I spend quite a bit of time on s/c rural roads and encounter quite a few pedestrians/cyclists/ horses and riders and never seem to have any of these problems. Is it a mindset thing? I honestly have no idea as to why.
Something I’ve wondered about for a while. How come Rabbits, Horses, Deer and cows all eat grass, yet their droppings are different. Is it a case of I don’t know ■■■■? 
Superhampton1980:
Uncle Albie:
You can clearly see why we get such a bad name from other road users (who are just as entitled to use the roads as us) when you read through some of these posts.
It’s very clear some lorry drivers do not have a clue around horses and are only interested in themselves and anyone that slows their progress should not be on the road.
Selfish and ignorant and no respect.I have met many a horse and rider on the road, but have never encountered one coming last second and me committed to an incline. If I do see them I’m more than happy to slow and give way if I have to, plus it’s nice to get a lovely smile of the females that are on most of these horses. So as for your no respect nonsense, that’s not true
Sorry but it is true maybe not in your case but certainly with plenty other drivers.
My sister runs a riding school and also holds a class one.
She encounters morons everyday some in cars and some in lorries.
Not slowing down blasting their horns and leaving little or no distance when passing.
According to her it is about 50 50.
Some very courteous and some very rude and ignorant
andy_s:
Something I’ve wondered about for a while. How come Rabbits, Horses, Deer and cows all eat grass, yet their droppings are different. Is it a case of I don’t know [zb]?
Rabbits and Horses have single stomach systems and do most of the digestion in the intestines whereas Cows and Deer are Ruminants with 4 stomachs the rumen the reticulum the omasum and the abomasum that’s why they chew the cud or eat food twice so get a lot more nutrients and goodness out of their food whereas horses an Rabbits don’t that’s why if food is scarce they can eat their own ■■■!
The four Stomach thing is something I’ve never forgotten since college it’s not got me far … something to ruminate on I guess!
If your lucky enough to spot them early do what I do ,stop, brakes on, engine off,works in my favour everytime , end up getting a nice smile and a thank you from the young ladies riding them,also makes you feel good for the day
I’ve never understood the attraction in wearing a funny hat and having something resembling Celine Dion between your legs, occasionally defecating on the highway.
Muckaway:
I’ve never understood the attraction in wearing a funny hat and having something resembling Celine Dion between your legs, occasionally defecating on the highway.
Haa Haa!
I’ve wondered about Horses nowadays they are basically leisure or sport items or an expensive pet, even if the odd one makes it into a lasagne every now and then they are in my mind pointless. but saying that they do keep people employed like yourself and my old man’s done a bit of digger work for some stables here and there, and obviously a lot more businesses turn a nice profit from them in some way or another so I guess they do have their place.
I do think they should be respected on the roads like anything else out there but you do also have to remember they are an animal that could go nuts at any random thing NOT just vehicles so maybe this should be taken into consideration before any blame is heaped on a driver who’s at least made an effort to pass with some care?
That wasn’t all aimed at you either Muckaway sorry. think I’m just airing my views on Horses which are probably a little conflicting
Muckaway:
good_friend:
After a lifetime of riding the ferrari version of horseBlack stallion between your legs, ■■■■■■■■?
You offering??
RB84:
… obviously a lot more businesses turn a nice profit from them in some way or another so I guess they do have their place.I do think they should be respected on the roads like anything else out there but you do also have to remember they are an animal that could go nuts at any random thing NOT just vehicles so maybe this should be taken into consideration before any blame is heaped on a driver who’s at least made an effort to pass with some care?
That wasn’t all aimed at you either Muckaway sorry. think I’m just airing my views on Horses which are probably a little conflicting
You might want to google ‘Lambourn’. Some of those are worth a blinkin fortune
Are they still used in burgers?
eagerbeaver:
Are they still used in burgers?
The BurgerKing in Newmarket a big racing town had horse emblems across the serving counter made me chuckle when it was said they were apparently using horsemeat too!
Good Friend I don’t doubt they still have a place in this world but their role has changed from years gone by and they are now a leisure pursuit more than anything else and I do think riders should take a lot of the responsibility when taking them along roads as they are an unpredictable animal at the end of the day. No one wants an accident but when you’ve got half a tonne or more of spooked horse and traffic things can unfortunately go wrong
I believe the driver is a genuine and considerate driver . However he (by his own admission )is not a book learned man. None the worse for this except that some of the things he says make no sense to us overqualified anoraks. I do not believe for a moment that he really meant what he said about building up momentum round the hairpin .What that would literally mean is that he was accelerating into it . Even my little ford maverick will lose the back end if I did that on a hairpin,especially on a LH bend. I would never even dream of doing it with the wagon and drags I used to drive.
What I believe he meant was that as he rounded the hairpin he was gradually applying more throttle . To a non truck driver this may well have sounded as if the truck was being accelerated towards the horse when it was merely the injector pump spitting more fuel into the engine.Add to this the increasing whistle of the turbocharger .
When I first learnt to ride ,it was on a lead rein and straight out onto the road .(precious few schools in those days . We (me ,10 ) learned from day one about how to ride in traffic.It is about observation and using all your senses . The rider in question should have been well aware of the lorry long before it came into view. My response would have been a swift dig in the ribs to Bob the notacob to wake up and that I was in control and "on watch ". He would have then totaly ignored the truck (but had heart failure at a pigeon in a bush further round the corner).
I regret to say that while maybe 5% of drivers are bad with horses ,95% of riders scare the hell out of me when we are on the road. Talk about putting your self in harms way!
And sadly those of us who have been around horses long enough have witnessed the effects of a horse on car collision. Some have lost horses ,some of us have lost family or friends. And no car driver is immune to the impact of a 500kg horse,We dont ride on the roads because we like it . It scares the hell out of most of us.
Read more at horseandhound.co.uk/forums/s … ofUGrw5.99
eagerbeaver:
Are they still used in burgers?
Seems like they’ve taken up music.
I have two horses at complete ends of the scale. One is traffic proof and the other is a work in progress. If the OP had come across me and my nutjob in the same manner as was described in the OP, I would have been delighted as 20 MPH we can deal with. I have only ever made one complaint and that was a lorry that didn’t slow down at all but I do send emails of thanks to all the ones that slow down, allowing my horses to see that they are not a threat and get used to them so when we do meet one that speeds past, they can cope with it.
I’d like to thank all of the drivers that do slow down as it is these that are helping me with my pony to get her roadsafe and it took me a while before I took her on the road as we have done a lot of training on the yard first.
As for riding in fields, often yard owners will not let you use their fields. There is also the issue of getting to the offroad areas - where we need to go onroad to get to them.
dieseldog999:
wheres the issue when mrs pretencious nimby is on the other side of the road…you can just close your eyes and see her…its not only a police horse that has an a hole halfway up its back…tell your boss to have her come in and complain to your face,then tell her to do one.
Just to assuage some sweeping predjudice 
My sis rides and works with horses for a living , she’s a groom. Done it years and years. The horse owners treat her badly but she stays in it as she loves working with horses and all she knows (familiar story perhaps). She’s not a nimby, just a working class lass with a young daughter. She is very pro hgv. She’s had a few scares. Broke her back once and ended up being airlifted after a horse bolted. She said most people do their very best around horses and it’s only the odd nob end who tries to make some sort of issue.
Occasionally having been around my sis’ and idly thumbing through “horsey” trade magazines like horse and hound they do seem much more engaged and grateful of working with road haulage than the cycling lot.
Op, I feel for you as sounds like you were caught by surprise a bit by the brow of the hill. I guess Rog is correct though. Perhaps you could’ve slowed up instead of contueing at the same speed. Also a reminder to all of us, even those like me who only drive cars now 
the maoster:
I spend quite a bit of time on s/c rural roads and encounter quite a few pedestrians/cyclists/ horses and riders and never seem to have any of these problems. Is it a mindset thing? I honestly have no idea as to why.
Well you can cross George Michael off your list!
good_friend:
Muckaway:
good_friend:
After a lifetime of riding the ferrari version of horseBlack stallion between your legs, ■■■■■■■■?
You offering??
I’d have to black up and although I find it rather amusing, it’s apparently racist. 
eagerbeaver:
Are they still used in burgers?
Why not? They do on the continent, it’s good meat. I wouldn’t want to eat my own, but I have an agreement with a friend that when the bomb drops and we need food, I’ll eat hers and she’ll eat mine 
cptrayes:
I’ll eat hers and she’ll eat mine
I got married for that deal.
Muckaway:
cptrayes:
I’ll eat hers and she’ll eat mineI got married for that deal.
No woman who’s got a horse needs a man