again, with a man, both hatless, again no hi-vis... cantering sideways down the road, not even one behind the other, but two abreast. Over a narrow railway bridge. First her horse almost sat on the bonnet of a van in front of me (which had pulled up on the kerb the OTHER side of the rd to the one on which she was meant to be riding), then spun round and pretty much missed my windscreen by a few inches. She had one hand on the reins, the other she was using to make wild arm gestures at the bloke, laughing and generally acting like she was in the middle of a field sat on top of a well mannered cart horse. At no point did she attempt to bring the horse under control, thank or apologise to anyone, and was generally a liability on horseback.

I sat there horrified, and watched them ride sideways down the wrong side of the rd before turning into a driveway, then phoned the police.

I did some pretty stupid things with my pony when i was a kid, but nothing as stupid as that, and never on the road, let alone on a bridge. I also walked down and got the name of the property they had ridden into, and passed that onto the police officer who advised it would be taken seriously.

Upon describing her and the horses to my yard owner, she advised me that the female rider is a RIDING INSTRUCTOR, who teaches dressage to kids on our yard at weekends. Again, i let the officer know, and he was speechless.

I'm not an instructor, and as far as I know the laws state that if you are over 14 you arent legally required to wear a hat on the rd, but surely to god the consequences of this woman's actions are potentially fatal, never mind the example she's setting to local kids? Surely she has taken Health and Safety exams in order to qualify as an instructor?? But who do you tell, other than the police??
 
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Thing is, until something happens and either her or her horse is injured, she wont see it as doing anything wrong.
 
Unfortunately you can't do anything other than use these folk as bad examples!

As horses have an Ancient Right to be on the road, they and their riders are not subject to the usual rules because The Law regards the animal to have a mind of its own ( even though the rider should be controlling it ) and it's other road users who have to be mindful.

The downside of this of course is that many horses are injured or killed on the roads at no fault of their own.
 
I wouldn't have called anyone. The police can't legally do anything and I wouldn't have called to waste their time and resources. If it were me I'd have driven back down to the lady's house and spoken to her to let her know about her many near-misses. Some people live with their head in the clouds though so whether she will heed anyones advice is up to her.
 
The police can and by the sound if it will, speak to her about her actions, This might be enough to make her sharpen up, there is also the question of her sobriety (surely no-one sober would behave like that :eek: )It is an offence to be on the public road while drunk in charge of a horse. I think there is also an offence of furious riding on the road, but not sure if it is still on the statute.
What ever the legal technicality this woman is an idiot.
 
Spring Feather said:
I wouldn't have called anyone. The police can't legally do anything and I wouldn't have called to waste their time and resources. If it were me I'd have driven back down to the lady's house and spoken to her to let her know about her many near-misses. Some people live with their head in the clouds though so whether she will heed anyones advice is up to her.
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I certainly WOULD of called the police - that way, if someone is injured on the road they have an idea of how/why it may have happened. There is nothing wrong with trying to be preventative and the police encourage this.

As SP says, I also would have said something to her. MY safety comes before that of someone else or a horse and if my safety was at jepeordy, I certainly would have something to say about it.
 
To be honest I'm quiet by nature, and was absolutely speechless. I was also alone, and didnt much fancy being told by someone who appears to be arrogant that unless i work for the police or the BHS I could go ahead and sling it.

Its one of those situations where you dont want to see people (or horses) hurt, and having seen her acting like a prat before, I wondered why nobody had ever reported her, then figured a lot of people probably think the same and carry on driving.

If she were involved in an accident I'd be the one thinking "I wish I'd reported her before it came to this".
 
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The Police can't do a thing. My girly can be a tit on the roads, but I always wear a hat, BP, lots of reflective and thank drivers who stop while I calm her down or get her to a place where I can get her off the road while the traffic passes. I can't bear riders who don't take responsibility for their own and their horses safety. If it was me, I would have stopped and said something to her there and then, but then I can be an outspoken so and so!
 
Might a "letter to the editor" of the local paper be in order?
Purely to warn other local drivers of this hazard and pointing out, as a rider yourself, please don't tar all horse riders with the same brush as this idiot.
 
What is your local paper like? How about contacting them and explaining that one silly riders actions are giving all the responsable riders who wear hi viz, hats and body protectors a bad name, and point them in the direction of some of the serious accidents involving horses that have happen recently.
 
Slightly off the mark ,but the other day while driving my 17tonne lorry delivering timber (just outside marlow) I came round a bend and was abbsolutely dazzled..............by a young lady on a beautiful horse (well what I could see of him for all his reflective ,high viz garmentry. She too was dayglo yellow from head to foot. She probably thinks I was some sort of lorry driving pervert for the way I waved at her and gave her the thumbs up sign. If you are reading this my dear , forgive me.You are a credit to horse roiding and safety.
 
Mike007 said:
Slightly off the mark ,but the other day while driving my 17tonne lorry delivering timber (just outside marlow) I came round a bend and was abbsolutely dazzled..............by a young lady on a beautiful horse (well what I could see of him for all his reflective ,high viz garmentry. She too was dayglo yellow from head to foot. She probably thinks I was some sort of lorry driving pervert for the way I waved at her and gave her the thumbs up sign. If you are reading this my dear , forgive me.You are a credit to horse roiding and safety.
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I'd be really flattered if someone perved at me! It doesn't matter what I wear, I always look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards when I'm riding!!
 
Actually the police can do something if she is caught in the act.
Not being in control of your horse in a public place and endangering the public with recklessness can cause you to be "had up" for a public order offense.
 
Good on you first of all for keeping your temper i would not of been able to, the stupidity of that woman is putting other horse riders in the area at risk, by annoying drivers.
I would of had to get out and say something to her, just for the fact of her completly idiotic behaviour putting many people at risk.
I would also contact the BHS and the local paper, and name and shame the blasted woman, what a horrid role model for the local young riders
 
Good on you for reporting, she could cause an very nasty accident, where someone is seriosly injured or killed. And if you hadn't and someone did die,it would have been on your conscience for the rest of your life.
 
Good on you, OP, for reporting to the police. Of course they can and will, as you have been told by them, do something about this stupid woman. They may not charge her with anything but they will certainly warn her about her behaviour.
It is, of course, quite possible that she is not registered with BHS, many instructors are not but it would certainly be worth finding out and reporting her to them if she is registered. I also like the idea of writing to the local paper.
 
I would have also called the police. They may not be able to "do anything" but just having them turn up on her doorstep may make her think!

can I just say.... just because she is an "instructor" and "teaches" does not mean she is BHS qualified (your OP doesn't say that she is) she may well have absolutely no qualifications at all. I think you need to find out her name and look on the BHS reg of instructors before you call them...
 
Recently there was a very sad post about a woman and her horse killed on the road when they were hit by a van. That poor lady was not doing anything wrong, just happened to be in the path of a speeding driver.

Obviously the woman who had no hat on or hi viz is a very experienced idiot (apologies but someone that stupid cannot be called a horsewoman!) if she was my trainer she would be looking for another pupil as I certainly would not pay her for setting that sort of example and she would not be asked to teach at my yard again.
 
Kellybee - well done for contacting the police. Despite what other posters have said, they can take action. And hopefully they will start by visiting this lady to speak to her about her actions.

Keep us posted if you have any updates.
 
Well done OP.

Please let us know if there are any updates.



I stopped two young-ish riders the other day to ask them to wear high viz - I only saw them because of another car slowing and moving over for them.
 
well done on contacting the police and giving them as much info as you could get. people like that give other (sensible) riders a bad name.

even if she isn't registered with the BHS then maybe they could still do something about her, they could always contact her and say that her actions are setting a bad example to other people and that she is making instructors look incompetent. they MIGHT do something. gotta be worth a try?
 
I never thought of that, and the yard owner looked her up, she isnt registered.

I do however know a few local sports journalists so will ask them who thy'd suggest I talk to. Keep u posted :)
 
kellybee said:
I never thought of that, and the yard owner looked her up, she isnt registered.

I do however know a few local sports journalists so will ask them who thy'd suggest I talk to. Keep u posted :)
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Well I'd suggest to your YO that if she isn't on the register that the woman has some insurance to teach..... it's not a legal requirement but a lot of yards will not let instructors on the yard who so not have insurance.
 
even if she brings the chairman of her insurance company and the queen with her, she wont be allowed on our yard again, purely for being such an irresponsible @rse. YO doesnt want the association, and speaking to friends locally she rides out daily on the same horse, hatless.

Few other people have reported her off the back of my call too. I hope she takes heed.
 
kellybee said:
even if she brings the chairman of her insurance company and the queen with her, she wont be allowed on our yard again, purely for being such an irresponsible @rse. YO doesnt want the association, and speaking to friends locally she rides out daily on the same horse, hatless.

Few other people have reported her off the back of my call too. I hope she takes heed.
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good for you and your YO :)

think she may well get the message.....
 
If i had the money, i'd buy a bulk load of vi hiz and stash in in my car, and hand it out to every rider i see without anything on. It frustrates me no end. cars and lorries must have fully working lights, and ive known lorry drivers to be pulled over for having dirt on their reflectors, why should horse riders and cyclists be any different? It should be a legal requirement for riders of all ages to wear hard hats and at minimum a flourescent tabard when on ALL roads, in ALL weathers. I know many people will disagree, but that is my opinion.

I agree that you should have got the police involved; should an accident occur because of this riders actions, without her actually being hurt, the police will be aware of the manner in which she rides on the road and be able to ascertain whether she was the cause.

If she is an albeit unregistered instructor, she will be seen as a role model by her students and should therefore be setting a good example when seen riding in public.

At my rural college a few years ago, the powers that be decided the best way to inform both student riders and drivers of the need to wear hi viz and hard hats, and to drive safely was a poster campaign. The posters were, truly, horrific, showing the aftermath of a fatal collision of a horse and car. Got the point home, to the majority of the students.

Whatever happened to an advert i saw on tv a few years ago, very late at night? it was along the similar lines of the THINK campaign for bikers, possibly run through the BHS, showing how drivers should overtake and what riders should wear on the roads. That sort of thing shown in daytime hours would surely help to save lives.

I feel sorry for the families of those who have been killed in riding accidents on the roads; its so unfair that their loved one who was wearing a hard hat and high viz got hit by a motorist and taken away whilst those behaving irresponsibly get to carry on with their lives.

Right, rant over, apologies and entire bottle of rose if your've survived!!!! x
 
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