Safe Speed Forums

Another rider here!

This thread has made very interesting reading - it reflects what I see practically every time I ride on the road. You have the rider who says "It's my right to be here, and to hell with everybody else", the rider who is careful and courteous to other road users, the driver who passes wide and slow, and the driver who thinks "Bl00dy horses - shouldn't be on the road in the first place!" and revs the engine/honks the horn/passes within a hair's breadth, etc.

Really, what it comes down to is that we all need to use our common sense. I have the "right" to use the road while riding, but common sense tells me that I shouldn't do so if I can avoid it. If I have to use the road, I need to take all precautions to be seen, use hand signals, and do my best not to hold people up. Drivers, on the other hand, have the right to make good progress, but common sense should tell them that horses are unpredictable and need to be treated with caution.

People should also acknowledge it when others show them consideration - few things annoy me more than having gone out of my way to help somebody else and then having them pass without a single sign of appreciation - and this applies to both riders and drivers!

Why can't we all just get along?

My only complaint, around here at least, are the number of traffic shy horses being ridden by youngsters with neither the experience nor the strength required to control them.

I passed one the other day, quite carefully, on a main road and I looked in the mirror after I had regained my side of the road. Horse and young girl rider were having a wonderful waltz right across both lanes. This on very a busy road. They were very lucky not to be hurt.

It's the horses I feel for!

The final stretch of road I use to get home has stables at the bottom and very often, I find horses and riders out for a ride.

I always give them a wide berth, and kill my engine noise as much as possible (especially when passing on my motorbike) and they have always acknowledged and said thanks (the riders, not the horses! ).

No real effort on either side.

Can you imagine what it would be like if we always had that sort of co-operation and courtesy on our roads from all road users???

Ah, Utopia...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

I didn't see this thread.

Horses, where to start.....................

I've just deleted every thing I've written to stop world war 3 starting.....

Apologies for the slight derail, but I have to ask this after a few recent visits to Bradford in Yorkshire.

I've noticed a few horseriders which is unusual in a major city, but they have all been around 14-15 looking and unlike you're typical child horserider, they are in no-way posh decked out in all the "right" gear looking like little mini fox hunters. Take away the horse and you would instantly label them as chavs. Tracksuit, reeboks, baseball cap (no helmet, of course)

The first one I encountered was blatantly not in control of his horse, it was at full gallop running diagnolly across the road and down the path with the kid hanging on for dear life.

The next one was at least in control, again on the path with a kid riding the horse and a little trailer with two more kids in it. The last one was again kid+horse+trailer but this time filled with scrap metal, in a throwback to the 1900's rag&bone man, or something.

I've never seen anything like it in any other city. Anyone know what's going on?

Here's a little contrast left home at 4:30-5ish still dark. I drive through a common area to get to A12, gent on horse, proper hi-viz jacket (i.e. wiothreflective tape), three led lamps, one on each boot, one on his jacket, head torch and a white led on front of his jacket, could be seen a mile of. along side the road was a grassed footpath, when cars came close he went up io the foot path not slowing anyone down.

Quite a bit different to some of the riders around my way, most of whom are from a stable about 3 miles down the road from me, I often see young inexprienced riders taking a horse on a lead sometimes with a learner rider on very busy roads, I often see two riders two abreast on the same busy roads, along side one of these roads is a public common with a trail alongside the road that horses are allowed on.

The riders do not seem aware of other road users and often appear to have very little control over thier mounts.

After witnessing a few near misses I went into the riding school to raise this point, it was done very politely and I tried to be sympathetic as an ex horse rider, I was told by one of the instructors to F*!k Off and I later phoned the owner of the school who apologised for her staff's reponse and pointed out that a lot of the riders were not under instruction but had thier horses stabled there.

The riding school I went to were adamant that learners were not allowed on the road under ANY circumastances - they were kept in the menarge or out in the fields. Any riders who stabled were required to abide by the rules, including riding in a safe manner on the roads, if they were caught or complaints made then they would have to go elsewhere.

A big difference, the stables I learnt to ride at were owned by a couple who had a strong involvement with the household cavelry who whilst defending thier riders rights were also very quick to ensure riders were also responsible and the stable near me are taking the attitude that we can do what we want.

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

Ah, "Pikey Ponies"

Going back to the topic, how often are you stuck behind one of the "40 everywhere" brigade, when you both pass a horse; the numpty doesn't change speed at all, just steers round the horse, whereas you slow right down then catch the 40-man a minute or so later?

Or is this just me?

got mixed up with a big fat mare this very evening and you should have seen the size of the horse she was riding....

It had pink Hi Viz socks on and she was nearly in control of the thing.

"yes love, I've got all night, I usually drive a tractor and load of grain around at 7:30pm on a Sunday evening as a way to pass the time. Now make sure your horse has had a good shit in the middle of the road, what the hell, do a few twirls in the middle of the road too while you're here so we all get an even better look at your not insubstantial arse".

Ahh yes, that is another thing that bothers me about horses.

If you own a dog and it takes a tiny little crap, you are required (and rightly so) to scoop it up and throw it away.

But for some reason, horses are allowed to splurge shit all over the road that smells far worse that dog shit and IMO poses a far greater hazard to predestrians (not to mention losing the benefits of having tread on your tyres should you happen to drive through it)

But despite this, they never clean it up, and there doesn't seem to be any requirement to do so.

On Melbury Beacon in Dorset (big hill usually covered in sheep) is a sign telling you to take your dog mess home...

been stuck behind horses all bloody day today, there is shit all over the village too. If that shit had come from a cows arse and fallen off a tractor there would be hell to pay .

One of the group of horse that was blocking the road was a group of girls. The eldest might have been 15, but they mostly looked about 13. They are telling the traffic to stop, but they're not old enough to hold even a provisonal licence and were barely in control of there animals. Surely they should have to be supervised by an adult.

They didn't seem to like being followed by a tractor and trailer and a Honda VTR 1000 SP2 with Akrapovic pipes

Funny, that.

Ho hum...

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Earth rotation is caused by penguins running around the south pole.