Warning to Horse Riders

Nick_C

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I thought that is what custardy said had happened

Hearsay evidence. The incident is still being investigated. The police have made no comment on the cause.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

z1a wrote: »

21st century, horses should be in fields not on roads IMO.

Nobody of sound mind would choose to ride on modern roads; however given how many bridle paths have disappeared over the years, and how much the countryside has been concreted over, it's unfortunately often necessary to use a road to get to the nearest safe hacking. You can't just ride (or walk) randomly over fields; they belong to someone and are planted or filled with livestock.

I work in a part of London where cavalry horses are ridden regularly and am amazed at how consistently bad drivers are; clearly reluctant to consider slowing down and acknowledging the potential hazard. The Highway Code is very clear that drivers should "slow down and be ready to stop if necessary" when approaching horses. The Code also has a section on expected behaviour for riders, including appropriate clothing for visibility.

esuhl

Out,_Vile_Jelly wrote: »

I work in a part of London where cavalry horses are ridden regularly and am amazed at how consistently bad drivers are; clearly reluctant to consider slowing down and acknowledging the potential hazard. The Highway Code is very clear that drivers should "slow down and be ready to stop if necessary" when approaching horses.

Some motorists take insane risks to avoid slowing down. I can't think of any other situation in which people will so readily break the law just to shave a few seconds off their journey.

An impatient driver managed to roll their car in a tiny country lane, after trying to overtake another vehicle that had slowed to pass a horse rider.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/11/08/car-overturns-after-impatient-driver-tried-to-overtake-horse-rider-7062717/

pollypenny

DigForVictory wrote: »

The local horse stables & school have a hi viz dress code outside the paddock - we've asked the secondary school they're associated with to implement the same idea with pupils, as the smart new uniform black blazer & trousers is terrifyingly hard to see.
.

I was impressed to see that children in Ypres wear reflective vests over their top coats.

This was in October a few years ago.

NBLondon

pollypenny wrote: »

I was impressed to see that children in Ypres wear reflective vests over their top coats.

This was in October a few years ago.

I've seen quite a few primary schools around where the children have logoed hi-viz when they are out as a walking bus or on a trip to the park. Not sure whether they would succeed with secondary school agers. I'm sure satchels with reflective stripes were around in the 70s and 80s but pretty much the mark of an uncool kid.

AndyCF

I'm slightly surprised there is nothing (although I've not really looked) that makes it compulsory for horse riders on public roads to have some form of high-visibility clothing at "hours of darkness" etc, possibly the 'lighting up times'

I'm thinking along the same lines here as cyclists are (supposed to) have lights/reflectors and use lights at night.

Not dishing anyone but aside from something like sticking reflectors on the horse (this is a joke) it would make very good sense to compel "in hours of darkness" said riders or those 'in charge' if they are leading on foot to have some form of hi-vis clothing.

esuhl

AndyCF wrote: »

I'm slightly surprised there is nothing (although I've not really looked) that makes it compulsory for horse riders on public roads to have some form of high-visibility clothing at "hours of darkness" etc, possibly the 'lighting up times'

I'm thinking along the same lines here as cyclists are (supposed to) have lights/reflectors and use lights at night.

Not dishing anyone but aside from something like sticking reflectors on the horse (this is a joke) it would make very good sense to compel "in hours of darkness" said riders or those 'in charge' if they are leading on foot to have some form of hi-vis clothing.

Hi-vis, reflective clothing is a good idea for anyone who's out after dark.

One of the problems in our village is all the dog-walkers who dress completely in black. They walk on one side of the road, while their dog (on a long, extendible lead) walks on the other side, with the invisible lead stretching across the width of the road.

After midnight, all the street lights are turned off, making it even harder to see people dressed in black.

AndyCF

Oh I agree you would hope that common sense would prevail without any need for rules/regulations on this sort of thing but unfortunately it seems not in some cases.

Credit to nearly every rider I have seen however who does sensibly wear something suitable. Not the case with pedestrians it seems though although it is about 3 miles from here to the nearest unlit country road, by that I mean one without a footpath.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

AndyCF wrote: »

I

something like sticking reflectors on the horse (this is a joke)

You can actually buy hi viz gear for pretty much every part of your horse: https://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/horse-care/horse-wear/reflective-wear It's considered a normal part of tack if you have to ride on roads. Obviously there will always be idiots who don't bother or think the rules don't apply to them.

Hedgehog99

The other night, I was driving along an unlit road and two white paper bags tumbled across the road in front of me, caught in a gust of wind.

Only at the last second did I realise it was someone's trainers and everything else he was wearing was black.

He ran across in front of me at the last second.