Would you hack on a bus route.....

[teapot]

knowing full well that your horse doesn't like buses?

Just wondering as today was the second time within a week I've seen someone nearly fall off on to roads because horse has reacted to the sight of a bus?

One on tuesday was about to be carted with whilst hanging around horse's neck and one this morning was a guy who nearly went out side door after horse spun round and went off up the road.

Now - I'm not talking bus being every hour (bar sundays so possibly today, guy was just unfortunate to meet bus on his hack) but monday to saturday, buses are every 15mins.

 

[rrose]

if my horse really hated them and put me,the horse and other road users in danger then i would try and adoid it, i would work out the times *normally every half an hour* then go in that time to miss them.

luckly my horse does not mind them so i have no problem.

 

[rrose]

*o juist read about them every 15 mins!!

sorry.. umm... not sure what you could do. sorry

 

[allijudd]

we hack on a bus route...the bus drivers have many times fallen fowl of my tongue...but then again we only have buses approx every hour...its the other plonkers on the road you have to be wary of......

 

[teapot]

Oh no, it's not for me, as haven't got anything to ride.

Was just a general interest thread really as it just striked me as could turn into a nasty situation as roads arn't quiet either

 

[Taz975]

No but I do have a strong road hating issues anyway!

 

[AliJo]

Well, we have buses every hour on our hacking routes and I do usually try to avoid them by setting off when I know they have just been so I have time to get onto a safe road before they come along again. My horse isn't too bothered by them, apart from the pink double-deckers, but even then she doesn't do anything terrible. Because of our lack of bridleways I would never buy a horse that had issues with any sort of traffic. So, no, I wouldn't hack on a bus route if my horse was afraid as it could be very dangerous for everyone. I would de-sensitize it to buses first if I had to.

 

[mrdarcy]

We only encounter those little buses... but the drivers are all very understanding and slow down if you ask them to. I would ride my lad out in any sort of traffic though, nothing mechanical bothers him

 

[Doreys_Mum]

I've come face to face with buses and lorries on a small high street on my old hacks.

TBH, the drivers are generally very good. usually they stop for me to pass or stay well behind (cos of the nature of the high street, I'd road hog and ride down the middle. There was no path and if I'd been on the edge people would be tempted to overtake on the wrong side because of how narrow it was, and for half of it, it's single track anyway due to parking) - it's white van drivers I have problems with...

But yeah, I'd use the same route. I've even done it in the dusk. If my horses don't like buses, they will do when I'm finished with them! lol!
Seriously, I've never really had that problem, perhaps I'm too forward on hacks, but none of my horses (even the one that would spook at her own poo...) had problems in traffic

 

[foraday]

If the person can't move yards or box/trailer anywhere else then you could try the BHS and see what routes are in the pipeline, failing that get a natural horse trainer out to your friends horse and they will desensitise your horse.

Not sure which area your friend is from but I can thoroughly recommend Lewis Blackburn:-

http://www.blackburnnaturalhorsetraining.com/

If you are further away he can probably recommend someone else nearby.

Good luck

 

[weevil]

Hmm, difficult if there is no other hacking but does sound like a nasty accident waiting to happen.
I used to hack at a place near richmond park and to get there we had to hack along busy roads with LOTS of buses which were none to keen to slow down or make way for horses. Especially worrying when it turns out that the other people in the group had little experience hacking...

 

[parsley]

I suppose it depends on whether they are just hacking out or whehter they are trying to get the horse used to seeing buses. It must be quite difficult to get a horse used to buses without meeting them - so I might if I had a good reason to. Why don't you ask them as they are spinning around

 

[dieseldog]

Yep, no choice, buses every 10 mins and no way to avoid them. But we don't have that horse anymore. Luckily mine doesn't give a monkeys.