[Closed] Horse riders

A horse is a prey animal so likely to be spooked by almost anyhthing it sees as a threat. It is very muscular and has a small brain, as dangerous a combination as a teenager in a stolen Ferrari.

A polite "good morning!" does the trick around here, from well behind to give plenty of warning. The horse will sense the rider's reaction to your presence.

One thing I haven't had the balls to try yet: call out "Fancy swopping?" and when the rider replies "Oh, no thanks!" you reply: "I wasn't talking to you - I was talking to your horse!"

jimjam - Member

"No problem with that, but if i had a horse and was riding it on public paths, i would train the creature to not be scared of things like bikes, cars etc "

69er

" Truly inspired, my Mrs is pissing her pants at your amazing logic. You don't have horses do you? "

Oh what a jolly time you and your missus must have laughing at the horseless commoners. Could you just clarify for a me, as a non horse owning pleb, is it possible to condition or "train" one of these beasts to tolerate the presence of bikes or cars or people? Or are they just mindless bundles of tasty meat that will do as they want?

Dunno if its train them or get them habituated but of course you can get them not to be spooked at bikes

In the UK I have seen a good few horse spooked by bikes. In Holland I saw several horses non of which where spooked at all by bikes. so clearly a horse used to bikes does not get spooked - and police horses don't get spooked by anything much.

With regard to control or otherwise of a horse, I have never understood why there isn't some sort of test riders have to do before being allowed in traffic. Before somebody says the same could apply to bikes, a bike will just lie on the ground if you get off.
The riders round my way are fairly normal but there are a lot of young, small, posh girls on large horses which they haven't a hope in hell of controlling if it decides to go AWOL. And yes I do know about horses, my ex-wife was a riding instructor [which might be the cause of my negative views on horses!].