Hello and a plea from us horse riders!

[Eve]

Not sure I entirely *trust* horses, mind

I don't blame you - sometimes their brains just don't connect with the rest of them

 

[Eve]

The thing I don't like is the odd horse that rears up. Had one approaching me the other day and despite my exchanging greetings with the rider it reared just before we passed, nearly throwing the rider. Well, it looked to me as if the rider was struggling to control it, I suppose to an experienced rider it may have been nothing.

Sounds like a bit more training needed, most riders will train horses to accept things that they will meet out riding - kids screaming, being chased by loose dogs, motor vehicles, rattling trailers, bikes etc. Unfortunately as with all walks of life you get the muppets who would rather that all the scary things just went away.
However as previously mentioned horses have a mind of their own and things that they are nomally fine with sometimes terrifying!

 

[slowmotion]

Blooming horse riders don't pay Road Tax either....

Welcome Eve.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I always say a loud "hello" as I'm approaching a horse. Only once ever had a rider take umbrage, chastising me for 'there's no need to shout unless you're trying to spook him'. She seemed a moody one though, and he horse itself didn't appear bothered in the slightest!

However, I do have to agree (and this COULD be trolling, but I genuinely get annoyed by it!) at why there is no requirement for horse riders o clear up after their horses. There's quite often horse poo in the pad just own the road from where I live - and no it doesn't get put on roses, just stays there getting squashed flatter and flatter by cars over time!

 

[Eve]

Blooming horse riders don't pay Road Tax either....

Welcome Eve.

Thanks
I remember a conversation with a driver about paying road tax - he didn't have much to say when I reminded him that many horse riders pay multiple amounts of car tax - once for each car in the household and again on their horsebox!

 

[mickle]

I always say a loud "hello" as I'm approaching a horse. Only once ever had a rider take umbrage, chastising me for 'there's no need to shout unless you're trying to spook him'. She seemed a moody one though, and he horse itself didn't appear bothered in the slightest!

However, I do have to agree (and this COULD be trolling, but I genuinely get annoyed by it!) at why there is no requirement for horse riders o clear up after their horses. There's quite often horse poo in the pad just own the road from where I live - and no it doesn't get put on roses, just stays there getting squashed flatter and flatter by cars over time!

Horses have been shitting on the roads since before there were roads. Ride around it.

 

[Eve]

I always say a loud "hello" as I'm approaching a horse. Only once ever had a rider take umbrage, chastising me for 'there's no need to shout unless you're trying to spook him'. She seemed a moody one though, and he horse itself didn't appear bothered in the slightest!


However, I do have to agree (and this COULD be trolling, but I genuinely get annoyed by it!) at why there is no requirement for horse riders o clear up after their horses. There's quite often horse poo in the pad just own the road from where I live - and no it doesn't get put on roses, just stays there getting squashed flatter and flatter by cars over time!

- Yes, as with all walks of life you get moody riders - but they get plenty of stick from their own community as it gives us all a bad name. I'm sure it's the same with some cyclists.

I appreciate that but the practicalities of holding onto a large animal on a road whilst trying to shovel up shoot are difficult. Plus there's the question of where to put the bag/shoot/shovel. I understand why it can be annoying though as cycling through it can't be nice.

 

[growingvegetables]

If a cyclist shouts "bike behind/hello/all right to pass" etc a rider will usually turn the horses head so they can see you approaching - this has the added benefit of turning their bum away from you so if they do kick out they will kick away from you.

Now that's something I didn't know - thank you

[Now that I think about it, I've seen horses look round ........ I'd no idea it was deliberate. I though they were just getting ready to take aim!]

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Eve!

 

[CopperCyclist]

Horses have been shitting on the roads since before there were roads. Ride around it.

I wasn't overly thinking about cycling, I just dislike the crap left in the road!

That said, I do appreciate that it's not as easy to clear up as, for instance, dog muck and isn't really feasible to expect it. I just like to practice being a grumpy old man every now and then!

 

[400bhp]

I must have been in a bad mood last night :shrug:. Apologies Eve

[edit] mods, please feel free top delete earlier posts.

 

[betty swollocks]

Hi guys, not sure if this is in the right place but I would like to ask you all for a favour!
As a horse rider I see many cyclists on the roads, may I please ask that if you are approaching a horse from behind that you call out and let the rider know you are there? Bikes are so quiet and unfortunately our horses (and us!) don't know you are there until the last second and that can cause them to spook. I have had a couple of near misses and would hate for anyone to get hurt.

Many thanks!

Eve

My riding is usually on country roads, so I come across quite a few horses and riders - pretty much every ride actually.
My protocol, when approaching from behind, is to call out from a distance of perhaps thirty yards 'Watch out behind' or 'Bike behind'. Usually, this is acknowledged by the rider and I then usually get a thanks when I pass by as far over as possible. Not always though.
A few times however, my call has a) spooked the horse b) my passing by has spooked the horse c) the rider, rather than acknowledging my courtesy decides to shout at me for approaching silently - they obviously didn't hear or heed my warning call.
Despite this, the favourable rider/horse reactions out number the unfavourable, so my protocol won't change
I have to be very wary when on my recumbent, as I've had many adverse reactions (from the horse) to this, so I now halt and dismount if approaching face to face, or very slowly and carefully and with as wide a berth as possible, if coming from behind.

As for horse poo: I don't mind it at all. After all, it's just recycled grass. If I see a big fresh pile, I usually ride straight through it. Makes a satisfying swishing sound and leaves a cycle tyre shaped ravine.

And Eve: welcome.

 

[Globalti]

The first reply to Eve's post was rude and disrespectful. Anybody with half a brain could see that it wasn't a troll. Welcome Eve and yes, I always call out a polite warning when I'm fifty yards behind a horse as I know they are easily spooked.

.....anyway I like chatting with horse riders (why are they 99% women?) and one very smart lady rider once made lustful remarks about my lycra-clad bum!

....not only that but few cyclists and walkers realise that we owe most of our British footpaths and bridleways to the humble pack ponies, which carried all the trade goods and commodities before roads, canals and railways appeared. Packhorses were the white vans of Britain and their legacy is everywhere - did you know that Holloway in London is named after the massive V shaped groove, known as a hollow way, worn in the ground by millions of hooves carrying the goods in and out of the growing city?

 

[raindog]

Nowt wrong with 'oss sh t - shovel it up and put it on the garden. Since when did the human race become so squeamish?

 

[Gary E]

Long long ago my parents decided it would be a good idea to get me some horse riding lessons. After a couple of dozen lessons I'd formed 1 definate opinion - horses are 'orrible!

No brakes, no accelerator and dodgy steering, basically by pulling on reins and pushing your leg into their side all you're actually doing is suggesting to the horse that he/she might want to go that way, none of the horses I rode ever seemed to take the hint!

To be honest I fully accept that the lack of success I had had little to do with the horse and plenty to do with the rider. But my point is, no matter how skilled the rider and how well trained the horse there's always a random element that means they're going to be unpredictable.

Anyone daft enough to ride one of these beasts has earned my sympathy and, at the least, deserves the basic respect that the OP politely ask for. What she didn't say (which may well have been seen as inflamitory) is that if you manage to spook one of these 1 ton animals as you pass you may live to regret it . So in that respect it's an important lesson for all cyclists to learn!

I have to agree with the horse poo issue though. Rode through what looked like a scale model of Everest a few days ago with no front mudguard!

One final point in passing - in my experience, where I live, most (though definately not all) drivers are happy to slow down and pass horses with care. Wouldn't it be nice, as fellow riders, if we had the same consideration paid to us?

Oh, and finally, welcome to the forum Eve. Do you ride bikes or just mad animals?