A horse rider filmed a confrontation she had with a driver on a lane in an upmarket Welsh village. In the video, the man calls the woman, a nurse, a "middle class t**t" while he refers to another rider on the road as "Miss HRT Karen".
The exchange happened when the horse riders were out on a lane in the village of Peterston-super-Ely in the Vale of Glamorgan, not far from Cardiff. In the footage, they and the driver clash over how each perceived the manner of his driving. The rider claims the driver "nearly killed" them while he says he "didn't come anywhere near" them and slowed down as soon as he saw the horse.
It happened on a route the riders say they enjoy riding "a couple of times a week" and say they were left shaken by the altercation. One of the riders, who recorded the footage and asked to be anonymous, explained: "We were riding through Peterston-super-Ely and this car came towards us so we asked him to slow down. Drivers hate horses on the road but were were in the middle of the countryside."
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In the video, the driver also says the rider is "talking like you've got b****cks in your mouth" before saying he didn't need to slow down for horses by law: "It's a courtesy that people slow down for horses," he says before adding: "It doesn't matter anyway as I didn't see you coming."
The horse rider told WalesOnline she initially thought the exchange was funny, but as the man continued his tirade she began to feel "intimidated". The video ends as both go their separate ways.
What does the Highway Code say about cars passing horse riders?
Point 215 of the Highway Code states: "Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when approaching, overtaking, passing or moving away. Always pass wide and slowly. When you see a horse on a road, you should slow down to a maximum of 10mph. Be patient, do not sound your horn or rev your engine. When safe to do so, pass wide and slow, allowing at least two metres of space.
"Feral or semi-feral ponies found in areas such as the New Forest, Exmoor and Dartmoor require the same consideration as ridden horses when approaching or passing.
"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. Remember there are three brains at work when you pass a horse; the rider’s, the driver’s and the horse’s. Do not forget horses are flight animals and can move incredibly quickly if startled."
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