# Dangerous horse riders again



## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Went for a ride with the wife this morning. Cool. On a steep uphill stretch of a country lane we saw two young riders side by side coming towards us down the hill. When we were about 20 yards away I noticed a WVM waiting behind the horses when the youngster on the horse nearest the middle of the road waved the WVM through and into our path so me and the misses had to dive onto the pavement.

I shouted at the girl to the effect "you stupid little cow" - not very nice but then she tried her best to have us plastered onto the front of a tranny van. The gormless cow didn't reply but I was too concerned for the wife who ended up on her arse on the pavement.

Firstly these two idiots are two abreast going over a brow of a hill and then they disregard our presence by waving a van through which underlines what I already knew: large beasts like horses being ridden by kids on public roads are a bloody nuisance at best and lethal at worst.

The wife is Ok, a bit shook up but I hope it doesn't put her off biking. At least next time she comes across kids on horseback she will be on her guard.


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## MontyVeda (11 Feb 2012)

blimey BFF, do we have to spell everything out to you?

thats... s. p. e. l. l. e. v. e. r. y. t. h. i. n. g. o. u. t. t. o. y. o. u.

they have been looking for you ever since they read the _texting on a horse_ and your bin men threads. The riders, possibly Tabitha and a friend, having the higher vantage point, but not the weight and muscle of a white transit van were on the lookout for you... as soon as you were spotted and within range, their other friends in the white van, who, incidentally work for the local council as refuse techs, were alerted to take action, and they did.

I'm sure they're all having a ruddy good laugh at the look on your face as you hid behind your wife, crying like a baby... whilst mourning the fact that they missed you.


ps.... can we stop using the term 'tranny van' as it's offensive to transsexual community, god bless 'em.

pps... unless of course, it's a van full of transsexuals, then it's ok i guess.


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## Muddyfox (11 Feb 2012)

Cracking response Monty ...


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## G-Zero (11 Feb 2012)

Surely the bulk of the blame there is with WVM ?

If you can see him, he should see you and irrespective of being waved through by the young girl, who possibly isn't even a driver, he should never have forced you off the road.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

G-Zero said:


> Surely the bulk of the blame there is with WVM ?
> 
> If you can see him, he should see you and irrespective of being waved through by the young girl, who possibly isn't even a driver, he should never have forced you off the road.


Well I'm not so sure - the WVM was coming up behind the horses over the brow of the hill and the horses may have obscured us a bit from his view and the fact that he was just arriving over the brow of the hill didn't help but the riders could see us quite clearly and the silly girl waved the van to pass as though we didn't exist. The wvm probably assumed she's waving him through because the coast is clear which clearly it wasn't.

The point you raise about the rider not being a driver has been exactly my point - a bit of a kid with no training and possibly no knowledge of the highway code, riding a horse two abreast over the brow of a hill. That's exactly why something should be done about the situation in the interests of safety.


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

Aren't horseriders round your way just gypsies?


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## Lisa21 (11 Feb 2012)

" Buy your troll food here everybody.....pound a bag........."


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I shouted at the girl to the effect *"you stupid little cow" - not very nice* but then she tried her best to have us plastered onto the front of a tranny van. The gormless cow didn't reply but I was too concerned for the wife who ended up on her arse on the pavement.


 
You miserable excuse for a human being.

See what I did there.


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

I much prefer Monty's version that the van was full of transexuals 

I think you need to move to a place with less horses BFF. In fact I think that you have given me some inspiration for my new avatar. May the horse be with you


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## MontyVeda (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> I much prefer Monty's version that the van was full of transexuals


 
transsexual bin men!


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## Jezston (11 Feb 2012)

'Tranny' is short for 'transvestite', not 'transexual'.


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

I stand corrected - If BFF was a true gentleman, he would have given way for the girls on the horses , and the trans gender binmen


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## Andy84 (11 Feb 2012)

The two girls could just have easily been riding bicycles two abreast and made the same mistake. 
The WVM was an idiot for overtaking when he couldn't see if the road ahead was clear.

If your that bothered about safety issues regarding the young horse riders, you could have explained to them what they had done wrong, instead of shouting abuse at them.


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Went for a ride with the wife this morning. Cool. On a steep uphill stretch of a country lane we saw two young riders side by side coming towards us down the hill. When we were about 20 yards away I noticed a WVM waiting behind the horses when the youngster on the horse *nearer* the middle of the road waved the WVM through and into our path so the misses* and I* had to dive onto the pavement.


 
I see Trollery writ large on this one, but I'm a fool for these obvious bear traps. My thoughts , as follows:

1. I made a couple of changes to your first paragraph, BFF. There are other areas where a little more attention to meaning and syntax would be beneficial, but I've addressed only the two real howlers. I know you feel awkward about your written English and have said so in other threads, so I thought this would be helpful. The changes are in bold type.

2. The WVM is as culpapble as the equestrians or more so. If he can't see the way is clear, he has to stay behind Anaesthesia and Fibula, whether they wave him on or not. 

3. Certainly it is unwise to ride horses two-abreast over the brow of a hill on a road. However, it doesn't follow from this that kids oughtn't ride horses on public roads. 

4. Horses on the highway are only a bloody nuisance only if you see them as one. They were riding on them when the Q7 was just a twinkle in the tear duct of August Horch's great grandfather.

5. Do you mean pavement as in _a paved area for pedestrians_, or pavement as in _a metalled road surface_? If the former, you are very unlucky to find a lane with pavements. None of the lanes around here has pavements. We have lovely, soft, green verges to leap onto. 

I'm sorry you had a rum old ride. I hope nothing hurts too much. I also hope it hasn't put Mrs BFF off cycling. 

On a positive note, I bet it looked hilarious to the equestrians and the WVM!


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## snorri (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> The point you raise about the rider not being a driver has been exactly my point - a bit of a kid with no training and possibly no knowledge of the highway code, riding a horse two abreast over the brow of a hill. That's exactly why something should be done about the situation in the interests of safety.


Are you telling us that the outside horse rider was in Primary position and the inside in Secondary? That's just outrageous, sounds as if these young idiots thought their cycle training could be transferred to horse riding.  ​


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## SpokeyDokey (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> she tried her best to have us plastered onto the front of a tranny van.


 
How would you know she tried her best then? Maybe you are only still alive because she was having a half-hearted moment. Maybe you should've thanked her for not being on top of her game. Maybe you could try being a nicer person.

Life, full of maybe's.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Andy84 said:


> The two girls could just have easily been riding bicycles two abreast and made the same mistake.
> The WVM was an idiot for overtaking when he couldn't see if the road ahead was clear.
> 
> If your that bothered about safety issues regarding the young horse riders, you could have explained to them what they had done wrong, instead of shouting abuse at them.


The abuse was shouted as the van came towards us. I was more concerned about the wife than giving a Guardian reader/headmaster tutorial to the horse riders who carried on regardless without a backward glance.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> I stand corrected - If BFF was a true gentleman, he would have given way for the girls on the horses , and the trans gender binmen


We were on our side of the road. If the obstacle (the huge horsey beasts 2 abreast) were on the other side of the road and the van needed to pass them, then we had right of way.

The van driver was a bit of a dick and the horse riders were dumb kids who were that thick and pre-occupied I don't think they knew what they did or the consequences of their stupidity/lack of road sense. I fail to see why there was any fault on our part. 

Again, I say how stupid it is to require people to pass a driving test to drive on public roads yet 15 year old kids can take a bloody big horse on them. Madness !


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

SpokeyDokey said:


> How would you know she tried her best then? Maybe you are only still alive because she was having a half-hearted moment. Maybe you should've thanked her for not being on top of her game. Maybe you could try being a nicer person.
> 
> Life, full of maybe's.


I take my hat off to you if you would have been "nice" as you and your wife cheat death by a whisker due to the stupidity or even "a half-hearted moment" from a silly girl on a horse.

What amazes me is is the bile and bitterness of some people on here when someone innocently chooses to buy a certain kind of vehicle and then conversely, the very same people accuse a cyclist of "not being nice" when a couple of idiots on horses and a dick in a van try and kill them.


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## totallyfixed (11 Feb 2012)

Not much on telly tonight




. 9 pages.


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## Muddyfox (11 Feb 2012)

I'm voting for Broken Flipflop to get the drama queen of the year award

You should post in the commuter section they have near death experiences every time they cycle to work


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> I stand corrected - If BFF was a true gentleman, he would have given way for the girls on the horses , and the trans gender binmen


That avatar looks like a horse wearing a bandana.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Muddyfox said:


> I'm voting for Broken Flipflop to get the drama queen of the year award
> 
> You should post in the commuter section they have near death experiences every time they cycle to work


Can you change your avatar. I have trouble concentrating on the detail in your posts. Thank you


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Aren't horseriders round your way just gypsies?


Yes. But I wasn't round our way, I was up Rivington altitude and hill training.


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## Holdsworth (11 Feb 2012)

On the flip side I have had two pleasant encounters with a lady horse rider this past week whilst commuting home. At approximately the same place on two different evenings I have passed her slowly and chatting so as not to spook the horse (I learnt that from BM videos ). It's nice to have someone to chat to on an otherwise lonely ride home


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I take my hat off to you if you would have been "nice" as you and your wife cheat death by a whisker due to the stupidity or even "a half-hearted moment" from a silly girl on a horse.
> 
> What amazes me is is the bile and bitterness of some people on here when someone innocently chooses to buy a certain kind of vehicle and then conversely, the very same people accuse a cyclist of "not being nice" when a couple of idiots on horses and a dick in a van try and kill them.



Tee hee BFF, you're loving this as much as they are!

There is no bile or bitterness in the responses you've elicited. I rather fear that no-one takes this thread seriously.

What may at first glance appear to be bitterness is probably just an instinctive twitch, as when a cow's tail flicks at flies. 

Lower your shield of faux indignation and enjoy this gunfight of pure trollery for what it is.


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## SpokeyDokey (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I take my hat off to you if you would have been "nice" as you and your wife cheat death by a whisker due to the stupidity or even "a half-hearted moment" from a silly girl on a horse.
> 
> What amazes me is is the bile and bitterness of some people on here when someone innocently chooses to buy a certain kind of vehicle and then conversely, the very same people accuse a cyclist of "not being nice" when a couple of idiots on horses and a dick in a van try and kill them.


 
Ah the Q7 rears its fugly snout - that didn't take long.

Do you live in a tumble drier by any chance?


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Holdsworth said:


> On the flip side I have had two pleasant encounters with a lady horse rider this past week whilst commuting home. At approximately the same place on two different evenings I have passed her slowly and chatting so as not to spook the horse (I learnt that from BM videos ). It's nice to have someone to chat to on an otherwise lonely ride home


Riding next to an unpredictable beast. You are most brave. The fact that you acknowledge the fact that these beasts could easily be spooked suggests you were already aware they can be dangerous. (BM video = black market ?). I'm glad nothing bad happened to you and your ride home wasn't lonely.

I nearly died today !


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Bicycle said:


> Tee hee BFF, you're loving this as much as they are!
> 
> There is no bile or bitterness in the responses you've elicited. I rather fear that no-one takes this thread seriously.
> 
> ...


Even I wouldn't make a story up about me and my wife almost meeting our demise. The details are completely factual.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Ah the Q7 rears its fugly snout - that didn't take long.
> 
> Do you live in a tumble drier by any chance?


It was just an observation really about the people who are so aghast at my opinion relating to the danger that I believe horses are to other road users. The fact that the riders can be kids with little or no road training/awareness, on sometimes unpredictable beasts, insured ? just makes it seem stupid to me. Today's experience wasn't very funny at all.


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

How fast were you going on your approach to the bridge, and how fast was the van going ?

Edit, you were both cycling, and not in the Q7


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> How fast were you going on your approach to the bridge, and how fast was the van going ?


It was just a steep hill, no bridge. I know there will be some mathematical genius here who will use some formula to work out that this whole thing was impossible so I'll try and be as accurate as possible but please bare in mind that I can only guess certain aspects because it all happened relatively quickly. We were riding at roughly 6-9 MPH approaching the top of the hill. I was looking down a lot as I was grinding the cranks and struggling a bit but I'd already seen the horses 10-15 seconds before the van. I noticed the van slowing down behind the horses when the rider on the outside waved him through and he sped past at 25-35 MPH when I jumped out the way onto the pavement and the wife just fell sideways because she only noticed at the last second.


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Yes. But I wasn't round our way, I was up Rivington *altitude* and hill *training*.


 
Well, she was clearly just on her high horse.

Over Sheep House Lane by any chance?


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> It was just a steep hill, no bridge. I know there will be some mathematical genius here who will use some formula to work out that this whole thing was impossible so I'll try and be as accurate as possible but please bare in mind that I can only guess certain aspects because it all happened relatively quickly. We were riding at roughly 6-9 MPH approaching the top of the hill. I was looking down a lot as I was grinding the cranks and struggling a bit but I'd already seen the horses 10-15 seconds before the van. I noticed the van slowing down behind the horses when the rider on the outside waved him through and he sped past at 25-35 MPH when I jumped out the way onto the pavement and the wife just fell sideways because she only noticed at the last second.


 
Where are the Pavements in Rivington?


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I take my hat off to you if you would have been "nice" as you and your wife cheat death by a whisker due to the stupidity or even "a half-hearted moment" from a silly girl on a horse.
> 
> What amazes me is is the bile and bitterness of some people on here when someone innocently chooses to buy a certain kind of vehicle and then conversely, the very same people accuse a cyclist of "not being nice" when a couple of idiots on horses and *a dick in a van* try and kill them.


 
Speak for yourself.


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

This thread is almost priceless. I have an awkward feeling that we are all trolling each other in the confident belief that no-one else knows we are doing so.

How much indignance can a career troll show to a trolling buffoon without letting on that he is really trolling himself, whilst at the same time feigning ignorance of the likelihood that almost every post on the thread is typed through tears of hilarity?

Don't ask me to explain that question. I barely understand a word of it myself...


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Where are the Pavements in Rivington?


On the road that goes in between the two sides of the reservoir but further up on tother side of the hill.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Speak for yourself.


I only drive my van like a dick when I'm either a) in a rush or b) when I'm on my cellphone


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Well, she was clearly just on her high horse.
> 
> Over Sheep House Lane by any chance?


I've been on the road loads of times but I'm rubbish at the names of them.


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> It was just a steep hill, no bridge. I know there will be some mathematical genius here who will use some formula to work out that this whole thing was impossible so I'll try and be as accurate as possible but please bare in mind that I can only guess certain aspects because it all happened relatively quickly. We were riding at roughly 6-9 MPH approaching the top of the hill. I was looking down a lot as I was grinding the cranks and struggling a bit but I'd already seen the horses 10-15 seconds before the van. I noticed the van slowing down behind the horses when the rider on the outside waved him through and he sped past at 25-35 MPH when I jumped out the way onto the pavement and the wife just fell sideways because she only noticed at the last second.


 

I'm not trying to diminish what must obviously be a fairly frightening experience, just more to what actually happened, any chance you can post up a link to google street view to see this ?

It sounds to me like the van was driving like a bit of a cock, and nailed it with the frustration of being held up for the two horse riders. 

From a legal standpoint, the girls are perfectly entitled to ride 2 abreast on the road, and usually do this if one of them is being schooled in traffic. There is also the possibility that the girls felt intimidated by his presence (if he was tailgating them)



> *215*
> 
> Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver.


 
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069858

If the van driver had been on the ball, he would have exercised caution when passing them, done so slowly, and also to the fact that there were also 2 other cyclists in the opposite carriageway who he nearly took out.

Ultimately, He should have checked to see there was nobody coming the other way when he crossed the white line.

I feel that your blame is a little misplaced in this instance.


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> On the road that goes in between the two sides of the reservoir but further up on tother side of the hill.


 
Oh, yeah Horrobin Lane.


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> I'm
> 
> It sounds to me like the van was driving like a bit of a cock, and nailed it with the frustration of being held up for the two horse riders.


 
Spot on.

Everyone who is driving in that area knows that cyclists, horse riders and a lot of pedestrians are milling about.

DamagedSandal vented his frustration on a defenceless young girl.


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## Peteaud (11 Feb 2012)

Horses growl at me, so i always give them a wide berth.


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## Leedsbusdriver (11 Feb 2012)

You couldn't make this thread up could you


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Spot on.
> 
> Everyone who is driving in that area knows that cyclists, horse riders and a lot of pedestrians are milling about.
> 
> DamagedSandal vented his frustration on a defenceless young girl.


It's possible the horses obscured us from the view of the WVM and she still waved him bye. That said, the WVM then totally disregarded our presence as he sped past. As for defenceless young girl....ignorant young girl....stupid young girl...what are you doing in charges of a 1 tonne beast on a public road young girl....sorry kids, your mum is dead because a defenceless young girl waved on a van, giving the impression the right of way was clear young girl....


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Leedsbusdriver said:


> You couldn't make this thread up could you


Correct.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> _*215*_
> 
> _Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. *Horse riders are often children*, so take extra care and remember *riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider*. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; *they can be unpredictable*, *despite the efforts of their rider/driver*._


 
I think the risks far outweigh the benefits and I'm usually in the "health and safety gone mad" brigade. It's a bit like giving a kid a couple of grenades and a machine gun and saying be careful when you go near them...here's an idea TAKE IT OFF THEM !

Be careful near drink drivers, they can be as unpredictable as a horse !


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## Ajay (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I only drive my van like a dick when I'm either a) in a rush or b) when I'm on my cellphone


Cellphone, you're good you are :-)


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## Ajay (11 Feb 2012)

Jezston said:


> 'Tranny' is short for 'transvestite', not 'transexual'.


Or transistor radio ((my grandad told me about them) that's the radios not the transvestites))


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Ajay said:


> Cellphone, you're good you are :-)


I slip small joke into serious thread. I am still wanting explain my truth.


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

I've just had a peek at that lane. It does look tricky.

I'm amazed that a WVM had the room to get past two horses being ridden two-abreast on Sheep House Lane, Rivington Lane or Horrobin Lane. That took some skill from the driver and an extraordinary degree of control from the equestrians. 

That the VVM managed to rattle his vehicle up to the 25-35mph you mention, from having been stuck behind the horses, is some feat. I imagine he'd binned the asthmatic 1.6 diesel and dropped in a V8. A lot of people do that.

Altogether, you were very unlucky. As another poster has said (and you've confirmed) you couldn't make this stuff up.

Any earlier suggestion by me that there was anything even resembling trollery on this thread was very wide of the mark. 

I take it that WVM failed to stop and that neither you nor Mrs You nor the equestrians got the registration. That's a shame, because four witnesses would be very hard to gainsay if there was a case of passing two-abreast horses at 25-35 mph, crossing the centre line and causing two cyclists into unplanned dismounts.

The book would be thrown so massively for that offence that WVM would have a book-shaped dent in his skull for years.

Altogether, I add my sympathy to that already shown by other contributors. Today has been beastly for you and you deserve a hug.


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## Peteaud (11 Feb 2012)

Tranny is still a bloke dressing as a woman.

a "Bacardi geezer"


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

This thread *and* Arsenal won away!

Outstanding!!


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## 400bhp (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I slip small joke into serious thread. I am still wanting explain my truth.


 
wax - on - wax - off


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> It's possible the horses obscured us from the view of the WVM and she still waved him bye. That said, the WVM then totally disregarded our presence as he sped past. As for defenceless young girl....ignorant young girl....stupid young girl...what are you doing in charges of a 1 tonne beast on a public road young girl....sorry kids, your mum is dead because a defenceless young girl waved on a van, giving the impression the right of way was clear young girl....


 
Are you sure she didn't just put her hand up to acknowledge the fact he did initially take the time to queue behind her (until he lost his patience). If these girls just sat there and didn't acknowledge the van driver for waiting, they get accused of being an ignorant toff, and if they then do put their hand up and say thanks, that is seen as an explicit instruction to go and run over the nearest unwitting cyclist. 

My eldest kid had more road sense on horseback back at the age of 14, but that was because she had spent the previous 10 years on horseback being instructed before being let loose on her own than her younger sister has now at 19 and learning to drive (who has never really had much road experience of her own)

Also, you are a bit awry on the '1 tonne' beast by a good margin. I've weighed all of our horses and pony's on a set of veterinary equine scales and the heaviest horse is 475kg a thoroughbred at just under 16 hands. I very much doubt that a shire horse would get up to 1 tonne in weight.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Bicycle said:


> I've just had a peek at that lane. It does look tricky.
> 
> I'm amazed that a WVM had the room to get past two horses being ridden two-abreast on Sheep House Lane, Rivington Lane or Horrobin Lane. That took some skill from the driver and an extraordinary degree of control from the equestrians.
> 
> That the VVM managed to rattle his vehicle up to the 25-35mph you mention, from having been stuck behind the horses, is some feat. I imagine he'd binned the asthmatic 1.6 diesel and dropped in a V8. A lot of people do that.


The van had room to pass 2 horses because they were taking up one side of the road and the WVM used all of our side of the road. I think the equestrians were too young and too female to apply any degree of control other than trundle along oblivious to our plight whereas the driver may have shown slightly more skill as he did put his foot down and steer around the beasts.

The van had just arrived behind the beasts, it was still moving forward, it hadn't stopped dead although I couldn't say for sure what size engine was in the van and I don't know if it had been tweaked or not. I didn't get the reg, I was busy diving whilst shouting insults at the horse rider and then checking the wife's plight.


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said: ↑
_*215*

Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. *Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. **Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider**. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop.* Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver._​ 


brokenflipflop said:


> I think the risks far outweigh the benefits and I'm usually in the "health and safety gone mad" brigade. It's a bit like giving a kid a couple of grenades and a machine gun and saying be careful when you go near them...here's an idea TAKE IT OFF THEM !
> 
> Be careful near drink drivers, they can be as unpredictable as a horse !


 
Corrected this for you BFF


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## Muddyfox (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Can you change your avatar. I have trouble concentrating on the detail in your posts. Thank you


 
lol .. the avatar is much more interesting than the detail in my post .. Just Enjoy it


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> Linford said: ↑
> _*215*_​​_Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. _​_* heed a request to slow down or stop.* Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver._​
> 
> 
> Corrected this for you BFF


So it was the van driver who was at fault for heeding the request to pass and yet your 215 passage demands that trained drivers who have taken lessons and passed a test take instructions from kids on horses. If that is the case which clearly it is, then the rider was at fault for giving the WVM an instruction that was clearly quite dangerous.


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> The van had room to pass 2 horses because they were taking up one side of the road and the WVM used all of our side of the road. I think the equestrians were too young and too female to apply any degree of control other than trundle along oblivious to our plight whereas the driver may have shown slightly more skill as he did put his foot down and steer around the beasts.
> 
> The van had just arrived behind the beasts, it was still moving forward, it hadn't stopped dead although I couldn't say for sure what size engine was in the van and I don't know if it had been tweaked or not. I didn't get the reg, I was busy diving whilst shouting insults at the horse rider and then checking the wife's plight.


 
I would suggest that you vented your spleen at the nearest person in that situation, and not at the real villain of the piece. The girls on horseback were exercising their right in law to ride on the road double file where the felt necessary. The fact you don't feel that the road traffic laws as they are written should apply to any given stretch of road you happen to be on is hardly anyone else's problem than your own.

I think you would benefit from re reading the highway code so you are aware of the obligations which you yourself and others on the road are bound to obey. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse at the end of the day when you have to stand before the judge if your actual grasp of the written law differs from what is in the statute books (which it appears to be from what I've read)


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> So it was the van driver who was at fault for heeding the request to pass and yet your 215 passage demands that trained drivers who have taken lessons and passed a test take instructions from kids on horses. If that is the case which clearly it is, then the rider was at fault for giving the WVM an instruction that was clearly quite dangerous.


 
A flash of the headlights or a nod is actually determined as a warning in law, and not 'it's ok, i'm giving way to you as i'm feeling generous'

As a trained and experienced driver, it is up to the WVM to determine if it is safe to cross into the opposite carriageway which might bring him into the path of oncoming vehicles. If the horse rider felt that her horse was likely to do anything erratic as the WVM were to overtake, then she would ask him to wait until given the signal that it was safe for him to then go past her. This is entirely different to him using his observational skills to see if whilst executing the overtake, that he were to put you and your missus in danger.

The same applies to sailing craft on the waterways - they always have right of way over powered craft as they sometimes have to take an erratic course due to the winds etc.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> I would suggest that you vented your spleen at the nearest person in that situation, and not at the real villain of the piece. The girls on horseback were exercising their right in law to ride on the road double file where the felt necessary. The fact you don't feel that the road traffic laws as they are written should apply to any given stretch of road you happen to be on is hardly anyone else's problem than your own.
> 
> I think you would benefit from re reading the highway code so you are aware of the obligations which you yourself and others on the road are bound to obey. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse at the end of the day when you have to stand before the judge if your actual grasp of the written law differs from what is in the statute books (which it appears to be from what I've read)


The right of women to vote didn't used to be a right until the law changed. I think I've already given my opinion on the madness of letting children on horseback loose on public roads but I do understand it is only an opinion. When you consider all the laws that stop children doing so many things legally..smoking, voting, sex which by and large isn't particularly very dangerous and then allow a kid to take charge of an unpredictable beast on public roads, it seems quite ridiculous to me.

If the WVM was found guilty of whatever, he could be imprisoned, fined, have his licence taken away, suppose a horse/rider causes a serious injury/death. What would their charge/punishment be ? grounded for a week ? no sweeties for a fortnight ? I-phone confiscated ?


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## Linford (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> The right of women to vote didn't used to be a right until the law changed. I think I've already given my opinion on the madness of letting children on horseback loose on public roads but I do understand it is only an opinion. When you consider all the laws that stop children doing so many things legally..smoking, voting, sex which by and large isn't particularly very dangerous and then allow a kid to take charge of an unpredictable beast on public roads, it seems quite ridiculous to me.
> 
> If the WVM was found guilty of whatever, he could be imprisoned, fined, have his licence taken away, suppose a horse/rider causes a serious injury/death. What would their charge/punishment be ? grounded for a week ? no sweeties for a fortnight ? I-phone confiscated ?


 
Would you be able to provide any examples of this, as I just did a quick google, and could only find examples of car and van drivers causing the death of horse riders by behaving like total cocks when around them.
When you are riding a horse,the last thing you want to do is wind it up to the point that it becomes uncontrollable and tanks off with you. That would be an entirely stupid thing to do - but over the years, I've seen a few drivers deliberately rev their
engines or use their horns to wind the horses on the roads up. Wouldn't you agree that this is a totally stupid thing to do when there is a minor on the back of it. You'd not do it with a child on a bicycle, why then do it for a horse and rider....


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Linford said:


> Would you be able to provide any examples of this, as I just did a quick google, and could only find examples of car and van drivers causing the death of horse riders by behaving like total cocks when around them.
> When you are riding a horse,the last thing you want to do is wind it up to the point that it becomes uncontrollable and tanks off with you. That would be an entirely stupid thing to do - but over the years, I've seen a few drivers deliberately rev their
> engines or use their horns to wind the horses on the roads up. Wouldn't you agree that this is a totally stupid thing to do when there is a minor on the back of it. You'd not do it with a child on a bicycle, why then do it for a horse and rider....


 
http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/4466962.Horse_rider_left_traumatised_after_road_accident/
I've had 25 years of experience on the road and I've ridden horses before - not on roads. I wouldn't ride a horse on a road for the same reason I wouldn't let my dog near a 1 year old child...I wouldn't trust it, like I wouldn't trust a horse and I wouldn't trust a kid on a horse. I wouldn't personally feel safe for me, other road users or the horse if I went on the road on the back of a horse. I'm sure the kids who do it aren't as cautious as me and they are quite blaze about it which to me is in the nature of youngsters. We all know what 17 year old drivers are like and they've passed a test. What road tests to horse riders have?


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## Norm (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/4466962.Horse_rider_left_traumatised_after_road_accident/


Not that there are many details in that, but it says that the car "collided with the back of her horse", the horse was shot (by a passer-by, who presumably just happened to be carrying a weapon powerful enough to kill a horse!  ), the 41 year old rider "was very lucky" that her breastbone didn't break and pierce her heart, but there is no mention of the driver receiving any injuries.

That seems like Linf was correct in saying...


Linford said:


> ... examples of car and van drivers causing the death of horse riders by behaving like total cocks when around them.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Horse...deaf women riding on her first horse....passers-by carrying weapons to shoot horses....sounds like a freakin' disaster to me. 

Get rid of horses and their riders and you get rid of the problem. I know it's not popular on here but come on...a very large and unpredictable beast, walking along 2 abreast 27MPH slower than the rest of the free-flowing traffic being ridden by untrained children and deaf people to me is a recipe for disaster.


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

I have over four decades cycling experience on the roads and over three decades as a motorist. I've barely had an incident with a horse rider anywhere - even the texting one I mentioned in another thread was just slightly bizarre.

I cycled on the roads from the age of eight, so did my children. I don't ride a horse, but we are a horse riding family and all my little ones ride on the road. 

Whether equestrians are fictional, fantasy or really there, we need to be aware of them and allow for their needs. Similarly, cyclists' needs must be allowed for.

The miscreant in your gripping yarn was the van driver. Did he spot you when he pulled out? You don't say, but he should have done. 

If so, and if pulling out after waiting behind horses, he'd have had ample room to pull up. Climbing at 6-9mph, you would too.

I cannot imagine a car pulling out from behind horses generating enough speed to make stopping impossible and to make it necessary for a cyclist to dive for shelter.

I wasn't there of course, so I can't speculate. Were you?


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## Norm (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> ... a very large and unpredictable beast, walking along 2 abreast 27MPH slower than the rest of the free-flowing traffic being ridden by untrained children and deaf people to me is a recipe for disaster.


 
Nope

The moton who feels their driving licence grants them superhuman abilities but who actually cannot cope with others on the road without driving into them is a recipe for disaster.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

As the horses were on the other side of the road to us i.e. next to us, that's precisely when the van went, we had nowhere to go other than dive on the pavement. I'm only stating the facts. For me, I'd hope an experienced adult road user wouldn't have ridden a horse 2 abreast over the brow of a hill, nor waved a van through when we were coming along on the other side of the road. I think it's a fair argument that the immaturity and lack of knowhow and possibly formal training of these youngsters on horseback is an issue. I'm not disputing the WVM could have anticipated that the instruction of a kid on a horse might not be wise to adhere to but he wasn't to know they were kids and maybe he should have err'd on the side of caution having just seen the idiots ride 2 abreast over the brow of a hill but either way, poor judgement on his part may have landed him in prison, poor judgement on their part may have meant no smarties for a fortnight. I don't think kids on horses have the where-with-all to ride on the road and if something goes wrong that might not be their fault, would they then have the where-with-all to deal with a situation ?


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

User3094 said:


> Yehbbut horses are waaay too big right? Anything thats got a head bigger than mine (and thats saying something, I make Gordon Brown look like a pin head) has no right to be clogging up our country lanes.
> 
> Cows are rubbish too.
> 
> And dont even get me started on Jodpurs and Barbour.


Ultimately all they're doing is posing on the horse. The risks of such a slow moving unwieldy beast far outweigh the positives (which are what exactly?)


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## Bicycle (11 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Ultimately all they're doing is posing on the horse. The risks of such a slow moving unwieldy beast far outweigh the positives (which are what exactly?)



Substitute the word 'bicycle' for horse and you have the blinkered outlook of a tiny minority of motorists in a nutshell.

Hurrah for free speech!

We all have a right to use the highway, fictional or otherwise.


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

User3094 said:


> Top tip: A horse can easily be replaced with a mountain bike and a GINORMOUS dildo.


I'm glad you changed that first post, I didn't understand it

I agree. And instead of having to shoot the mountain bike in the event of an accident, you can weigh it in for scrap and give the GINORMOUS dildo to _your_ wife. (it wouldn't be big enough for my wife)


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## brokenflipflop (11 Feb 2012)

Bicycle said:


> Substitute the word 'bicycle' for horse and you have the blinkered outlook of a tiny minority of motorists in a nutshell.
> 
> Hurrah for free speech!
> 
> We all have a right to use the highway, fictional or otherwise.


Maybe I am blinkered because I tried substituting the word 'bicycle' for horse but I couldn't find the word 'bicycle'


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## lukesdad (11 Feb 2012)

It ll be those dangerous walking trees next...mark my words !


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## totallyfixed (11 Feb 2012)




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## Pigo (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> The van had room to pass 2 horses because they were taking up one side of the road and the WVM used all of our side of the road. I think the equestrians were too young and* too female* to apply any degree of control other than trundle along oblivious to our plight whereas the driver may have shown slightly more skill as he did put his foot down and steer around the beasts.


 
I guess the WV*MAN *was too *male* to apply any degree of common sense to his overtaking.....?


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## G-Zero (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> As the horses were on the other side of the road to us i.e. next to us, that's precisely when the van went, we had nowhere to go other than dive on the pavement. *I'm only stating the facts.*


 
Will they be the same facts as in your opening post *"....when they were about 20yds away I noticed WVM waiting behind the horses, when the youngster on the horse nearest the middle of the road, waved WVM through...." *

That only puts even more onus on WVM.


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## snorri (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> shouted at the girl to the effect "you stupid little cow"


 
That was a good start, but I do hope you included Road Tax in your tirade, they don't like it when you remind them they have no rights on the roads without taxation.


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## Lisa21 (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/4466962.Horse_rider_left_traumatised_after_road_accident/
> I've had 25 years of experience on the road and I've ridden horses before - not on roads. I wouldn't ride a horse on a road for the same reason I wouldn't let my dog near a 1 year old child...I wouldn't trust it, like I wouldn't trust a horse and I wouldn't trust a kid on a horse. I wouldn't personally feel safe for me, other road users or the horse if I went on the road on the back of a horse. I'm sure the kids who do it aren't as cautious as me and they are quite blaze about it which to me is in the nature of youngsters. We all know what 17 year old drivers are like and they've passed a test. What road tests to horse riders have?


From the sound of it you havent actually "ridden" a horse have you?? You may have sat on one, but you obviously cannot ride. If you learned to ride-properly-you would be able to control the horse. If you got to know the horse, seeing it as a living breathing creature rather than an animated form of transport then you would know how it was likely to react in various situations and be able to act accordingly. For the record, If I ride with my friend we often ride 2 abreast with me on the outside as hers is a young horse, slightly nervous, and while he is learning it gives him and his rider confidence and is safer for all concerned. So I would stick to your bikes, and your cars, and leave the handling of anything more advanced to those who are capeable, as it sounds as though you can just about manage to look after yourself half the time.


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## MontyVeda (12 Feb 2012)

Lisa21 said:


> From the sound of it you havent actually "ridden" a horse have you?? You may have sat on one, but you obviously cannot ride. If you learned to ride-properly-you would be able to control the horse. If you got to know the horse, seeing it as a living breathing creature rather than an animated form of transport then you would know how it was likely to react in various situations and be able to act accordingly. For the record, If I ride with my friend we often ride 2 abreast with me on the outside as hers is a young horse, slightly nervous, and while he is learning it gives him and his rider confidence and is safer for all concerned. So I would stick to your bikes, and your cars, and leave the handling of anything more advanced to those who are capeable, as it sounds as though you can just about manage to look after yourself half the time.


 
yeah but, Tabitha... girl.. unpredictable beast... erm, bin men... the wife should have done it, er... they tried to kill me!

I think I'm turning into my dad!


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## Bicycle (12 Feb 2012)

Thanks BFF, that was fun.

Your amusing tales bring the troll out in quite a few of us. This thread seems dead now, but I hope you can think up another. 

All that horse poo about a Transit coming past two horses side-by-side on a lane at 25-35mph will have to be thought out a little more for the next one. 

We all love to be outraged by tales of ghastly driving or horsemanship, but it needs to be just the right side of credible.

I take my hat off to you for having a crack at it nonetheless. A noble effort! :troll::troll::troll::troll::troll::troll:


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

[QUOTE 1720346, member: 45"]The van driver was the problem, not the horse rider.

Then again, maybe you should have got out of the way. After all, it's what you're expecting the riders to do so you could lead by example.[/quote]
If you read my post I think I made it quite clear that we got out of the way, ergo, we did lead by example. Please keep up !


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

Lisa21 said:


> From the sound of it you havent actually "ridden" a horse have you?? You may have sat on one, but you obviously cannot ride. If you learned to ride-properly-you would be able to control the horse. If you got to know the horse, seeing it as a living breathing creature rather than an animated form of transport then you would know how it was likely to react in various situations and be able to act accordingly. For the record, If I ride with my friend we often ride 2 abreast with me on the outside as hers is a young horse, slightly nervous, and while he is learning it gives him and his rider confidence and is safer for all concerned. So I would stick to your bikes, and your cars, and leave the handling of anything more advanced to those who are capeable, as it sounds as though you can just about manage to look after yourself half the time.


It's scary ! You ride 2 abreast, on the roads and one of the horses is quite nervous and while the horse is "learning" you're putting all the other road users at risk. If you and yer mate want to go on horses, why take them on public roads? why can't you ride them around a paddock or field, then your friends horse can be as nervous as he likes and the only people at risk are the 2 individuals who chose to ride the horses in the first place. Please forgive me if you were using your horses to get to an important engagement, shopping or an emergency etc which if you only have a horse as a form of transport then that is quite understandable. If you were just posing in your jodhpurs then God help us. 

By the way, I have ridden horses, several times. I'm aware it's an animal and as such it's unpredictable, just like dogs. 1 x 15 year old kid on back of 1 x unpredictable animal = high risk. Simples love.


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

Bicycle said:


> Thanks BFF, that was fun.
> 
> Your amusing tales bring the troll out in quite a few of us. This thread seems dead now, but I hope you can think up another.
> 
> ...


If you're suggesting I've made this all up bicycle you're quite wrong. I may crack a joke or wind a few self-righteous types up during the thread but I can assure you that the events I've described may not be mathematically and scientifically 100% perfect but I can say with conviction that I've been very, very accurate.

My wife has just looked over my shoulder and asked why "they" think I'm making this up. I've explained to her that these happenings on here have to be 100% perfect with diagrams, proof and receipts of previous horse riding experience, video evidence is good and then there are people (Guardian readers) who try and discredit my opinion by saying silly things, then I reply in the same vain then someone suggests because I do this then the whole thread must be a Troll and she replied......Jesus! I don't know why you effing bother you sad bar steward........My back's hurting a bit today by the way.


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## ianrauk (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> If you're suggesting I've made this all up bicycle you're quite wrong. I may crack a joke or wind a few self-righteous types up during the thread but I can assure you that the events I've described may not be mathematically and scientifically 100% perfect but I can say with conviction that I've been very, very accurate.
> 
> My wife has just looked over my shoulder and asked why "they" think I'm making this up. I've explained to her that these happenings on here have to be 100% perfect with diagrams, proof and receipts of previous horse riding experience, video evidence is good and then there are people (Guardian readers) who try and discredit my opinion by saying silly things, then I reply in the same vain then someone suggests because I do this then the whole thread must be a Troll and she replied......Jesus!* I don't know why you effing bother you sad bar steward*........My back's hurting a bit today by the way.


 
No... nor do we.


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

ianrauk said:


> No... nor do we.


She was referring to Cyclechat although when she's taking the piss out of me in company "Cycletwat"


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

[QUOTE 1720768, member: 45"]Well then, as is usually the case, you're complaining about nothing.[/quote]
You're awfully rude


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## Linford (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> It's scary ! You ride 2 abreast, on the roads and one of the horses is quite nervous and while the horse is "learning" you're putting all the other road users at risk. If you and yer mate want to go on horses, why take them on public roads? why can't you ride them around a paddock or field, then your friends horse can be as nervous as he likes and the only people at risk are the 2 individuals who chose to ride the horses in the first place. Please forgive me if you were using your horses to get to an important engagement, shopping or an emergency etc which if you only have a horse as a form of transport then that is quite understandable. If you were just posing in your jodhpurs then God help us.
> 
> By the way, I have ridden horses, several times. I'm aware it's an animal and as such it's unpredictable, just like dogs. 1 x 15 year old kid on back of 1 x unpredictable animal = high risk. Simples love.


 
If I took the time to explain the answers to the above questions, would you bother to take the time to consider them as being given from 1st hand experience, and of someone who has personally owned horses for 10+ years, and been riding others on and off for over 40 ?


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## Lisa21 (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> It's scary ! You ride 2 abreast, on the roads and one of the horses is quite nervous and while the horse is "learning" you're putting all the other road users at risk.Nobody is being put at risk at all. The horses are under complete control at all times.Its important to look ahead, to be aware of all around you, and to be able to act accordingly to prevent any risk. As you should have been doing, then you would have seen the white van with plenty of time to react and to get out of its way. Or were you so dangerously close to the rear of the horses hoping to incite them to spook so that you could prove a point to yourself? If you were keeping a sensible distance from the horses then you would have seen the van in time to move over."simples, _love"_ If you and yer mate want to go on horses, why take them on public roads? why can't you ride them around a paddock or field, then your friends horse can be as nervous as he likes and the only people at risk are the 2 individuals who chose to ride the horses in the first place.Then the horse will never get used to anything outside his field. Just because you sit in your 4x4 on the drive because you love it so much doesnt mean its being driven y'know. The horses are schooled in a menage but need the experience of roads and real life. Sorry, "real life" may be a bit of an enigma to you...google its meaning if your not sure. Please forgive me if you were using your horses to get to an important engagement, shopping or an emergency etc which if you only have a horse as a form of transport then that is quite understandable. If you were just posing in your jodhpurs then God help us.
> 
> By the way, I have ridden horses, several times.Then as I said, you cannot ride. Takes more than several times round a field to learn. Thank god you dont go out on roads. I'm aware it's an animal and as such it's unpredictable, just like dogs. 1 x 15 year old kid on back of 1 x unpredictable animal = high risk. Simples love.


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## Bicycle (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> If you're suggesting I've made this all up bicycle you're quite wrong. I may crack a joke or wind a few self-righteous types up during the thread but I can assure you that the events I've described may not be mathematically and scientifically 100% perfect but I can say with conviction that I've been very, very accurate.
> 
> My wife has just looked over my shoulder and asked why "they" think I'm making this up. I've explained to her that these happenings on here have to be 100% perfect with diagrams, proof and receipts of previous horse riding experience, video evidence is good and then there are people (Guardian readers) who try and discredit my opinion by saying silly things, then I reply in the same vain then someone suggests because I do this then the whole thread must be a Troll and she replied......Jesus! I don't know why you effing bother you sad bar steward........My back's hurting a bit today by the way.


 
I Win!!!!

A weekend houseguest is about to leave and we had a 'fun' bet that your next post would include some mention of Mrs BFF's injuries and how much it all hurt.

I'd included in my prediction the very serious and sombre tone you took when telling me how very wrong I'd got it - but that wasn't what won the bet.

I was wrong in detail but right in terms of including Mrs BFF (and by implication her injuries) in the post.

The tragedy of these bets is that they are always for.... nothing. 

But I'm not suggesting for a moment that your thread is a crock, BFF. It is 110% pure entertainment gold.

It's completely fictional, but I'm now aching as much from laughter as you are from your 'injuries'.


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## Norm (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I'm aware it's an animal and as such it's unpredictable, just like dogs. 1 x 15 year old kid on back of 1 x unpredictable animal = high risk. Simples love.


I may have been reading a different story but the one I thought that you posted at the start of this thread had several problems which were caused by a bad driver in a van, but nothing which was attributable to the poor girl that you vented at. Did she lose control of her horse? Did the horse do anything other than plod along in a straight line? Did the horse cause your injury?

It doesn't matter whether she waved him through or not, that is *completely* irrelevant. The responsibility for forcing you off the road is entirely, from beginning to end, with the man driving the van which made the overtake.

I'm guessing that you didn't vent at the van driver because he was either gone before you got a chance to react, or he was a he who was driving a bigger vehicle than you were in so you couldn't bully him. Either way, the high risk arose from the man who couldn't control his vehicle. I, therefore, propose that anything larger than a 250cc motorbike be banned from the road at any time when there might be a horse rider or a cyclist on the road.


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## GrasB (12 Feb 2012)

BFF, thanks for a laugh. Now run along & go get a clue about road users responsibilities before showing your face around me again. I'll give you a head start with this nugget of information: Any road user is entirely responsible for their actions regardless of any directions given by any other party, including a police officer.


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

Is knackeredfootapparelforthebeach still banging his drum..

You abused a little girl. She might be scarred by the experience for the rest of her life.


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

Norm said:


> I'm guessing that you didn't vent at the van driver because he was either gone before you got a chance to react, or he was a he who was driving a bigger vehicle than you were in so you couldn't bully him.


 
And/or he has an affinity with white van man.


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> It's scary ! You ride 2 abreast HAVE TO LEARN TO DRIVE on the roads and one of the horses is quite nervous and while the horse is YOU ARE "learning" you're putting all the other road users at risk. If you and yer mate want to go on horses LEARN TO DRIVE, why take them DO IT on public roads? why can't you ride them DRIVE around a paddock or field, then your friends horse can be as nervous as he YOU likes and the only people at risk are the 2 individuals YOU who chose to ride the horses LEARN TO DRIVE in the first place.


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

Can anyone explain why it's necessary to have horses on public roads (other than to give them and the rider the experience and practice)


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

Why is the pope catholic?

Why do bears sh1t in the woods?


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## Linford (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Can anyone explain why it's necessary to have horses on public roads (other than to give them and the rider the experience and practice)


 

Because the roads may be the only place which the horses can be exercised properly due to lack of off road facilities, or alternatively because they link local bridle path routes up.

Now can you answer the question I put above ?


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

Norm said:


> It doesn't matter whether she waved him through or not, that is *completely* irrelevant. The responsibility for forcing you off the road is entirely, from beginning to end, with the man driving the van which made the overtake


 
Completely irrelevant ? I think it may have been relevant if:

a) He acted on her signal (rightly or wrongly)
b) If the van hadn't had the obstacle of two large and slow beasts travelling side by side there would not have been a problem.

No need to respond because I'm right


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## Norm (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Completely irrelevant ? I think it may have been relevant if:
> 
> a) He acted on her signal (rightly or wrongly)
> b) If the van hadn't had the obstacle of two large and slow beasts travelling side by side there would not have been a problem.


The obstacle could have been any one of a million things, cyclists, pot holes, road works, bin lorries, pedestrians, the one thing that would have been the same is that the obstacle is irrelevant and the man driving the van was at fault.



brokenflipflop said:


> Can anyone explain why it's necessary to have horses on public roads (other than to give them and the rider the experience and practice)


Because they have been there for millennia, because they will be there for millennia after the oil has dried up, because they are individuals enjoying individual freedom and because, if you get your way and remove them, then you can guarantee that they will not help us in the battle with the real dangers which we face, which comes from those with who drive like they own the roads and generally don't even own the vehicles they are driving.

Here's one for you. As the horse rider did nothing wrong and didn't come off, unlike the cyclists in your tale, then...


brokenflipflop said:


> Can anyone explain why it's necessary to have cyclists on public roads (other than to give them and the rider the experience and practice)


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## col (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Completely irrelevant ? I think it may have been relevant if:
> 
> a) He acted on her signal (rightly or wrongly)
> b) If the van hadn't had the obstacle of two large and slow beasts travelling side by side there would not have been a problem.
> ...


 You are right. But Iv learned from examples just as this, not to take any notice of others waving you through or passed just for this reason. I think the van driver will be more carefull next time , instead of taking the pass signal as ok to do. Experience gained, without injury luckily.


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## Becs (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Completely irrelevant ? I think it may have been relevant if:
> 
> a) He acted on her signal (rightly or wrongly)
> b) If the van hadn't had the obstacle of two large and slow beasts travelling side by side there would not have been a problem.
> ...


 
No you are not, you are an ignorant pr*ck who needs to read the highway code and leave poor children on their ponies alone.


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> Why is the pope catholic?
> 
> Why do bears sh1t in the woods?


Farnworth ?


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

what?


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

Becs said:


> No you are not, you are an ignorant pr*ck who needs to read the highway code and leave poor children on their ponies alone.


Listen darlin', if the kids want to mix it on main roads with the grown-ups and be partly responsible for nearly getting a grown-up killed then they'll have to put up with the occasional bollocking. Now toddle off and make yourself pretty


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> what?


Knew it


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

chav


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## Becs (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Listen darlin', if the kids want to mix it on main roads with the grown-ups and be partly responsible for nearly getting a grown-up killed then they'll have to put up with the occasional bollocking. Now toddle off and make yourself pretty


 
like I said, ignorant, pr*ck.


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

me or thee?


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## 400bhp (12 Feb 2012)

potatoes


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

Becs said:


> like I said, ignorant, pr*ck.


I'm trying to have a discussion here luv. Is there no ironing you can be getting on with ?

Deary me !


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## Bicycle (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> Can anyone explain why it's necessary to have horses on public roads (other than to give them and the rider the experience and practice)


 
This isn't where the thread started, but it's a reasonable question. Your OP gave every impression that the malefactor in your tale was the WVM, who was not riding a horse. But as you've asked a reasonable question, here's an answer:

The UK road network is nothing more or less than a series of linked thoroughfares allowing the passage of vehicles, people and goods between one location and another.

It was designed and has been adapted over the decades for use by pedestrians, powered vehicles, horses and horse-drawn vehicles. Probably other things too...

Horses, bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed on certain roads. 

UK Road users are not required by law to demonstrate that it is necessary for them to use a road; be this by car, horse, bicycle, lorry or on foot.

If young Anaesthesia or Cordelia has a horse in Field A and would like to move the horse to Paddock B, where the two locations are connected only by Road C, it may be concluded that it is necessary for the horse to be ridden on Road C.

Similarly, if either girl wants to ride on the road from Field A to a nearby traffic junction and then back to Field A, it may be concluded that it is necessary for the horse to be ridden on Road C.

I use the roads as a cyclist, often simply to ride from my home back to my home, via a place I have no need to visit. In order to go for that ride, it is necessary for me to ride on public roads. Some motorists would rather I didn't. 

I'm not sure what your point is, but it seems to hinge on the matter of necessity. 

As a teenager I used an argument similar to yours about Latin teachers, arguing that the only possible need for them was to train more Latin teachers. I've since found that without Latin teachers there would be a tragic dearth of passable written English.

I thought this thread of arrant trollery was dead and beginning to smell, but you have breathed life into its slightly rotten corpse.

BFF, you are a genius. Up to a point.


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## brokenflipflop (12 Feb 2012)

400bhp said:


> potatoes


Happen yer can. Has tha geet thee spuds


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## Becs (12 Feb 2012)

brokenflipflop said:


> I'm trying to have a discussion here luv. Is there no ironing you can be getting on with ?
> 
> Deary me !


you just love proving my point don't you!


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