Meeting horses when on a bicycle?

hypersonic

I pass people riding horses around the quieter roads when I'm on my bike. if I'm approaching the group from behind should I make some noise, wait until they wave me by or just keep going. I'm a little worried I might spook a horse, particularly as these are very quiet roads.

Obro

hypersonic wrote: »

I pass people riding horses around the quieter roads when I'm on my bike. if I'm approaching the group from behind should I make some noise, wait until they wave me by or just keep going. I'm a little worried I might spook a horse, particularly as these are very quiet roads.

It's nice to see you been considerate. If the horses are experienced or from a riding school then, most likely they are used to the different noises. It is important not to spook them and cause possible injury to the horse or rider. Just use common sense. If a horse bolts and can't be got under control quickly then alot of damage / injuries could be done.

monflat

hypersonic wrote: »

I pass people riding horses around the quieter roads when I'm on my bike. if I'm approaching the group from behind should I make some noise, wait until they wave me by or just keep going. I'm a little worried I might spook a horse, particularly as these are very quiet roads.

Hi yep fsir play to you to think of it
I would say something like im coming up behind or some thing like that as I would like some one to say that to me as nowadays there are so many fast cyclists around


Hope people appreciate your action s though
I would

convert

There was a thread about this posted here a while back. I'm including a link to it here as it may be helpful: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2055803046

The general consensus it to give the rider a shout about 20 yards or so when you're approaching from behind so that they know you're there, and so won't get a surprise/shock when you appear beside them!

Ave Sodalis

I would also like to add my thanks to the OP for being considerate enough to ask!

I had an incident a few weeks ago where two bike riders came up behind the horse on a narrow road. I didn't hear them at all until the horse bolted, galloping down the road (bikes are the only thing it's afraid of). I got it stopped quickish and looked around to find the bikes still coming, with the cyclists arguing about who was going to go behind the horse first. I told them to stop and I would walk the horse past them but they weren't gonna listen to me, despite the horse still freaking out on the road. I had to yell at them to stop the bikes.
I was sorely tempted to let them keep going and allow the horse to kick them, after I had asked them to stop, especially after the look I was given but I was afraid of the horse getting hurt. The arrogance of some people on the road :rolleyes:

Obro

sup_dude wrote: »

I would also like to add my thanks to the OP for being considerate enough to ask!

I had an incident a few weeks ago where two bike riders came up behind the horse on a narrow road. I didn't hear them at all until the horse bolted, galloping down the road (bikes are the only thing it's afraid of). I got it stopped quickish and looked around to find the bikes still coming, with the cyclists arguing about who was going to go behind the horse first. I told them to stop and I would walk the horse past them but they weren't gonna listen to me, despite the horse still freaking out on the road. I had to yell at them to stop the bikes.
I was sorely tempted to let them keep going and allow the horse to kick them, after I had asked them to stop, especially after the look I was given but I was afraid of the horse getting hurt. The arrogance of some people on the road :rolleyes:

Bunch of idiots but I think its ignorance rather than arrogance. People who are not brought up around animals have not a clue. They don't realize that someone could get seriously hurt till it happens.

Ave Sodalis

Obro wrote: »

Bunch of idiots but I think its ignorance rather than arrogance. People who are not brought up around animals have not a clue. They don't realize that someone could get seriously hurt till it happens.

Which I figured the first time they came up behind me. After asking them to stop but receiving a look as if to say "how dare you tell me what to do", I put it down to arrogance. However, you're right in the second part. A lot of people don't have a clue.
I wonder convert, would you know whether or not there's ever been anything posted in the motoring and cycling forums or if it would be allowed?

fits

I think a lot of cyclists dont understand that bikes are so silent, the first warning the horse gets is their appearance into their peripheral vision, and even the quietest horse can be startled. They are prey animals, so programmed to react in this manner.

Best policy is to make a noise while behind, (even toot the bell from a good distance behind). And talk to the rider and follow their directions if the horse is startled.

Also it is against the law to disobey the instructions of someone in charge of animals on the road.

convert

There was definitely a thread (or 2) in the cycling forum over the last few years; not sure about motoring - I don't recall ever seeing one, but, then again, I don't frequent it too often. I have thought about it, most recently after one guy (a father in his 40s) being quite rude and intimidatory towards us because we asked him to slow down when, in his opinion, he wasn't going too fast and that horses were dangerous on the road because all of them are likely to jump through the windscreen of a car! :rolleyes:

He quietened down quick enough when I told him by law he had to obey a rider's directions and that I'd taken his reg. number as was going to report him!

Oh, and this was the same guy who had about 4 kids under 7 in the car, none of whom were wearing seat belts or sitting in child seats!

JillyQ

convert wrote: »

There was definitely a thread (or 2) in the cycling forum over the last few years; not sure about motoring - I don't recall ever seeing one, but, then again, I don't frequent it too often. I have thought about it, most recently after one guy (a father in his 40s) being quite rude and intimidatory towards us because we asked him to slow down when, in his opinion, he wasn't going too fast and that horses were dangerous on the road because all of them are likely to jump through the windscreen of a car! :rolleyes:

He quietened down quick enough when I told him by law he had to obey a rider's directions and that I'd taken his reg. number as was going to report him!



Oh, and this was the same guy who had about 4 kids under 7 in the car, none of whom were wearing seat belts or sitting in child seats!

The stupidity of some ppl is unreal. Has anyone seen the new RSA add with horses & cars caught a glimse of it the other evening. Hopefully it will knock some sense into some drivers.

dave66

JillyQ wrote: »

The stupidity of some ppl is unreal. Has anyone seen the new RSA add with horses & cars caught a glimse of it the other evening. Hopefully it will knock some sense into some drivers.

Sadly, I think that the only people who actually pay attention to RSA adverts are drivers who are considerate & careful, the target audience just don't give a damn.

With the good weather I've noticed a big increase in cyclists & sight seeing drivers on the roads around Killegar/Kilternan/Glencullen and many of them seem to have been born without sense or any consideration. I do wish the council would get the finger out and put up warning signs that there could be horses on the roads.

People I really don't get are horse owners/riders who drive way to fast on the roads, when they know there are horses being hacked most evenings.

JillyQ

dave66 wrote: »

Sadly, I think that the only people who actually pay attention to RSA adverts are drivers who are considerate & careful, the target audience just don't give a damn.

With the good weather I've noticed a big increase in cyclists & sight seeing drivers on the roads around Killegar/Kilternan/Glencullen and many of them seem to have been born without sense or any consideration. I do wish the council would get the finger out and put up warning signs that there could be horses on the roads.

People I really don't get are horse owners/riders who drive way to fast on the roads, when they know there are horses being hacked most evenings.

I have never had the pleasure of hacking up around there. I'm in Galway. We were out in the outdoor arena yesterday when some idiot and his dog cycled passed, the dog decided it would be a great idea to come in towards the horses. The poor old mare infront of me got the shock of her life and bolted. Luckily my friend managed to stay on. Yer man that owned the dog didnt even stop. I wouldnt mind but the place is well signposted so it is very obvious to anyone that there is horses around there.

marley123

Its actually quite dangerous around the back roads of Kilternan, any horse would get a shock with an un announced Cyclist whizzing around the corner, its an accident waiting to happen.

dave66 wrote: »

Sadly, I think that the only people who actually pay attention to RSA adverts are drivers who are considerate & careful, the target audience just don't give a damn.

With the good weather I've noticed a big increase in cyclists & sight seeing drivers on the roads around Killegar/Kilternan/Glencullen and many of them seem to have been born without sense or any consideration. I do wish the council would get the finger out and put up warning signs that there could be horses on the roads.

People I really don't get are horse owners/riders who drive way to fast on the roads, when they know there are horses being hacked most evenings.

niamh o'malley

hypersonic wrote: »

I pass people riding horses around the quieter roads when I'm on my bike. if I'm approaching the group from behind should I make some noise, wait until they wave me by or just keep going. I'm a little worried I might spook a horse, particularly as these are very quiet roads.

Oh god, bicycles, the absolute nightmare!
Thank you for even asking, a lot of horses are terrified by bikes. Coming from the front you may just stop unless waved along; on a few racehorses I ride I have to get the cyclist to remove their glasses even or the horse won't go by or even near (to show they are actually humans and not The Fly From Mars)
Coming from behind I would definitely shout and ask for instructions. It's not even about getting the rider killed, it's about getting *you* killed. A startled horse (lesson 1 given every rider: never ever approach a horse from behind without calling out) will spin around and lash out, and the range of a horse's hind legs is enormous. Bicycles are also definitely NOT in the normal range of things most horses see regularly, you classify as "ultra-scary stuff only very experienced super-quiet animals can tolerate". Plus we can't hear you. Even those modern cars are dangerous, you can't hear them until they're on top of you, bikes are worse, they're utterly silent