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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Horse shying on a public road. AIBU to switch off my engine?

97 replies

Tanith · 09/08/2014 23:26

We get a lot of horses and riders where I live and I admit they make me nervous - I have never sat on a horse in my life.
So I'm really not sure I did the right thing today.

I was driving along a country road and saw two riders approaching, so I slowed right down. Something seemed to upset one of the horses and it started side-stepping and shying away from the side of the road, so I stopped. The rider looked to me to be experienced but, I thought, was struggling to calm the horse, so I turned off my engine entirely and prayed. A moment later, the car behind sounded his horn briefly, as they do when you haven't noticed the lights change, so maybe I should have carried on slowly?

Horse riders, did I do right or wrong? What's the best thing to do? She did get the horse under control.

It's not happened to me before, so I'm prepared to be told what sort of idiot I am

OP posts:

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/08/2014 23:29

Did you have hazard lights on? I wouldn't stop dead without them. But it sounds as if he was being a bit of a twit - of course you wouldn't drive nearer to a shying horse so what else could you do?!

herewegoagain0714 · 09/08/2014 23:30

Yes you did the right thing. The driver behind you was an arse and beeping would only wind a spooked horse up more. Just staying where you were and keeping the engine running would have also been ok.

muffinino82 · 09/08/2014 23:31

I have been riding for 20 years and would have appreciated your courtesy - I hope she thanked you in some way. I probably would have made a rude gesture towards the beeper had I been mounted or in car I maybe wouldn't have turned my engine off, one it doesn't make a difference to the horse as they tend to be used to them and may be spooked by it turning back on (although these days most are used to the noise).

AgentZigzag · 09/08/2014 23:31

Much better to turn your engine off than beep your fucking horn! WTF were they thinking??

You'd usually just drive slowly past, but as the horse was playing silly buggers it's good of you to stop and try not to make them worse.

You should go for some lessons, it's fun until you fall off

MysteriousCircusZebra · 09/08/2014 23:31

Yes that sounds like a sensible thing to do. I would have been grateful as the rider that you were being so considerate.

Original poster

Tanith · 09/08/2014 23:32

No, I didn't think of hazard lights. I probably would have been too scared to put them on, mind.

OP posts:

NoNoDontEatThatBloodyHellFFS · 09/08/2014 23:35

YANBU! I wish all drivers were as considerate as you around horses The guy using his horn was a class A knob, and very luck he didn't make the situation much worse.

DocDaneeka · 09/08/2014 23:35

Sounding his horn?

Utter fuckwit.

You did the right thing.

We 'reported' a couple of bin lorry drivers once. I was out with a mate on a very dippy mare down a private road. A bin wagon - which we weren't expecting on a weekend came down. Mare shied and had a total tizzy. Bin men just pulled in and cut the engine and waited til we regained control. Then set off very slowly. So we rang their boss to compliment them on such sensible helpful behaviour. Especially as I know our bin men have trackers and. quite strict timetables and don't really have time to stop.

Cirsium · 09/08/2014 23:37

You did exactly the right thing and the driver behind you was an idiot. Usually all a rider needs is a minute to reassure the horse and get out of your way and that is much easier when the car engine is switched off and it is clear you are staying still. In general pass wide, right over to the other side of the road, and as slow as is safe, definitely no more than 15mph. Horses can be spooked by sudden noises so turn radio down and don't accelerate sharply away or rev engine. If you have to stay behind for a while, eg windy country roads, stay well back. Pay attention to riders hand signals, they may ask you to stop or slow down if they anticipate a problem. Don't be upset if they don't thank you, they may just be too busy and need both hands on the reins. The British a Horse Society have lots of information.

Original poster

Tanith · 09/08/2014 23:38

He didn't blast his horn, btw, just touched it, so that made me think I must have done the wrong thing.

Thank you, Agent, but those horses look waaay too far from the ground

OP posts:

KissMyFatArse · 09/08/2014 23:39

Hazards lights could also have spooked the horse if it non stop as this isn't something they would regularly see. Mine anyway! He spooked at plastic bags!

But switching off was really considerate and would have helped calm the situation.

I've had some daft bitch roll down her window and come up beside me while mounted and scream roads are for cars not horses! Before wheel spinning away! She got a couple of choice finger signs from me.

But I think u done the right thing x

RedPony · 09/08/2014 23:40

You did the right thing. My horse can prat about in traffic sometimes and there's nothing worse than when people zoom past revving their engines making it worse! I will always remember the one time when a family stopped and switched off their engine waiting for him to finish his funny 5 mins. I was so grateful to them!

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/08/2014 23:40

Yes, that's absolutely true, kiss, sorry. I wasn't trying to guilt-trip the OP, just wondering because obviously it's a bit of a toss-up between worrying about spooking the horse more, and not wanting someone to hit you. I know if he had hit her it'd have been his fault, but it's not fun anyway.

There's no justification for honking in that situation anyway. You honk to alert someone to your presence. A stopped car and a shying horse - it's pretty obvious why no-one is moving!

GothMummy · 09/08/2014 23:42

You did the right thing though you could have waited with the engine running too. If a horse is playing up in the road I would give it lots of room and wait for it to pass by.

I have a horse and would appreciate your courtesy if I ever dared to venture on to the road!!

NoNoDontEatThatBloodyHellFFS · 09/08/2014 23:44

Pay attention to riders hand signals, they may ask you to stop or slow down if they anticipate a problem.

Generally as well, on a windy road with hedges etc., the height advantage of being on a horse means you can see further ahead what's coming in terms of traffic. If you're being asked to stop it's usually that they're letting you know it isn't safe to over take yet as there is a car coming the other way. Most will wave you on past once it's all clear again.

Original poster

Tanith · 09/08/2014 23:54

Thank you all! I shall sleep easy, now :)

Some really good advice, too (I think I'll pass on the lessons, though )

OP posts:

LRDtheFeministDragon · 09/08/2014 23:56

Hope you're ok - must have been a scare.

Original poster

Tanith · 10/08/2014 00:03

I'm fine, thank you for asking. It was very nerve-wracking while it was happening, though - probably compounded by not knowing what to do for the best.

At least I had a nice, safe metal box to sit in. Poor rider didn't :(

OP posts:

Peekingduck · 10/08/2014 00:11

Good call Op. Horses and riders don't dent - they die.

NoNoDontEatThatBloodyHellFFS · 10/08/2014 00:12

Don't worry, horse riders are the kind of people who wake up in the morning and say to themselves "Oh, weather isn't too bad. I can't wait to go sit on 700 kilos of muscular flight animal!"

I used to feel more sorry for the panicked looking people behind the wheel when I was out riding to be honest! At least I understood what the horse was doing and that it would stop soon

DiaDuit · 10/08/2014 00:12

I'll never forget the dickhead that blasted his horn at a courteous driver who had stopped to let me and my dad pass. Of course my pony spooked and i was couped off into the middle of the road. I was fine. My dad's heart rate was not. I

DiaDuit · 10/08/2014 00:13

I only wish pony had danced over beeper man's fucking bonnet.

cheval · 10/08/2014 00:42

Horses, ah yes, this is one I understand. Better than teenagers doing inappropriate things, which is why I came on here.
You did absolutely the right thing. If a horse is being a prat in a road, much better to keep all vehicles quiet and wait for rider to sort situation. I am so happy you did that.
The guy behind you was a total arse. It really does not help in any situation with half a ton of horse to go for the loud horn. They are flight animals, with a person on their back!, so patience is to be commended. Thank you for yours.

saintlyjimjams · 10/08/2014 07:47

I would have stopped & waited for napping horse to have calmed & come past me, , but left engine on, NOT put on hazards as that might spook a horse (not a particularly usual thing to see). The person who beeped is an utter idiot.

combust22 · 10/08/2014 07:55

I hate horse riders. We have loads around here. It's sheer middle class indulgence. Like allowing a 2 year old to run around on the road and expecting drivers to show respect. I don't drive around in fields, I really don't like horses walking on the roads.

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