To think this girl was rude & want to say something to her mother

[RinkyTinkTen]

Today I was driving out of my village and saw a girl (15) on her horse. I slowed right down to a crawl to let her pass, instead of thanking me, she threw me the filthiest look. I was on the phone(hand free) at the time, but if I hadn't have been, I'd have stopped and told her how rude she was.

The main reason I am so pissed off, is that I ride, my darling little horse is 4 and very good in traffic. I always thank people if they have made any sort of effort to slow down and give me a wide berth. Sometimes I can't take my hands off the reins, so do an exaggerated nod and pretty much yell thankyou.

When non horsey drivers pass rude riders like this, they may not bother to slow down next time and it might be me that ends up in the back seat of their car with my darling boy dead on the bonnet.

I've half a mind to either talk to her parents or drop a note through to them and telling them their daughter should wear hi-viz because if I ever found out my daughter behaved like this, I would sell her horse until she found some manners.

I also hate bad mannered people!

I'm more concerned about the amount of bitchy resting faces I meet. It's a real problem round our way. Something has to be done about it.
I thought all 15 year olds on horses had bitchy resting faces.

And as for the hi-viz, yes she probably should be wearing one, but if a driver can't see a horse on the side of the road they shouldn't be driving IMO.

Stole, I believe your statement about any driver that cannot see a horse on the road shouldn't be driving is extremely ignorant.

There are many contributing factors to not being able to see a horse, low light, dark horse and a rider in dark clothing riding in dappled light the sun shining directly into your eyes. Or you could take a look at this image and tell me you'd spot the rider in the bottom picture.

I can tell you which one I'd like my dd to be.

Drivers, passengers and horses die in collisions with cars Any rider too lazy to get high viz on is the worst kind of idiot.

And yes, a nod of the head and a smile always to considerate drivers. For the sake of the next rider and horse they meet.

FFS, some of the attitudes on this thread are unbelievable.

Rinky, with respect I think you'll find I said yes she should probably be wearing one, but I do still believe that a driver should be able to see a bloody big horse on the side of the road!

With regard to the photos you posted above, I wouldn't let my daughters ride out in the conditions you mentioned - probably slightly easier as we are in Australia. low light, dark horse and a rider in dark clothing riding in dappled light the sun shining directly into your eyes no, defo wouldn't be out on the roads in any of those conditions with or without a hi viz as I would consider that to be dangerous.

There's a pony and trap that drives round our little wriggly roads and never ever waves or nods or smiles or even looks at you as you drive onto the verge so they can squeeze past - they really piss me off!

That said, I was once dumped into someones front garden because I was waving cheerily at a passing motorist when a bag blew out of the hedge under my pony's nose ...

Probably been said, but you are honestly going to raise a complaint about a perceived "dirty look"......

YABU

I don't ride, so this question is probably naivety. I also moan a lot about cyclists not wearing hi vis, but given I've never seen a horse on the road close to dusk, let alone after, do they really need one? I'd have thought that a horse on the road was hi vis by definition, it's an 8 foot +high animal!?

I stand corrected! And have RTFT now and seems Hi viz is a good idea.

Although in that picture above its the background that causes the issue, and it's unlikely (not impossible) you'd be approaching a horse and rider at that angle unless you were on a very windy road, in which case you shouldn't be on that kind of road in that level of light.

Given we've got the riders in this thread, can you resolve another thing I might be ignorant about. Why do horses go on the roads at all? It's not like these yards are in city centres so there is often a lot of open rural space around.

Or is that where you are heading when I see you on the roads? A short route from the yard to another field / area. Or do you do a little lap on the roads back to where you started

Not Having a dig here at all, have always wondered