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Post by jor on Dec 19, 2005 19:53:12 GMT 1
I am a BHS gold member and have been for almost 10 years.
If anyone has any stories of drives causing problems, like everyone mentioned on this thread please will you email them to me?
I may start to compile letters of incidents on the road involving horses.
Special interest in those incidents reported to the police and then not followed through in a satisfactory mannar.
I may also set up a petition to help raise awareness amungst the general public about horses on the road.
If anyone has any Ideas please get in touch with me as Id be more than interested to hear them.
obvisouly road safety is something pretty important to me and im sure im not the only one who has lost a horse on the road.
I will actually copy this message to a new thread.
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Post by lucitania on Dec 19, 2005 20:32:19 GMT 1
Jo, your experience is simply horrifying, I don't blame you for feeling passionate abour road safety.
I live in a tiny village, which consists of one road turning into a single lane track at the bottom. The track then crosses a stream of about 5 ft wide an about a foot deep at the most, there is a footbridge across the stream, (it is a bridleway only) and horses/bl*ody motorbikes go through the stream. On other side of the stream there is another track linking a farm with a village, and some fields. It is not a through road either, neither an access route to anywhere. The track for the last 500 yards or so in our village is just wide enough for one single vehicle. Now the Wiltshire Country Council is fighting our little parish for upgrading the bridleway into a byway. Guess why....to allow 4x4 drives to ruin our peaceful village, endanger our little old ladies (who can't jump out of the way) and most importantly, make horse riding down the village track (the only way to ride out without going on the main road) a nightmare and bl*ody dangerous. What are we supposed to do on horseback when there is a stream of noisy vehicles either in front or back- there is nowhere to go, nowhere to turn or allow them to pass. WCC are adamant that the upgrade is going to happen, the trail riders think it is brilliant, and we the horse riders are genuinely afraid. We already have the occasional motorbike coming through the village, fast, making a lot of noise, and it is scary enough trying to get out of the way with my (large) dog, who is afraid of noise like that, let alone on a horse!
If anyone can think of a way to stop this upgrade from happening (the parish council have exhausted every possibility and they are really fighting this to the bitter end), then I would love to know. There has been a public inquiry, my friend and neighbour went, and there was a local horse-rider there actually speaking FOR the upgrade. She thought it would be useful, as her horse doesn't like to go through water....honestly...these public meetings are just a front, the WCC have made their mind up (it all comes down to horses being an 'elitist' sport, and if you can afford to keep horses and ride, then you can't be a very good Blairite. Just the same nonsense as with foxhunting ban ) and our safe, quiet village will soon be no more.
When someone drives past me without any consideration, I want to scream and shout after them, but I feel that would make it worse, and the next time the driver sees a horse, they might hit the gas on purpose....I feel the only thing I can do is thank every considerate driver profusely with a huge smile on my face, and hope that somehow they will then be more likely to break for the next horse they see. But as I have said sometimes before, some people really do need shooting...
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Post by sulasmum on Dec 19, 2005 21:04:32 GMT 1
I was always told that horses have the right of way over vehicles. I have got to the stage now where I dont even want to put my horse at risk by hacking out on the raod which really annoys me as she is so lovely to hack out on, after having two imbecilic drivers nearly run us off the road my nerves cannot stand it any more.
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Post by jill on Dec 19, 2005 22:19:51 GMT 1
Brilliant Jo - good on you for doing something. Too many people have plenty to say but aren't interested in doing anything. I include myself in that, but my reasons are because I'm currently up to my ears in other stuff. Let us all know how we can help though
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Post by Liz on Dec 19, 2005 22:30:03 GMT 1
Goodness me, JO R - what an horrific story. I have had a few near misses but nothing like those mentioned above, thank the Lord. Horses do have priority over motorised vehicles on the road just as steam gives way to sail on the high seas! I get quite incenced when I hear about plans to upgrase bridleways to allow noisy, oily, smelly, fume laden 4 x 4 and ATVs to pollute our countryside. If I sound like a NIMBY, I guess it's because I probably am!
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Post by sandy on Dec 19, 2005 22:43:50 GMT 1
Oh well - I haven't hacked out on the roads where I live for about 18 months. I just felt it was too dangerous. However I was tentatively thinking of trying again over the next few weeks. After reading this thread I don't think I'll bother. I'll stick to the fields and enjoy my quiet hacks without having to wait for the screech of brakes etc! Its a shame because my horse is really good in traffic but its just not worth putting both her life and my life at so much risk. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a horse through an RTA. I think you are all incredibly brave to keep going out on the roads.
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Post by circusdancer on Dec 19, 2005 23:03:55 GMT 1
The BHS did have a series of TV adverts highlighting the dangers but sadly they were shown at well after midnight. The BHS simply can't afford prime time slots!
If every horse owner were a Gold member, they might well be able to fund a premium advert every now and then. There are millions of us and 45 quid a year each would go a long way to making life safer for everyone.
Jo R, it made me cold to read of your experience. I have had a few run ins with idiots but on the whole drivers around here are usually very courteous thankfully. I've recently tried (failed sadly) to find the number of a van driver who went out of their way to protect my spooky pony on a bend, by slowing other drivers down. I'm sure that must have been a horsey person though to go to those lengths!
We should acknowledge the considerate drivers as well as the bad ones.
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Post by jor on Dec 19, 2005 23:13:58 GMT 1
PLEASE if anyone reading/posting on this thread would like to actively help can you PM me for my address.
It will take 10 minutes and the cost of a stamp to do your bit with a signed letter of support towards increasing awareness of horses on the road.
Ive decided to make this my new project....but I will need your help.
I know you all care about those horses who have died and who will die on the roads.
I am going to be in contact with an already running program called Horse Awareness as well as the BHS.
If I can get together just 100 signed letters to present to newspapers, BHS etc it may start to make a difference.
If anyone can think of a draft letter that people can copy, print and sign I would be most grateful, I just cant think at this time of night! Something just a few lines long expressing concern about number or incidents involving horses on the road and lack of awareness of drivers towards how to correctly pass a horse on the road and the need for more education of drivers AND horse riders.
If everyone had gone through the accident I have and all drivers could see what happened Im sure there would be a serious decrease inthe number of riders going out on the road without looking like christmas trees and more drivers taking a little more care.
I know there is a 'Be Safe Be Seen' type campaign going on, do they do those car stickers and posters?
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Post by lucitania on Dec 20, 2005 0:06:01 GMT 1
Jo, I wonder if you should find out from the BHS how many accidents there are per year and how many fatalities, and include that in your petition? CD- why not write a short piece for the locla paper to try and locate the driver? Not just because you want to thank him, but this would be a good way of advertising the right way of drivers behaving around horses....and perhaps encourage people to think and slow down for horses. I am one of those nutters who walks the dog looking like a Christmas tree! Oh, and the dog too- flashy collar, reflective coat and flashy/reflective belt as well. It is a bit creepy to see her running somewhere in the fields, and all you see is two red, flashing lights! I complement her with my (full) reflective vest -yes, it is bright!- head light, torch and reflective velcro strips on trousers. Trust me, you can see us coming! ;D I wear the vest for riding as well, even during the day this time of year ( and I get teased!). But these people don't realize that in this dull day light they are a lot less visible than they think. Well, this safety gear will really be needed soon, as the 4 x4's will be coming out way sometime this coming spring....our village is real Miss Marple-territory, this proper charming ENGLISH countryside with an active community spirit. But this current government has waged a war on civilized England and is doing everything they can to force us all to live in grey, horrid, dirty and noisy tower-blocks and join Prescott's "class war". (is anyone interested, anyone with a brain anyway...?) We do out bit to resist by refusing to do little things like walk our dogs on the lead on the village lane (some of these dogs have never seen a lead!) as if on some council estate and allowing the local hunt to use our lands for meetings. You see, every time I walk the 100 yards to the 150 yo post box with my dog running free, I believe I am committing some new anti-Blair offence! ;D In fact, when someone in the village gets a new puppy/kitten, it is mentioned in the newsletter, warning people to remember to break near the house in question, in case the puppy/kitten is out and about, Then you see people crawling past your house at 2 mph, fearfully glancing in all directions, keeping an eye out for said animal infant. You've got to love these old people!
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Post by hazelhorse on Dec 20, 2005 5:14:08 GMT 1
Jo you made my blood run cold and a few tears fall with the description of your accident, so surely it would do the same to any normal human car driver. If you are strong enough to relive the accident by using it as a header for a campaign, it must hit the spot, surely to goodness.
There are so many good drivers out there, but unfortunately, as with every other aspect of our lives today, the me, me, me, culture also affects those who feel they own the roads.
With regards to upgrading the track to a byway, if you can find any way to fight it do. I know of a track which was the only way out of a livery yard, which allowed a beautiful off road start to their hacking, which is now a byway, used by the "off roaders" so that it is a now rutted to a depth of a foot, and almost impassable. So much for allowing "access to the countryside for all" it's original users are now effectively excluded from using what for them was a rare off road track.
Certainly I would be more than happy to write in support of a campaign, if you can tell me the address to send it to, a name or reference and the kind of line you would like me to take.
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pip
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 3,797
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Post by pip on Dec 20, 2005 10:20:21 GMT 1
"I think there should be more bridlepaths for riders because of the traffic." Well so do I, I am on the Local Access Forum, secretary of a bridleways group and on the BHS committee. Bridlepaths will not just be created out of thin air. Private landowers do not want a bridlepath across their land and only a few will dedicate, the best bet for this is County Councils and "public owned" land or the odd large landowner like the where the Mary Townley route goes. All this "working for riders" is a huge slog, because many riders are very good at complaining but not very good at doing much, as all the other groups, ramblers, cyclists, trail riders, 4 x 4 drivers and the County Council keep saying. Of course we have our horses to look after, and a living to make to keep them. Any bridlepath improvement takes years. You can look into creating a toll ride where riders pay a subscription and the farmers get most of the money. This way the farmers make something out of riders and they know who is riding on their land. See www.tollrides.org.uk. This problem of horses on roads/bad drivers is not going to get better. I live in quite a quiet area but I sometimes feel relieved to have arrived home safely from my ride.
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tammy68
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by tammy68 on Dec 20, 2005 10:21:50 GMT 1
:)Hi Jo R. I have sent you an email offering support. Hopefully if others do the same then we may be onto someting and may be able to make a difference. Now that would be great!
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Post by Karon on Dec 20, 2005 11:59:51 GMT 1
I'm not entirely sure that showing horrific pics of horses in accidents would help. I know a fair few people who have the attitude that we shouldn't be on the roads at all anyway and wouldn't care about horses getting killed - they are far more interested in their cars. Showing what happens to a car in an accident with a horse would be more likely to hit people like that. I know these sort of people are probably the minority but they are the ones most likely to speed past without caring and cause an accident.
There is one local landowner who has been in a battle to close a bridleway on his land for years now, and someone recently (probably the same person) wrote to the local paper saying how selfish all us horse riders are, wanting to use the countryside and have more bridleways opened. He also went on to say we shouldn't be allowed on the roads (so I assume we're all supposed to ride round our 5,000 acre estates...).
A lot of people just don't like horse owners anyway, they think we're rich, stuck up and ignorant. Unfortunately, locally there are enough riders who certainly seem rude and ignorant to wind up a lot of drivers which doesn't help the rest of us. I can't see what we can do about that as a group - individually yes, we can all be polite, visible and considerate but that doesn't help if the driver coming up behind you last met a rude rider and thinks we're all the same.
I suppose making drivers aware of the fact that horses are indeed allowed on the roads, and driving on country lanes you are likely - shock, horror - to meet riders regularly, would probably help. I'm lucky where I keep mine, the lanes are very quiet normally and most people who drive on them seem to have a brain. But even then, there's still one driver who we meet regularly who hasn't got a clue and it only takes one like her to cause an accident.
I was a member of our local bridleway group but that seems to have gone quiet lately. I agree though that we all need to join groups like this - ours mainly set about getting routes marked clearly and made safe (as well as fighting the closure of the bridleway I mentioned above - I don't know what happened about that yet) but at least something is being done locally. Even with all the bridleways open though, we still have to ride on roads to get between routes.
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moose
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Post by moose on Dec 20, 2005 13:02:56 GMT 1
My horses are kept in a tiny village and there is superb off road hacking nearby. The only snag is that the road through the village which I have to go on for a short distance to get to the woods is unbelievably dangerous. It is only a B road but carries Alton Towers traffic along with traffic to the nearby JCB factory. Most cars go through the village at about 60 - 70 mph and some are easily doing in excess of that.
Other people nearby have had terrible incidents on the road, one lady has had 2 horses killed in separate incidents. Another had her very elderly horse driven into. I had a near miss when a motorbike nearly went into the back of my old horse, it would have hit her if she hadn't decided to get us both out of trouble by taking off at flat out gallop down a steep hill. I have written to the council to try and get a speed limit imposed but was told that there is insufficient development by the side of the road to warrant a speed limit?!? Another lady has also tried in vain to get a speed limit and compiled a petition. Apparently, the deaths of horses wont influence the matter, only when a rider gets killed will they consider a speed limit. The situation makes me so angry and I feel helpless to do anything. There are lots of 'minor' crashes with cars on a regular basis on this road.
If anyone can advise me on how to campaign for a speed limit please let me know what to do.
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cosmo
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Post by cosmo on Dec 20, 2005 13:40:01 GMT 1
Hi Jo - good for you. I recently had a incident involving my pony and his young rider, whilst it was only minor in comparison to some of the horrific stories on this thread, it has done enough to ruin my ponies confidence completely on the roads. I have written to the county, borough and parish councils and have also reported it to the BHS, in the hope that something gets done. Unfortunately in this case it seems to be one b*****d in particular that seems to be intent on causing an accident, as a friend was over taken by an identical car to that which struck my pony and the driver hurled abuse etc at her frightening her horse. Will contact you for your address
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