Horses on the roads - AIBU to think its just not safe anymore - who is at fault?

[Heliom]

I am a rider, I consider myself a sensible and safe rider. I've been riding for over 25 years and feel the roads are becoming increasingly dangerous, drivers increasingly inconsiderate and quite literally now forcing riders off the road. I've worked really hard with my horse to make sure she is completely as road safe as possible, trained her to be calm around bikes, motobikes, tractors, buses, lorries etc and thank god I have after today...
this is the list of what I encountered today on a 'quiet' hack on country lanes.

1. Three motorbikes speeding down the road who saw us some way off and didn't even slow down, came thundering past.
2. A car speeding around a blind bend on a single track lane nearly took us and had to mount the verge to avoid us before speeding off
3. a HUGE tractor which took up most of the road which went straight passed a pull over spot and just stopped on the road. He expected us to pass inbetween him and the plough he was towing where we had less than 6inches either side and he refused to switch off his engine. Our horses are extremely good on the road and did pass but this was at their limit!
4. A massive group of cyclists who just came charging pass
5. A car who refused to pull off the road at all (there was room) forcing us to basically ake the horses down a ditch
6. Being beeped at (yes someone actually through it was sensible to beep their horn loudly at us) when they were behind us and we were going round a blind bend trotting as we knew we could pull in just a little way up and let the car pass. This was without doubt a particularly bad hack and probably one of the worst I've had but other roads users behaviours made it a horrid and quite frankly dangerous experience for us. If I had been on a younger or more inexperienced horse I have no doubt today would have ended very badly! Of course there are lots of very courteous drivers on the road, and we always make sure we move over when can, let people pass, say thanks, wear fluorescent clothing, etc. But I do feel it is becoming increasingly dangerous to ride on the road and the attitude seems to be that its my fault for taking on my horse on the road. Sadly I have few places left to ride and all bridleways need some road work inbetween. So AIBU to ride on the road, AIBU to expect drivers to take care of horses or am I being reasonable in thinking some/ many (not all) drivers are increasingly not caring about horses and other on the road....

We live in a village close to an agricultural college that runs an equine course. As a result we get a lot of riders around here, most of whom are very considerate of road users and vice versa. But we are surrounded by a lot of main roads and some of the driving I've seen around horses is just senseless. I wouldn't even dream of riding out without a headcam so you can report these idiots but you shouldn't have to at all. I far prefer meeting a horse on the road to an angry chain gang of cyclists. I will admit a rather perverse joy of revving the car up behind them when they are hogging the road .

Someone BEEPED at you??? What a bloody idiot.

And cows quite often are on the roads around here peace.

I get driven mad by tourists drivers who won't up next to the hedge to let a car squeeze past. If your paintwork is that important to you don't come down single track roads.

The local farmer here closes a stretch of road to walk his cows from one field to another. Drivers have to actually stop.

skerry are you referring to horse riders (who I assure you aren't always rich by any means) or the idiot drivers, sorry not sure I follow you

I have rode for 30 years. We have our own ponies and always have done.

Sadly when I get my baby pony broken in I am very likely going to have to move yards to somewhere with off road hacking. Or commit to boxing up a couple of times a week to get somewhere off road.

I have never let the dcs hack out on roads. We used to be able to cut through the village in foot then leg them up on a couple of hundred of acres of field but it's council land and they have fenced it off. To stop off road motorbikes but won't give the local stables keys. Our riding school is slowly losing.clients and after 45 years will probably close before winter.

Roads are just not safe anymore. Not for horses. I won't risk me, my dcs or my ponies for the sake of hacking. It's just not worth it. The same stretches of road I hacked down as a kid I don't even like driving down now.

It's sad and frustrating but a road accident involving ponies never ends well for the pony.

I ride and have done pretty much most of my life. It's such a massive part of me I can't imagine not riding and being a horse owner. Over the last 30 years things have got much much worse. I think people have less patience and there are generally more vehicles on the road. Sadly there are fewer bridleways as land is eaten up for new housing estates and the general growth of towns.

As a rider you just can't win- if you box your horse to the local woods people complain that the lorry is going too slowly and moan they are delayed behind you. If you ride on the road people complain they have to slow down to pass or that your horse has left poo on the road.
People also say they love the countryside and seeing animals grazing in pasture but then say that people shouldn't own horses if they can excercise them. A friend of mine tried to get planning for an arena on her land. It was refused because the neighbours didn't want the loss of pasture and were worried about noise/dust/smell.

It doesn't take much to be courteous of others on the road whether they are walkers, bikers or horse riders- they are all living beings who may have a brother/husband/child dependant on them. They also have a right to be there and your right does not supersede theirs.

Agree that a helmet cam is a good idea. I've bought one after being passed so close I could have leaned in the cars passenger window when out on my bike. The road was empty, the driver was trying to scare me and I was so shocked I didn't get his licence plate

I was wondering if you were the rider I saw today. I cycled past slowly after two cars didn't slow down...

Horses have more right to be on the road than cars or any other vehicle.
It's education and the threat of points on license that might help.

"Horses have more right to be on the road than cars or any other vehicle."

I didn't know that. Why is this?

@ThreeLeggedHaggis It's unfair for you to say get another hobby! Not sure if you know, but horses were on the roads long before cars and tractors. Why should they have to stay off the road now that cars take over??

Living rurally I don't get how people do not understand taking a few extra minutes to give a horse a wide berth or slow to let them past isn't going to ruin your day. We have horses on many of our roads and rarely seen anyone being an idiot around them. It's not rocket science.

As for the comment about being rich just shows how little people know about horse owners.

All single track raids have passing places. If riders are forced off the road, it's because cars aren't giving them much choice.

Roads, not raids!! Arghus

I will admit a rather perverse joy of revving the car up behind them when they are hogging the road grin.

Why, JaneEyre?. They are entitled to be on the road just as much as anyone, that includes pedestrians, and often go a bit faster than a walking horse.

Riders and cyclists 'own' the road to discourage people from the temptation of squeezing past. That's particularly useful if someone isn't malicious, just unsure and takes a chance when they shouldn't.

I hate it when people quote the Highway Code, but I'm going to do it: it is bad form to rev your engine in an intimidatory manner at other road users. It might even constitute an offence, depending on circumstances.

Just wait.

I got shivers down my spine reading about that
Not only is it reckless, it is illegal/against the Highway Code in a nunber of the examples you gave. The Highway is very clear about how drivers should behave around horses but sadly it is now commonplace for riders to wear GoPro cameras on their hat or chest while out

It's absurd to say horses have no place on roads - they are what roads were designed for!

The police and army regularly ride their horses on the roads around me
I'd love some of the PPs stop them and tell them they shouldn't be there

I believe that the highway code also states that cyclist should be in single file........

Not round here they don't. You might be lucky to find a flat bit of ground next to a field gate but no actual passing places. Plus sometimes cattle or sheep on roads. There is nothing to do but stop and wait for them to pass. It's quite nice actually.

The local farmer here closes a stretch of road to walk his cows from one field to another. Drivers have to actually stop

Yep have seen that. Would love to see someone try to hurry their way through a herd of cows walking on the road as well. Idiots.

But people are idiots in cars. My eldest is disabled and we always used to get some twat using our road as a rat run beeping at him as he got on.

They'd get one of my stares and crossed armed looks. Idiots.

I mean have passing places.

Cows in the road used to happen twice a day in our village as the dairy was over the road from the field.
When the people from the towns started to move out to the villages they found it very hard to deal with.

I love horses and think there should be massive fines for driving like a twat near a horse. I am shit scared of them having seen one kicking off when I was small but I do think they were around before cars and should have right of way over everything else.

Snicker, try reading the highway code and you will find that is states cyclist can ride two abreast

Snickers You're wrong on the cyclists ...

The Highway Code obliges cyclists to ride single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends only.

OP - get a head cam. DP now wears one when he cycles and reports dangerous driving to the police, who now always act.

Personally think if you don't pay road tax, you shouldn't be on the roads

good lord there are some impatient and entitled car drivers on this thread - I'm quiet shocked by some responses

OP YANBU it's horrible that you are treated like that