Oi! Plod!

[EltonFrog]

If you startled the horse or the rider then you should be thinking about your own actions...

She should have been looking where she was going and she would have seen me coming half a mile down the road, I could see her.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Whilst that may well all be the case, it is considered polite and sensible to communicate with horse people before passing them, just in case the creature is easily scared.

What about the horse?

 

[EltonFrog]

Whilst that may well all be the case, it is considered polite and sensible to communicate with horse people before passing them, just in case the creature is easily scared.

I'm not sure if I'm reading to much into your post, but you are coming across as patronising. I know very well how to behave on the road, it was not my communication that startled the horse rider, had she been paying attention whilst I was communicating with her she would not have been startled. I was not the one riding on the road not paying attention.

 

[Bromptonaut]

If you maintain contact with the bit (through the reins) for any length of time, the horse will do one of two things....shake its head to tell you to stop pulling on them, or ignore your instruction through them.

Reins are only one way of communicating a command to them. My daughter trained one of ours to come to an instant full stop when she takes her feet out of the stirrups (for gymkhana games when they jump on and off to pick up a tennis ball half way around)
It works very well

Leg aids are also used to get them to go in a direction...(leg aid being pressure exerted by the riders knee which the horse is trained to move away from)

Thanks for that clarification Linf. I'm frankly rather frightened of horses and my one experience of pony trekking only reinforced my preference for cycling over equine sports.

My point that the trained rider is in control of the trained horse and surrenders that control if faffing on a mobile remains.

 

[Dan B]

[QUOTE 2390791, member: 1314"]I've never ever even touched a horse in my life. I have equinophobia. They're basically camels with short necks.[/quote]
Sounds like you've really got the hump there

 

[threebikesmcginty]

[QUOTE 2390791, member: 1314"]I've never ever even touched a horse in my life. I have equinophobia. They're basically camels with short necks.[/quote]

I don't like them either, wouldn't go near one. Findus had the right idea with what to do with them.