Something needs to be done!

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ajcameron, Feb 19, 8:26am
Taking my thoroughbred mare out today for a hack along the road. I always wear a high vis vest, everything was fine until i asked a car to slow down as he was speeding (at least 100 kmph) and my horse can be quite spooky when cars fly past. As he got closer and I am still asking him to slow down! His passenger throws a glass bottle out of the window and hit my horse then smashed on the ground. P****D off at this point I yelled at him to slow down plus a few expletives! My horse is flipping out at this point. He then pulls over and gets out of his car runs up to me and my horse and starts yelling and trying to intimidate me saying that i was "riding in the middle of the road and my horse nearly kicked his 40 thousand dollar mercedes" My horse then stood on his foot ( good riddance i say!) I was right over to the left side! he then threatens to call the cops. In the end I just turned around and rode away. Something seriously needs to be done about educating drivers, horses and riders have as much right to use the road! Some of us arent lucky enough to have riding facilities and hacking out is a great way to have fun and exercise our horses! in saying this their are alot of drivers who are fantastic and slow down and wave as they go past. I always make it a point to thank these drivers!

What do you guys think!
countrypete, Feb 19, 8:30am
I think the guy was a complete dork.I trust you got his rego number and plan to take it further.I also think you need to be thoughtful and careful about where you ride your horse.
friendly_prawn, Feb 19, 8:31am
"My horse then stood on his foot"
Was he grovelling around in pain!
berg, Feb 19, 8:33am
Road are for vehicles, paddocks are for horses. But the driver also was an idiot.
countrypete, Feb 19, 8:35am
Reading again, the thought occurred to me that possibly two arrogant gits met.
carmedic, Feb 19, 8:42am
LOL come to a motoring forum as an equestrian and say ???Something needs to be done!??
ajcameron, Feb 19, 8:44am
The road code clearly states.

Sharing the road with horse riders
Please show courtesy when sharing the road with horse traffic. Horses can take fright easily, so adjust your driving as soon as you see horses on the road ahead of you.

Safe driving near horses
???Slow down and pass carefully, giving the horse and rider plenty of room.
???Don't sound your horn, rev your engine or pass at speed, as this could frighten the horse.
???If the horse and rider are on a bridge or narrow road, be very careful ??
jmma, Feb 19, 8:45am
Not enough horsepower for Motoring (o:
kazbanz, Feb 19, 8:46am
Op --Just to be clear-not passing judgement butwere you "out hacking" on an open highway -ie besidesyou and your horse did the driver have a reason not to drive at 100km/h!Were you riding ON the road or beside the road!
EXACTLY what gesture did you use to "ask" the car to slow down!
Also you take pains to state its a thoroughbred mare ThereforeI wonder why this animal you know is skittish would be taken out on a public highway
Im just trying to get a mental image of the situationand at the momentI see a car driving legallyon a road and coming apon a horse who reacts violently
to the car driving past.
chito, Feb 19, 8:50am
A passenger throwing a bottle out of a $40,000 car has to be a drug dealer. I hope you reported the incident. There is no excuse for throwing bottles from cars.
gammelvind, Feb 19, 8:50am
Sadly when you have an idiot.
ajcameron, Feb 19, 8:54am
I was hacking on a road where the speed limit is 70 km/h. as there is no footpath on this road i was riding on as far left as i could go. The gesture is waving your arm slowly up and down as taught at pony club. not all thoroughbreds are skittish. Ive got 2 very quiet non skittish thouroghbreds. My girl is fine except when cars speed past her. the passenger threw a bottle at me if you read correctly, anyone in my situation either on a horse or not would have sworn. i did not "React Violently"
ajcameron, Feb 19, 8:58am
There are several horse signs i.e slow down for horses, on this road as there is alot of horses that graze down this road. I admit that i shouldnt have sworn but the guy threw a bottle at me!
kazbanz, Feb 19, 9:04am
well Op frankly it sounds like you encounered a doofus. by the actions of his passenger His 40k bmw is probably actually a 5k beater that he's fitted flash rims to. -what can yu do about it! well specifically I fguess you could report him for speeding I guess . Realistically the answer is theres nowt you can do. You are sharing the road with cars.

NOW--YOU are the perfect person to ask --I'm mostly a two wheel "driver"
How I deal with horsesis NOT to slow down but simply to reduce the noise by pulling the clutch in and shutting down the throttle when passing you.
I fugure 100 or 120 -I'm still going a lot faster than the horse so best I do it as quietly as poss
ajcameron, Feb 19, 9:08am
As in a motorbike! Then the best thing to do would be slow down as much as you can ( that is safe for you ) and give us plenty of room. I always make it a point to say thank you to cars and bikes who slow down or give us room if something does happen.
ajcameron, Feb 19, 9:08am
I wanted to hear your opinions.
friendly_prawn, Feb 19, 9:15am
In any situation wehre there is a horse on any part of the road, I would slow right down and drive past very slowly. It is the sensible thing for any one to do. Not only is there the danger of the horse doing a loopey when a car goes past, but there is also the danger the horse may run out in front of the car and ending up in the drivers lap. Anyone not slowing down is not behaving in a very sensible manner.

But I also have a sneaking suspicion that waving your arms around in the air like a bird, trying to force people to slow down mayget you some very angry reactions. We humans are strange creatures and dont like being told what to do. I wonder if you do your part and stick as far to the left as possible and let the motorist do their part might not be a far better ploy, then trying to force drivers to obey your wishes.

I could be wrong but it might be worth trying because the reality is if you strike a dangerous driver and he is going to speed past you there isnt a lot you can do about it.
yyasky, Feb 19, 9:38am
I don' think people in cars realise what kind of damage a horse can do. And how quick. My horses are quiet, but today I had a car zoom past from behind (about 100km) and didn't even shift slightly off the road. My extremely quiet horse got a bit of a fright. She didn't do anything but if she hadn't been so relaxed, the reaction would have been 10fold.
It scares me that some motorists seem to think that going fast past a horse is their best option. It might be for you, but that action could really hurt me:(

It would be great if we could all get on board, share the roads and work on something together.
seedy4, Feb 19, 9:46am
neo_psy, Feb 19, 10:09am
I'd disagree there - most bikes would be noisier to "slow down" using the gears then to pull the clutch, close the throttle and "glide" past.

Sounds like your encounter was with a complete d*ckhead. Sadly, NZ roads have heaps of them (and some horse people are just as bad).

Report it to plod and go on with your life.
dunfold, Feb 19, 10:46am
*wonders how some people manage to get and keep their license*.
ajcameron, Feb 19, 10:53am
Agreed.
net_oz, Feb 19, 11:09am
Maybe horse riders should have a licence.
Taking a horse that can be "quite spooky" onto the road is asking for trouble.
You would have to be brain dead to do it.
I. in no way condone the actions of the driver or car passenger.
carmedic, Feb 19, 11:14am
I'd like to hear yours, what do YOU think needs to be done!
i-n-horz, Feb 19, 11:24am
Would've jump'd out'a the saddle and snotted the prick.biff'n bottles aint on.
I always give horses plenty of room, if there's no on-coming traffic I'll swing completely over.on the scoot no matter what side of the road the horse and rider are on I'll depress the clutch and drop the throttle and roll on by.it's not hard to have a little common courtesy.