And they say cycling is dangerous...

[asterix]

It's not that horses have small brains; it's because they're prey animals so their speed and taking flight is their main defence. They see potential predators everywhere. That's probably why they find low recumbent bikes so unsettling - they look like a lion creeping up.

I blame the parents. It must be hundreds if not thousands of years since a horse in the UK got ate by a lion and yet every generation is warned by its parents to watch out for the lions. You can imagine it:
'Mum, Dad, what's a lion look like then?'
'Dunno, but they're out there.. Just get ready to run like .... And don't keep asking me that..'

Last Sunday i saw a cyclist who went up behind some nervy horses(and their dismounted riders) in the road. He kept ringing his bell as if to get out of the way! He was in kicking distance as well!

Have had a horse lash out at me years ago in a narrow E. Anglian lane as I rounded a bend. They like a bit of warning before you get too close so a bell in good time can help but the human voice is far better. Bicycles are very quiet and if the wind is blowing the wrong way the horse won't hear you coming.

 

[ufkacbln]

My 18yr old is an experienced horse rider, having ridden and competed since she was 8.

Today she was hacking out and part of the ride was along a quiet country road.
Her horse suddenly spooked and took off at a gallop. She couldn't turn it around in the road as there was oncoming traffic, which thankfully saw there was a problem and stopped for her.
She finally managed to turn the horse and get it into a local pub car park where it calmed down.
She dismounted and walked it back to the yard, which was nearby.

She's fine...my nerves are shot!

Blimey.... a Horse with a drink problem!

View attachment 40933
Me and my girl at her pass off from riding school

That must have been a proud moment, there are not many riding schools with that provenance!

It also makes my "advice" asking if she was OK about getting back on the horse again, and how she might need some support to do so completely irrelevant!

 

[ufkacbln]

have ridden horses for many years and plan to work them in the future so always liked them and been good with them and as i wear a very bright coloured jersey i have on several occasions dismounted the bike given rider and horse warning whilst approaching and walked past and a slowish pace and then mounted again and kept pedalling
Cheers Ed

It's not that horses have small brains; it's because they're prey animals so their speed and taking flight is their main defence. They see potential predators everywhere. That's probably why they find low recumbent bikes so unsettling - they look like a lion creeping up.

This is why I am always careful around horses.

A recumbent trike is low sleek and fast (well fastish in my case) but to a horse this puts it way into the predator class. I always slow up and warn the rider if I am behind or pull off and stand in front in the front of the trike, again warning the rider

Mind you it does not always work. Had one gentleman tell me not to be so "silly" and that he was an experienced rider and his horse well trained......... ten seconds later it was dancing and he was having control problems

 

[tyred]

[QUOTE 2999016, member: 259"]
But you got a lot more girlfriends than with bikes. [/QUOTE]

Really.......hmmmmm......grabs yellow pages - Horse riding schools....

 

[fossyant]

Bloody stupid things horses, shouldn't be allowed on the roads.............

Er, hang on !

 

[ScotiaLass]

Blimey.... a Horse with a drink problem!



That must have been a proud moment, there are not many riding schools with that provenance!

It also makes my "advice" asking if she was OK about getting back on the horse again, and how she might need some support to do so completely irrelevant!

Ah, that's the OTHER daughter - she's 28 and has just left the Army where she was a mounted musician with the Band of the Blues and Royals for 10 years.
My youngest is 18 and wants a career working with horses - she's currently working her way through some qualifications with a view to becoming a Riding Instructor

 

[marknotgeorge]

Bloody stupid things horses, shouldn't be allowed on the roads.............

Er, hang on !

They don't pay that there road tax, neither. and have you seen the emissions?

 

[young Ed]

only today did i hang back a few meters behind a traveler with horse and racing cart for a mile or so until he indicated to overtake as he knew the horse and i didn't and didn't want an out of control horse and cart!
Cheers Ed

 

[Scoosh]

I was going up a 15% hill on my 'bent last year and saw a horse and rider coming down. I 'kindly' reached my climbing limit fell off while they were about 50m from me so I told the rider I would stay resting against the banking and she thanked me and said that the flag would be the most likely thing to spook the horse, so I held it down too.

Both passed with no trouble and we had a pleasant exchange.

They're big and scary, horses ...