to expect horse (and rider) to reverse for me!

[AliBingo]

Genuinely puzzled here- I live down a single-track lane which is very narrow and windy so you have to drive slowly, anyway I met a horse-rider when I went out earlier.

Where we met, the rider was just past a field gateway passing place - the horse was about halfway past it, so its back legs and the saddle, and the rider herself, were still alongside the passing place. I stopped in plenty of time (couple of car lengths away) and waited for them to get into the passing place.

I waited and after about 30 seconds, rider did a hand gesture to indicate that I was to reverse! I duly reversed about 200 feet back down the lane and then sat waiting for about a minute while the rider proceeded to the passing place alongside me.

She looked a bit grumpy and didn't thank me, presumably because I hadn't reversed straightaway. But I had expected her to go into passing place!

So I am now wondering if it's not even possible to get a horse to back up/turn around/reverse etc - can you tell that I know nothing about horses!

WIBU to expect them to go into the passing place practically next to them, or does car etiquette not apply when the other vehicle is a horse!

Thanks!

I am a rider, and have been for 30 years. That said, I would have been pissed off in your position, OP, having to reverse 200 feet for the sake of the rider moving back a few feet.

Of course horses can back up. One of the first things that they are taught when being schooled as a youngster and they can turn on a sixpence, much easier than a car. If this horse and/or rider were too inexperienced and not capable of stepping back into a passing place then neither of them should have been on a public highway; rude cow!

I will try getting the cats and dog to reverse later on and see what happens! Seriously though I guess I sort of assumed she might turn and go into the gateway.

I have had an incident which scared me once, on a wider country road a bit further from home, where the rider pulled over and gestured me to pass and then when I did (slowly, giving them a nice wide berth) the horse spun around and then reared up. I didn't know whether to stop, reverse or proceed. Rider was rather flustered too.

Have sometimes come across two riding abreast on windy roads which seems stupid/dangerous.

Most of the horseriders around here are really good, they wear high vis vests, give clear indication of what they want you to do, and always politely thank you afterwards.

Horses can 'reverse' but it's a fairly high level exercise. I always stop to allow a horse and rider to move where they need (rural area). I live five properties away from a property which takes in rescue horses for rehabilitation. I'd rather wait a minute or two to allow the rider to move along safely, and having been a rider myself, I always appreciate drivers who don't try and zoom past and potentially spook a horse.

Well, next time, honk your horn.

joking

And why couldnt she smile and nod a thanks at you if she didnt want to take a hand off the reins.

No yanbu. She could have reversed but probably with some difficulty and might have spooked her horse to try. If the passing place is wide enough for two cars to pass and that close then she should have turned around out of courtesy. She was rude and inconsiderate.
If she was out on a horse on a public highway that is afraid of cars, even for training purposes on a tiny laneway, then at the minimum she should have acknowledged your efforts with a huge thank you.

Of course horses can reverse, I vaguely remember it's called reining back. If she couldn't do this she could have turned in a circle and let you go. The very least she could have done was smile and acknowledge that you had been very considerate by backing up so much for her. Very rude of her.

If if was a single track lane then you could turn horse, even if you could not back up. Fine, horse may have been inexperienced etc, but it as her choice to take that horse put on road she should have thanked you for reversing.

Also, she should have stopped before she half passed the stopping point because she would have seen you.

I ride but i also do watersports and the etiquette on the water is the faster gives way so in your situation i would have reversed. The other issue is the width if the road wasn't wide enough for her to walk past with you stationery then in a gateway wouldn't really be enough distance for you to safely drive past. My personal rule is if its a squeeze let the slower person pass. Not waving a thanks though is just rude but then again i know a driver who expects to get a thanks for stopping at pedestrian crossings.

I think she was annoyed I had waited initially hoping she'd go into the passing place.

If the horse was inexperienced she really shouldn't be riding it down our lane, some people drive like maniacs down here!

Hmmm. This is tricky because she may have thought you were just going to keep coming at her (so many drivers do this!) personally I'd have turned around back into the passing place and waited.

It does sound a bit strange if its as you say though. There are as many ignorant and rude riders out there as there are inconsiderate drivers which makes it frustrating for everyone else.

I love horses and i love riding and we have allot of horses on the lanes around where i live.

50% of the riders are very polite. They will shift onto the grass if it's narrow, stop, thank you for slowing down etc etc.
The other 50% are entitled fuckers less than polite. Staring down at you with an 'i should think so too' look when you give them room or slow down (which i always do). OR - riding slowly along side by bloody side so you cant get past at all.

Horse reversing: can be done - i've done it by accident a good few times while i've meant to be holding still!

I would have thought the horse should be able to back up. If not, due to either inexperience or nervousness, I would question why she's riding it on a road.

In any case, she was extremely rude not to have thanked you and if she carries on like that she'll get people's backs up and spoil things for other riders who have some manners.

On a narrow lane though, I would always reverse for a horse. On a wider lane, stay parked while the horse goes past possibly. I think most people are fine with it in country areas but this particular situation is a bit odd. Since she was half in, half out of the pass area already, I think it would have been courteous of the rider to make way for the car but she may have been in a foul mood or something, happens.

It would really depend on the horse, reversing is not that easy for a horse that does not do a lot of schooling. That does not mean it is not used to being on the roads. A lot of people just hack out on their horses. I would be interested to know how big the gate way was. It sounds like a terrifying road to ride down though if it is that narrow. I can't imagine people would choose to ride down a road like that if there is a better option!

Gateway was nice and wide - can get a 4x4 in there. Lane is v narrow indeed but leads to lots of lovely woodland bridleways etc and isn't that long so worth the hassle I guess. Plus lots of horses live round here so maybe it was coming home?!

dearjohnlovesavannah - the rider was probably just telling you it was ok by her for you to pass, I often give that signal because I'm higher up and can see round the corner or if the driver seems unusually hesitant to pass

I wonder what was the other side of the gateway OP, the passing place, my horses are as good as bombproof but they would resist walking backwards towards a danger they couldn't easily see - such as pigs or goats

From what you have said she should have spun round and put the horse in the gateway, or backed up. Unfortunately you will always get rude people on the roads, whatever their mode of transport!

I would have reversed in her position. Once I had gone back three times already for cars on a narrow lane, and when the fourth one appeared I did turn back but was chuntering under my breath and the driver had a big row with me as I had dared to be a bit peed off.

I ride down a track that sounds similar & I wouldn't have thought twice about turning my horse around & waiting for you to pass. I ALWAYS acknowledge & thank other drivers, as I think people who don't, give us polite horse riders a bad name!

DearJohn I tell other drivers when it is clear to pass, as I am of the opinion that I can see (& hear better) from high up & think it is courtesy to the driveralso stops them tailing my horse's backside, I never considered someone might take offence . I'd be extremely surprised if someone deliberately galloped a horse down a road...wonder if the horse spooked?

I would have absolutely reversed if I was the rider that you encountered, but some horses are absolute buggers on the road especially if they are young and just being introduced to traffic. You were kind to reverse for her and she was being ridiculous to not thank you - she should have been really appreciative as many drivers would have honked their horn and that's when horses can get really pissed off!

And yes - if a rider asks you to stop it is probably because they are riding a spooky horse. I would always ask large vehicles coming towards me to stop so that I could ride past them whilst they were stationary.

I would think the galloping horse spooked - I rode a horse once that I thought was pretty much bombproof until a dog shot across a lawn that was up a bank and he lost it!

He was also so big that I couldn't get on him without a mounting block or suitable high gate/fence so getting off isn't possible.

I'd imagine this horse was a bit of a nervous nelly but that doesn't mean she couldn't smile and nod as she passed

If a horse/rider combo are competent enough to be hacking out alone I'd be surprised if they couldn't manage a few steps of rein back.

I'd have either done that or turned round and pulled in to the gap.

If there was a reason I couldn't do that I'd have apologised and explained as I drew level with you after you'd reversed - "Thank you! Sorry, I would have pulled over but I couldn't because my horse gets stressy going backwards/finds it difficult/whatever".