Horses

2

Comments

  • Schobiedoo
    Schobiedoo Posts: 121
    Horse riders always jump red lights, ride in the middle of the road and cut up all other road users. And they should pay road tax! It is a disgraceful situation. They should be banned from the road and only allowed to ride on bridleways. In fact, just thinking about horses using the roads is making my blood boil and I'm going to write to the Daily Mail right now.
    Neil Pryde Bura SL
    Cannondale CAAD8
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    I should first point out that I always approach and overtake horses in the approved manner, speak politely to the riders (around here, many of them are my neighbours) and so on: and I don't resent doing this at all.

    But there is one thing: some horses, e.g. rather obviously police horses, don't seem to be nearly so skittish. Why? Because they've been trained not to be.
    Personally, if I was going to make a habit of sitting on a half ton of small brains and primal fear, I would want to train it to its maximum capacity, purely for my own benefit: but most horse riders do seem to assume that it's the responsibility of the rest of the world to edge carefully around their dangerous and uncontrollable beast. Perhaps someone can explain this to me, because I just don't get it.
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,425
    Sneaking up behind them wearing a red jacket and sounding a hunting horn seems to be the best way to get the attention of both horse and rider :twisted:

    Not a problem if you fancy riding your cross bike across their front lawns either.
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • btiratsoo
    btiratsoo Posts: 204
    Calling out allows the rider to turn the horses head. This allows the horse to see what is coming and be prepared. A simple call out from a good distance back keeps everyone happy. If the rider still acts like a snobby old pompous hot air bag, that is their fault not yours or the horse's. Hampshire is prime horse country and I have yet to encounter a problem. Haven't ridden much in the New Forest mind.....seems they hate everyone there!
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    btiratsoo wrote:
    Calling out allows the rider to turn the horses head. This allows the horse to see what is coming and be prepared.

    What if it has blinkers on?
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I've never had a problem really - announce your presence before you get there and pass wide and slower.

    Pretty much like we'd like other vehicles to pass us I think ?

    Its silly to pass close to such a big animal - and we've more in common with horse riders than we have cars.
  • btiratsoo
    btiratsoo Posts: 204
    bernithebiker wrote:
    btiratsoo wrote:
    Calling out allows the rider to turn the horses head. This allows the horse to see what is coming and be prepared.

    What if it has blinkers on?


    Then we're all doomed. Turn round and go home.
  • dee4life2005
    dee4life2005 Posts: 773
    I was out for a solo ride in the country at the weekend, I was coming up to a T-junction wanting to turn right. I could see a group of about 20 horse riders coming up the road from the left so I indicated in plenty time to let them know the direction I was intending to travel, so that they would perhaps stop and let me clear the junction before they got there ... in the hope of not startling their horses.

    They then proceeded to turn down the road I was already cycling in, without indicating I might add, and a few weren't wearing helmets ... I was about 100yrds away from junction by this point.

    I decided the best course of action was to just stop, have a drink and admire the scenery for a minute or two until they passed by. Got several "thanks" from the riders, and then I was on my way.

    Don't like approaching a horse from the rear ... no matter what approach you take, announcing yourself, using your bell, etc. etc. there is still a number of horses that'll get spooked or the rider with act like an a-hole and give you abuse.
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/307297
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    On the subject of horses, I found this a good read when it went round a couple of years ago:

    http://www.uctc.net/access/30/Access%20 ... 0Power.pdf

    It discusses the chronic horse pollution problems that were being faced by the worlds major cities just a little over 100 years ago - fascinating stuff.
  • Giraffoto
    Giraffoto Posts: 2,078
    The trouble is that the horses only get to spend a couple of hours a week experiencing anything new - if they're ridden on the road more often, rather than kept in a stable and fussed over by a 13 year old girl on slave wages, they'll get used to what's on the road - cars, tractors, bicycles, the lot. More horsists is the answer, not less.
    Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
    XM-057 rigid 29er
  • florerider
    florerider Posts: 1,112
    On most Sunday rides I come across more people on bikes and horses than cars. It takes only a few seconds to speak to the rider and let the horse hear you - I usually start with "bike coming past" and as I draw closer add "has he/she seen me". Usually get a friendly response from the rider and rarely any response from the horse once it has heard me. Speak clearly and do not shout - shouting is counter productive!

    Only once did I speed past a horse - it was just out of sight round a corner on a fast downhill. It certainly got spooked. Would not want to do that again.
  • djhermer
    djhermer Posts: 328
    Wait until they all cotton onto Strava.
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    Hope the OP managed to read all of the sensible advice on here about warning horse/rider from as far back as possible, ride slowly past and ignore some of the horse$h1t being spoken on here :roll:
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • Baby Trek
    Baby Trek Posts: 118
    I am both evils...horse rider and road bike rider! Unfortunately you get jumped up sh*ts in all walks of life who feel that everyone around them should be able to mind read.
    Horses are a pain in the bum too...they are the single most flighty and unreliable animal I have ever come across...so as a horse rider you have no real way of knowing how they will react to a certain situation.
    I myself...a horse rider...approach other horse riders slowly when on my bike, I slow down and attempt to shout 'coming up behind on a bike'...sometimes it works and sometimes the horse jumps in the air. Not a lot anyone can do about that really.
    The difficulty is in the person's attitude to it all...same as car drivers with cyclists, walkers with horse riders, horse riders with cyclists etc etc.
    The way I see it, you are on a bike, you whizz past and make the horse jump about for 2 seconds and then you are gone...ordeal over and back to normal...not a major worry really. We really should have more tolerance for each others passions in this country!
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    Baby Trek wrote:
    The way I see it, you are on a bike, you whizz past and make the horse jump about for 2 seconds and then you are gone...ordeal over and back to normal...not a major worry really. We really should have more tolerance for each others passions in this country!

    Have I read this wrong?..as a horse rider you are advocating whizzing past a horse, saying it will jump about for a couple of seconds ordeal over, back to normal? :o
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,580
    Having an out of control horse chase you down the road will help move you up the strava leaderboards! :shock:
  • d_o_g
    d_o_g Posts: 286
    btiratsoo wrote:
    Haven't ridden much in the New Forest mind.....seems they hate everyone there!

    The NF is about the only place you can blast past a horse shaped animal without a care in the world - the ponies and donkeys couldn't care less, and never move any faster than a stoned student.
  • matt-h
    matt-h Posts: 847
    Imposter wrote:
    Curto80 wrote:
    Always call a warning if approaching behind. Ideally slow to walking pace, keep your distance and ask the rider if it's ok to pass. Cyclists being inconsiderate to horse riders when passing is just as bad as drivers being inconsiderate to cyclists. I'm not saying for a moment that you were inconsiderate, but next time you do need to call out before you get too close. It's not about the speed you pass at.

    ^^ this.
    agree with this
    Scott Foil Di2 viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13020685&p=19496365#p19496365
    Genesis Volare 853 viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=13020702&p=19589281#p19589281
  • Richard_D
    Richard_D Posts: 320
    As someone who regularly rides in the New Forest I have regular encounters with both horse riders and the wild ponies. With the horse riders I will slow downs and either call or otherwise indicate when I am coming up behind. It does not always work. Once I ended up spooking the rider but not the horse. She apologised as I went past. With the wild ponies I will slow down but will not call they more often than not in a group with some if not all of them at an angle to the road so will usually see you coming. I slow down as too often when I have ride through them one or more of them decide now is the time they want to walk in front of you.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Depends, on a road, just treat them like another bike or a parked car, on a bridle way treat them like a pedestrian when trotting or walking, make presence known pass when safe if they're cantering or if galloping draft it but not too close.

    Around here there are a lot of 1-2 person carts (chariots? for want of a better term) on the road, unless the gradient goes over 5% I'm faster so getting in front of them means they're blocking the traffic and I'm seen as less of an obstacle by drivers in comparison. Win-Win.

    Wild or loose horses/ponies wide berth, dead slow.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    I live in a hunting county so cross paths with plenty of horse and riders. I always shout "cyclist on your right" when approaching from behind. If they're in their pinks signifying they belong to a hunt, I say nothing.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • typekitty
    typekitty Posts: 188
    Giraffoto wrote:
    The trouble is that the horses only get to spend a couple of hours a week experiencing anything new - if they're ridden on the road more often, rather than kept in a stable and fussed over by a 13 year old girl on slave wages, they'll get used to what's on the road - cars, tractors, bicycles, the lot. More horsists is the answer, not less.

    Yep good point. Even with police horses though I call out and pass wide and slow.

    The calling out is just to let the horse know I'm human and not some strange monster with no legs.
  • Mr Will
    Mr Will Posts: 216
    Horses are stupid creatures and mostly blind.

    Until you say something they will assume you are a predator (moving fast and silently - see). A cheerful hello alerts the riders without sounding bossy but more importantly makes the horses realise "Oh, it's a person", something that ringing a bell or making any other kind of noise will not.
    2010 Cannondale CAAD9 Tiagra
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    It's very nice to have such a constant stream of posters in this thread helpfully explaining to us what we all know already. Thanks a lot to every one of you.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    bompington wrote:
    It's very nice to have such a constant stream of posters in this thread helpfully explaining to us what we all know already. Thanks a lot to every one of you.
    Shhhhhh! We're trying to get it to trot on for another five pages.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Stop horsing around
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Came across two gert big nags on my ride last night, riding two abreast on a narrow road. Grey shires I think they were and beautiful animals. Fortunately I had been following this thread so knew exactly what to do and how to do it so the whole scenario passed off without incident and I'm going out with one of the riders tonight ( I made up that bit)

    Thank guys... Can't prove that this thread saved my life, I just know...
  • Pituophis
    Pituophis Posts: 1,025
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Came across two gert big nags on my ride last night, riding two abreast on a narrow road. Grey shires I think they were and beautiful animals. Fortunately I had been following this thread so knew exactly what to do and how to do it so the whole scenario passed off without incident and I'm going out with one of the riders tonight ( I made up that bit)

    Thank guys... Can't prove that this thread saved my life, I just know...

    Its those angry scousers you need to look out for! :shock:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Mikey23 wrote:
    Came across two gert big nags on my ride last night, riding two abreast on a narrow road. Grey shires I think they were and beautiful animals. Fortunately I had been following this thread so knew exactly what to do and how to do it so the whole scenario passed off without incident and I'm going out with one of the riders tonight ( I made up that bit)

    Thank guys... Can't prove that this thread saved my life, I just know...

    It's just anecdotal. How do you know they couldn't have reared up and trampled you to death? I say you got lucky this time. Did you have a carrot and a sugar cube?
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    I think horse WING MIRRORS is the answer!

    Easy to apply over horses head with some sort of buckle and strap system ...Also something needs to be done about horse shit ,i live in a ruralish part of town ,, but there are piles of horse poo everywhere ,some fresh,some decayed,some just a stain.

    We complain about dog owners who let there poochs foul without picking it up!!

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