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

[Tanith]

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

Some horse riders a rounds my inlaws are so in titled riding two a breast and ignoring traffic build up. Keeping still whilst a horse goes past is good road manners

You did the right thing, but I think hazard lights are a good idea, because probably the driver behind couldn't see the horse or the problem. This happens regularly to me in the lanes nearby.
This of course raises the issue of traffic-shy horses on public highways, and the attitude so charmingly expressed by DiaDuit.

Op you did the right thing as you now know. Thank you for your consideration on behalf of all horse riders!

I fully support horse riders right to use the road but get really pissed off when they ride two abreast, with no attempt to pull in. Both competent riders, not beginners, just chatting away. As I'm supposed to give them a full car width when passing them it makes it really hard to overtake in a safe way.

Combust you know horses can't generally just ride across fields right? (They're generally owned by people and used to keep livestock in/grow things).

The way I see it, is that's horses have more rights over the road than cars as they are an older form of transport.

I always ignore twatty drivers.

You did the right thing OP. Horses are rather silly creatures that may shy away from something simple like a plastic bag and into something dangerous like a car.

combust if you would be kind enough to PM me your address it will gladly come ride in your garden.

I much prefer horses to cyclists. We get a lot of both. The riders are unfailing polite, some of cyclists less so.

Also horses can pull on to the verge a racing bike isn't always able to. To be fair the sides of our roads are such a pothole strewn, falling apart mess, the cyclists can't always pull over safely at the moment.

Ah yes, Booboo, the Great and Deadly Crisp Packet That Lives in the Hedge and Waits

Pulling over and engine off is a usual thing for me, they train and exercise race horses round here, so you get used to flighty horses.

The man walking behind his horse with 2 long reins is my favourite, he waved me down once and asked if I'd mind revving my engine a bit... his young horse seemed far too complacent on the road and where we were was a good place for it to bolt if it was going to, pointed at a gate into a field. So I did, and it did, the man thanked me.

A week later they walked past the house and he stopped and thanked me, the horse now knew its limitations and he was able to continue reassuring it he was in control, rather than just walking behind a complacent horse. Now, about a year later, they look really good trotting by with the little 2 wheeler, a sulky I think.

I think the driver behind could definitely see the horses (big enough and riders wearing hi-vis tops), but maybe not realised there was a problem with one of them.
Might even have thought the horse and rider were practising dressage or something :)
I'm pretty sure it was me he was tooting, though. It was when I turned off the engine, although tbh I'm surprised he could tell I had, so perhaps he was just tired of waiting there.

"combust if you would be kind enough to PM me your address it will gladly come ride in your garden." certainly - and I will call the police for you trespassing with your stupid horse.

Er combust - do you think that's maybe why people ride on lanes? Because they'd be trespassing on private land if they took to the fields? :facepalm:

This of course raises the issue of traffic-shy horses on public highways, and the attitude so charmingly expressed by DiaDuit.

The horse wasnt traffic shy. She was dickhead blasting a horn shy. Not exactly sure what you mean by my 'charming' attitude. You'd have been pissed off too.

cheval 'better than teenagers doing inappropriate things'
that made me smile..
I have one of those too teenager and inappropriateness, if thats a word..?

We do the same around twitchy horses. Slow down gradually for all horses, stop if the horse looks jumpy, engine off if the horse still looks jumpy, and wait for the horse to be well away before very slowly setting off again. The driver behind you is an idiot.

I might be remembering wrongly but doesn't the Highway Code recommend riding 2 abreast?

Well done OP, I'm not sure about the engine but stopping was definitely helpful.

It doesn't recommend riding two abreast except in particular circumstances (young horse/young rider for example). I think that was a change though, so it may have originally recommended that.

Oh that might be a BHS recommendation rather than highway code??

Possibly Saintly, or maybe it was just my riding instructor. It was a long time ago anyway!

I thought it was advised as drivers are more likely to slow down and pass safely if you are 2 abreast rather than single file but it could have changed or I could have been wrong all along.

Well combust comes across as twat of the day. Seriously, read what youve written and have a word with yourself...
Well done op you did the right thing.

Another thank you from me OP. Good job.

No sorry I meant, I think the BHS used to recommend 2 abreast (and highway code may have) but that changed recently. I recently did the BHS syllabus for road safety (didn't take the exam as I was away), and I'm sure we were told it used to be 2 abreast but had changed to usually one, except in specific circumstances when it would be safer to have a nervous horse/young rider on the inside.

Riders may ride two abreast to protect a young horse, a child rider, a nervous horse or to purposefully stop traffic from overtaking at a point on the road where visibility is poor. Then again some riders are inconsiderate and annoying just like some drivers, some cyclists and some pedestrians ( not to mention some MN users!).

Thank you OP. I'd be very grateful if you had acted like that around my horse. Would be nice if dog owners kept their horses under control on bridle ways, but that's a whole other thread...

Dogs under control on bridleways.