How much consideration for horses?

[Iwasgoodonce]

I wear a Pritt Stick around my neck like a talisman. This way the horse always gives me a 50m wide berth. At least!

 

[legrandefromage]

make as much noise as poss so the horse knows you exist, thats all you've got to worry about.

 

[PurpleFrog]

c. if this had been a trail not a field, I wouldn't try to overtake, but nor would I think it necessary to hang back 30 metres - 10 metres seems enough to me, if the horses are fit to be ridden by small children.

This seems like an example of over compensating for a safety measure, like kids who take stupid chances because they are wearing a cycle helmet. The children are on the school's more placid horses because they need that help to come out at, at most, even with the adult riders.

 

[shovelon]

i too am scared of horses and try to give them a wide berth.

 

[llamedos]

Nice to see that some people have the right idea, let them know you are there other than that not much else you can do .. I not only ride bikes I have my own horse so can see both sides of the problem

A while back this happened to me
We where on a bridleway which is a great blast to come down on a bike but not much straight line of sight
We where coming up the track when a bike was blasting down ... so quick he could not stop !
Now my horse is a good boy and stepped to on side as he skidded pass !
If it had been a group of walkers well someone would of got hurt

Well last week we where coming down the trail and my girlfriend was behind and same thing happened but this guy managed to stop but skidding halt spooked both horses .... a bit of chat but the guy on the bike could not really see the point, a horse is a flight animal so if you surprise them things will happen

Both our horses are very good with bikes, walkers, dogs, cars, trucks and anything else we bump into ! But there is only so many bridleways we can use and at the same time we do not canter blindly up these but some bikers are down hilling down them with not a care for anybody !

Just a little respect for everybody who uses the trails

For the others who seem a little negative
I and most others have public liability cover for my horse just in case he dose anything .... I would guess most bikers have no cover

Yes they can be unpredictable but a good rider should know their horse and as you get good horses riders and good bike riders and then the rest

I would guess the biggest problem is people only see it from their point of view

Oh if you think blasting down a trail is good fun! controlling, jumping and galloping a horse is a right laugh as well and seeing 99% are women they are NUTS !!!!

 

[dyna-ti]

They spook easily ,kick hard and are wearing steel shoes ,three good reasons to give horsey a wide berth.

Sounds though like you did everything correctly :? ,just unlucky.Its not like you rode directly at them shouting loudly and ringing your little bell like a maniac.

 

[Easy_Rider]

I've had more trouble with horses off the trail and bike than on, i refer back to the incident when i was grinding the cill of my MG in my garden and was asked to stop while the spooky horse rode past on the flipping road! Still winds me up now :shock:

I have to keep an eye on my front gate because the horses in the field behind can and have escaped into my garden and then they may escape onto the road if i don't keep my gate shut, and no those horses and the field have nothing to do with me

have had them shouting at the mother in law while she was walking the dog along the country lanes

etc etc

i just found a lot of them to be rude and arrogant.... that's not to say they all are mind... my next door neighbour has horses and they are lovely people.

 

[llamedos]

My girl friend was doing a horsey event a few miles away and I could not leave till later so took the motor bike

The looks I got you would of thought I had just took a dump in the middle of the field !!!

 

[BarneyRubble]

I come from a family of "Horsey" types and despite having no interest in riding them myself, (too unpredictable as they have their own brain unlike my bike ) I do get annoyed when any group of people is type cast. There are wealthy horse owners out there, but the majority that I have met over the years are not wealthy and make huge sacrifices in their lives in order to particpate in a sport they enjoy (in our case things like central heating, holidays in any shape or form and shoes without holes!). Just like any other group of road/trail users, some will be polite and some will be ars*holes; this is just how society is - not just horseriders.

In terms of the original post, I think you did the right thing and the woman should probably not have been in charge of a large group of inexperienced riders/kids. Sounds like she was out of her depth.

I agree with the point about a cheery hello, most of the time it will more than suffice to make the Horse/rider aware you are there and prevent any conflict.