Tweet
Warning - this is long and may be boring to some of you lol but it's something close to my heart and if one person reads it and it helps then that's enough for me!!
As some of you may already know, I have a horse and a pony for my daughter. They were both 'donated' lol. I've always been heavily into horses and have ridden since about 5 years old.
One thing that has always been an issue are horses using the roads. I have just read an article from the Daily Mail about a driver being jailed for dangerous driving (ramming into a horse).
'You're a bully and used your van as a weapon': Road rage driver who rammed into horse rider jailed | Mail Online
Coming after my friend nearly getting wiped out by a speeding coach, I'd like to explain a few things and maybe start to strike up some sort of harmony between horse riders and drivers, for the benefit of all.
Obviously if a car hits a horse then the horse and rider stand to be seriously injured, but so does the driver and any passnegers. Horses weigh half a ton or more and are adept athletes, they have incredibly strong limbs and could kick a car door clean off. I have had many insults and accusations thrown at me whilst on horses, have been in a few scary situations on the roads, and witnessed some truly appalling driving. I have also been put in danger by other riders and their horses, and seen some complete lack of respect and consideration from riders too, it's not all one sided.
I hear a few 'old chestnuts' each time I have a discussion with drivers about this and I'd like to explain a few -
'Horses should be in fields not on roads' - Horses are considered as traffic. They are only allowed to use roads, lanes, bridleways and green lanes. They are not allowed on grass verges (though this is generally waived), footpaths, cycle lanes, pedestrian walkways and as everyone else, private land without permission. Due to development, many bridleways have been diverted, closed or disjointed. Roads built across them, houses built on them etc. This poses a problem really as riders need to use the roads to gain access to areas we are allowed to ride on legally. Many riders I know don't want to use the roads but there is no other alternative other than giving up and selling the horse!
'Horses don't pay road tax or insurance' - True, to ride a horse on the road you don't need to pay road tax. However, horses do not cause the damage that cars do, and there is no legal requirement to pay anything for a rider, if there were I for one would do it. Many riders DO however have insurance. Horses are very expensive when they go wrong and most owners have insurance to cover this, along with most policies is a 3rd party clause. Personally I think it should be a legal requirement of riding a horse in public, and both my horses are insured for 3rd party liability.
'If you can't control it you shouldn't have it on the road' - entirely agree. But, a horse is an animal. The majority are trained to traffic and are calm and sensible, but as with any animal if it feels threatened it will react. I do think that riders and horses should pass a test before they can ride on the roads legally, and children under 16 should only be on the roads with the supervision of an adult. The problem comes when the horse is frightened or intimidated by horns beeping, engine revving, erratic driving, loud music from cars and cars driving too close. The safest way to pass a horse is to treat it as overtaking another vehicle, but slowly. Pull out onto the other carriageway when it is safe to do so and give the horse plenty of room. Some riders (myself included) will ride double file to ensure that drivers cannot squeeze between us and the oncoming traffic.
Riders may do this for several reasons - a young, novice horse or rider can only be trained to behave correctly on the roads by actually going on the roads. The most inexperienced horse is put on the inside and shielded by an more experienced horse. This has a double effect, it stops cars from getting too close to the young horse and causing a potential hazard and stops the young horse jumping into the path of traffic - the older horse acts as a 'buffer'.
I also do this on bends and hills, I can see oncoming traffic over the hedge line and can hear it, I do ask drivers to stop but am more often than not totally ignored, I'm not doing it to be awkward, it's to try and help everyone on that bit of road. By effectively blocking the road the drivers behind have to stop and wait until it's safe to overtake. If they do try and overtake and there is oncoming traffic then it's usually the horse that gets swerved into.
Most riders and drivers are polite when they meet up, drivers react to riders signal requests, riders move over and pull in where possible, drivers give plenty of room, don't rev engines, slow down, turn down booming music and drive safely. Horse riders appreciate this and thank the driver by a smile and nod, a raise of the hand, a shouted thank you...........
However you do get the odd occasion where it all goes wrong, and riders aren't blameless either - meandering down the road with an i pod on not paying any attention to cars behind, not thanking drivers who are courteous, not pulling over when they can to let cars go by. Kids bouncing about on ponies with no road sense, horses that are not safe in traffic......... I know all this happens and I think that the bad ones spoil it for the good ones.
Rules for riders on the roads
Rules about animals (47-58) : Directgov - Travel and transport
I think these are sadly inadequate and desperately need updating.
These are the rules for passing horses on the roads, again inadequate and need updating. (Note 214/215)
Road users requiring extra care (204-225) : Directgov - Travel and transport
Thank you if you have taken the time to read this and I hope that the next time you happen across horses on the road you will remember what I have said and make the road a safer place for all of us
As some of you may already know, I have a horse and a pony for my daughter. They were both 'donated' lol. I've always been heavily into horses and have ridden since about 5 years old.
One thing that has always been an issue are horses using the roads. I have just read an article from the Daily Mail about a driver being jailed for dangerous driving (ramming into a horse).
'You're a bully and used your van as a weapon': Road rage driver who rammed into horse rider jailed | Mail Online
Coming after my friend nearly getting wiped out by a speeding coach, I'd like to explain a few things and maybe start to strike up some sort of harmony between horse riders and drivers, for the benefit of all.
Obviously if a car hits a horse then the horse and rider stand to be seriously injured, but so does the driver and any passnegers. Horses weigh half a ton or more and are adept athletes, they have incredibly strong limbs and could kick a car door clean off. I have had many insults and accusations thrown at me whilst on horses, have been in a few scary situations on the roads, and witnessed some truly appalling driving. I have also been put in danger by other riders and their horses, and seen some complete lack of respect and consideration from riders too, it's not all one sided.
I hear a few 'old chestnuts' each time I have a discussion with drivers about this and I'd like to explain a few -
'Horses should be in fields not on roads' - Horses are considered as traffic. They are only allowed to use roads, lanes, bridleways and green lanes. They are not allowed on grass verges (though this is generally waived), footpaths, cycle lanes, pedestrian walkways and as everyone else, private land without permission. Due to development, many bridleways have been diverted, closed or disjointed. Roads built across them, houses built on them etc. This poses a problem really as riders need to use the roads to gain access to areas we are allowed to ride on legally. Many riders I know don't want to use the roads but there is no other alternative other than giving up and selling the horse!
'Horses don't pay road tax or insurance' - True, to ride a horse on the road you don't need to pay road tax. However, horses do not cause the damage that cars do, and there is no legal requirement to pay anything for a rider, if there were I for one would do it. Many riders DO however have insurance. Horses are very expensive when they go wrong and most owners have insurance to cover this, along with most policies is a 3rd party clause. Personally I think it should be a legal requirement of riding a horse in public, and both my horses are insured for 3rd party liability.
'If you can't control it you shouldn't have it on the road' - entirely agree. But, a horse is an animal. The majority are trained to traffic and are calm and sensible, but as with any animal if it feels threatened it will react. I do think that riders and horses should pass a test before they can ride on the roads legally, and children under 16 should only be on the roads with the supervision of an adult. The problem comes when the horse is frightened or intimidated by horns beeping, engine revving, erratic driving, loud music from cars and cars driving too close. The safest way to pass a horse is to treat it as overtaking another vehicle, but slowly. Pull out onto the other carriageway when it is safe to do so and give the horse plenty of room. Some riders (myself included) will ride double file to ensure that drivers cannot squeeze between us and the oncoming traffic.
Riders may do this for several reasons - a young, novice horse or rider can only be trained to behave correctly on the roads by actually going on the roads. The most inexperienced horse is put on the inside and shielded by an more experienced horse. This has a double effect, it stops cars from getting too close to the young horse and causing a potential hazard and stops the young horse jumping into the path of traffic - the older horse acts as a 'buffer'.
I also do this on bends and hills, I can see oncoming traffic over the hedge line and can hear it, I do ask drivers to stop but am more often than not totally ignored, I'm not doing it to be awkward, it's to try and help everyone on that bit of road. By effectively blocking the road the drivers behind have to stop and wait until it's safe to overtake. If they do try and overtake and there is oncoming traffic then it's usually the horse that gets swerved into.
Most riders and drivers are polite when they meet up, drivers react to riders signal requests, riders move over and pull in where possible, drivers give plenty of room, don't rev engines, slow down, turn down booming music and drive safely. Horse riders appreciate this and thank the driver by a smile and nod, a raise of the hand, a shouted thank you...........
However you do get the odd occasion where it all goes wrong, and riders aren't blameless either - meandering down the road with an i pod on not paying any attention to cars behind, not thanking drivers who are courteous, not pulling over when they can to let cars go by. Kids bouncing about on ponies with no road sense, horses that are not safe in traffic......... I know all this happens and I think that the bad ones spoil it for the good ones.
Rules for riders on the roads
Rules about animals (47-58) : Directgov - Travel and transport
I think these are sadly inadequate and desperately need updating.
These are the rules for passing horses on the roads, again inadequate and need updating. (Note 214/215)
Road users requiring extra care (204-225) : Directgov - Travel and transport
Thank you if you have taken the time to read this and I hope that the next time you happen across horses on the road you will remember what I have said and make the road a safer place for all of us
msl:
Comment