I posted back in may about a horrible old man who deliberately spooked my horse while out hacking. He shouted at me that I shouldn’t be riding there (everyone has the right to walk dogs/ride horses whatever there) and that I needed to clean up after him (my horse hadn’t left a mess and never does).
Realised it was the man at the bottom of the road. Since then I have made every effort to smile and then and thank them when they move. Even tho they feel they should walk up the middle of the road and not let cars past.
Tonight I was hacking down past his house. There is a small garden and the road is a single carriageway. He saw me come down. He waited until we were parallel so perhaps 5 meters away and in a straight line. He then started his lawnmower. Robin jumped and took a couple of steps back and generally got quite a fright. Never mind I think, non horsey people don’t know what will spook a horse. Ok so he got a big fright but never mind, these things happen even tho it was clear by the timing and him look ag us that it was deliberate. I gave him a second to have a look and asked him to walk on again. He was worried and he bananed past. Old man saw what was happening and put his head down and quickly and determinedly stomped towards us. Walking far too fast to be simply cutting the grass and not actually looking where he was going.
He knew exactly what he was doing. And stopped again once we were past. Next time I will be phoning the police. There was a lot of clattering feet but he had mower on so he may not have heard but he knew what was happening. Occasionally hacking people inadvertently spook horses. That’s life, we can cope with it and even non horsey folk realise there is an issue and try to apologise or rectify and I always thanks them hugely and also apologise.
I’m not sure what his aim is. I presume to stop me riding.
Realised it was the man at the bottom of the road. Since then I have made every effort to smile and then and thank them when they move. Even tho they feel they should walk up the middle of the road and not let cars past.
Tonight I was hacking down past his house. There is a small garden and the road is a single carriageway. He saw me come down. He waited until we were parallel so perhaps 5 meters away and in a straight line. He then started his lawnmower. Robin jumped and took a couple of steps back and generally got quite a fright. Never mind I think, non horsey people don’t know what will spook a horse. Ok so he got a big fright but never mind, these things happen even tho it was clear by the timing and him look ag us that it was deliberate. I gave him a second to have a look and asked him to walk on again. He was worried and he bananed past. Old man saw what was happening and put his head down and quickly and determinedly stomped towards us. Walking far too fast to be simply cutting the grass and not actually looking where he was going.
He knew exactly what he was doing. And stopped again once we were past. Next time I will be phoning the police. There was a lot of clattering feet but he had mower on so he may not have heard but he knew what was happening. Occasionally hacking people inadvertently spook horses. That’s life, we can cope with it and even non horsey folk realise there is an issue and try to apologise or rectify and I always thanks them hugely and also apologise.
I’m not sure what his aim is. I presume to stop me riding.
(to be clear I am not suggesting they do or in fact would do, that)
