DOs and DON'Ts - my personal thoughts.

A few DOs and DON'Ts for Horse Riders!

1. DO wear hi-viz

2. DO ride 2 abreast where viable

3. DO thank drivers who take the time to be courteous (obviously we can't thank EVERY driver as this would mean we would have to ride "cowboy style" for most of our hack!)

4. DO wear a hat!

5. DON'T abuse other road users - we gain respect by showing respect

6. DON'T carry rocks/pebbles/ammunition in your pocket to throw at passing cars

7. DON'T slop along the road on a long rein, with your feet out of the stirrups

8. DO be in full control of your horse at all times

9. DO use big, dramatic hand signal

10. DO smile!

11. DON'T wander all over the road

12. DO try and make way for cars to pass if there is a safe and suitable place to do so

A few DOs and DON'Ts for Car Drivers

1. DO smile at us - (it makes us feel better knowing you've seen us!)

2. DO Slow Down to approx 15mph, regardless of the speed limit (Horses can spook, it's the same as us jumping at something unexpected it can't be controlled, and if you're passing us at a very low speed, you have EVERY chance of stopping before the horse makes contact with your car, if you're going at 30-40mph... not so much of a chance)

3. DO Pass WIDE

4. DON'T Pass into oncoming traffic - (Please, it is scary seeing how close some drivers get to oncoming traffic!)

5. DON'T Blare your horn

6. DON'T abuse other road users - we gain respect by showing respect

7. DON'T rev your engine when waiting to pass us

8. DO give us a few extra seconds

9. DON'T overtake on a bend (especially when the rider is making a right hand turn!)

10. DON'T overtake on a roundabout

11. DON'T overtake near a traffic island

12. DON'T overtake when there are parked cars on the opposite side of the road

13. DON'T get close to the horses hindquarters (bum!)

Hi-Viz

Hi-Viz. 5 letters, that will make the difference between being seen and being invisible, as the picture shows.

I can't stress how important Hi-Viz is when riding out on the roads, it gives drivers an extra 3 seconds to see you, which, if a car was driving at 30mph is the length of a dressage arena.

I think we also owe it to other road users, as a mark of respect to make ourselves as visable as we can. We need to give them EVERY chance to see us, and (hopefully) slow down!

How much to wear?
I think there isn't a limit as to how much Hi-Viz to wear. I wear a neckband, rein band (on the right rein) and fluro/hi-viz tabard at all times (even in the summer) and in the winter I use an excellent jacket from Rockfish and a quarter-sheet

What colour?
I personally prefer pink, as I think it does catch the eyes of drivers more-so than the standard yellow (which drivers as so used to seeing) But there are a vast array of colours available, Pink, Yellow, Orange...even Blue & Green!

So, to summerise; PLEASE be aware, be safe and BE SEEN!

Amy

Introduction

Hi,
I'm starting this blog as a venting space, and somewhere to chronicle my incidents with abusive and ignorant car drivers on the roads.

I've been a rider for 21 years, and have owned my horse for nearly 8. My main activity with her is hacking, I adore getting onto a lovely leafy bridle path and having a good canter! But to get to the bridle paths I HAVE to go on the roads.

Where I keep my horse, there is not a lot of scope for endless rolling hills and open fields! Land is a privilege, and bridleways are primarily short and sweet. (Save for the Wirral Way which is a 20 min road walk away)

I have always hacked out and I've noticed in the last 2 or 3 years that the sheer ignorance of car drivers has increased, patience has decreased and abuse has skyrocketed. - Obviously there are a LOT of drivers that are calm, pass wide and slow and are courteous, but these are in the ever decreasing minority!

I'm starting this blog not only to chronicle my experiences with car drivers but to try to educated non-horsey people as to why we may ask you to stop/slow down/turn off your engine.

I don't want to come across as preachy, or indignant, that's not my intention. My intention is to make the roads safer for all of us to use.

Amy