Shocked by this...
Discussion
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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!!
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 ;-)
They are still allowed on the roads, just as cyclists, pedestrians, hikers, etc. Roads are not exclusive to motorised vehicles, they are for everyone ;-)
It infuriates me when riders don't wear hi-viz - some people are just too snooty to wear it which I find ridiculous. On our yard, the rules are that you don't go out for a hack unless you have at least 1 bit of hi-viz on, either on you or your horse. We wear vests/coats and if it's a bit windy or raining, the horses wear hi-viz rain sheets also. I'd suggest it to them next time, let's hope you'll get a positive response... I live in hope ;-)
[quote=Baldybong]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.quote]
So you didn't read this earlier then?
Riders can ride 2-abreast, it's not illegal and it's the safest way to travel with horses on a road.
As for horse muck on the road - it is essentially vegetable matter as horses are vegetarians, it doesn't pose the same health risks as dog muck, it quickly rots down and you don't have to drive through it, you can avoid it. I know people who clear it up for their gardens.
And as someone said earlier - the roads are for everyone, not just cars.
So you didn't read this earlier then?
Riders can ride 2-abreast, it's not illegal and it's the safest way to travel with horses on a road.
As for horse muck on the road - it is essentially vegetable matter as horses are vegetarians, it doesn't pose the same health risks as dog muck, it quickly rots down and you don't have to drive through it, you can avoid it. I know people who clear it up for their gardens.
And as someone said earlier - the roads are for everyone, not just cars.
And Engineer1 is right - bridlepaths are like gold dust, same as byways. My dad goes green-laning on his road legal MX bike (he's 75 - good on him) and he faces the same trouble with authorities closing down byways, or turning them into footpaths or roads. People don't ride on the roads for a laugh, they ride on them because they HAVE TO to get to the bridlepaths....
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
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.
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...
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.
Once again Willy Nilly tarring your vast experience of 2 horsey people as all the same, how very ignorant of you. You have no idea whatsoever what you're talking about, my horse is fed a very basic diet, has never had garlic whatsoever and I won't even bore you with his breeding as going on your vast experience, it'd go over your very small head.
What you've said is like me saying that an M3 is akin to a Reliant Robin, that a Merc SLS is like a Punto. So if I were you, I'd shut up...
What you've said is like me saying that an M3 is akin to a Reliant Robin, that a Merc SLS is like a Punto. So if I were you, I'd shut up...
Willy Nilly said:
Baldybong said:
Once again Willy Nilly tarring your vast experience of 2 horsey people as all the same, how very ignorant of you. You have no idea whatsoever what you're talking about, my horse is fed a very basic diet, has never had garlic whatsoever and I won't even bore you with his breeding as going on your vast experience, it'd go over your very small head.
What you've said is like me saying that an M3 is akin to a Reliant Robin, that a Merc SLS is like a Punto. So if I were you, I'd shut up...
I went to agricultural college, the place was infested with horsey girls. Where I work now has had a livery yard for about 10 years with up to 30 clients. We also supply hay to another yard with about 20 on there and various other private yards in the locality. What you've said is like me saying that an M3 is akin to a Reliant Robin, that a Merc SLS is like a Punto. So if I were you, I'd shut up...
If horses eat a very basic diet, why is the feed shed full of apples, swedes, carrots, a cheese grater, bales and bales of that alfalfa from Dengie and all sorts of other crap? You won't let them eat long grass, but will feed them long hay, yet you insist that the grazing paddocks have less grass on them than the crease at The Oval but won't sweep up the short bits of hay because they are too short? Every time I go to the horsey yard I think I've seen it all but they always raise the bar. You're right, I never got my head around genetics at college
I could go on
2. Nicely assuming that I am the above when I am not
3. I do not do dressage so once again you're way off the mark there
4. I have a vanner cob which is nothing like the horses you are probably trying to pigeon-hole me with
5. Tar brush and thanks for spoiling an interesting debate with your narrow minded, selfish ignorant views - you are what the car fraternity does not need.
Fair and good point Gary. I can remember seeing one of the Motorway cop style shows where they said that the majority of fatalities are on NSL unlit roads in rural areas, they are usually at night and the drivers are going to fast for the conditions.
The problem is that many horse yards are on lanes, or A/B roads and although there are road signs saying horses, not many people would actually think they're going to encounter a horse. I must say that about 30% of the drivers I encounter pass a bit too fast (fortunately my horse is excellent in traffic including heavy farm machinery, huge lorries, noisy trailers etc.) and about 10% make zero effort to slow down. So the majority of people are very considerate, however I'm in a village location where there are plenty of horses, the villagers are used to them and it's usually the people visiting the posh pub from larger towns/cities who can be the ones who aren't country road savvy... I've seen people leave their food to come outside and see the horses passing and to see if they can pet them.
It would be good to see a lower limit on country roads, I can never get over single track roads with NSL, but who in their right mind would drive at 60mph down a road like that?!?
The problem is that many horse yards are on lanes, or A/B roads and although there are road signs saying horses, not many people would actually think they're going to encounter a horse. I must say that about 30% of the drivers I encounter pass a bit too fast (fortunately my horse is excellent in traffic including heavy farm machinery, huge lorries, noisy trailers etc.) and about 10% make zero effort to slow down. So the majority of people are very considerate, however I'm in a village location where there are plenty of horses, the villagers are used to them and it's usually the people visiting the posh pub from larger towns/cities who can be the ones who aren't country road savvy... I've seen people leave their food to come outside and see the horses passing and to see if they can pet them.
It would be good to see a lower limit on country roads, I can never get over single track roads with NSL, but who in their right mind would drive at 60mph down a road like that?!?
Gary C said:
What the f
k has that got to do with this topic ?
Willy (quite appropriate name) seems to think that I am like that from the way he seems to lump everyone into the same boat as people he knows who have horses. My horse is more like something from Appleby/Steptoe & Son, a traditional hairy thing who is very sensible with a fantastic temperament and is well trained like a big dog ;-) The others who I assume he is referring to are in the minority, not the majority from what I know of horsey people. And I know a lot who fall into all camps...k has that got to do with this topic ?Hi Beanbag,
I'm not out to lynch or castrate anyone, if anything I'm the lynchee, not the lyncher as I'm the one with the horse ;-)
I personally have public liability insurance via the British Horse Society, as well as other insurance such as injury to me or my horse/vet fees etc. It's about £450 a year, give or take. Yes horses are a luxury, my horse is my hobby, I choose to spend my money on him and he has a lovely life and he will be with me until he pops his hooves (which hopefully will be many years as he's only 5). On the flip side, I could say that cars are a luxury, in our house are 2 adults, 3 cars and a motorbike - don't really need all that, but it's our choice, just as someone who wants to commute to work in their Astra, but at the weekend takes their vintage car out for a spin or bring the Ferrari out of the garage for a blast. Would you deny people their hobbies of choice because you personally aren't keen?
As for horse poo on the road... yes it can be a hazard, if it's in the middle of the road I would ask why as most horses should be on the left unless the horse was being used on a trap or cart. The reason why horse poo isn't cleared up like dog poo (and there are still plenty of people who don't clean up after their dog) is it doesn't pose the health risks to humans like dog poo does, horses are vegetarians and as it's veg matter it will break down much quicker than any other poo. I would much rather tread in horse poo than dogs. As for the practicalities of dismounting/mounting on a road to clear up the poo, this in itself would be dangerous for both the horse, rider and other road users, where could the horse be tethered, bags of poo on the side of the road, having to carry a shovel/equipment to clear it up... it will never happen, despite it being a problem for some road users. The same danger, if not more so, also comes from tractors coming out of muddy fields leaving a trail of mud on the road, or diesel being spilt on the road (I myself have spun out on a roundabout after following a lorry who had diesel leaking and I was not driving like an idiot), they are also hazards...
At the end of the day, we all choose to use the roads, I can assure you that riders who do use the roads will only be on them to get to a bridle-path and not there just to annoy the hell out of other drivers. Our horses are valuable animals whom we care very much about and do not want to see them hurt, any more than you would want your vehicle damaged or yourself put in any danger, or potentially hurt any other road user. But like anything, there is the small minority who will ruin it for everyone else. My personal pet peeve is not being thanked by riders when I pass carefully, gives us all a bad name and also when they don't wear high viz - that really is stupid ;-)
I'm not out to lynch or castrate anyone, if anything I'm the lynchee, not the lyncher as I'm the one with the horse ;-)
I personally have public liability insurance via the British Horse Society, as well as other insurance such as injury to me or my horse/vet fees etc. It's about £450 a year, give or take. Yes horses are a luxury, my horse is my hobby, I choose to spend my money on him and he has a lovely life and he will be with me until he pops his hooves (which hopefully will be many years as he's only 5). On the flip side, I could say that cars are a luxury, in our house are 2 adults, 3 cars and a motorbike - don't really need all that, but it's our choice, just as someone who wants to commute to work in their Astra, but at the weekend takes their vintage car out for a spin or bring the Ferrari out of the garage for a blast. Would you deny people their hobbies of choice because you personally aren't keen?
As for horse poo on the road... yes it can be a hazard, if it's in the middle of the road I would ask why as most horses should be on the left unless the horse was being used on a trap or cart. The reason why horse poo isn't cleared up like dog poo (and there are still plenty of people who don't clean up after their dog) is it doesn't pose the health risks to humans like dog poo does, horses are vegetarians and as it's veg matter it will break down much quicker than any other poo. I would much rather tread in horse poo than dogs. As for the practicalities of dismounting/mounting on a road to clear up the poo, this in itself would be dangerous for both the horse, rider and other road users, where could the horse be tethered, bags of poo on the side of the road, having to carry a shovel/equipment to clear it up... it will never happen, despite it being a problem for some road users. The same danger, if not more so, also comes from tractors coming out of muddy fields leaving a trail of mud on the road, or diesel being spilt on the road (I myself have spun out on a roundabout after following a lorry who had diesel leaking and I was not driving like an idiot), they are also hazards...
At the end of the day, we all choose to use the roads, I can assure you that riders who do use the roads will only be on them to get to a bridle-path and not there just to annoy the hell out of other drivers. Our horses are valuable animals whom we care very much about and do not want to see them hurt, any more than you would want your vehicle damaged or yourself put in any danger, or potentially hurt any other road user. But like anything, there is the small minority who will ruin it for everyone else. My personal pet peeve is not being thanked by riders when I pass carefully, gives us all a bad name and also when they don't wear high viz - that really is stupid ;-)
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