RIDING HORSES ON ROADS

babystrawberry

I know I am more than likley going to get slated for saying this and there will probably be plently of people that think I am makinga big deal about nothing but it is something that needs to be made more aware of .

I was hacking out a horse alone last night on roads that I would be very familiar with. On 2 occassions dogs came out from houses/yards to start barking at the horse. The horse only a young one and a bit green but saying that is well used to traffic and being ridden out in company and alone.
He none the less spooked quite bad when the dogs came running out around the corner barking. As usual the dogs went around the back of him and went to nip at him, causing him to become more uneasy. It was bad enough for this to happen once but to happen twice just did my head in :mad: What finished me off is when i heard a little whistle from inside the house for the dogs to come in ...of course they paid no more attention to this whatso ever! No effort was made to come out and bring the dogs in either!

What im trying to get at is why do people allow their dogs loose to roam unsupervised. I love to see dogs out running and having a good time in the yard but they should be secure within the yard! Those dogs that came out at me last night are very lucky of 2 things ..

1. there was no car coming when they dashed across the road
2. horse did not kick out at them and meet them with a wallop in the jaw (which i have seen before and is not pretty in the slightest ..it does happen!)

I am not sure would I have been responsible for vets bills if one of the dogs got injured last night, after all I had my animal under control! This happened to me about 2 years ago on a different horse, well used to being ridden out on roads and had no fear of dogs. One day out, dog came running out of yard and spooked him bad, ended up throwing me .. result being me getting serious concussion (and yes i was wearing a hat) .... and may I add the dogs owners (living very nearby) neve came to me once to enquire how I was, something I would have done myself if i had been in there shoes!

Also, you cant exactly start shouting at the dogs to go away as this will make an already nervous horse a lot more nervous!!

Anyway, to make a long story short , can people please be a bit more aware of keeping dogs controlled on their own premises, dogs should not be allowed to roam outside their property for fear of them causing an accident, either to themselves or motorists, peole out walking or people out on horses.

And I am NOT saying dogs should be ted up all day, just make sure their run/yard is secure they cannot get out from it!

Morganna

I know the feeling well .

PinkTulips

+ 1000

it drives me mad that i can't walk with my kids around here despite us being surrounded by lovely country roads as every second house has a huge dog roaming free.

yes most are harmless and most of the rest p1ss off whhen you shout at them but on several occasions i actually feared for my kids

once when walking my daughter aged 3 to playschool and pushing my 2 year old son in the buggy. i heard a noise over the sound of the buggy on gravel and looked around thinking someone was wallking behind us to see a huge bulldog poised to pounce right behind dd... he ran when i shouted but lord knows what would have happened if i hadn't glanced round :mad: this dog is always roaming loose on the street and can be very aggressivewwhen you walk on the road outside his house, clearly he perceives it as his territory.

another house has several bulldogs who scared my kids badly running at them and barking, the street here has no opposite footpath and they clearly think the patch outside their gate is theirs. one one occasion they were going nuts barking at me with 2 tiny kids and i was making a fair bit of noise back to keep them away... the owner comes out of a shed, whistles, the dogs ignore him and he fecks off back inside :mad: so he has no control over them and doesn't care that they're menacing little kids! those dogs were complined about so much that he's had to put electric collars on them now to keep them contained... they were hunting rabbits in the field behind the school fgs!

drives me mad that people care so little... i'd love a dog too but i have the sense to know my garden isn't secure so it's not going to happen

Officer Giggles

this problem is widespread throughout the country, you see dogs running out of a garden after people running/walking past, i cant understand why their owners cant secure their peoperty as when the dog ends up getting run over they will blame evryone in the world apart from themselves

trad

What makes you think that bringing a half ton of horse on any road is safe.

As a "road user" you take the same risks a a cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian, motorist takes, after all more than 300 people die on our roads each year.

If you use the road there is always a risk, in your case in just happens to be a dog but a motorcyclist runs the risk of skidding on horse **** as much as oil on the road. A hazard is a hazard and you have to expect hazards on the roads if you are a road user.

doctor evil

I know the feeling OP. I find it best to shout 'bad/bold/bed/Git' loudly at the dog, it may work. It can also stop your horse from acting out. If a dog does go for turn the horse around and go for the dog! Nine times out of ten the dog will quickly change its mind and run away. A dog is more likey to chase something running away. It is much safer to keep talking to the horse to comfort it. Don't eyeball the ball as the horse will sense you doing so and act accordingly.

I do most of my hacking on roads and I always have my hat on and both horse and I are lathered in hi-hiv. A vest on the rider is not enough as it can be hidden if a horse put its head up. Good idea to brush up on hand signals as well.

doctor evil

trad wrote: »

What makes you think that bringing a half ton of horse on any road is safe.

With due respect and caution by all parties a road can be a safe place to be.

Inishowen Girl

Im sorry but i dont think u should have a horse on a road ok if its smaller country roads, but on my way to work today a girl was on a main road riding her horse and there were 5 cars behind her that could not get past cos bad road which made me late for work 10 mins i was stuck bahind her. dont get me wrong i love horses just not on main roads.

Frank3142

same happens us when out hacking, just toughen up, the horse will get used to it , think of it as training. i dont see why dogs should be confined either

doctor evil

Inishowen Girl was there somewhere safe where the rider could tuck in and signal for drivers to pass?

If she was an ignorant rider with no road sense or hi-viz then I do share your pain, but unfortunately sometimes there are things that cannot be helped.

What kind of main road was this? In my experience small country can be death traps due to their narrow winding nature with reduced visibility. People tend to drive faster on these.

When I'm riding on the road I wear hi-viz on horse and myself, hard hat and I regularly check behind and will wave people to pass if it is safe to do so. Sometimes drivers will have to wait if the road is windy (never too long as I tend to trot on). I would never be stupid enough to wave someone onto a blind corner! Just asking for trouble. I also take great pains in acknowledging other roads users with a smile/nod/wave/eye contact.

doctor evil

Frank3142 wrote: »

i dont see why dogs should be confined either

Everyone else can! For other people safety and their property. Also, for the dogs own safety itself. Roaming dogs killing sheep and terrorising them is a big problem for farmers.

missloulou

+1000

i used to to a lot of hacking on small country roads and R roads too, dogs are meant to be secure in a yard/ garden. They should not be allowed to roam freely onto the road. Thankfully my horse just ignores them.

Demonique

Inishowen Girl wrote: »

Im sorry but i dont think u should have a horse on a road ok if its smaller country roads, but on my way to work today a girl was on a main road riding her horse and there were 5 cars behind her that could not get past cos bad road which made me late for work 10 mins i was stuck bahind her. dont get me wrong i love horses just not on main roads.

Horses have a legal right to be on the road, suck it up.

ISDW

I'm not a horse owner or rider, but they do have a right to be on a road, drivers need to make allowances for delays in their journey. What if it had been a tractor in front, they go very slow, I get stuck behind at least one every day around here.

It is the bane of my life, trying to walk my dogs around here, and these are quiet country roads, dogs come flying out at them, when mine react, the owners generally seem to think its my dogs, who are on leads that have the problem.

trad

Demonique wrote: »

Horses have a legal right to be on the road, suck it up.

Everyone has a right to be on the road. Surely horses only have a right to be on the road under the control of a person, otherwise they are an extreme hazard.

babystrawberry

Frank3142 wrote: »

same happens us when out hacking, just toughen up, the horse will get used to it , think of it as training. i dont see why dogs should be confined either

I can see how you could class this as trainign and getting the horse used to it, but mepoint is what if he kicked and injured one of the dogs bad .... i am immediately going to be the 'bad one!' Also Frank3142 .... I dont need to 'toughen up', more than capable of riding in these situations... just feel that some, not all , dog owners should have a bit more responsibkility with their dogs

I would not agree with your point of not agreeing to dogs being 'confined'. You possibly misunderstood what I was getting at originally. Dogs should be kept within the boundaries of their own garden when not supervised, they should not be allowed to dash out of their garden and be a danger to not only themselves but others also. Dogs being 'confined' to a very small space continously without no excercise/physical stimulation is something I would not agree with, that is what I would class as confined.

giddybootz

trad wrote: »

Everyone has a right to be on the road. Surely horses only have a right to be on the road under the control of a person, otherwise they are an extreme hazard.

I'm fairly sure Demonique meant under the control of a person...surely that is obvious?

And dogs have a right to play...on their secure private property or under supervision of a person. Having them run around loose on a road is dangerous for many reasons...for them and for othe humans and animals.

babystrawberry

doctor evil wrote: »

I know the feeling OP. I find it best to shout 'bad/bold/bed/Git' loudly at the dog, it may work. It can also stop your horse from acting out. If a dog does go for turn the horse around and go for the dog! Nine times out of ten the dog will quickly change its mind and run away. A dog is more likey to chase something running away. It is much safer to keep talking to the horse to comfort it. Don't eyeball the ball as the horse will sense you doing so and act accordingly.

I do most of my hacking on roads and I always have my hat on and both horse and I are lathered in hi-hiv. A vest on the rider is not enough as it can be hidden if a horse put its head up. Good idea to brush up on hand signals as well.

Totally agree with the hi vis, always have it as well as on the horses, its essentail these days, people go way too fast on the back roads. No point in motorists looking for an excuse to say they have not seen you

convert

I've had the same problem when I've been out hacking. The neighbours' alsatian came out of the garden and actually bit my horse. He's been terrified of all big dogs since then, though at least he now trusts our sheepdogs again. Luckily the neighbours' relations saw the dog go for the horse so it saved us from having to talk to them, but it's only recently that I've been able to take the horse past the house again.

The worst thing is that the dog doesn't just chase the horse; people (especially with dogs on leads) are afraid to walk or cycle past the house!

It's a nightmare when people don't keep their dogs under control. They can be so dangerous for all concerned. It's not that difficult to keep a dog on the lead or to fence them in properly.

Anytime I bring my dogs anywhere, they're always kept on a lead in a public place and they aren't allowed out on the road at home.

Adults, children, cyclists, horses, cars, tractors and lorries all have a right to use the road, but all should use it with due consideration for other road users. It only takes one inconsiderate user to ruin it for the others!

babystrawberry

convert wrote: »

Adults, children, cyclists, horses, cars, tractors and lorries all have a right to use the road, but all should use it with due consideration for other road users. It only takes one inconsiderate user to ruin it for the others!

+1

evogirl

a different side to this story, theres a riding stable near where i live. every day while driving i meet people out riding with no consideration for other road users. as well as riding two abreast (the road is barely wide enough for cars to pass) they have two fcukers of dogs with them too whose favourite passtime is chasing cars. and i bet if there was ever an accident they'd be the first to blame the driver :mad:

babystrawberry

evogirl wrote: »

a different side to this story, theres a riding stable near where i live. every day while driving i meet people out riding with no consideration for other road users. as well as riding two abreast (the road is barely wide enough for cars to pass) they have two fcukers of dogs with them too whose favourite passtime is chasing cars. and i bet if there was ever an accident they'd be the first to blame the driver :mad:

As convert said earlier, it takes one inconsiderate user to spoil it for the rest

If you are out on the roads with a horse (s) then you should be responsible enough to do it in a safe and proper fashion. It is nice to ahve the dogs out with you but rwally should not be done if they have no control like that over the dogs

doctor evil

If it is defiantely a riding school try complaining to the AIRE, that is if they are registered with them.

http://www.aire.ie/

Have you tried talking to the YO or riders themselves about the no hi-viz and road craft?

The riding two a breast on the road can be defensive riding the same way in which cyclists go two abreast. Three a breast I am pretty sure is illegal. Is it all the riders there or just particular ones?

evogirl

doctor evil wrote: »

If it is defiantely a riding school try complaining to the AIRE, that is if they are registered with them.

http://www.aire.ie/

Have you tried talking to the YO or riders themselves about the no hi-viz and road craft?

The riding two a breast on the road can be defensive riding the same way in which cyclists go two abreast. Three a breast I am pretty sure is illegal. Is it all the riders there or just particular ones?

have tried talking to the owner but with no result. like talking to a brick wall :rollseyes: the riders from what i can tell are mostly teenagers. at this point i just try to avoid driving that road.

evogirl

doctor evil, just spotted the link there now. thanks for that. :)its something i will definatly look at, as the problem only gets worse during school holidays with more kids out riding.

doctor evil

Maybe you could the traffic warden as well, the Gardi have a mounted unit so there should be someone who knows what they are on about. Stress about safety and young people.

evogirl

doctor evil wrote: »

Maybe you could the traffic warden as well, the Gardi have a mounted unit so there should be someone who knows what they are on about. Stress about safety and young people.

actually not a bad idea at all

convert

It's always a good idea to take a positive approach when talking to people about such things. Something along the lines of it's great to see youngsters enjoying outdoor sports, etc, but that you feel they could potentially open to safety issues with loose dogs and horses and riding 2 or 3 abreast on narrow roads with the speed at which traffic travels.

I did a riding and road safety test when I was in the pony club and as well as giving me great confidence to ride on my own on the road, it also stressed the necessity of being a considerate and polite roaduser, not to mention safety issues.

Riding 2 abreast is fine, but if meeting traffic we'd always move into single file to allow traffic more room to pass. If on a very narrow road I'd step up on the grass margin or trot to the nearest gateway, depening on vehicle and situation.

Wolfsberg

I grew up with horses so I know how to deal with them when I am driving, as I feel everyone else should too if driving in the country.

...Something that has always seemed strange to me though is that in this country to drive my car on the road I have to be: 1. 17 years old or more 2. pass a test and hold a driving licence. 3. pay for insurance 4. pay for tax 5. have my vehicle's road-worthyness tested. 6. Wear a seatbelt. 7. Be completely sober.

Yet people who want to ride out on the roads can legally do so without any of the above requirements, while perched 6 or 7 feet up on what is a notoriously unpredictable and easily-spooked animal that if it bolted could do serious damage to property, itself, other road users and the person on the horse.
I have also seen hip flasks being passed around at hunts, where the riders are using the roads to get from field to field.

I know that horses and horse riding is an integral part of Irish country life but if riders don't feel safe on the roads, maybe they should keep in the fields. Which is where I always prefered to do my horse riding.

That said, I will still continue to call my dogs in when they harrass anyone passing by. And I will continue to slowly overtake horses with a wide birth and halt for oncoming horses... as everyone else should.

Buzyizzy

In an ideal world there would be a lovely network of bridleways which would mean horses would never have to use any roads where cars go. Sadly, with the decline of off-road riding, we are all having to make allowances. We don't want to be on the road, it's a darn sight safer away from it, but we are only there because we have no choice.
Can I also point out that the number of leisure cyclists who block, and I do mean block, the roads up at the weekends, is unreal. They are selfish and inconsiderate of other road users, ride two or three abreast in the middle of the road and refuse to move over.
Riders of the equine kind would never, ever do that. I had to stay behind one group of cyclists for four miles the other day and we passed numerous places to pull in. I work all weekend as a community health care assistant and it really annoyed me!!

Jayop

evogirl wrote: »

a different side to this story, theres a riding stable near where i live. every day while driving i meet people out riding with no consideration for other road users. as well as riding two abreast (the road is barely wide enough for cars to pass) they have two fcukers of dogs with them too whose favourite passtime is chasing cars. and i bet if there was ever an accident they'd be the first to blame the driver :mad:

If it's the same as cycling then they probably ride two abreast for safety to stop plebs of drivers passing them out when it's completely unsafe to do so.

Jayop

Buzyizzy wrote: »

In an ideal world there would be a lovely network of bridleways which would mean horses would never have to use any roads where cars go. Sadly, with the decline of off-road riding, we are all having to make allowances. We don't want to be on the road, it's a darn sight safer away from it, but we are only there because we have no choice.
Can I also point out that the number of leisure cyclists who block, and I do mean block, the roads up at the weekends, is unreal. They are selfish and inconsiderate of other road users, ride two or three abreast in the middle of the road and refuse to move over.
Riders of the equine kind would never, ever do that. I had to stay behind one group of cyclists for four miles the other day and we passed numerous places to pull in. I work all weekend as a community health care assistant and it really annoyed me!!

Cyclists are advised to ride two abreast for safety reasons.

Cherry Blossom

Buzyizzy, welcome to boards. Please note though that it is considered poor etiquette to bump up old threads and this one is dated 2009. We also have an equestrian forum here on boards if you want to check that out.

Thread closed.