Safety for horse riding

This is one of the things that have prompted me to start a blog - maybe it will give someone a kick up the backside and remember the highway code!!!
One of my many hats is as a car driver - along with a few other people in this country probably!
I live in a fairly rural village which has almost doubled in size since we moved here 15 years ago.
Part of country living are the horse stables situated on all four approaches to our village.
As I left for work the other day, a horse and its rider passed by the end of my road. By the time I caught up with them, they were approaching the main road in and out of our village. As I dutifully slowed down so as not to spook the horse as I passed it and indicated to pass them on the far right hand side of the road, the rider chose that moment - with no indication! - to take the horse to the middle of the road to turn right. There was then a lot of cursing under my breath as I had to brake suddenly to avoid a horse's rump through my windscreen and I manged to pull back into the left hand side of the road. The horse and rider then quite merrily trotted onto the main road.
Now having driven for many years and also having friends who ride horses, so feel that I do have some sympathy towards horse riders as I know that they get abused verbally, have empty drinks cans thrown at them, cigarette ends thrown at them, I felt that at long last I had reached the end of my tether, so wound down my window and shouted " well done for indicating - that really told me where you were going"! The look from the rider appeared to say "what are you going on about?"
I feel that I am always considerate to other users of the road and slow down and give a wide berth to horses especially with the amount around our area, however this has to be a tw0-way street - pardon the pun!
If you ride a horse on the public highway, remember - the highway code is for you to use too! This also includes using mobile phones while riding along the road - don't, it's dangerous enough in a car/lorry/coach!