where do you drive ?

Stormin

Stormin

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Jun 28, 2007
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Been reading alot of posts about driving and alot of the time, people recommend to have a decent place to drive. I was just wondering where this could be.

I would love to drive but I'm seriously thinking that it might not be possible :(
I live in a small rural village with the departmental road running in front of the house (so relatively lots of traffic including buses, lorries, tractors, speeding tourists in cars/motorbikes/cycles, locals in shortcut flat-out driving mode ...)

There aren't many roads in the village and those which lead to neighbouring villages and are less busy have rather steep slopes (not sure how driving horses/ponies would cope with pulling up/down that kind of slope). Local bridleways are barred off to prevent motorbikes/quads/4x4 so no way to get a vehicle on there (plus gates are fixed so not even possible to get a key).

And generally speaking, surely you don't just drive along roads. I mean doesn't that get a little boring ?
 
I have always only had roads to drive on, when I was on the mainland I had a huge network of lanes and never found it boring (not then almost all my riding has been road riding too, all my life). I have always had to deal with big roads occasionally too, I used to drive up sections of the A68 regularly (single carriageway, have never driven on dual carriageway, although I used to ride/drive across one). The key I found with really big/fast roads was just to pick your times, never go near them at rush hour of course or any other busy time. I used to cross the dual carriageway at 8am on a sunday morning, there was nothing on the road then. Obviously don't take unnecessary risks and make sure horse is as traffic proof as possible, you are visible and you have a decent able bodied groom.

I was more frightened of meeting the local hunt than any traffic :D

Have never met a slope that my ponies didn't deal with and we have had drives that included 1 in 4 gradients.
 
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stormin; never a dull moment in road driving!!! the village you describe sounds like the one we are in. its on a rat run to bigger town/rail link, and there are also no less that about 12 coaches everyday, plus the school coaches as well this year that includes doubledecker's in a narrow road with lots of trees to scrape against. theres no end of steep hills, very busy roads which are narrow and twisty, we have even been stuck in a traffic jam for 20 minutes outside the village shop! the prettiest route has everchanging liveries, some of whom are highly excited to see a horse pulling a cart, and so carry on, by charging and bucking at the hedging. also there is a cross country course on the other side of the hedge on opposite side of road- single track country lane really, (although used as a rat run for commuters too) , which if being used when you are going past, you cant see as the hedge ids high, but i think it would cause chaos, when the driven horse hears the whoosh and thump of the jumping and landing horse- luckily we have never been on the track when the cross country is being used, but i have seen a ridden horse react badly, so hope i never do! you arent supposed to go on bridlepaths with a cart anyway, so that's out! building work constantly, loose dogs, loose children, loose townies in cars, skip lorries- its horrendous if you think about it, but it is never boring- each time out is an adventure ( quite often more of an adventure than you would wish for).
 
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estherD, thats the same for me- terrified of meeting the hunt! the next biggest scary is the cross country course, and the dobermans at the top of the village. you are right- always have a groom with you, and choose your days and times, to minmize the hazards
 
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