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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:

combust22 · 11/08/2014 08:28

I have no issue with others uing the road for any leisure purpose - as long as they don't impede or obstruct others. Which horses and riders do.

It's plainly inconsiderate.

saintlyjimjams · 11/08/2014 08:32

I get more impeded by cyclists tbh - they cycle on much faster roads with nowhere to overtake. I just sit behind them until I can overtake - they have as much right to be on the road as me. Tractors too. Can't understand the fuss about horse riders - they usually thank me politely for waiting until it 's safe to overtake. They're much less irritating to be behind than tourists who won't pull in on a country lane in case some hedge touches their car.

MalcolmTuckersMistress · 11/08/2014 08:38

Totally did the right thing. I'd have really appreciated the gesture. The guy behind you was a wank.

goodasitgets · 11/08/2014 08:38

I don't impede or obstruct. Unless you can't bring yourself to slow down for 10 seconds while you pass

MalcolmTuckersMistress · 11/08/2014 08:40

Oh and I don't have any issues with others not on horses using the roads, which impatient and bad drivers do. And I think you'll find they are the ones who cause accidents and death and not "leisure" users. The attitude of "get off the road" seems to come from those who probably shouldn't have passed their tests in the first place.

Just saying.

combust22 · 11/08/2014 08:40

It can take a lot more than 10 seconds to pass a horse- especially if there is traffic coming in the opposite direction.

MalcolmTuckersMistress · 11/08/2014 08:49

Combust it's slightly alarming you are so open about your lack of patience on public highways. A drivers licence is a privilege not a right and if you're dependent upon it, I think you need to rethink your attitude.

goodasitgets · 11/08/2014 08:59

What do you do when you get stuck behind a tractor then?! I'm amazed people have so little patience, better late in this world...

combust22 · 11/08/2014 09:00

I have every patience for tractors. Farmers are producing our food.

goodasitgets · 11/08/2014 09:07

But no patience for an NHS worker enjoying their day off? Nice

combust22 · 11/08/2014 09:10

No patience for people holding up traffic for no good reason.

MalcolmTuckersMistress · 11/08/2014 09:13

I'm not sure if you realise this, but people actually earn a living from riding horses too.

goodasitgets · 11/08/2014 09:14

Not a good reason for YOU. Helping my PTSD is a damn good reason for me. I seriously think if you don't have that amount of patience you need to look at your driving licence. And I hope you're not the type that sits revving your engine up an animals backside so they don't waste a second of your precious time. I don't hold up traffic. If there is traffic approaching and you can't pass, I will pull onto a verge, or trot to a gateway or do anything I can. All I expect is the same courtesy

MalcolmTuckersMistress · 11/08/2014 09:16

Any display in lack of patience on the public highway clearly demonstrates an abysmally low standard of driving ad understanding for fellow road users.

This is just why the roads are such a dangerous place and why there are so many accidents

saintlyjimjams · 11/08/2014 09:17

You sound dangerous on the roads combust. You realise people like horse riders & cyclists are vulnerable road users don't you? What do you do that's so important you cannot be held up by anyone?

What on earth do you do when you come across a caravan? You must implode.

CateBlanket · 11/08/2014 09:37

Question for horse riders. If I am approaching a horse being ridden on the opposite side of the road I always slow down (country roads). However, my friend - a horse rider - said this is unnecessary and I should just drive at normal speed as it could unsettle the horse more if I slowed down.

Is this correct - or did I completely misunderstand her which is entirely possible as I have form for getting the wrong end of the stick

goodasitgets · 11/08/2014 09:45

I would slow down regardless of what side the horse is on. It depends... Most people driving on those roads would be going slow ish anyway. I'm happy if someone passes at 30mph and gives room after some of the interpretations of "wide and slow" I've seen

pointythings · 11/08/2014 10:12

Life's too short to get all upset about waiting for a few minutes to allow a horse to pass safely. combust appears to have chosen her NN particularly well...

ChelsyHandy · 11/08/2014 11:08

Possibly the most reasonable OP in the history of mumsnet ever!

Combust perhaps you should stick to motorway driving. Motorways are designed for high speed driving with few hold ups from other road users, other roads are not.

mummytime · 11/08/2014 11:14

Umm Combust have you ever travelled in the Chilterns? I distinctly remember being stopped for 10 minutes surrounded by sheep (about 5 minutes from the motorway).

OP you were fine.

I once stopped on fast through road, about 50 meters from a horse rearing. I could see it clearly as could anyone behind me, and I thought it best to give him as much room as necessary to calm down in.

(BTW anyone who beeps me is most likely to make me stop, as that is what I tend to do when startled.)

trufflesnout · 11/08/2014 11:18

Depends on the road Cate, if you're doing 20 then fine, but anything over that and I'd appreciate you slowing down. Slowing shouldn't scare a horse unless you slam on the breaks and screech personally I think it'd be good for drivers to assume the horse is young just to help them drive cautiously.

I put my "young horse please slow" tabbard on my 20 year old plod and have definitely noticed a difference in driver response.

Booboostoo · 11/08/2014 14:36

Combust well then things are simple, all we need is direct access to your judgement 24/7 so we can submit all the proposed road journeys, with details of purpose and utility, type of vehicle, speed and abilities of the driver to arrive at the destination and we'll know who is allowed on the roads and who is not. I would imagine a few hard and fast rules could be applied asap, e.g. that dawdling family trying to cross the road to the play ground should stay at home than delay everyone at the pedestrian crossing, anyone driving a car for fun, or riding a bike for exercise (after all what are stationary bikes in gyms for?), or any vehicle whose speed limit is below yours on non-essential journeys (do we really need so many consumer goods?).

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