Motorbikes & Horses

Originally Posted by carternd

Why not? They are allowed on the roads and allowed to enjoy riding. Just like we do.

I see a fair few horses on my rides due to being in the sticks. Always slow for them, give them space and cut the noise, sometimes pull over. Always get thanked.

It WOULD be nice if they could clear up after themselves, but the horse doesn't exactly make a big song and dance of taking a dump, so the rider may well not know. If you can't live with hazards on the road, ride trackdays or go on a train. Mud, horse turds and gravel in the middle of the corners are the flipside to pretty, bendy rural roads with not too many cars and no police.

Back to the O.P. getting thrown is a hazard of horse riding, so I can't see why the woman won't accept responsibility for her own actions. It's common knowledge that pillocks use the roads as well as decent people. I hope the police threw the book at the pillock as well, come to that. He obviously doesn't have any consideration for anyone else, otherwise he would insure himself and have appropriate training for his vehicle.

Why can't people accept the right of everyone to use the roads?

Sensible post

Most horses do their business as they are moving along, so half the time you don't know they've done it anyway!

I think the biggest problem here is the blame 'em/sue 'em culture that has sprung up in recent years.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

....
Horse poo is just another one of the hazards of riding that we should be watching for IMO. Are we going to moan about everything about the road surface that can cause us a problem?

Lets say pit lorries shouldn't be allowed on the roads because they can spill gravel. Or sewers shouldn't be laid under roads 'cos they need manhole covers. Or the roads should be lined with electric fences to prevent roadkill.

I don't know much about horses or many people who ride them, but I don't have an issue with horses on the road.

This case of a motorbike rider getting sued is the result of the person riding the horse, and that same personality could just as easily have been involved in an incident when on a bicycle, or a car, or even another motorbike, that ended up with her trying to sue. The horse only created the scenario.

Another sensible post

[Littlepeahead]

I have ridden horses and bikes, and always appreciated and acknowledged any driver slowing down, taking it wide and then pulling away again smoothly when I was on the horse. I do the same now for them if I am in the car or on the bike. It's just showing respect for other road users. My steady old horse bolted when I was riding through a field and a van backfired on the other side of the fence and spooked him. He slammed me into a tree branch. Even the most bombproof animal will just occasionally have an off day.