Shocked by this...
Discussion
Baldybong,
Can you explain who it is safer for when riding two abreast?
Whilst it may not be illegal, and there are several dozen non illegal acts i can think of,but would never attempt, surely taking up half the road on a slow moving road block, will cause frustration to those behind you, (before the 'cyclists do the same' pops up, they are normally travelling a bit faster than a horse walking) plus there is less of a fail safe space for the outer rider when someone attempts a legally but possibly stupid, overtake.
I am ignoring the sail before steam we were there first argument, Prhaps if i were to get two wheelchairs abreast on the eoad. NB NOT Illegal,and you on your nag arrives behind us, you may see what i mean. Its the same diffeence,please take up less room, and give us more room to pass you safely
Can you explain who it is safer for when riding two abreast?
Whilst it may not be illegal, and there are several dozen non illegal acts i can think of,but would never attempt, surely taking up half the road on a slow moving road block, will cause frustration to those behind you, (before the 'cyclists do the same' pops up, they are normally travelling a bit faster than a horse walking) plus there is less of a fail safe space for the outer rider when someone attempts a legally but possibly stupid, overtake.
I am ignoring the sail before steam we were there first argument, Prhaps if i were to get two wheelchairs abreast on the eoad. NB NOT Illegal,and you on your nag arrives behind us, you may see what i mean. Its the same diffeence,please take up less room, and give us more room to pass you safely
How very sad. There are some absolute idiots on the road that have no respec tfor other road users. I used to ride a lot when I lived with my parents but don't get the opportunity very often these days, it is quite terrifying to be on a horse that gets startled - especially by passing cars as there is little margin for error.
That said we have a lot of riders around my local villages and some of them are absolute idiots themselves who won't move over to a safe point when they encounter them to permit the long queues of patient drivers to pass; it's just crazy as inevitably someone will decide to overtake and speed and risk startling their horse whom their whole world orientates.
When I do go out on horseback I make a conscious decision to avoid bad roads.
Very sad for the poor horse?
That said we have a lot of riders around my local villages and some of them are absolute idiots themselves who won't move over to a safe point when they encounter them to permit the long queues of patient drivers to pass; it's just crazy as inevitably someone will decide to overtake and speed and risk startling their horse whom their whole world orientates.
When I do go out on horseback I make a conscious decision to avoid bad roads.
Very sad for the poor horse?
Silverfox,
Riders only ride two abreast usually if there is a young horse or a child with them. Not everyone rides like this, I don't all the time and will ALWAYS move to single file for traffic. Like drivers, its usually the small minority that gives the rest of us a bad name and I'll ignore your sarcastic comments.
This might be helpful to people - http://think.direct.gov.uk/horses.html
Riders only ride two abreast usually if there is a young horse or a child with them. Not everyone rides like this, I don't all the time and will ALWAYS move to single file for traffic. Like drivers, its usually the small minority that gives the rest of us a bad name and I'll ignore your sarcastic comments.
This might be helpful to people - http://think.direct.gov.uk/horses.html
As a newly licensed driver who had never seen a horse on the road I had a quite frightening lesson on how to drive near horses.
I was driving though a village in North Wales in s slow moving queue of cars at the front of the queue was a young girl driving a trap pulled by a pony, an impatient idiotic tanker driver decided he couldn't wait and he overtook the line of cars, he misjudged his return to the left lane and he clipped the trap, he continued oblivious to the fact that he had hit the trap, the horse bolted pulling the young girl along the road, the horse was out of control, luckily a group of local men managed to grab the reins and bridal the brought the pony to a stop. The young girl was screaming with terror and the pony took a lot of controlling.
I was shocked at what I had witnessed and could not believe that a professional driver could be such an inconsiderate, selfish and dangerous idiot. From that moment on I have given horses and their riders total respect on the road, it is so sad to read that there are still w#####s like that tanker driver and the car driver in the original story on our roads.
I was driving though a village in North Wales in s slow moving queue of cars at the front of the queue was a young girl driving a trap pulled by a pony, an impatient idiotic tanker driver decided he couldn't wait and he overtook the line of cars, he misjudged his return to the left lane and he clipped the trap, he continued oblivious to the fact that he had hit the trap, the horse bolted pulling the young girl along the road, the horse was out of control, luckily a group of local men managed to grab the reins and bridal the brought the pony to a stop. The young girl was screaming with terror and the pony took a lot of controlling.
I was shocked at what I had witnessed and could not believe that a professional driver could be such an inconsiderate, selfish and dangerous idiot. From that moment on I have given horses and their riders total respect on the road, it is so sad to read that there are still w#####s like that tanker driver and the car driver in the original story on our roads.
Should we limit horses to 30mph roads ?
It's the 60mph country roads that are the worst (I don't mean single track with blind bends, more the wider but still twisty ones). It's easy to drive at a 'safe' 50mph enjoying the drive then meet a horse and rider. Even if the road is safe at that speed for all other traffic, pedestrians etc, a horse by its nature is a different matter and needs to be approached and passed slowly.
Maybe more country roads should be restricted to 30 and horses likewise?
I like the fact that people can ride freely, but even considerate drivers can occasionally be caught out on faster roads.
Just an idea.
It's the 60mph country roads that are the worst (I don't mean single track with blind bends, more the wider but still twisty ones). It's easy to drive at a 'safe' 50mph enjoying the drive then meet a horse and rider. Even if the road is safe at that speed for all other traffic, pedestrians etc, a horse by its nature is a different matter and needs to be approached and passed slowly.
Maybe more country roads should be restricted to 30 and horses likewise?
I like the fact that people can ride freely, but even considerate drivers can occasionally be caught out on faster roads.
Just an idea.
If you're on a country road, it's more than likely you're going to encounter things that are found in the country, like farm vehicles going slow (which are awkward to overtake on a narrow road), horses, walkers, cyclists, other farm animals being moved from field to field... so how about a bit of common sense? Just because it's national speed limit doesn't mean you drive at 60mph, it's a limit, not a target.
Baldybong said:
If you're on a country road, it's more than likely you're going to encounter things that are found in the country, like farm vehicles going slow (which are awkward to overtake on a narrow road), horses, walkers, cyclists, other farm animals being moved from field to field... so how about a bit of common sense? Just because it's national speed limit doesn't mean you drive at 60mph, it's a limit, not a target.
That was not the point.Not talking about narrow B roads that you would be foolish to travel much over 20-30mph, more the larger country roads where 50-60 is easily safe to drive, but not to overtake horses at that speed (even though there is room) to avoid spooking the horse. Should horses be on these 60mph roads ? And should we be reducing the limit on a lot of the other roads to create a network that horses, cyclists and pedestrians can enjoy more. It seems to me a horse is not safe on a reasonable 50-60mph road (I fell of a horse this year when it was spooked and charged under a low branch, hip still twinges even now, so I know how easily these things can suddenly catch the rider out)
Gary C said:
That was not the point.
Not talking about narrow B roads that you would be foolish to travel much over 20-30mph, more the larger country roads where 50-60 is easily safe to drive, but not to overtake horses at that speed (even though there is room) to avoid spooking the horse. Should horses be on these 60mph roads ? And should we be reducing the limit on a lot of the other roads to create a network that horses, cyclists and pedestrians can enjoy more. It seems to me a horse is not safe on a reasonable 50-60mph road (I fell of a horse this year when it was spooked and charged under a low branch, hip still twinges even now, so I know how easily these things can suddenly catch the rider out)
Precisely. - You wouldn't take one on a jaunt down the M1, would you? They aren't allowed on Motorways because it's simply too dangerous and IMO taking them on the sort of busy NSL A-roads which will have fast moving traffic isn't fair on the animal.Not talking about narrow B roads that you would be foolish to travel much over 20-30mph, more the larger country roads where 50-60 is easily safe to drive, but not to overtake horses at that speed (even though there is room) to avoid spooking the horse. Should horses be on these 60mph roads ? And should we be reducing the limit on a lot of the other roads to create a network that horses, cyclists and pedestrians can enjoy more. It seems to me a horse is not safe on a reasonable 50-60mph road (I fell of a horse this year when it was spooked and charged under a low branch, hip still twinges even now, so I know how easily these things can suddenly catch the rider out)
Nothing like a sweeping statement like that to annoy someone. I could say the same about the vast majority of car drivers, but I won't because I'm not that narrow minded, in fact I own an RS4 and a Polo GTi as well as a Land Rover 110 and work in the car industry, so see a plethora of 'well meaning idiots' on a daily basis, however I do not tar everyone with the same brush. Generally speaking...
If I am out on the mountain bike at the weekends and approach a rider, I will ding my bell on approach, until the rider turns around and sees me.
Where I ride is just about empty of cars, so plenty of space to pull over and pass, but it doesnt hurt to make sure the rider knows you are coming up behind them.
Where I ride is just about empty of cars, so plenty of space to pull over and pass, but it doesnt hurt to make sure the rider knows you are coming up behind them.
Gary C said:
Should we limit horses to 30mph roads ?
It's the 60mph country roads that are the worst (I don't mean single track with blind bends, more the wider but still twisty ones). It's easy to drive at a 'safe' 50mph enjoying the drive then meet a horse and rider. Even if the road is safe at that speed for all other traffic, pedestrians etc, a horse by its nature is a different matter and needs to be approached and passed slowly.
Maybe more country roads should be restricted to 30 and horses likewise?
I like the fact that people can ride freely, but even considerate drivers can occasionally be caught out on faster roads.
Just an idea.
Driving without due care attention springs to mind. If you cant see around the corner, approach with caution, could be a stationary vehicle, and if you cant see a rider on a horse, either your blind, or just stupid. Could just be a cyclist around the corner. Drive carefully.It's the 60mph country roads that are the worst (I don't mean single track with blind bends, more the wider but still twisty ones). It's easy to drive at a 'safe' 50mph enjoying the drive then meet a horse and rider. Even if the road is safe at that speed for all other traffic, pedestrians etc, a horse by its nature is a different matter and needs to be approached and passed slowly.
Maybe more country roads should be restricted to 30 and horses likewise?
I like the fact that people can ride freely, but even considerate drivers can occasionally be caught out on faster roads.
Just an idea.
Edited by Vipers on Monday 16th December 09:55
Edited by Vipers on Monday 16th December 09:56
Hmmm. Well fortunately I am not ignorant, I do own a horse and can see both sides of the situation as I am also a car enthusiast... and as a car enthusiast, you will no doubt appreciate that a small number of idiots in cars can give the rest of the decent ones a bad name. So like I said, please don't tar everyone with the same brush just because they happen to ride horses and I class myself as the exception to the rule.
Baldybong said:
Exactly Vipers - communication and respect is the key. We also share bridle paths with walkers and cyclists and out of control dogs as well, yet the vast majority of decent horse people don't get uppity with having to share their paths with other users.
Except the problem is often that the "vast majority" often aren't that vast in terms of being reasonable (this applies to drivers, riders, cyclists & pads). Unfortunately I think the "hive mind" of the general mouth-breathing population is getting more ignorant and more selfish.Baldybong said:
and as a car enthusiast, you will no doubt appreciate that a small number of idiots in cars can give the rest of the decent ones a bad name.
unfortunately there are a large number of idiots with horses. I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that the people with horses that actually know what they are doing are in the minority. I've met 2. Some, maybe most, are very well meaning and just like fannying around with horses, which is fine. The majority know little about large animal husbandry and treat the animals like spoilt children. Most I have met substitute genuine knowledge with shouting loudly when backed into a corner with an awkward question. Go onto any livery yard and look in the feed shed. It will be full of potions and lotions to keep the horse in tip top condition. Now go onto a dairy farm with say 400 cows and look in the store room and you'll find a half used bottle of antibiotics and a foot trimming knife. The cows will be fed properly can kept in tip top condition by people that know what they are doing. You can sell any old s
te to horsey people if you put a picture of a horse jumping over some jumps in a field full of buttercups on the packaging, why the hell does a horse that just clip clops around a field at the weekends need so many supplements and why do they all contain garlic? I could go on. And on. And on. Gassing Station | Motoring News | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff