# Defensive Driving Course is good for something!



## jackieboy2 (May 3, 2009)

ugh I know what you mean. I live on a hilly dirt road that is pretty narrow, and a few of my neighbors love to drive WAY too fast when though like 4 people on our little road have horses. You'd think they'd learn to slow down.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yeah, it's too bad that not more people follow that rule. Every summer, we keep yearling cattle for a feedlot and have to drive some of them several miles from the corrals to the pasture that they will be in. Mostly down dirt roads and at one point, we have to cross a busy highway. {:/ We ususally have riders go about 1/4 mile each way down the road just so that we can warn drivers that there is cattle in the road. It is amazing how many people just look at me waving my hands to slow down and continue to blast by. I really don't care if the cattle get hit but if a horse did, I would have to kick somebody's butt.


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## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

Happens here too Leah!
I actually don't road ride much now because I just don't trust my horse to be safe out there! I once was riding down the road my horses lived on going to the riding school to meet a friend, and I had idiots coming right up behind my mare, revving their engine and then screeching off to see if she'd spook - they did that twice. Thank goodness April was the type of horse that wasn't frightened of cars - she just didn't like when overhanging branches from trees would sway above her! Lol.
I also had an incident where I was leading my other mare down the road and a freaking bus came right up behind her and TOOTED (we weren't even in their way, he swerved towards her). Needless to say, Bailey isn't the type of horse to mess with, she completely lost it, reared right up in front of the bus and -I- got told my horse shouldn't be on the road!!!!! He then laughed and took off! Some people have no respect and need the road rules shoved in their faces - along with a fine for their stupidity!
x


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

The only thing on the road that Daisy spooks at is cyclists and railroad tracks - cars, trucks, buses... none of that phases her.

But I hate rude drivers. I love the ones that slow down just to "look at the people on the horses!"


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## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

I find ALOT of horses freak at cyclists.
Me and my best mate were discussing how it must appear in the periphery to a horse and then up close. I was riding her incredibly quiet gelding on the road with her (my last road ride actually), and he was brilliant with everything until a couple of cyclists came past us (granted the idiot rung his bell on the handle) and the gelding spun around and tried to save me from it... cept my balance sucks and I hit the dirt instead. Again when someone else rode him, he did the same thing when he saw another. He's got a roman nose so his eye set is different than a horse who doesn't have a bold face and so we came to the conclusion on how it must look differently in his eyes.
April didn't like cyclists either, and come to think of it, my friend's horse that she was riding spooked too. It's got to do with the way the legs and wheels move I think!
Sorry off topic I know!
x


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Yeah, some motorists are in such a hurry! Fortunately I've only encountered a very few that were down right rude and dangerous! The best behaved and considerate imo are the motorcyclists, they are great when they see horses, they watch us for signals!!

On the trails the dirt bikers and ATVers are very thoughtful , at least the ones I've encountered. They slow down and even turn off the engines!!! Talk about above and beyond the "call of duty"!

Unfortunately, the cyclists don't really have a clue. They whiz right by, and are only concerned with themselves. Luckily T and Walka don't seem to mind them too much, but are very watchful of these strange "beasts"!

I have often thought it would be great to carry a paint ball gun and "dole-out" a round of justice on the offenders, but alas I believe that would be considered assault!  I'll just have to continue to use my imagination in those circumstances.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Walkamile said:


> I have often thought it would be great to carry a paint ball gun and "dole-out" a round of justice on the offenders, but alas I believe that would be considered assault!  I'll just have to continue to use my imagination in those circumstances.


 
I did once. Was driving to a show pulling a trailer. I had one of those extra rear view mirrors that could extend a little farther out to see the passenger side of my trailer attached to the front hood/fender of my car.

A cyclist came by (and there was way plenty of room) as it was a wide road and took something from his knapsack and wacked my extender piece for no reason. Well it didn't break but came off so I pulled over to the side of the road and my passender ( a good friend) and I fixed it back up and we continued on abit very angry for there was no need to do this except to be mean.

So as we continued we saw the same cyclist and my friend took my long dressage whip and as we passed him she gave him a slap right accross the ***. The last I saw was the cyclist get off his bike and hop around holding his bum.

I was not sorry.


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

Ha ha ha, Spyder, too funny.

I don't know why cyclists can't bother to slow down and share the road - there were a couple that came up behind us, and tried to warn us by saying, "We're coming up behind you guys!" but unfortunately that isn't quite enough notice for Miss Daisy, who proceeded to throw a hissy fit.


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## xxJustJumpItxx (May 30, 2009)

What I really hate is when people honk their horns! I mean, seriously?! My friend's pasture was close to the highway and we were riding bareback. I swear at least 3 people honked at us! It was ridiculous.

HAHA! That's hilarious Spyder!


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Nice one Spyder!


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## paint gurl 23 (Jan 26, 2009)

HAHA spyder, I would have peed my pants laughing to see that!!


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Lol, good one Spyder!

I once read, ages ago, about an old law in PA that states that if someone operating a motor vehicle happens upon horseback riders, the person with the motor vehicle has to stop their engine, disassemble their vehicle and hide the pieces behind the nearest bushes. When the horses have passed, they can rebuild and continue.

My arena is really close to the street, and I live on kinda a main drag. Small town, so everybody who knows me even from the supermarket honks on the way by, whether the horses are out or not. Fortunately, Scout doesn't care one bit. We have semi trucks that fly past (my kingdom for a radar gun. I know they have to be speeding by at least 20 MPH. Limit for our stretch is 55.) with the brake retarder on and make horrible noises. Actually, those scare me more than they scare Scout, lol. Needless to say, we don't ride down our road.


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

Scoutrider and JustJumpIt, where did you get your avatars? They are so cute!


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Thanks, LeahKathleen! They're made on Snafflez Horsemaker. Snafflez' HorseMaker: Design and Dress Up your Pony! Eventing, Dressage, Hunter, Jumper, Cross-Country, English


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

Thanks! I am excited to make one. Ha ha. I feel 13. -.-


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## xkatex (Oct 7, 2007)

The road our farm is on is notorious for wreckless drivers. People come over the hill doing about 50km over the limit, and the ditches have scattered booze bottles everywhere.

I had an incident where I was coming back from my aunts (about 1km down the road) and some idiot in a riced out car comes flying by and hucks a beer bottle in our direction. Needless to say if I wasnt calming down a frightened horse I wouldve gotten the idiots license plate number. 

Also our one side of the track runs along the fence by the road. I cant even begin to name how many times people have drove by and honked their horns. Even truckers. 

My community is also home to many many amish folk. I myself drive a rather obnoxiously loud car, but as a courtesy to them a shift into neutral and pass in the other lane. I have watched people get within inches, yes inches, of buggies than peel off as fast as they can.

Never ceases to amaze me how retarded some people are. :?


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## LeahKathleen (Mar 5, 2009)

So just the other night, my boyfriend and I were out riding on the back roads by my barn, and two teenagers, one in an old truck and one in an old Camero, literally lined up in both lanes and floored their engines, honking and screaming.

Loot bucked and Daisy was freaked out, and Jared got both license plates. He tracked down the truck and stopped the kid, who proceeded to laugh and honk his horn. Jared called the sheriff, and the kid followed us back to the barn, informed us that he was "watching us." Then he sped off laughing.

The sheriff came out and said that if he caught the kids, they'd be arrested for disorderly conduct and a slew of other charges.

The next morning, the mailbox by the barn was bashed in with a baseball bat. Hmm.... who do you think did that?

Anyway, the sheriff is still looking for them. 

Sometimes, I hate people.


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

Good grief, what utter jerks.

Did this happen over the holiday weekend? In my area, the population nearly triples over holidays and 3 day weekends, and some of the tourists are awful. It never fails, after a holiday our front yard is filled with pop and beer cans. We've had people literally shoving garbage bags out of their cars into our yard (Dad ended up trying to chase them down to get a plate number, but no luck. He and Mom were standing in the front yard and watched these idiots). My sister waitresses, and one of the other gals she works with got stuck on a tip by a group of 6 tourists (who were there for nearly 3 hours) because they thought they deserved free coffee. Those jerks left a really snotty note instead of even a tiny tip. 

Sorry, going off topic.  I'll quit ranting now.

Sometimes, I hate people, too.


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