Shocked by this...

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Discussion

Baldybong

Original Poster:

38 posts

140 months

Thursday 1st August 2013
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As a business owner in the car trade and a keen horsewoman, can I please draw all you PHers attention to this link - it doesn't take a couple of minutes to slow down to pass a horse safely. I know many of you dislike that they're on the roads, but they are, same as pedestrians and cyclists and a horse also has the right of way (check your highway code) on the roads.

So please, I urge you just to take the time to pass these animals, because 100 years ago, this is what you'd of been on, instead of being in your car ;-)

Thanks!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonsh...

Laurel Green

30,770 posts

231 months

Thursday 1st August 2013
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Poor horse. frown I always slow down for horses, unfortunately, there will always be idiots on our roads.
I hope the driver received a hefty sentence.

cpas

1,661 posts

239 months

Wednesday 7th August 2013
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Horses were there long before cars were and deserve our respect smile

magpies

5,129 posts

181 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
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my wife rides her horse almost every day and quite often tells me of 'near misses' and people who pass at speed.

T0nup

683 posts

199 months

Monday 19th August 2013
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While accepting that there are some bloody stupid drivers out there that have little or no regard for horses and their riders, round here riders frequently decided it's safe and wise to take not just their lives but also those of their mounts in their hands by riding on the main A roads.

Given the choice I'm sure the horses wouldn't wanna be there, so why do some riders insist on it.

Atrevetetete

320 posts

129 months

Monday 19th August 2013
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I always slow down for horses, and usually turn my music down as well. It's a struggle to pootle away though when the ahole on top still makes out that you're the bad guy. One of these days...

Also, in this article ''"If I hadn't been on top of Linford when the car hit I would have been killed," Mr Clutterbuck said.'' this is a bloody stupid statement. If you weren't on the horse, you wouldn't have been in the road and wouldn't have had anything happen...Numpty!

Baldybong

Original Poster:

38 posts

140 months

Monday 19th August 2013
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Some riders have no choice but to ride on some busy roads in order to get to bridle-paths. If given the choice, I can assure you that nobody would choose to take their horse on the road - I know I wouldn't.

Unfortunately there are a small minority of riders who are ignorant and don't say thank you. As a fellow rider and motorist, I always say thank you and move over whenever I can to let cars by. But if I encounter a rider who doesn't say thank you, they get a piece of my mind because they're giving us good guys a bad name! I also get miffed if they aren't wearing hi-viz, which I think is essential on the road when riding...

jayemm89

4,007 posts

129 months

Tuesday 10th September 2013
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Having grown up in the countryside, where horses are a common sight, I am always courteous to slow down and give them the room they need. 9/10 of them are very thankful, happy, smile and wave.

One in ten are utter prats, who unfortunately do a very good job of perpetuating the myth of "better-than-thou" upper-class twits.

I suppose a good analogy for city-folk is the majority of sensible cyclists, versus the odd maniac who thinks he owns the right to the road and ignore all road signs/markings/lights.

A very sad case indeed though.

Edited by jayemm89 on Thursday 5th December 10:42

cherryyi

27 posts

126 months

Wednesday 11th September 2013
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Baldybong said:
Unfortunately there are a small minority of riders who are ignorant and don't say thank you. As a fellow rider and motorist, I always say thank you and move over whenever I can to let cars by. But if I encounter a rider who doesn't say thank you, they get a piece of my mind because they're giving us good guys a bad name! I also get miffed if they aren't wearing hi-viz, which I think is essential on the road when riding...
Quite agree with you, Baldybong. If all the riders are polite enough, there will be less "bloody drivers". Standing in others' shoes, we can make a better world.

SonicShadow

2,452 posts

153 months

Wednesday 11th September 2013
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I have yet to encounter an ahole horse rider, they have all been perfectly civil and polite to me. I always give horses as much room as I can (completely on the opposite side of the road as far as possible) and keep the revs under 200-2500 as my MR2 gets a bit noisy at 3500 with the odd pop / bang.

Not only is it being courteous to another road user, if I spooked a horse on the way past and it kicked out and hit my car, it would probably do more damage than the bloody car is worth laugh

OlberJ

14,101 posts

232 months

Wednesday 11th September 2013
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Genuine question here, can you take a horse out on the road without a licence or training?

Baldybong

Original Poster:

38 posts

140 months

Thursday 12th September 2013
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Yes you can take a horse, or any animal (i.e. sheep, cattle) onto the road without a license or training. However, as a parent I would not let my child ride a horse/pony on the road on her own until she had passed her driving test, or was with an adult who has passed their test. Unfortunately, many children (under 18's) do use the road on their own. However, the road is there for us all to use. As a pedestrian and cyclist too, I don't need a license or training to use the road. There is plenty of guidance/training available to riders through the British Horse Society etc.

potato muncher

613 posts

214 months

Friday 13th September 2013
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SonicShadow said:
I have yet to encounter an ahole horse rider, they have all been perfectly civil and polite to me. I always give horses as much room as I can (completely on the opposite side of the road as far as possible) and keep the revs under 200-2500 as my MR2 gets a bit noisy at 3500 with the odd pop / bang.

Not only is it being courteous to another road user, if I spooked a horse on the way past and it kicked out and hit my car, it would probably do more damage than the bloody car is worth laugh
I agree with you, and do the same but the problem is there are so many Knob heads about that think that in a car they own the roads and cannot be sensible in passing a horse rider and even sounding there horn.
People these days have no patience.

Willy Holloughby

253 posts

142 months

Monday 16th September 2013
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I wonder why he was called Linford.

I always slow down for horsies etc etc but I wish they wouldn't leave their poop all over the racing line for my steel horse!


time4t

5 posts

128 months

Tuesday 17th September 2013
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I have been using the roads as a walker, horse rider, cyclist, biker, car driver & lorry driver for over 50years. I see selfish arrogant use of the roads by all types of people. I used to have a 'live & let live' attitude to anyone I met on my travels but my mind has been changed by the actions of others, so now i take as much care passing the more vulnerable road user as they take in looking after themselves, if I can see you clearly when you're walking, cycling, horse riding & you are not wearing ear phones I will take the utmost care to pass you, if you cannot be bothered to be seen & hear properly other road users, you are not worth my consideration. The horse gets my full sympathy as it cannot choose where it is ridden nor who rides it but at some point it must be accepted that this is the 21st century, modes of travel have moved on & it is no longer necessary to travel anywhere by horse. just as an aside i cannot due to the increase in fuel prices, afford to slow down & follow cyclists etc., who make damn sure they block the road by riding 2 abreast without a care in the world that to slow for them & wait till they notice i'm there will cost me about 40p & them nothing to move over. plus the the cause of the majority of deaths & injury on the roads a hundred & fifty years ago was people being hit by horses & carriages!

Baldybong

Original Poster:

38 posts

140 months

Wednesday 18th September 2013
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time4t said:
modes of travel have moved on & it is no longer necessary to travel anywhere by horse.
People ride horses as a hobby/pleasure, very few actually have them for an everyday mode of transport, so I essence I think you should maybe 'move on' from that train of thought. As I said previously, it can be unavoidable to ride on the road to get to a bridle path, believe me, I don't think to myself "I know, lets have a trot down the A4251 just for the hell of it"...

And also, if you check the highway code, horses (not sure about cyclists) are permitted to ride 2 abreast on roads (not single track lanes though). I always wear my high viz when on my horse, do not have earphones on or use a phone whilst riding. When I'm on my mountain bike, I wear a helmet and high viz stuff and no earphones and when I'm running where there's no footpath, I run on the opposite side of the road to oncoming traffic as stated in the highway code, music is turned off if there's no pavement as I want to hear all around me and not get mown over by idiots driving their cars and being inconsiderate.

And as for poo on the roads - sorry, but it's quickly biodegradeable, you don't have to drive through it and there's no law saying you have to pick it up as it poses no threat to human health, unlike dog poo (but thank you for slowing down all the same, much appreciated) ;-) Some people where I ride hear us coming and hope the horse does a poo so they can pick it up for their garden!!

rich40

37 posts

148 months

Saturday 21st September 2013
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As with most things 99.99 times out of a hundred there is no problem.

But sometimes you do have to question the riders of the horses (obviously never the horse). They are riding a black/brown horse, wearing dark green/brown/tan clothing with a dark brown/blue or black helmet in roads lined by hedgerows and/or with overhanging trees.

Lets be reasonable here, no driver is perfect, put a vis on and I know they have the right to take up the whole lane but do everyone a favour, ride single file and give *everyone* an extra margin of safety should the worst thing happen.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Madgit

109 posts

152 months

Sunday 13th October 2013
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I am an animal lover and appreciate the fact, that we used to use horses as a form of transport and I know they have a right to use the roads. However I fail to see why people don't just ride in fields, where it's obviously safer and being softer ground, is better for the horse. I'd be very concerned if one of my family were riding on roads.

Baldybong

Original Poster:

38 posts

140 months

Monday 14th October 2013
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You can't 'just ride in fields' - you need permission from a farmer, he's not going to appreciate his crops being trampled on. Just goes to how little the general public understand horses these days. People mainly ride on the roads to get to a bridle path, we don't go on the roads for a laugh, or to annoy people, trust me, the vast majority of people would not choose to take their horses on the road, but they have no choice!

They are still allowed on the roads, just as cyclists, pedestrians, hikers, etc. Roads are not exclusive to motorised vehicles, they are for everyone ;-)

Madgit

109 posts

152 months

Monday 14th October 2013
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I didn't mean any field. We'll obviously disagree but I meant suitable fields. I did briefly go as a kid so I do realise to an extent what goes on. Like I said before, I realise they have the right to use the roads.