kids riding around in traffic ...

notpoodle

notpoodle

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Jul 16, 2003
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we have a busy (at times!) 40mph road outside the yard, which we have to cross to get out of the driveway etc.

was just in the driveway with angel when i spotted two young girls (13 maybe?) on two very prancy looking ponies (hi viz clad, luckily!) approaching on the (wide) pavement on the other side of the road.

i waited as i thought it'd be better to let them clear and then cross over myself. when suddenly the two prancy ponies took umbridge at the fenceline alongside the pavement ... next thing i know, one has backed into the road, the girl looked like she had little to no control ... whilst the other is halfway in the road ... cars are now backing up and whatnot ...

i opted to cross over and offer them a 'lead' past the fence and OFF THE MAIN ROAD, which they were grateful for (how i love my bombroof little angelpony!!) ....

when i mentioned this round the yard later i learned that these two ponies are frequently seen in 'sticky' situations out on the roads :unsure:

i have to say i'm horrified! ponies that are blatantly NOT safe on the roads (let alone for kids!) should surely not be out without an escort/calm horse and definitely not alongside a busy, fast road .... argh!!

sorry, had to vent ...

julia
x
 
I have to say I am guilty of this - and I hate that we are, but I can't fix the problem any other way.

Though thankfully not to this extent and I have control. Madam will spin on a six pence and take for home - we have learnt to compromise - she will stand when I ask if there are cars coming, then argue the toss (Which I win inevitably) about where we are going.

I am blessed in having the most ridiculously unspooky pony though :D and if she does spook I can feel her thinking about it. But she is always lead pony through road works etc ... just double decker buses we dont like!
 
getting horses used to traffic is one thing (eg im out on foot with appley a lot and we have had the occasional whoopsee near the road) but two young inexperienced kids out by themselves on clearly unsafe ponies is another i think ...
 
No jsut thought I should confess to sometimes being that rider that ****es off a driver before agreeing with you as it would have been hypocritical :giggle:
 
We were once out in the car went past some young girls on horses, by went past i mean wide and slow, one of the horses started prancing and put a nice dent on the car. I know things like this can happen but girl had no insurance and i was concerned if someone had of been whizzing past close to her what the consequences of that would have been. . .
 
not worried about peeing off drivers but was very concerned about these girls safety (and that of their ponies) espeially if their escapades are a regular occurence. anyone can have a mishap but i wouldnt let my kids (if i had any) out riding in traffic unsupervised on ponies who are that nervy.
 
I do think that there should be some law about children out and about on horses on the road anyway. You have be 17 to be in control of a car so i do think an age limit for an animal should be applied, we all know that a horse can be unpredicatable if the circumstances are right and i do think if people are riding on the road they should have some sort of insurance.

Someone i know who has a 13/14 yr old daughter won't let her walk their dog as they feel it's too big for her it's a doberman. but yet they let her out on her own on a horse. I don't understand the logic of this.
 
have to agree with Pharoh about age limits if un-supervised.

My friends daughter rides out with me, shes 13, fairly responsible and i feel i have 'taught' her well with regards to hacking safety (wearing hi-viz, arm signals, distances, safe road routes etc etc) but i would be worried to see her going out with other 'kids'....on our yard theres two kids who are allowed to cross the road and ride around the fields on their own, they must be only 10 and 11, but have been riding all their lives, are very confident and capable riders on two ponies who are very safe and bombproof and the route only has about 50m of road....although i still worried when i heard but they are safe riders and unlikely to face issues like the prancing ponies you mention.
 
It is slightly worrying if young girls are being left to deal with this regularly on their own - but then again if they don't have horsey parents etc then there may not be adults willing to assist/escort them (not saying that it's right just that they may not have anyone willing to help)
 
pharoah said:
I do think that there should be some law about children out and about on horses on the road anyway. You have be 17 to be in control of a car so i do think an age limit for an animal should be applied, we all know that a horse can be unpredicatable if the circumstances are right and i do think if people are riding on the road they should have some sort of insurance.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. My parents made me do my BHS riding and road safety test when I was 10 and I am so glad they did. I learnt about the highway code and lot's of safety that I am sure helped keep me safe on the roads. Like telling a car to stop because there is danger (horse messing around).

I have seen so many near accidents and kids almost galloping onto roads. I also couldn't believe how many young kids were allowed to go out without Ki-Viz on from my old stables. So dangerous.
 
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