What is it about horse riders?

Lucky Douglas

Another thread touches on the fact that horses take up a lot of road when they are two abreast, and go at a fraction of the speed of a bike.

They also have backsides the size of a bucket that they use to dump huge quantities of disease-laden sewage on the road where it gets sprayed up onto the neck of drink bottles and into peoples eyes. I've not done any research but I'm fairly confident that can't be healthy.
Dog owners now have to tidy up after their pets. If cyclists started taking a dump from the saddle we'd never hear then end of it, even if the last man in the chain gang picked it up as he went along.

But horse riders get away with it. How does that work?

OK horses - and some of their riders - are nice to look at, but you can say the same about bikes.

I feel much better now

shouldbeinbed

+1/2 agree but I'm not that passionate about it. The one I passed tonight was being ridden and lead because it was so jumpy and skittish. Totally inappropriate ti be on road that nervous and especially as it was commute time.

bartimaeus

Horses = Bridle Paths = WIN

Smokin Joe

Bartimaeus wrote:

Horses = Bridle Paths = WIN

Or, as motorists might put it -

Cyclists = Cycle Paths = WIN"

One group of vulnerable road users attacking another? Come off it.

sparrowlegs78

DFog poo is actually on the list of hazardous wastes list, horse poo isn't as it's just digested plant and fibre material, and washes away after a rainfall or just squshed under car wheels.
Also it is up to you to look where you are riding, do you ride over ice without looking?...keep thy peepers open and you'll actually see what you are riding on..simples.
I've owned or worked with horses for the past 26 years and been a kennel maid at a boarding kennels so I know the pooey difference
As for horses on the road, they have as much rights to be there as you do, infact more so as roads were built for horses to travel on, so ner ner there.
If you are so pedantic about horses on the roads, join your local bridleways association and put your views forward for more bridleways so you don't need to come across horses on the road, instead of feebly venting your spleen on a forum.
Caz xxx

whyamihere

Smokin Joe wrote:

Bartimaeus wrote:

Horses = Bridle Paths = WIN

Or, as motorists might put it -

Cyclists = Cycle Paths = WIN"

One group of vulnerable road users attacking another? Come off it.

I read that differently. Cyclists can use bridle paths, and they can be incredibly useful in certain areas. I don't think it was a sarcastic post.

lastwords

This country is covered in tarmac roads and there simply is not a bridleway network left to allow you to have a decent ride whether you are riding a horse which my wife has or a mountain bike which i have.

So unfortunately we have to use tarmac roads, i also ride a road bike and every group of horse riders i have ever came across have been polite and moved to allow me to pass.

As for riding and leading a horse along a road, i ask how else do you get a horse introduced to the noise and comotion of traffic?

geebee2

I have never ridden, but regard horses on the road as a GOOD thing.

It encourages traffic to slow down.

Make sure you slow to walking pace when passing horses, I always do.

And exchange a friendly greeting ( I think this should help the horse to stay calm ).

Quite often when riding lanes I pass more horses than vehicles.

bartimaeus

whyamihere wrote:

I don't think it was a sarcastic post.

No sarcasm intended.

Most of the best riding round here is on bridle paths - paths which were originally created by and /for horses, but which are now mostly used by cyclists. I am sure that if it weren't for the horses many of these paths would be overgrown, so being stuck behind a horse now and then is a small price to pay for the bridle path network.

All the riders I have met have been very friendly... and I always pull over to let them pass by if I meet one (not that you have much choice ). So, yes, I see horse riders as fellow riders - and they too should feel safe in using the roads to link up the sections of bridle path.

spinndrift

Can't believe no one has mentioned young fillies jodphurs yet.

Smokin Joe

spinndrift wrote:

Can't believe no one has mentioned young fillies jodphurs yet.

Girls in Tight Jodphurs?

Now there's an idea for a thread...

Frank the tank

Smokin Joe wrote:

Bartimaeus wrote:

Horses = Bridle Paths = WIN

Or, as motorists might put it -

Cyclists = Cycle Paths = WIN"

One group of vulnerable road users attacking another? Come off it.

I'm with your sentiments here Joe, the roads are plenty wide enough for us all to use. Tollerance, it's the way forward.

Never had a problem with a horse and rider, wish I could say the same of motorists but that's the way of things.

Lucky Douglas

I like horses too - so does everyone else. Where I was going with my semi-ironic OP is:

Everyone likes horses.
Lots of people don't like cyclists (although they don't poo on the road).

Why?

JamieW

I'm totally for horses on the roads for the reasons above. Yeah they make a whole load of poop... I should know as i have to sort out the mrs's horse regularly.... But they do slow the traffic. Sadly where I am in Cheshire there are very few bridleways and byways around, so a lot of the lanes do get filled with horses esp on the weekends.

My biggest complaint has to be other cyclists..... I'll be on my bike and other cyclists totally ignore me if I'm riding with her...... Esp the roadies no matter if I'm on road or mtb.

Frank the tank

The thing is horse poo is it's great for rhubarb, although I do prefer custard on mine.

The old ones are the best. :oops:

bartimaeus

spinndrift wrote:

Can't believe no one has mentioned young fillies jodphurs yet.

Sounds like a new thread...

fleshtuxedo

Lucky Douglas wrote:

I like horses too - so does everyone else. Where I was going with my semi-ironic OP is:

Everyone likes horses.
Lots of people don't like cyclists (although they don't poo on the road).

Why?

It's psychological innit?

Cyclists = bottom of road user food chain, inferior, so drivers hate them and grind them into the gutter to assert their superiority & feel good.

Horses & Riders = eccentric outsiders, no need to show your superiority, so drivers treat them nicely.

I've read it described far more eloquently than that before, but hopefully I've got the gist.

Frank the tank

Someone posted elsewhere, horses/riders get more respect from car drivers because the horse has great potential to do some really serious damage to the motorists vehicle.

daviesee

So wearing full lycra and a polystyrene hat is considered normal and not even a bit eccentric?

As a cyclist, even I think we look weird

freehub

Daviesee, we don't exactly look weird.

The fact is, most people would associate men wearing as gay, when it is not, and if they took up cycling themselves seriously, they'd too start looking into wearing lycra, although you do get some people wearing stuff over their lycra shorts like baggy shorts to hide it cause they're scared of what people might think. What people have to realise is, try doing 100 miles in jeans, you'd get back with half of your ass missing.

stevec205gti

freehub wrote:

Daviesee, we don't exactly look weird.

The fact is, most people would associate men wearing as gay, when it is not,

Dunno - reckon I'd look pretty gay wearing a man

daviesee

freehub wrote:

Daviesee, we don't exactly look weird.

The fact is, most people would associate men wearing as gay, when it is not, and if they took up cycling themselves seriously, they'd too start looking into wearing lycra, although you do get some people wearing stuff over their lycra shorts like baggy shorts to hide it cause they're scared of what people might think. What people have to realise is, try doing 100 miles in jeans, you'd get back with half of your ass missing.

I am totally aware of why cyclists look like they do, myself included. It is for 100% practical reasons. However, the mass population don't know the reasons.
Weird, a knob, stupid etc, etc I have heard. Gay is a new one........

fleshtuxedo

daviesee wrote:

So wearing full lycra and a polystyrene hat is considered normal and not even a bit eccentric?

As a cyclist, even I think we look weird

Non-cycling drivers mostly rode bikes when they were kids, and as they see it, they outgrew it when they got a car. Hence the view of cyclists as 'inferior' rather than eccentric.

AndyF16

Frank the tank wrote:

Someone posted elsewhere, horses/riders get more respect from car drivers because the horse has great potential to do some really serious damage to the motorists vehicle.

Believe me, so have I if cut up on purpose ok I might not be able to rear up and get my hooves onto their roof/windscreen, but SPD cleats could cause some damage if used right

chunkytfg

Horses are bad?

Answer this for me.

when you ride on the road do you have liability insurance to cover the members of the public you may come across and possibly injure due to unforeseen circumstances?

Chances are no you dont.

99% of responsible horse owners do. We have it for both of our horses to the tune of £3m.

daviesee

Whether you agree with it or not, the following question/stereotype may well explain drivers differing attitude.

How many horse riders jump red lights?

jellybellywmb

I dont mind horses its some of the stuck up idiots that ride them i dont like.
Just recently at the top of a long grind of a hill i came across two horses on a wide grass verge, I moved to the centre of the road and passed very slowly only for a stuck up cow to say " dont you know your meant to announce your presence when approaching a horse from the rear" Had I not been sruggling to breath let alone produce a reply i would have taken time out to put her right!!

Having said that it probably is again the minority like in any sport, most give a cheery wave and thanks you.

Pross

Do people really think that "everyone likes horses" and that people riding horses on the road are treated with respect? Most cars treat horses and their riders with respect but then most treat cyclists with respects too. I used to walk with my daughter while she rode on quiet single track lanes and the speeds that some people would approach was ridiculous, one car skidded to a halt about a metre in front of us the one day having come around a blind bend way too fast. The difference is that most motorists realise the damage half a ton of muscle can do with them so they tend to show a little bit more caution but I would say it is more for their own benefit than out of respect for the horse and rider. Just like cyclists horses have a right to be on the road and little option other than to ride there as even in the countryside around our stables you have to go a couple of miles on country lanes just to reach a bridle way (there is a track of sorts nearby but it is open to vehicles and regularly used by off roaders and dirt bikes so even worse than the road!).

shm_uk

daviesee wrote:

Whether you agree with it or not, the following question/stereotype may well explain drivers differing attitude.

How many horse riders jump red lights?

And how often do you hear anyone complain that horse-riders "don't pay road tax"?
Or should be licenced/insured?

...

The world's a daft place and humans are fundamentally pretty daft too.
Once you accept that, things don't tend to get on your nerves so much :-)

markyboy2005

jellybellywmb wrote:

I dont mind horses its some of the stuck up idiots that ride them i dont like.
Just recently at the top of a long grind of a hill i came across two horses on a wide grass verge, I moved to the centre of the road and passed very slowly only for a stuck up cow to say " dont you know your meant to announce your presence when approaching a horse from the rear" Had I not been sruggling to breath let alone produce a reply i would have taken time out to put her right!!

Having said that it probably is again the minority like in any sport, most give a cheery wave and thanks you.

If you come accross two horses without announcing you are approaching their rear you deserve everything you get......

....sorry 8)

secretsqizz

All horses are of course heathens as they do not like the sound of Campagnolo freehubs.