Horses/cyclists on the road

[sconeorscone]

Do you feel nervous on the roads too, or do you just get on with it and don’t feel anxious about it?

im really fortunate that in the area I’m in most people are fantastic at driving past my horse, as it’s quite a rural area and most people are used to waiting for horses, trackers, kids etc. I always pull in to the side, or trot to a passing place so they can get past. Unfortunately some people are so fucking selfish and speed past, or rev the engine deliberately, leave no space behind or to the side of me and don’t wait 2 seconds for me to pull into the side when I’m clearly indicating I will. I imagine cyclists have similar issues with some selfish drivers.

some of my friends are nervous going on the roads and others are not that bothered, I suppose it depends how many dickhead drivers you’ve come across and if you’ve had a bad experience but it made me realise I’m actually quite nervous about it although still do it because my horse loves it and it’s good for him. But if it were up to me we would never ride on the road because the few dickheads spoil it for everyone.

how do you feel about it?

And if you’re one of the arseholes that speeds past/tailgates/breaks the law around horses and bikes on the road, how do you sleep at night knowing you could have caused an accident?

But they shouldn't have to stop, you're the one wanting to get out across the cycle path and the pavement - you stop/edge out very slowly!

It's amazing that there are people who've passed driving tests who STILL don't know that cyclists and pedestrians have priority in these situations.

As an aside, I cross the road if I hear a car starting up in a driveway and it's safe to do so.

I'm not nervous about traffic for the most part as we always go the same couple of routes. However, there are a few blind corners and if people aren't sticking to the speed limit they just hurtle past so I try and trot these to get around them as quickly as possible. We are always in hi viz including my hat silk which I hope gives us better visibility to traffic. The majority of road users are very good I find. What I do worry about is horse or pony spooking when we pass lorries or trailers (neither of the girls are particularly keen).

Can't comment on horses, I'm a cyclist.
Depends on road, is short answer. I make a lot of effort to avoid sharing big roads. Sometimes you can't avoid a few hundred metres.

Friend was a cycle courier in London & is bombproof, doesn't care.
DH cycles on the most direct road that cyclists are allowed in general, doesn't care.

Icy roads make me nervous which is new thing. Annoying.

I used to live somewhere where I could ride all over. Sadly this changed and I had unpleasant encounters with speeding idiots. I have moved and horse lives somewhere with fabulous facilities and off road hacking. I will never ride on the road again, too dangerous. The same with cycling

I just love to see horses on the road, lots around here, and people are really careful driving around them.

My point being pathways and pavements should be there for pedestrians to walk safely on without the risk of being hit by a cyclists..

I'm sure no matter what the council do or don't do is to their own minds.

On the GOV.UK
Rule 64
You MUST NOT cycle on the pavement...

Definitely very scared! We've had to stop cycling to school (meaning another car on the road in our already hideously traffic jammed city, just because drivers can't bear for us to be on the road for 90 seconds!).

I've also had to change my running/dog walking route as there's a short stretch of road that joins two parks and the river path, again because drivers can't seem to bear to let us be there for the 100 yards!

But you've said they have been changed to shared paths? So the cyclist has every right to be there.
Do you reverse out?

10mph or so is good, and don't rev the engine when you pull away.

Never reverse out of anywhere..
Was alway taught to reverse in pull out, unless it's a parking space where you pull in and can pull straight out, much easier to see what's coming.

But you've said they have been changed to shared paths? So the cyclist has every right to be there.
Do you reverse out?

Its a very long main road, as in miles, with houses on either side.
Many have questioned why this has been done and cyclists themselves admit to not wanting or being made to use them as they don't like cycling across side roads and don't want to stop at them either.

I don't ride at the minute since I lost my horse but used to hack regularly 10-20km
I'm quite defensive so won't hug the verge, make myself an obstacle and will tell drivers to stop - mostly because I can see over hedges that there's something coming before they can!

My horse was an absolute star in traffic though and I rode her down an A road when we got lost, accidentally joined the hunt ride, she would wait at traffic lights, go over noisy wooden bridges... I miss her

One of my favourite rides was the day of Prince Harrys wedding, it was a burning hot day and the roads were so quiet. We did a 2hr ride and stopped for ice cream on the way back (she would also wait patiently while you had a beer or ice cream!)
The smell of the dried out grass and how hot the sun was, and the peace of that day was unforgettable

Pelo22 whata lovely memory. I hope one day that you can do it again

It's really weird but there's a candle from the botanical candle company called late summer
I bought it randomly, opened it and started crying. It's that exact scent!

Personally, I agree with them - I hate cycling on shared paths like these but, for many cyclists, shared paths make them feel safer, and it's their right to use them as they are NOT pavements.

While I can understand it's a cyclists right to use them it must be difficult for people that have used these same pavements for donkeys years to suddenly find that a white line has been drawn on them and they can only use a quarter of the path.

Like most I'm surprised the council/councillors didn't throw out a survey asking for opinions if you'd feel safe sharing a safe space to walk off road with cyclists other than kiddies on their small bikes.

Crumpleton, I guess it must have been the same when cars started taking over all.the roads 100 years ago

Oh if only we didn't have to ride on roads . . .

I have ridden on roads in the past but no longer ride. I'm not surprised you're nervous though - I wouldn't want to ride around here seeing some of the way that some people drive around horses.

Someone will get killed and lessons will be learned. Meanwhile, idiots will carry on being idiots

I haven't cycled for a few years, the last time, I'd fixed the old thing up and went out. I'd forgotten just how aggressive and hateful a lot of car drivers are.

As some of these posts demonstrate, many people now have never been near a horse and don't understand them or the way of life those who own horses lead. It takes time and a bit of imagination to make the jump and our crowded roads are all about speed.
I used to ride and I have been a cyclist most of my life, I think horse riders and cyclists have a lot in common, not least being afraid of aggressive drivers. It's a shame when people in each camp behave badly, I've been screamed at by a horse rider when on my bike because her horse spooked and she blamed me. I know enough to slow down or stop and I decided her screaming at me was actually about panic.
I am much more nervous than I used to be when I'm out on my bike and when I drive now I make a big deal of exaggerated space-giving to horses and bikes. I have noticed that sometimes that means the driver behind does the same. I do think, that in the south west where I live, there has been a general improvement in driver behaviour towards horses/bikes since the last Highway Code. Probably not at peak times though.

DH and I cycle for our commute to work. We have little choice - buses terrible and expensive - and we both enjoy cycling, but it is my biggest source of worry. Traffic has got worse and the attitude of some drivers more aggressive (LTNs in other areas of our town have displaced more traffic onto our route, leading to much more congestion and more irritated drivers, some of whom see anyone on a bike as personally responsible for the LTNs). Three women a similar age to me have been killed on my main routes in the last few years, and a fourth was collided with last week (fortunately not life-changing) by a car mounting an off-road cycle path (the one place you feel safe!). I have to push my worries aside as it does no good but every time he is late back my mind immediately goes to a bike accident. Most drivers are fine but some are impatient and pass far too close, or are deliberately aggressive (I once had someone pull in front of me into a bike lane and slam on the brakes to try to force me to crash into him from behind.)

But I will not be forced away from a healthy and enjoyable way of commuting by the anti-social behaviour of some arseholes and nor will I ask DH to.

Glad to hear you accept the cyclist's legal right to cycle on shared paths.

Pelo22 I think I would have done the same. Bittersweet memories

Can't see where I wrote "accept"....
but hey ho read as you will.