Cyclist / Horse Rider Tips

chris_bass

bananasbrah wrote:

I think tarring all horse riders as "overweight, bigoted neofascists" likely devalues any point you try to make. Besides, we're all just light jumping, non-helmet wearing, segment chasing, reckless cyclists, eh. Who are we to comment.

A point maintains value no matter what other connotations come with it, I'm afraid. Certain aspects of Hitler's economics cannot be ignored as things that actually made sense, despite everything else 'devaluing' anything he did.
I think as cyclists we have every right to seek the best in everything around us, after all by the mere act of riding a bike we naturally oppose a large amount of the problems which are endemic in the western world. Lack of exercise, a large environmental footprint, roads owned by motorists, general misery not remedied by simple natural pleasures. Even if you drive your Range Rover 50 miles to the start of every ride, hate environmentalists, go home and eat 3 Big Macs and spend all week bitching about Strava, you've still made a positive impact by the mere fact you were the example of an active cyclist in a world which is not optimised or lenient toward such things. If you rode a bicycle today, you promoted a healthier, more environmental way of living, no matter what you may believe in.
For the same reason we are unlikely to see a fairer world when all power lies with the same select group of Eton-educated snobs and decisions are made on seats of brown leather and dark wood, riding horses and everything that it entails stinks of backwards, selfish negativity.

Get down off your high horse will hou

mm1

DAG on a bike wrote:

Whether we like it or not, we all owe a duty of care to other road users

This ^^^

Its just a matter of common sense and good manners; nothing difficult in saying "good morning / good afternoon, is it safe to come past?" A clear converastional tone is preferable to shouting if you are audible (I think that someone told me once that horses are used to people talking, so if you talk they won't mistake you for a predator.)

2 things do wind me up, drivers who insist on going head to head by overtaking horses at the very moment that cyclists are passing in the other direction and riders who insist on exercising their horses on a road race circuit when every stable for miles has had several months' notice of the race.

ednino

I like to shout 'glue factory'

bianchimoon

ednino wrote:

I like to shout 'glue factory'

you must be so proud of yourself afterwards - eh :roll:

To the OP good points, pity some posters are so full of their own importance they can't think of anyone elses hobby

drummer_boy

Speaking as a cyclist who's wife and daughter ride (daughter has ridden for the country), the cheery 'Bike Approaching' goes a long was to ensuring the 3/4 ton animal is not going to jump on you!!

As for the 'horses are for toffs' brigade, well that's just rubbish. Living the North West I don't think I've ever met a toff on a horse!

Also, it should be remember that horses predate bikes, and any other vehicle on Briton's roads by quite a few hundred years.

There are good (and bad) horsemen and women, in the same way there are good and bad cyclists/Car drivers/White Van men etc. Horses have to obey the same road rules as the rest of us, and (as with bikes) very few of the riders actually study and know the bit of the highway code that applies to them.

Anyway, the sun is shining, so let's all get out and ride!!