Horses have a right to be on the road too!

I know, I have always thought we should ride into the traffic as well, not with it. Horses much prefer being able to see what's coming, rather than have it come up behind them, and it makes no sense to me that we have to ride on the left.

Scary being bolted with on the road, not good :(

Yeah I have this problem with joggers all the time.They're taught to run on the opposite side of the road into the oncoming traffic which is fair enough but us horseriders are supposed to ride on the left the same as the cars.When the joggers see a horse and rider approaching they get really huffy as if they expect us to move into the middle of the road out of their way.My horse is a bolter and has been mistreated in the past so you can imagine what he thinks when someone runs at him!

The worst thing I used to find were joggers and cyclists in some nearby woods where I used to ride. They would silently come up behind the horse, who would see them at the last minute and take off like a rocket! Very disconcerting, galloping through trees!! Not their fault at all, people just don't realise that horses are flight creatures ... they react to fear by bolting.

I really wish there were more tv adverts raising awareness of how car drivers should behave around horses.not all drivers mean to scare horses, a lot of them just dont realise what does scare them-they need educating.we've all had drivers beep to one another or someone they know etc while near horses-they do it without thinking.countless times ive been riding round my village and people have skate boarded past me,wheeled their wheelie bin in front of my horse,slammed their car door shut and even let their dog run under my horse.most people seem to assume that all horses behave like ploddy old cart horses oblivious to anything.drivers dont think twice about slowing down for a child doddering along on their pushbike, it shouldnt be too much too ask for them to do the same for horses.

Well, I hope these horrific pictures do something towards making road users slow down when driving on country roads. Following my accident, a year or so later, I was driving along a country lane when suddenly out of nowhere came a galloping horse straight in front of my car. Had I not had my accident, I would probably have been ki11ed, and my daughter and the horse too. I have learned to expect the unexpected and drive slowly now, especially in the countryside.

Right, here are two links to stories and pictures about horses colliding with cars, they are of escaped horses being hit by cars but the message is the same - LOOK at what half a ton of horse can do to your car and you and whether you believe horses should be on teh road or not have some self respect! You wouldn't take anything else on that could do that damage to your car so why a horse because you think all horse owners a snobs?! Get a bl@@dy grip people!
http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=25807 and
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=8814

Very good post Ra Ra Ra ... and I for one can throw my hands up and say in my 40 years of driving, yes, I have made some major errors. And anyone who has been driving for that long and says otherwise is going to have a nose which will grow longer and longer!

I encountered yet another moron today who told me I shouldn't be on my horse on the road if I can't control it (my horse happened to sneeze and shake his head a little as the car zoomed by with it's windows down and the driver seemed to think this was unacceptable behaviour) and gave me a right old mouthful through said window. My reply? Ever had a crash I asked, yes he said rather puzzled well I say if you have crashed before then you weren't in control at the time? Right he says - he lost it on a bend, ok I says then you shouldn't be driving then because you have proven that you can lose control of a car. Huh? he says but I only did it once and learned from my mistake and am a better driver for it.
My point to him and to all the others who have the same attitude is that I can control my horse but he is an animal and if something scares him he will react to it, and I will do my utmost to keep him under control in those circumstances to prevent an accident, however he has a brain and a sense of self preservation. Your car does what you tell it to, so when you crash or skid or whatever YOU are the one totally in control of your vehicle at the time, so it's YOUR fault (barring of course the actions of a 3rd party) so don't tell me I shouldn't ride on the road unless you have never made a mistake driving a car because that just makes you a hypocrite. And before you all start you know the truth and everyone at some point has made a minor error or perhaps major error while driving so you can protest all you like.

Caz, how awful, I am so sorry. Were you both all right? Whoever told you that you can't claim because the driver had right of way is talking bunkum. When a motorcyclist ploughed into me and my friend when we had crossed the road was found fully liable for the accident, and both riders pursued a personal injury claim against his insurance company. We both used our legal expenses insurance available to us via our house insurance policy, but had we not had that cover, we could still have pursued a personal injury and losses claim against the motorcyclist who was, luckily, insured.

It is the duty of every road user to take evading action to avoid an accident at all costs. If the driver of the vehicle had plenty of space to avoid you, but chose not to, that makes him 100% liable for the accident. If he couldn't for whatever reason, then that mitigate him somewhat, but as horses are legally allowed on the road, and provided you were doing nothing stupid like riding bareback, without proper tack, on your mobile phone or dismounting at the time, then there is no way that you do not have a case.

my horse backed into the road from a junction I saw a wagon coming he hit my horse I was told he had right of way so I cant claim but he seen me he could of stoped. does this mean if a child runs into the road you just keep going

Sorry - pressed the wrong key !! that should have been RofA (short for Rider of the Apocalypse!)

Well said RofT - my horse and my friend's were ki11ed in the most appalling circumstances when we were hit by an idiot on a motorbike going at 120 mph on a country road. Speed of impact was 70 - you can imagine what that did to us and more importantly the horses.

All we were doing was crossing the road outside our stables to reach the bridleway on the opposite side.