To keep it simple - if it's a thoroughbred then you need to have your wits about you.
Awaits inevitable q.
I’m sorry, but that’s clearly a failure of training of the horse.
I used to ride a fair bit back in the day. Yorkshire Moors - the horses wouldn't flinch at low-flying jets but one in particular really hated plastic bags in hedgerows. Could sometimes take a bit of forcing to get it to ride past one.
You get the same with lots of animals, you only need to look at YouTube videos of cats with cucumbers to see how some everyday objects will freak out an animal.
Many people have irrational fears and phobias, is that a failure to train the human race?
To keep it simple – if it’s a thoroughbred then you need to have your wits about you.
Is this still about horses or sexual partners?
Was that the question you were anticipating?
Horses danny obviously and, no, that was not the q I was anticipating.
Next!
Horses danny obviously and, no, that was not the q I was anticipating.
🙂
I can imagine you saying that in a school maam voice.
😉
Nah, estuary English 'ere.
Hook out. Got one!
😎 @ crazy legs!
I think the thing that gets me is that, as evidenced in this thread, horse riders expect people to know how to behave around horses.
it’s not fair to expect the entire population to be experts in how to approach horses
Replace horses and horse riders with bikes and cyclists, then read it back.
Replace horses and horse riders with bikes and cyclists, then read it back.
And it makes no sense, I've never been kicked by a bike when someone was trying to change its tyres!!
Replace horses and horse riders with bikes and cyclists, then read it back.
I knew someone would say it, but yeah - I don't get the point that you're trying to make.
I expect cyclists to be in control of their bicycle, yes.
If cyclists were of a particularly nervous disposition, and jumped at random ordinary things, and behaved erratically, I'd suggest that they shouldn't be on the roads, either.
Also, car drivers, motorcyclists, anybody really.
If cyclists were of a particularly nervous disposition, and jumped at random ordinary things, and behaved erratically, I’d suggest that they shouldn’t be on the roads, either.
Well, there's plenty of wobbling new cyclists on the quiet roads currently. Are you going to police them?
Thinking about this over lunch reminded me of the odious rabble that were the local 'unt, though. They'd block off roads with a blatant '**** you' attitude so they could chase a defenceless animal around some blockhead farmer's field.
But even worse than them were the 'hunt followers'. A bunch of forelock tugging pensioners who drove their Austin Princesses out to watch as their 'betters' chased a fox around a muddy field and occasionally said words like 'marvellous' in a put-on accent they never used anywhere else. Hanging around hoping that Lord Digby-Wigby would give them a haughty nod that would signal (to them at least) a kind of acknowledgment.
The same Lord Digby-Wigby who was spending the rest of his time selling off the family silver and renting out a wing of his house for rugby club wedding receptions in a desperate attempt to avoid having to do a day's work.
"And remember, if I catch anyone shagging the chief bridesmaid in the library it is a £500 surcharge....unless I get to have a go too, in which case it's £250".
The Good Old Days eh?
And it makes no sense, I’ve never been kicked by a bike when someone was trying to change its tyres!!
People have been punched and abused by angry cyclists.
Thinking about this over lunch reminded me of the odious rabble that were the local ‘unt, though. They’d block off roads with a blatant ‘**** you’ attitude so they could chase a defenceless animal around some blockhead farmer’s field.
But even worse than them were the ‘hunt followers’. A bunch of forelock tugging pensioners who drove their Austin Princesses out to watch as their ‘betters’ chased a fox around a muddy field and occasionally said words like ‘marvellous’ in a put-on accent they never used anywhere else. Hanging around hoping that Lord Digby-Wigby would give them a haughty nod that would signal (to them at least) a kind of acknowledgment.
The same Lord Digby-Wigby who was spending the rest of his time selling off the family silver and renting out a wing of his house for rugby club wedding receptions in a desperate attempt to avoid having to do a day’s work.
“And remember, if I catch anyone shagging the chief bridesmaid in the library it is a £500 surcharge….unless I get to have a go too, in which case it’s £250”.
The Good Old Days eh?
And no mention of Brexit either.
*shuffles away*
Unreasonable. Most horses are kept in a stable not a paddock.
Not as unreasonable as the STWer who once suggested horses should wear nappies.
Can't think who that was...
People have been punched and abused by angry cyclists.
Cyclists have been punched and abused by angry drivers.
And no mention of Brexit either.
I can do if you want, but I thought we might have put that little 'episode' behind us.
More than willing to pick it up again if you wish.
🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺
No issues with horsey types here. Very few and far between and very friendly and considerate.
Dog walkers on the other hand. Round here many are going out more than once each day. And the amount of dog crap (and bags of dog crap) left to ruin other people's day is vastly increased. It amazes how rarely I see dog walkers picking up crap or carrying a bag of crap too.
I've taken to driving a mile down the road to take my daughter out for walk in place where few dog walkers go.
I find horse riders to be the most pleasant people to share the countryside with on balance. Sadly old people ramblers and some bike rides are the biggest **** I’ve encountered over the years.
Yep. I can only recall one unpleasant experience in over 25 years of cycling in the countryside. Ramblers, joggers and cyclists on the other hand...
Last week, there were two horse riders ahead of me on a bridleway, I slowed and called out; they moved over as soon as they were able to. I'm failing to see the problem.
I find horse riders to be the most pleasant people to share the countryside with on balance.
Not where I live they aren't. Bunch of entitled ****ers most of them but then I am in the New Forest so that goes for the general population whether on a horse or not.
Also interesting that the wild horses don't seem to give a shit about anything and never spook so maybe it is the person sitting on top of them after all.
I can do if you want, but I thought we might have put that little ‘episode’ behind us.
Sorry, was winding you up danny!
Noone expects to take dogs or children out on the public highway without a firm leash. Why do horses get a pass?
My daughter is 8, I look after her on the tiny bits of road we do, but she's still a bit skittish. It's because she's 8 FFS! She's not on a leash, other than me training her correctly every time we're out on how to stay safe.
She and I expect that as vulnerable road users we'll be given space and as bit of leeway, and not be flattened against a parked car by a speeding ****. Like it says in the highway code generally, but also, what it means to behave reasonably. I expect this, and to be fair, I get it 99% of the time. So to be fair, horses and their riders don't get a pass; they don't need one. Everyone just needs to be reasonable and accommodate the needs of other people more often.
One of my neighbours was thrown by her horse yesterday Has a fractured vertebrate.
One of my neighbours was thrown by her horse yesterday Has a fractured vertebrate.
Ouch. I assume that no-one has fallen off their bike since the lockdown began.
Ouch. I assume that no-one has fallen off their bike since the lockdown began.
There's at least one STW'er who's broken their back/neck.
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/broken-back-when-should-i-start-riding-again/
Obviously should have trained his bike better not to throw him off around ditches.
Dutch bikes don't throw you in ditches.
Dutch bikes don’t throw you in ditches
No, they throw you into dykes
No, they throw you into dykes
Covered in chocolate first?
This really is like reading one of those whining car threads about cyclists being on the road.
Pretty sad really.
No, they throw you into dykes
Only if you are a thoroughbred though.
Sorry, was winding you up danny!
Don't apologise, and you got a bit of a bite from me, so...... fair enough.
Glad (genuinely) we are on 'speaking' terms.
I had a close call a few days ago, riding along a footpath having just left the woods, in the distance were two horse riders taking up the entire path, one in control, turns out the other one not so much.
F#ck that I thought and turned around to go back into the woods and wait for them to pass.
The second horse started playing up and needed the experienced rider to calm it down, that horse ended up backwards, almost falling into the fence, If I'd have been on that path too it would have been carnage.
Both our activities are dangerous during a pandemic, but at least my bike doesn't have a mind of its own, if I crash its my fault.
So OP has a point.
Wild horses don't need a human to exercise and I haven't heard of any obese ones.
Care for your horses by all means, but maybe don't ride the skittish ones down narrow footpaths for now, also, why don't they ride them in the fields they are kept in.
The fact that everyone has to be extra extra careful and grind to a halt around horses suggests they are extremely dangerous to everyone and everything so maybe riding them past bikers dog walkers and kids isn't a great idea at the moment.
Both our activities are dangerous during a pandemic, but at least my bike doesn’t have a mind of its own, if I crash its my fault.
You need a thoroughbred bike of course. Try taking a Pinarello down FortWillie and see what happens
edit: and this thread is excellent. Well done everyone.
I come across horses quite a bit on the TPT near me in Cheshire.
As others have said, >90% of the time it's positive interactions. I tend to slow right down if they are coming towards me and very slowly overtake if going the other way; enough time to let the rider know I was there. I once startled a small lad on a pony with his mum with my bell. She actually apologised but I felt bad about it.
Very occasionally you get riders who are going too fast (I think they are only supposed to canter in certain places when nobody is about) and one very rude female rider shouted at me to slow down when I was going pretty slow as it was, a kind of "get out of my way".
Glad (genuinely) we are on ‘speaking’ terms.
Me too danny and I apologise for my rudeness in the past, it was out of order.
but maybe don’t ride the skittish ones down narrow footpaths for now,
I doubt very much you’ll find many riders taking horses along footpaths, they’ll be riding them along bridlepaths, the clue is in the first part of the name. In the same way it’s a trespass to ride bikes along country footpaths, but legal to ride on bridlepaths, for the exact same reason that horses can be.
Getting to a stretch of narrow bridleway which is occupied further along by a horse or two with their riders, common sense says to just wait a few minutes, have a drink and a breather until they go past, then carry on. Unless your Strava is demanding that you go tearing on past them or else face ridicule from other Strava users...
Isn't the rule that if you have to ask if you are being unreasonable then you probably are?
Unreasonably not reading the original post correctly...
You see very few horses on footpaths. Have you tried getting one over a stile?
Or getting under low branches when your head is 10 foot above the ground. Think height barrier and bikes on the roofrack 🙂
Horses get used to bikes quite quickly, they like racing 🙂 Although I'd need an ebike to be competitive...
I don't want to have to do this again.
but maybe don’t ride the skittish ones down narrow footpaths for now,
Agreed, but why is this a problem for cyclists?
She never mentioned it...
