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

Really considerate of you, drivers are rarely so lovely! You done good OP

You did the right thing. I wouldn't have turned the engine off though. It won't be the car that was startling the horse more likely some thing lurking ina hedge or garden that was spooking it. The car behind was an idiot to sound his horn

Ditto I would have been very grateful for your consideration. As a general rule of thumb, a slow calm wide overtake is useful if going past horses (if they're behaving calmly) or do what you did if there's any trouble. As pp said, just an idling engine is usually fine but equally ok to switch off. Ditto beeping man really not helpful! I generally wear a flouro tabard that says 'please pass wide and slow' on front and rear because I appreciate that not everyone knows the best thing to do when passing horses. Also had it drummed into me (and do it without fail) I raise my hand or whip (if carrying) to thank drivers.

You did good OP.

The other driver needs to watch

I'm often scared that hazards will make the horse more upset, don't know whether to use them or not.

Yes, you did the right thing and I'm sure the rider was grateful hopes to god she acknowledged you but she may not have been able to take her hands off the reins to wave a thanks (just in case as not read the rest if the thread!)

I have a very young horse and would have really appreciated you seeing me have a bit of difficulty and acting appropriately, however the drivers behaviour behind you was stupid and unfair to the rider & horse.

Londonrach would never have guessed... horses are actually entitled to ride 2 abreast especially if one is a young horse so as to help teach it how to behave in traffic and so it doesn't end up on your car and me in your lap

I'm sorry that there are people in this thread that think we're entitled twats, but we all work hard for our money and can spend it how we wish.

As for the stupid comment about not driving in fields, bearing in mind that most fields are crops owned by farmers, you'd look like a right dickhead doing that and would most likely be arrested for destruction of property. I don't ride in fields on my horse for the same reason I wouldn't ride in your garden. I'm not entitled to.

I am also terrified of horses. I cycle a lot and get very scared over taking them. I never know what the right thing to do is. But I have a phobia of most animals so my fear is my fault!

Chrome, the best thing to do as a cyclist is say something! Bikes are like silent ninjas, if you say hi, coming through or can I pass, the rider will know you're there & the horse will know it's just a person. Some horses are scared if bikes so still give them a wide berth

We are due to move to a road which is frequented by horses as links to a bridle way and it's a wide single track. I'm really frightened of horses and am dreading maintaining the front garden when we live there for fear of spooking one with a scary rake etc! Also dh has a very very loud car which really worries me in case a horse passes as he starts it. Any advise appreciated, I tried horse riding lessons when dd used to ride as it got to the point where I was too terrified to even watch her, but although I got up to cantering it didn't help much as it's mostly when I'm on the ground they frighten me

Ps I always back right off when I'm driving near them, had a young rider and older one with a walking lady last week they were two abreast so I assume that's still legal? Gave them tons of room (mostly cos I don't want to be anywhere near) and the walking lady thanked me

Northern terrible advert for horse riding as they riding two a breast....

You did absolutely the right thing. The person behind who sounded their horn in the presence of a clearly nervous horse was being an arse.

We get a lot of horses and riders around here. I always slow right down to snail's pace, giving them as wide a berth as possible. I would stop if I thought the horse seemed particularly unsettled too, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

Definitely the right thing, I hope you were thanked for your thoughtfulness.

Unfortunately, as with car drivers, cyclists etc there are some horse riders who do not behave as they should - having been touched by a car my horse is not always the easiest on the road, and I have to be very careful with passing cars. I always try and trot on out of the way to a gateway or wider bit of road, but don't do this until the car is going slowly because usually the driver whizzes past and horse behaves stupidly. I do my very best not to hold up the traffic and always wave, smile, shout or nod thankyou as the car passes, and quite often after it has gone by as well.

If you are a cyclist and aren't sure what to do, just make us aware of your presence well before you reach us - there's one chap round here who just calls "coming by" which is fine, it's when you creep up on us and are suddenly there that makes the horse leap 6 foot in the air! Oldie, don't worry too much - just don't make a sudden move with your rake, pause for a moment as the horse goes by! Likewise with your DH's car, just try not to start it at the very moment one's walking past - but don't worry too much about it honestly.

If I'm in the car and pass someone on a horse who doesn't either make an effort to move out of the way or thank me, then I quite often stop the car (with my children curling up in embarrassment in the back) and remind the rider that they ought to thank anyone who slows down otherwise they give everyone a bad reputation!

On a narrow lane if I see a horse on my side being skittish, I tend to put my hazards on, pull into the middle of the road slow to a crawl or stop basically so no-one can overtake me then when the rider has regained control, I switch the hazards off, indicate to any traffic behind that I'm moving off and give the horse a lot of room whilst moving past them slowly and gradually pick up speed.

If there's a skittish horse on the other side of the road, I'd just stop and put the hazards on until the rider had enough control to let it walk on.

Where a horse is fine, then if the road is clear enough to see or the rider waves me on, slow to a max of 20mph, pull across to the opposite side of the road and once well past the horse, move slowly back to my own side and accelerate slowly.

Yes for a cyclist because you're largely silent I would call out. Quiet things approaching from behind are pretty much designed to make a horse spook!

I just give horses lots of room. Sometimes I get stuck behind one, in which case I hang back but follow slowly - they're usually trotting at this stage to get to a wider bit of road where I can overtake slowly or they pull over and wave me through.

You did exactly what I always do - assess the horse's behaviour, respond accordingly. Step one is to slow right down and give wide berth, if horse looks spooked proceed to stopping and engine off.

Anyone touching their horn around a horse should be shot have their driving license taken away.

You did exactly the right thing, mr horn beeper is a prick!

I would have been very grateful to you - my horse can be silly (particularly if I expect him to walk through a puddle - he's a princess!). I normally just need 20 seconds or so to get leg on him and get him moving forward again rather than sideways and I would appreciate it of a driver was patient like you were. Then again I don't expect them to do it and if they were to keep going I wouldn't get cross as it's up to me to control my horse on the road.

Anyone who sounds horn near horses on roads could be putting rider life at risk and is exceptionally stupid and selfish.

combust get off your high horse (ha!) you sound like a pompous snob. I wonder what type of car you drive - I have a horse but a very cheap car. In my opinion having an expensive car is completely unnecessary indulgence.

My horse is my hobby - I don't do any other hobbies or spend any other money on myself, no clothes or shoes.

I have to ride on road as yard is on a road.

My car cost me £700. It is 10 years old- and necessary to me as Io live in the country. A horse is an indulgence and simply clutters up the road for people trying to go about their business.

cobat they are not cluttering roads any more than cyclists. Or runners. Do you think they're unnecessary too?

Personally I love my indulgence and I work hard to have her. I'm courteous to other road users and pull in if there is a lay by and say thank you. At the end of the day horses are allowed on the road whether you like it or not same as cyclists, much nicer if everyone is polite to each other
And I'm not middle class either

*combust

Are roads only allowed to be used by car drivers 'going about their business'. What about people out for a leisure drive, or pulling a caravan, or on the way to the beach, or on a motorbike off to do some scrambling, or someone out with a stroll with a pram, or ramblers?

What utter nonsense.

I agree good