Dave wrote:
Having something fly over a hedge at you is another matter though.
Ah, but that hedge could have been there for Hundreds of years! And Horses may have jumped over that spot for just as long..............................................I'll get my coat.
I would much prefer to stick to bridleways when on horseback - far less stressful! But, unfortunately, they are few and far between, and it's an unavoidable fact that you have to do some roadwork to get anywhere, e.g. up on the Downs.
I must say that "local people" always slow down and give you some room - they understand that horses are unpredictable and can spook, though ours are pretty bomb-proof (touch wood).
Speaking of locals, a fellow who sold farm produce from a roadside stall at the top of the lane was killed last year when a woman drove a car into him whilst on her mobile. Most fatal accidents occur on rural roads.
Trigger_Andy wrote:
Ah, but that hedge could have been there for Hundreds of years! And Horses may have jumped over that spot for just as long..............................................I'll get my coat.
funniest thing ive read on here for ages
ticking away the moments that make up a dull day, you fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.
talking of horse's, my girlfriends uncle was riding along one day and one bolted out of a hedge and he went straight in the side of it, the horse died but he very nearly did too needless to say the kwak 636 was dead too
Personally, I don't think they should be allowed on public roads. Not because they do not contribute, but because they are as scatty as a box of frogs, and highly dangerous for all the wrong reasons. The amount of times I see a young kid, out on the road, riding 1.5 tons of meat that will bolt if the wind changes, or if it sees a particularly threatening plastic bag rustling in the bushes out of the corner of its eye is ridiculous.
Driving to the road conditions is one thing, but there is nothing predictable about a horse and they will throw a wobbler over nothing so how do you allow for that? Horses on public roads are a menace, and unfortunately, the vocal minority of riders seem to think they own the roads. In my view they have never been the greatest at representing the horse riding community as a whole.
Fair enough Clivey, but the point is taking a blind bend on the wrong side of the road, in excess of the speed limit,.....where does the nature of a horse enter that equation and have any effect on the outcome. There are a lot of things that shouldn't be allowed on public roads, unlicenced and uninsured drivers, drunk divers, drug drivers, careless drivers, unroadworthy vehicles, elderly drivers, people who hog the middle lane, drivers with bad eyesight, drivers on the phone, drivers who go too fast, foreign drivers who can't get the hang of the wrong side of the road, people who go up oneway streets the wrong way, cyclists two a breast etc etc etc etc etc. I have more trouble from any of those than I do from any horse I have ever passed by
DrogoBroadband wrote:Fair enough Clivey, but the point is taking a blind bend on the wrong side of the road, in excess of the speed limit,.....where does the nature of a horse enter that equation and have any effect on the outcome. There are a lot of things that shouldn't be allowed on public roads, unlicenced and uninsured drivers, drunk divers, drug drivers, careless drivers, unroadworthy vehicles, elderly drivers, people who hog the middle lane, drivers with bad eyesight, drivers on the phone, drivers who go too fast, foreign drivers who can't get the hang of the wrong side of the road, people who go up oneway streets the wrong way, cyclists two a breast etc etc etc etc etc. I have more trouble from any of those than I do from any horse I have ever passed by
ummm.... The things you list there are NOT allowed on the roads. I think the key point here is that the horse IS allowed. (I appreciate those things do exist on the roads, but that doesnt mean they are allowed).
Oh yeah, Horses should be banned from the roads. Too dangerous for all concerned, for all the common sense reasons noted above. If you cant afford land to ride it on, you cant have it. Simple really... Simply dont understand why horses get exemption to this.
DrogoBroadband wrote:There are a lot of things that shouldn't be allowed on public roads, unlicenced and uninsured riders, drunk riders, drug riders, careless riders, unroadworthy horses, elderly riders/horses, people who hog the middle lane, riders/horses with bad eyesight, riders (but not horses) on the phone, riders who go too fast, foreign riders who can't get the hang of the wrong side of the road, people who go up oneway streets the wrong way, HORSES two a breast etc etc etc etc etc. I have more trouble from any of those than I do from any car I have ever passed by
Dave.....I added my twist
I think the point that can be made, is that one group are heavily regulated and taxed, with lawbreakers amongst them, the others are free to do as they please. A 12 year old on some loopy old nag, both of which have as much road sense as a bowl of dog snot.
Er.. actually horse riding on public roads is regulated to some degree. e.g. it is an offence to be drunk in charge of a horse, or to ride a horse that is dangerous in traffic. Although it isn't mandatory, we have public liability insurance of £2m too.
Adam wrote:we have public liability insurance of £2m too.
Thats because you are responsible Adam. Unfortunately, there aren't many like you. Siobhan had a thoroughbred race horse nutter a couple of years ago. He was a lovely horse but all he could do was stand still and gallop as fast as possible. Siobhan used to work at yards for racers when about 12-13 years old and used to exercise horses like that, using public roads to get to fields for a gallop. Thats madness.
I hear you Clivey. My sister is Business Manager for the Gifford's yard, and rides out occasionally. Those racehorses only have 2 speeds - idle and flat-out. Bit like a drag car
You seem to have a better knack at explaining it than I do with my rant's! 
