What should I have done? (almost hit horse and rider with my car)

Speed limits are advisory, it’s not mandatory that you drive at 60mph, you drive according to the conditions.

I’m a horse rider and a driver, the stables that I use are on a 60mph rural road, but I am always cautious because of horses but also slow moving farm vehicles and oncoming vehicles.

It sounds like a genuine error, the only advice I can give is to drive more cautiously in future, if it isn’t a straight clear road ahead then reduce your speed.

This is basically how my dbro died! He was a pedestrian crossing the road beyond a bridge with a blind summit. The car came over at speed and couldn’t stop in time. The footpath came out to the road and continued the other side so it was inevitable he crossed where he did.

As others have said, if you can’t see around the bend you need to slow in anticipation. There could have been a stationary vehicle, group of pedestrians, anything!

It’s good you are shaken up, hopefully it will make you more cautious in future. Our family has been devastated by the loss of my dbro, be thankful you were able to stop and didn’t inflict that pain on another family.

If you know the law... dont be on here advocating for horse to go on footpaths.
We cant, we wont and to have people shouting at us to get off the road and onto the footpath just adds another layer of stress....

I won't travel in my friend's car any more, after the day she hurtled round a bend far too fast and nearly slammed into a post office van. She's a truly appalling driver and it terrifies me. She seems truly oblivious to what's going on around her half the time.

I know what the law is - I’m merely commenting from what I’ve observed about the practicalities. I live rurally and am horse/cycle/tractor etc aware. But not everyone is and the animals should be protected.

I’m v glad that you’re ok and no one was hurt! Definitely in future, limit your speed to keep yourself safe.

I was actually driving on some rural/country roads near me this morning - speed signs say 60 (frankly insane) but I won’t drive above 30 on them (and I slow right down on bends): that probably pisses people off, but I know these roads well - there are blind corners, bends, horse riders, walkers, cyclists, farm vehicles etc. Every so often, I’ll pull in a lay-by to let others pass me. In the end, I want to get from A to B safely, and if that takes a few more minutes, then so be it.

We all make mistakes when driving OP. Like others have said, take care on bends especially country roads. 40ph doesn't seem fast but if you come across an obstacle it is tricky to slow down quickly.

Horserider is also taking a bit of a risk riding on a 60mph right enough!

These near misses make us better drivers usually and they happen to the best of us.

Do you always drive fast around country bends? Thete could have been a broken down car, farm machinery, horses , kids on ponies etc. Sorry you need to keep your speed down the national speed isn't a target

Thanks, I was minded to post similar but then wondered if perhaps it had changed in the 50 years since I passed my test! Anyway, it's common sense and also one of the reasons why they have signs warning that a bend is coming up so that you have time to slow down.

Learn your lesson, OP, and approach bends more slowly in future.

Simply being on the road is not being a hazard
They have every right to be there...

You def need to be going round blind corners slow enough that you stop, which you actually did. If you screeched to a halt inches off the horse's arse, needs to be a bit slower. The rider was likely just spooked and took it out on you if you werent near him, its REALLY nerve wracking riding on roads, i cant do it anymore.

It's pretty simple - you drive at a speed from which you can stop within the distance you can see is clear. Assume the road is not clear until you can see it is.

What should have done? Been driving slower.

we are not allowed on footpaths.
we ARE however allowed on the road.
The expectation and obligation i for other road users not to kill us.

The rider will have been angry because a near miss is incredibly stressful, even if you think nothing happened, an emergency stop right behind your horse is hard to get over. My pony is rock steady on the roads but would still be shaken. Please just assume there's a horse round every corner. My companion would have taken a picture of you and reported to the police. We have had two near misses this year and one person got an informal police telling off, the other driver was sent on a reeducation course through work.

As a horse rider... thank you.
Also a heads up... we wear helmet cams these days, and we have a portal to upload incidents like this to the police.
I've submitted on two occasions and both ended up with either fine or court

Horses are legally not allowed on footpaths or the pavement for that matter.
Lije other slow moving things bicycles quad bikes tractors pedestrians they have a legal right to be in the road and drivers have a legal requirement to drive around them safely.
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-about-animals-horse-riders.html
www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/other-road-users.html

A driver not paying full attention to the road?

What is a carless driver? I am aware there is an error but can't work out what you really mean.

I live in an area with lots of these sort of roads and I avoid them if I can, it is because of the over confident local drivers who think because it is a 60 mph road they can do 60 regardless. I swear some of them really believe they can see round a blind bend. Glad you can see the issue and I wish everyone could.

Because contrary to what many think horses are only allowed to be ridden on bridle ways or land where they have permission from the land owner and many will charge for this. They cannot just be ridden say on any old field running parallel to a road just as in England walkers do not have the right to roam so cannot walk in any field/open space they come across and like the look of. The vast majority of riders do not wish to ride on roads but only a lucky few have access to good off road riding and never have to put a hoof on a road to get to it. Many will ride on roads the majority of the time because whoever rural they might be there are simply no bridle paths or land with permission for horses to cross it.

What should you have done?

Slowed down for a blind corner, obviously

There's a national speed limit section of country roads near me where there isn't a single bit you could actually get up to 40 safely, never mind 60 - just have to take it easy unless it's a straight.

They shouldn’t be on the road. How more of them aren’t maimed or injured, I don’t know. I think it’s cruel to put the horses at risk myself.
They should be ridden on the footpath if there are no other pedestrians and if there’s no footpath on twisty country roads they shouldn’t be there IMO.

You need a serious change of attitude @Katemax82 , before you do someone serious harm. Horse riders, cyclists and dog walkers have as much right to be on the road as you do.

As do the slow moving (and very solid) tractors, hay wagons and combine harvesters that move along country lanes.

The rider in this case should not have shouted but 'giving the finger' is a motoring offence. You also need to reread and understand the hierarchy of risk if you wish to keep your licence.

There have been few if any horse related accidents in the UK where the driver was killed.
Lots of accidents where horses were either killed or seriously injured and their ridden careers were ended. Sadly also some accidents where riders were killed or seriously injured.
What many none horsey people also don’t seem to appreciate is that a horses first reaction to being really frightened (yes a car coming too fast around a corner can be enough to frighten even a normally sensible horse) is to run away, they are flight animals, often in a blind panic unaware of what dangers are around it, bolting horses have hit cars walls etc. Stopping it takes a level of skill not possessed by many riders.
This can also long term problems some horses once frightened by a car may never be safe in the road again this impacts on their owners ability to ride them and their resale value few will purchase a horse that’s not safe on the road.
A friends horse was very lightly clipped by a car coming too close no physical damage was done but again was never good in traffic.
Horses are allowed on roads and it’s a legal requirement for drivers to acknowledge and remember this at all times and drive responsibly.