Anyone catch this? It illustrated very well just how much more care is needed when riding a bike (or driving) in the country. First one rider takes a bend at speed and met a couple of horse riders who had actually stopped because they had heard the bike race into the corner before they saw it and were waiting for the inevitable impact. Then another unsuspecting biker got hit in the face by a pheasant at 60mph. It smashed the visor right into his face, broke his nose, cheekbone and he had one eye blow up like a balloon. Bike was a right off as it took him into a ditch' missing a tree and oncoming car luckily. It also showed the Humberside Police's Haybusa rider, mean looking black machine! Not too many will outrun that I imagine! As I always say, on the track the bike is King, but in the country the tractor rules the road
Take care on country roads peeps, and keep an extra eye out for large animals in the road and in the air....and a special eye out for those mad tractor drivers who pop out of a hedgerow quite unexpectedly
DrogoBroadband wrote: First one rider takes a bend at speed and met a couple of horse riders who had actually stopped because they had heard the bike race into the corner before they saw it and were waiting for the inevitable impact.
Eh? Who would just stop and say 'Oh, that sounds like a Motorbike coming at some speed! Lets just stop here at the most dangerous point and die!'
Andy, as a horse rider, I've been in that situation on narrow country lanes many times - if you have hedgerows on both sides, all you can do is get in as close as possible. If you try to turn the horses round, you're just presenting a wider target.
Many years ago, a boy racer in an XR3 skidded into the back of my horse (with my sister aboard). Luckily Sam (the horse) tucked his legs under him and sat on the XR3's bonnet. He was cut, bruised and shaken but suffered less damage than the car. Sister stayed aboard and was OK. The boy racer didn't fare too well though. Local farmer saw the whole thing, dragged him out of the car and beat the crap out of him.
Thanks for explaining that Adam. There is no escape. The horse is very likely to bolt as well. I just don't understand how people don't expect a horse or two on the roads in rural areas and drive accordingly??!!
I was driving very close to where you live Dave when the opposite happened and a horse jumped the hedge (Bullingdon Point to Point I think at Kingston Blount) and landed on the bonnet of a Granada Estate...it wasn't pretty.
The pump don’t work coz the vandals took the handles.
Maybe Roads should be reserved for those who pay Road tax?? I dont see why I should have to crawl, I mean drive accordingly in case there is some Kid on a Horse lurking around a corner.
I would never take my Kids out on there Bikes on a country road, far to dangerous. Not only are they Kids and not in full control of what they are doing but Car Drivers dont keep a close eye out for them, and to be honest I dont blame them. I take them down designated Cycle Routs. I believe Horses have something similar, called a field or something.
And I come from a Family with 5-6 Horses, my sister has three. Thinks she owns the bloody road too! Believes everyone should be looking out for her safety more than she should be for her own.
Ivor wrote:I was driving very close to where you live Dave when the opposite happened and a horse jumped the hedge (Bullingdon Point to Point I think at Kingston Blount) and landed on the bonnet of a Granada Estate...it wasn't pretty.
Your are never going to believe this Wing Commander but that happened to me and my mate............It was 1974 and we was driving along a country lane with 2 new Yamaha DT250's on a trailer behind us, when a horse and rider jumped over a stone wall right on the roof of my mates pride and joy a Consul GT......... Car was f........ Trailer was f........ Bikes where f.......... and the poor old horse was f......... My X used to have horses, I always thought horses are like women you never know what they are thinking............
How did we get about before we had roads Andy? And where were roads built, most probably where we used to travel by horse. So now that roads are built everywhere and suitable for motor vehicles, and we pay for the privilege to use them, does that mean horses are excluded from them. They have been used as transport and for hauling loads for 1000's of years, we have only had cars for the past 100 years Sure, it gets on my tits when I am stuck behind a couple of travellers in a jaunting cart but it could be worse.
Ivor, I am over there quite often to watch the wildlife but I hadn't heard about that, I can only presume the horse came off worst and had to be killed?
It's a problem on the narrow twisty country roads around my workshop, they are 50mph roads but you're chancing your luck a bit if you drive that fast. You never know what will be round the next bend, cyclists riding 2 abreast, horse's doing the same, farmer kneedeep with his muckspreader, woman on mobile coming towards you not looking where she's going(ended up in a ditch after that one). Although I give horse riders due consideration, I do wonder why the hell they would choose to ride on such dangerous roads....
Slick wrote: I always thought horses are like women you never know what they are thinking............
Absolutely right Ade, I was plonked on a horse when I was eight years old and taught to ride, I knew right then that I'd prefer some unwieldy old motor sickle to a horse!
As far as the horse versus Granada wagon was concerned, the horse appeared to be okay, but I couldn't say the same for the car or the driver
If I had continued to ride horses I think I'd stick to the bridleways, despite the fact that the horses had the roads to themselves before the car and should have right of way...country roads are too risky these days.
At least with my gasser I should be able to see over the hedges!
The pump don’t work coz the vandals took the handles.
The simple fact is that if you cannot stop in time or drive around an object in the road then you are driving too fast for that section of the road.
I don't care what is in the road - if you hit it it is because you are going too fast. Simple as that. No excuses. Other people have the right to use the road as much as you do. They do their best to avoid you and all they expect is for you to do the same thing.
Having something fly over a hedge at you is another matter though.