Reckless drivers keep horses off the road

Hi Nikki, im pleased to hear that your ok! Having ridden horses years ago and then been involved with motorbikes and cars, it just plain obvious that everyone should take care on the roads especially on blind bends. Anything could be on that bend, not just people on horse back.
For future reference for people that make comments on your pages Nikki, any decent motorist will have respect for all kinds of other road users no matter if its car/motor bikes/ lorries, horses and cyclists etc. Ok, you will always get the odd ignorant car/bike/cyclist and horse owner but at the end of the day everyone should take care! With horses and families that maybe out cycling for the day especially!

Thanks Caz, you speak wise words indeed.

My chin is well and truly up, as always !!

I know what your goin through Nikki, the same happened with my brother and my mother, my mother never got over my brothers death, she hated the driver of the car that killed him till the day she died. No one can ever tell you any different unless that have been through something like this themselves.I get days where I think back, if only it never happened, how would things be like in life now but then sadly reality hits the fan, we cant turn the clocks back, we have to live with what has gone on but the deep scars will always remain along with the thoughts that could have been. I have seen people on here with their comments, they havent got a clue some of them, Some people will lie about the truth only because they are guilt ridden, they know they have done wrong. As for the motorcyclist that was involved with your accident, he has this for the rest of his life to live with, he has ruined your life and he cant turn the clocks back. Sadly some people learn by their mistakes they make when its too late but its not their lives they permantely wreck its other peoples lives. Keep your chin up! We are the strong ones! x

I know, I made the mistake of watching it. I didn't realise that there was going to be a virtually identical replay of my accident ... except I lost my beloved horse, my job and my health. The two lucky riders on the programme tonight kept their lovely horses. Just when I thought I was beginning to recover, I realise I'm not, and the pure anger I feel for that person burns stronger than ever I'm afraid.

I believe in an eye for an eye, and I know now that although I could possibly find it in my heart to at least begin to understand and who knows, forgive, the motorcyclist for what he did, I can never forgive him for telling porkies to the police and on television about how slowly he was driving. Coward ... he didn't even have the guts to admit he was racing at around 120 mph on a country road,

Hi Nikki just popped in to see how you are luv? Thought of you this evening, a prog on tv, all about motorcyclists a motorcycle accident involving a horse and rider. I felt sick just thinking about it! Hope your well and keepin your chin up! X

Lolly: you need to find out whether the owner of the horse had third party liability. He should have, but as mad as it sounds, it is not mandatory to have third party liabiity insurance for your horse when riding on the road, or indeed driving in harness. If the owner has not got such insurance, you may need to contact the MIB ... Motor Insurers Bureau. I am not sure whether they cover horses, but they are the public body who will help in the instance of accidents with non-insured drivers.

Why have the police said there is nothing they can do because the horse owner lives in your street? If this is true, this sounds like one hell of a load of bullshit to me, and you need to follow this up. How can living in the same street as someone somehow make them less liable for an accident?

A horse and carriage on the move can do an awful lot of damage, and I am very sorry for you. It is an appalling situation ... you need to check though whether the owner has TP insurance. Best of luck to you.

I love horses and two of my nieces go riding every week at a very good riding school. However, last week whilst my car was parked outside my house a horse (with a carriage attatched!) had escaped it's owner and bolted down my street crashing into the side of my brand new car causing alot of damage!! Like I said I have the fullest respect for horses and their riders and always drive slow when passing them as not to scare them, so you can imagine how I must be feeling now. Not only did the owner of the horse walk away and ignore me but the police are now saying that there is nothing they can do even though I have given them the name and address of the owner as he lives in my street! If there is anyone who knows of any rules or laws that could help me please could they post a message as it would be most appreciated as I am extremely upset and very out of pocket due to the cost of getting my car fixed.

Realist: I absolutely agree with you. Horses are indeed beautiful, majestic and erratic, and most certainly do not belong on the public highway. Unfortunately, though, horse riders have no choice but to ride on roads to reach the precious few bridleways that exist in the countryside. Very few of us have our own land large enough to ride upon, or live next to a friendly farmer who allows access to his fields.

It is illegal to drive on the public highway whilst over the breathylser limit, it is not illegal to ride horses on the public highway. It is as simple as that. None of us like it, but it is legal, and until horse riding on the public highway becomes illegal (and IMO it never will), then it is the duty and responsibility of every road user to follow the Highway Code, which specifically covers the issue of horses on the road, just as for pedestrians, bicyles and all other slow moving traffic.

I make no excuses for them, but the fact remains that many drivers do not know how to drive near horses, they resent staying behind them, fail to read any literature about safety round them, and do not pay any attention to T.V advertisements about the problem. There are plenty of non-horse related accidents on the road every day that have not been vanquished by commercials; people are people, and in general people are ignorant, impatient and erratic. If you disagree with me and have complete blind faith in the knowledge and innate goodness of the human being, then let me tell you that even if we were all saints, and trained police drivers to boot, it would make little difference when we consider the species we share the road with.
We do not inform people that they should take care of a potential hazard because there is a drunk behind the wheel of a car, and that he/she may behave erratically. Yet we have mass advertising campaigns telling us that horses are erratic creatures and we should drive in a particular way around them. We do not tolerate the drunk, so we should not tolerate the horse. The horse, as beautiful and majestic as it may be, cannot be trusted on the public highway just as the drunk cannot.

Sid: my conscious is definitely clear and squeaky clean. I can categorically state I only ever post on here as me, Nikki. I think it is absolutely pathetic that people pretend to be someone else - as in your case. Unless you are a schizophrenic, it was completely obvious to everybody that the vitriolic Sid was not you.

Neither am I a mad fanatic. And I can and do see both sides of the coin - I too get very annoyed when I see someone, often a child, over-horsed on the road. It is terribly dangerous for the horse, the rider, and innocent passers-by. However, it does not help the situation when some idiot on a bike or in a car goes blasting past, terrifying the horse and causing it to bolt, throw its rider, or generally cause mayhem. Consideration and tolerance is needed by the driver - after all, his journey is only going to be delayed by at the very most a couple of minutes. It could be the last journey he ever makes on this mortal coil if he is hit by a maddened and terrified horse. Far better for all to concerned is to accept that horses are allowed to be ridden on the road, and to adhere to the Highway Code in the correct fashion.

I personally never ride skittish, unpredictable horses. I have far too much common sense and intelligence to wish to do so. But even the quietist of horse will take fright by someone driving past too fast and/or too close. They particularly dislike a blasting horn, or shouting abusive drivers. You also have the scenario that something in the hedge can cause a horse to shy, which is why the Highway Code states that drivers must pass "wide and slow". It's all just common sense, and really shouldn't result in the hoo haa that carries on this excellent web site.

No, it was you (Nikki) whom I suspected, however, you have denied this, so iwill leave it to your conscience as to whether or not you are. For my part I am happy to go along with this.

Are you a "mad fanatic" though? Whilst I am happy that you say you are a driver and a horse rider "and can see both sides of the coin" it seemed to take a lot to get you to reach that observation.

Enough of you, now me. I don't actually hate horses, I do see a fair few, given where I live and the degree of control over the horse that the riders appear to lack often makes the hairs on my wooden leg stand on end! I am not passing them at 50 when this happens I might add, in fact I am likely to be a pedestrian walking round my village.

Sid: I said:

"Sid-ewinder: yet again you do not answer my question, so I will ask it again: who do you refer to as the Caped Crusader, and is it Britany whom you suspect? An answer would be much appreciated, seeing as I have been falsely accused of being this person.

I can always see all sides to an argument, sometimes detrimentally to my point of view. But in the case of whether or not horses should be ridden on the road there is no argument - until the law changes, if it ever does. Until that time, and until they have good access to off road riding, horses will always by necessity have to be ridden on roads. Riders don't like this, it is unpleasant, you can't go fast, and as you rightly point out it is frequently downright dangerous for all parties concerned. But with offroad riding, set-aside, bridleways etc. rapidly decreasing month by month, most riders have less and less option open to them but to exercise their horses on the road. It is most undesirable for all concerned, but it is perfectly legal, and there are stringent recommendations laid down in the Highway Code covering all aspects of horses', and other livestock's, rights of access to public roads. The BHS take this one step further, and advise their members to go out of their way to courteously acknowledge by a nod of the head, a smile or a waive of the hand, drivers who have followed the Highway Code and passed by wide and slow and with precaution and care. This is not a legal requirement of course, but is a matter of good manners and etiquette, and any rider that does not thank a kind motorist deserves to be horse whipped in my opinion.

Satisfied now that I am a reasonable and fair minded person, not a mad fanatic? I am a driver as well as a rider so see both sides of the coin"

Satisfied?