Post by ruftytuftyrider on Jan 6, 2011 13:12:58 GMT
Over the christmas period oh, daughter and I went to Hatton Country Park. Had just turned on to the road that Hatton is off when out from a field on to the road rides three horses all probably about 16 hands two of whom were leading small ponies about 10 or 11 hands.
I have to say the small ponies were both behaving very well but the horses were all on their toes, all over the road with the riders have very little (if any) control.
My husband had pulled right over to the opposite side of the road to give them as much room as possible and had come to a halt as one of the horses had been dancing in the middle of the road in front of us. All of the horses performed but the last horse only missed hitting our car by millimetres - I was expecting a back hoof through the window!
I do not know whether the fact that two of the riders were leading small ponies affected the control the riders had over their horses or not but none of the riders were in control of their horses and were a danger to all other road users.
I do not believe that the horses were "scared" of the traffic as traffic was very light and the car coming in the opposite direction waited a distance away and my husband and the car behind pulled up as far into the verge as it was possible to do to give the horses plenty of space.
As horse riders we expect drivers to respect us and to drive in a manner that does not cause danger to us and our horses so surely as horse riders we owe car drivers the same level of respect to not ride in such a manner that causes danger to other road users. If you cannot ride your horse safely on the road then you should not ride it on the road.
This is not a case of the horses being spooked and reacting which is a completely different matter than riding without being in control.
I have to say the small ponies were both behaving very well but the horses were all on their toes, all over the road with the riders have very little (if any) control.
My husband had pulled right over to the opposite side of the road to give them as much room as possible and had come to a halt as one of the horses had been dancing in the middle of the road in front of us. All of the horses performed but the last horse only missed hitting our car by millimetres - I was expecting a back hoof through the window!
I do not know whether the fact that two of the riders were leading small ponies affected the control the riders had over their horses or not but none of the riders were in control of their horses and were a danger to all other road users.
I do not believe that the horses were "scared" of the traffic as traffic was very light and the car coming in the opposite direction waited a distance away and my husband and the car behind pulled up as far into the verge as it was possible to do to give the horses plenty of space.
As horse riders we expect drivers to respect us and to drive in a manner that does not cause danger to us and our horses so surely as horse riders we owe car drivers the same level of respect to not ride in such a manner that causes danger to other road users. If you cannot ride your horse safely on the road then you should not ride it on the road.
This is not a case of the horses being spooked and reacting which is a completely different matter than riding without being in control.
It definitely is against the law not to be in control.