To be FED UP of inconsiderate drivers towards horses

[SaltAndVinegarIsTheBest]

I know this thread has been done to death, but I just needed to rant sorry

I’m sick of drivers who just don’t give a shit about horses on the road. Most people are lovely and try their best to give space and drive slowly and it is so much appreciated unfortunately there’s a minority who don’t. I’ve had cars go right up to about a foot away from my horse. I’ve had cars speed past without slowing or giving any space. I’ve been shouted at and called every name under the sun for daring to be out on the road with my horse. I think most riders have experienced similar and try to avoid hacking where possible.

Why can’t people appreciate the dangers involved in horse riding and that if you spook the horse it could have disastrous consequences? My horse is 16.3 and if he rears and I end up crushed, I’d be lucky to even survive.

I’ve been there. I’ve been stuck behind a tractor or cyclist whilst late to work. I know how frustrating it is! But ultimately if a 5 minute delay was enough to make me late, then the problem lies with my timekeeping more than anything else.

And before anyone says anything, horses have every right to be on the road. I avoid it where possible as the risks are too great, but sometimes it is necessary and at the end of the day it is allowed. Blaming horse riders is victim blaming as we should be able to safely hack out without fearing ending up in hospital.

Thanks to everyone who is considerate around horses on the road. To those who aren’t, remember that horse riders want to get themselves and their horse home safely- don’t be the reason that doesn’t happen.

@BigValue

Oh to be middle class. Chantelle wouldn’t be allowed to ride a large dog down the road.

Tell your husband to put his bike away too. Just no need.

You realise not all horse riders are middle class right? I hate this phrase that gets thrown about, people from all walks of life ride because horses are the one thing that bond people together like nothing else

So it's just fine to take young, inexperienced riders on a road

What about young, inexperienced drivers? How many fatal accidents are there each summer involving a car load of 18 year olds?

@sst1234

Ever considered that other road users are being inconvenienced by nuisance hobbyists? No need to deliberately spook horses but horse riders don’t have some sort of special entitlement to inconvenience horse riders. Unpopular opinion I’m sure. But everyone else who voted yabu clearly thinks the same.

I don’t know if any riders asking for special entitlements!

We are asking for other road users to respect the fact we are legally allowed on the road and to not deliberately behave like idiots and spook horses? Is that really too much to ask?

Everything is an inconvenience to someone. I find cars an inconvenience as a rider, and drivers find horses an inconvenience. Neither is more important than the other. It’s just about helping each other. Horse riders should let cars past and pull in where safely possible. Cars should drive sensibly and slowly around horses and not deliberately scare them.

Is that really too much to ask?

I feel quite strongly that horses shouldn’t be on roads - and I know they were on roads long before cars.

My heart is in my mouth every time I see one just waiting for something to go wrong. Surely they are too unpredictable to be on the road? It really doesn’t feel right at all.

@BigValue

Oh to be middle class. Chantelle wouldn’t be allowed to ride a large dog down the road.

Tell your husband to put his bike away too. Just no need.

Oh to be middle class indeed! I wouldn’t know.

@Lovinglavidaloca

I feel quite strongly that horses shouldn’t be on roads - and I know they were on roads long before cars.

My heart is in my mouth every time I see one just waiting for something to go wrong. Surely they are too unpredictable to be on the road? It really doesn’t feel right at all.

Where are horses supposed to be ridden then? Only approx half of livery yards around here have schools. Fields are privately owned, so you can't ride in them (ie if you can't walk in them you can't ride either) and bridleways are usually linked by roads.

And the number of bridleways is reducing, often due to house building. When a footpath is in place over a planned development site, the council usually has a rule that the developers must maintain the footpath in the new design. Not so for bridle paths, so cyclists and riders loose out and end up on the road.

Believe me, most of us are only on the road because we have to be.

Well if the horses dislike schooling, I guess that's that sorted then

Cars shouldn't be reckless and no one should be shouting harassment. But it's annoying to act like cars driving on the road (e.g. passing without slowing down enough for your horse's liking) are doing something wrong because you are riding a massive, spookable animal on a shared road.

I can't believe anyone is voting YABU and defending reckless and dangerous behaviour towards other legal road users.
Why are cars considered more important than anyone else anyway?

@Scianel

I can't believe anyone is voting YABU and defending reckless and dangerous behaviour towards other legal road users. Why are cars considered more important than anyone else anyway?

It’s almost unbelievable isn’t it!

No wonder so many riders go out with wearable cameras so they can report dangerous drivers.

@LewittDee

Well if the horses dislike schooling, I guess that's that sorted then

Cars shouldn't be reckless and no one should be shouting harassment. But it's annoying to act like cars driving on the road (e.g. passing without slowing down enough for your horse's liking) are doing something wrong because you are riding a massive, spookable animal on a shared road.

It's not necessarily good for a horse to only exercise in circles (ie schooling). Some can't at all due to joint issues.

Rider's just want drivers to not be dicks. Hardly a big ask.

Ever considered that other road users are being inconvenienced by nuisance hobbyists?

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I thought the hierarchy of priority of road users as set out in the recently amended Highway Code was pedestrian, cyclist, horse, vehicle. Clearly I got it wrong and the hierarchy is people who are Doing Something Important first, and anyone using the road for something as frivolous as a hobby should know their place and get off the road because you might be holding someone else up! How do we know if a car driver is using the road to go to work instead of eg going to the gym? I feel it is important to know this, so that we can prioritise those doing important things over those going to take part in hobbies.

But you’re missing my point- roads are not just for cars. They are shared (as you quite rightly said yourself) and whilst your car is probably annoying and an inconvenience for some people, you have the right to be on the road. It’s the same with cyclists. And horses. And everyone else entitled to be on the road. It’s not just for cars.

And yeah if a horse doesn’t like schooling then yeah that is it sorted! Horses have the rights to dislike things too my previous horse excelled in dressage and didn’t like jumping, so guess what, we did lots of flatwork and had great fun in dressage. My other horse would have been completely disinterested in collected cancer and flying changes and just wanted to fly round a course of showjumps.

They are living, breathing animals and have the right to like/dislike things too. Some like hacking, and since horses have a legal right to be on the road, there is absolutely nothing unreasonable about this.

It’s also not good for a horse to spend all their time in an arena.

@backinthebox

Ever considered that other road users are being inconvenienced by nuisance hobbyists?

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I thought the hierarchy of priority of road users as set out in the recently amended Highway Code was pedestrian, cyclist, horse, vehicle. Clearly I got it wrong and the hierarchy is people who are Doing Something Important first, and anyone using the road for something as frivolous as a hobby should know their place and get off the road because you might be holding someone else up! How do we know if a car driver is using the road to go to work instead of eg going to the gym? I feel it is important to know this, so that we can prioritise those doing important things over those going to take part in hobbies.

Yeah, it’s almost as if those driving to work could leave a bit earlier isn’t it! If they weren’t stuck behind a horse, it could have been a tractor, or learner driver, or cyclist, so maybe best they give themselves 5 minutes extra time to get to work!

@LewittDee

Well if the horses dislike schooling, I guess that's that sorted then

Cars shouldn't be reckless and no one should be shouting harassment. But it's annoying to act like cars driving on the road (e.g. passing without slowing down enough for your horse's liking) are doing something wrong because you are riding a massive, spookable animal on a shared road.

I posted this reply above but just realised I hadn’t actually quoted your post properly sorry! I’m rubbish with this! I’ve just copied and pasted it below.

But you’re missing my point- roads are not just for cars. They are shared (as you quite rightly said yourself) and whilst your car is probably annoying and an inconvenience for some people, you have the right to be on the road. It’s the same with cyclists. And horses. And everyone else entitled to be on the road. It’s not just for cars.

And yeah if a horse doesn’t like schooling then yeah that is it sorted! Horses have the rights to dislike things toosmile my previous horse excelled in dressage and didn’t like jumping, so guess what, we did lots of flatwork and had great fun in dressage. My other horse would have been completely disinterested in collected cancer and flying changes and just wanted to fly round a course of showjumps.

They are living, breathing animals and have the right to like/dislike things too. Some like hacking, and since horses have a legal right to be on the road, there is absolutely nothing unreasonable about this.

It’s also not good for a horse to spend all their time in an arena.

@Lovinglavidaloca

I feel quite strongly that horses shouldn’t be on roads - and I know they were on roads long before cars.

My heart is in my mouth every time I see one just waiting for something to go wrong. Surely they are too unpredictable to be on the road? It really doesn’t feel right at all.

How do you feel about cows and sheep?

Not everyone riding on the road is doing it as a hobby. I live near a racing yard, and the stable lads road work the horses on the roads round where I live. I see them every morning.

And I recently met someone who worked at a livery stables, where part of her job was to exercise the horses stabled there, because their owners couldn't.

I met her because I was doing a PIP form for her, she has disabilites arising from a fall when the horse she was exercising freaked when a noisy car with a loud turbo roared past them. Among her other injuries, her hand was crushed and she'll never regain anything like full use of it.

@ErrolTheDragon, I know someone who drove into an escaped bull, at night, on an unlit road. It wrote his car off, and he was fortunate just to suffer bruises.

The bull had to be destroyed, which is sad, but the police told my friend that they had warned the farmer twice about his stock escaping.

Unfortunately this type of thread always brings out the idiots, just like the ones who drive past horses without a single consideration at a 100mph.

Oh and us horsey folk are not rich and entitled, some of us actually don't have a 5pm wine habit that then enables us to actually afford our hobby. Imagine a bottle of wine a day costing a tenner, well add that up over week and that's what it costs me to keep my horse on diy livery.

I just hope none of you ever end up with a horse through your windscreen through driving too close and too fast. Take a look at the new highway code rules for information.

@SaltAndVinegarIsTheBest YANBU, and ignore the rude ignoramuses...

I live out in the sticks, and have huge respect for horses AND their owners.

Horses dont belong on roads.
Yabu

@sst1234

Ever considered that other road users are being inconvenienced by nuisance hobbyists? No need to deliberately spook horses but horse riders don’t have some sort of special entitlement to inconvenience horse riders. Unpopular opinion I’m sure. But everyone else who voted yabu clearly thinks the same.

They're not inconveniencing you - they're using the road legitimately. You don't have an entitlement to be in front - if someone is in front of you, you wait until it is safe to pass.

Just like you're not inconveniencing the boy racer behind you who wants to do 90mph, and he does not have the entitlement to be in front.

@Marvellousmadness

Horses dont belong on roads. Yabu

Some people would say cars don’t belong on roads. Same with cyclists. Or tractors.

It’s just a matter of opinion.

Legally, the road is for everyone to use safely.

@Marvellousmadness

Horses dont belong on roads. Yabu

@Postivepants

Unfortunately this type of thread always brings out the idiots, just like the ones who drive past horses without a single consideration at a 100mph.

Oh and us horsey folk are not rich and entitled, some of us actually don't have a 5pm wine habit that then enables us to actually afford our hobby. Imagine a bottle of wine a day costing a tenner, well add that up over week and that's what it costs me to keep my horse on diy livery.

I just hope none of you ever end up with a horse through your windscreen through driving too close and too fast. Take a look at the new highway code rules for information.

You summed it up perfectly the stereotype of horse owners being rich and privileged is just boring. I know plenty of riders who yes, are extremely well off and privileged. But I also know of riders who work several jobs so they can afford for horses to live in luxury.

If you can't get your head round being considerate to other road users, then remember that hitting a horse is very likely to damage your car.