why do horse owners think they own the road ?

boliston

diggerman123 wrote: »

have you ever seen a horse with a valid mot , road tax , insurance ?
if you own a horse you should own land to exercise it or you shouldnt own a horse !
you lot are a pain in the !!!! , horses were never meant to go on tarmac so stick to what your animal is comfortable with and leave the road to the road users !:mad:

rant over (for now )

I'd quite like it if most 4x4 vehicles stayed "off road" and on the farm tracks that they were primarily designed for, yet I have to endure them most days on the roads.

diggerman123

*Vikki* wrote: »

What about Police horses then? Do you want them off the road too?

yes i do vikki , they perform no valid service other than bully boy tactics . (i am bigger than you , but only cos i am on this big animal who knows no better )

case closed

izzydogsam

Myself and most people I know only ride on the roads in order to get to bridleways. There's no real enjoyment in riding down the road with cars passing so close they catch your stirrup with their wing mirror.

Like someone else said, if it bothers you that much, pull your finger out and campaign for better bridleways for riders.

What I don't understand is why many car drivers don't slow down and pass wide as they are advised to do - a horse will put a helluva dent in your car if anything goes wrong.

And by the way, I am insured to ride on the roads, have passed my BHS riding and road safety exam and the horses I ride are confident in traffic. I acknowledge all drivers that take the time to pass wide and slow. Can't say the same for all the car drivers I come across, whether on foot, on a horse or in my car. So don't assume all horse riders are the same.

diggerman123

can i also add that i am never in a rush to get anywhere and i always show horse riders / tractors / cyclists / 4x4 / motorcyclists etc respect. they just sometimes take the urine and it doesnt always reflect in my attitude .................

*Vikki*

What happened then for you to feel this way?

diggerman123

nothing.

i love horses and hope to own one in the near future.

they have no purpose on the roads

diggerman123

izzy , no disrespect , but when did your horses pass this test ?

*Vikki*

diggerman123 wrote: »

nothing.

i love horses and hope to own one in the near future.

they have no purpose on the roads

I thought maybe something has happened to trigger you off to make this thread.

I suppose they don't have much of a purpose on the road as in 'oh got to pop to the shops so I will ride the horse there' lol although my dad used to drive his trap to the pub with my horse!

I suspect 99.9% of horse riders wouldn't want to ride on the dangerous roads. But unfortunately can't help it if they want to get to their field they want to ride in or forest to ride around.

So when you get your horse, will you not be tempted to take it to the beach? So maybe have to walk up the road to get there? Or want to ride across a bit of a road to go to a beautiful part to ride?

I know I could never resist temptation from riding my pony when younger to go and see my friends at her farm. That involved riding on some roads, my pony was bomb proof though.

izzydogsam

diggerman123 wrote: »

izzy , no disrespect , but when did your horses pass this test ?

With respect, at what point did I say the horses I ride had passed this test? I said I had passed the exam and I did indeed take the exam on a horse, but I don't recall the horse getting a certificate!

Seriously though, all horses have the capacity to be unpredictable, but it is irresponsible of a rider to ride a horse that is bad in traffic down a busy road.

To those who have mentioned people riding two abreast, in some cases this will be to provide a 'barrier' between a younger/less experienced horse and the traffic until the more inexperienced horse is more confident in traffic.

While we are all in 'rant' mode, my pet hate when driving past horses is the riders that chat away to one another and don't acknowledge the fact I have waited or given them a wide berth. You don't have to take your hands of the reins, a smile or a nod of the head is enough.

diggerman123

correct me if i am wrong ,

if u own a horse you have stables

if you have stables you have exercise rights

no rights will say tarmac or other unsuitable surfaces

so who is right ?