Wonderful animals, but amazingly unpredictable, so always making them aware of our presence on approach and talking? to them as we pass carefully is good advice.

How am I supposed to win a Strava fantasy race if I have to slow down and treat other people with respect?

Further thoughts about this…

The comments about horses being twitchier with a human on their back does actually correlate with my experiences, so is an interesting factor to consider.

In the future, there may be bigger problems due a new breed of ‘Silent killer’ – electric vehicles (Which will probably cause issues for all manner of inattentive road users)

I’ve ridden horses a bit so have some idea about how it’s not the rider in control! It also means I appreciate that not all horses are the same – I had the pleasure of being taught mostly on an incredible horse which did just what you asked provided you asked right – was an ex competition show jumper so a big beast and also quite fast when he got going, but I far preferred riding horses like that to those you had to urge forwards all the time.

Anyway, I reckon the advice in that poster to be a bit OTT, and you’d actually come across as a bit aggressive if you followed it. I just make a point of calling out “hello” when I’m well back and continuing talking (though not shouting) whilst going past. Seems rather more friendly, and as others have mentioned the main thing is to make the horse aware you’re a human rather than a weird alien.

Sounds like cyclists perception of horse riders is similar to car drivers perception of cyclists.

My “perception” is based on the last 7 years of living in the countryside.

For instance, there’s a lane which runs near my house, it’s 5 miles long, quite twisty, and mostly its single file with passing places. If it’s wet, horse riders will NEVER pull into the passing places. They’ll stand on the road, forcing bikes, cars everyone into the passing places. Many of them are totally impassible to a road bike or normal car, but they don’t want to get the horse muddy.

On the major B road (decent size, 2 cars can easily pass at speed) near the house, again twisty, but flowing, impossible to see over the dips and hedges, I’ve been returning home in the car, moving along at 45-50 (it’s a 60 limit and you could easily do 80 without straining the car/driver) I’ve come around the corner to find young girls, on horseback riding 3 abreast, practically in the middle of the road, shouting and gesticulating at me for not slowing down. There was no way to see them until you rounded the corner, and short of an emergency stop, what can drivers/cyclists do.

There’s several bridle ways near the house, these are ridden in all weathers (obviously not by the mud avoiders) leaving them utterly impassible for bikes or ramblers (we’re talking over 30cms deep of quagmire) for nearly 8 months of the year.

Why? Because someone wants a horse as a pet. A 600kg pet. The sense of self entitlement, that their leisure activity has the right to inconvenience everyone else in the same area, that they’re allowed to devastate the local walkways (I can’t even walk my son to school without having to use the road, he’d need waders) without any thought or consideration?

Still, I’m always as considerate as I can be when passing/approaching and always say hello and wave, but occasionally it’s through gritted teeth.

If horse riding was invented now it’s questionable whether they’d be allowed on the road for safety reasons, however it seems churlish to be resentful towards their presence on the roads considering they’re so few.

Sounds like cyclists perception of horse riders is similar to car drivers perception of cyclists.

I think Daffy’s posts match this assertion, but most people here seem far more tolerant.

Horses belong in fields happily chewing grass, not because some Henrietta wants the sensation of a big throbbing animal between her legs.

dont agree with silent killers, free hubs make an atrocious noise these days

I “generally” despise horse riders as “generally” they have no common sense and an overwhelming sense of entitlement. Horses are beautiful animals but incredibly silly and selfish pets – 600+kg of slightly unhinged animal ridden by muppets.

Dangerous at both ends and tricky in the middle.

generally there are shedloads of horse riders round my neck of the woods , the above can and does apply occasionally ,then theres the us vs them of countryside use which does go on and I’m assuming what the KofP guy is trying to damp down

honestly I’ve never actually seen a horse up in the peaks they all seem to nimble round langsett and wharncliffe where the E bike razzers and cool kids on gnarpoons who generally don’t give a rats ass about “lets all get along” hang about ,and they seem to make up ever increasing numbers who also probably don’t come on this little forum or follow twitter

Advice is sound if a little ott, just call out and slow down – if the horse and rider know you’re there then potter on passed. If the horse is having a bit of a moment just wait until it chills out and carry on.

As general rule ‘don’t be a dick’ applies to all involved, though it does sadly seem a few on here are firmly in the ‘being a dick’ camp.

Also worth thinking about is passing horses when you’ve a bike on the roof of you car, apparently…

person = fine
car = fine
person on bike = usually fine
bike on car = scary monster

They’re are dicks in all walks of life.

Including posting melodramatic bullshit on the internet. As lots of the posters above have said, the few arsehole-ish horse riders I have met whilst riding my bike are the ones who seem to be incompetent and thus afraid of a situation they themselves are creating. Generally speaking the majority of those who are competent and confident don’t seem to have much of an issue.

depends sometimes you disagree

I had some who were two abreast – IMHO that was not safe on that road at this point- waving me through on the wrong side of a blind bend and then getting irate because i refused and stayed behind them – about 30-40 foot away as i was never going to put myself there – I would have been on the wrong side of the road about 3 foot from the edge on a blind bend with another one about 30 foot away so same thing happened there and they started to get cross and i said it was not safe to pass so i would happily wait. they then got impatient stopped and waved me through,
In the end I turned round and rode a footpath to get to where i wanted avoiding them.

i m not sure they were doing anythign other than trying to help but it was not safe.

For balance i somehow once managed to miss a horse – as in not see it – that was being walked at night [dark] with no lights on and passed about three feet away – by the time i realised it was too late to do anything

I did stop and did apologise and the woman said thankfully you were not kicked in the head She had a point it was totally my error but at least she knew i knew and i had said sorry.

there’s no pleasing some people

that’s exactly what Jesus said

The trouble is, not all horses (or riders) react the same. I remember passing a group and the one at the back shouted at me for going too fast then the one at the front told me off for going too slow. And in the process of shouting spooked her horse. So sometimes you just can’t do the right thing…

Well in my bit of England if I’m in a car I usually get a wave, and if I’m on a bike then some friendly chatter and a smile.

And the women look good in those trousers, so it’s worth slowing down.

My experience of interactions between me on a bike and a horse and rider are all good. I call out in plenty of time something like” Hi rider – I’ll pass when I can please” if catching them from behind or ” Hi – whats the best way to pass” if I meet them coming towards me. Every time the horse rider has made it easy for me to pass and advised what its best for me to do to avoid being trampled by a tonne of barely controlled beast

I’d rather that like the dutch horse and riders I met that the horse were properly trained not to spook at bikes but in the absence of this I find not being an entitled dick helps greatly.

Fixed. I have to admit I’ve not checked the stats – how many people killed on the roads by horses last year?

Of course horses were on the roads way before cars existed. 🙄

And the women look good in those trousers, so it’s worth slowing down.

I love horses, they’re great cooked rare with chips.

Well in my bit of England if I’m in a car I usually get a wave, and if I’m on a bike then some friendly chatter and a smile.

And the women look good in those trousers, so it’s worth slowing down.

I think we might be from the same bit of England. Friendly bunch, always courteous, some of the regulars occasionally even flirtatious in my younger, less gargoyle like days.

I’m a horse rider and mtb’er and unfortunately I have encountered dickish behaviour on both sides.

If passing a horse a warning when your 10m or so behind a asking if it’s safe to pass should suffice. Most horses are fine with bikes and if they aren’t the rider should take the oppotunity to turn this into a learning situation for the horse. Be sensible though, if the horse is freaking out give the rider time and space. We don’t want to hold you up any more then you do but every so often there will be things outwith our control and we may just need you to pause for 30sec while we sort the horse out.

Horseriding, for me, is a hobby just like my bikes. I, and most of the horsey community, get a bit fed up being called entitled or similar just because of peoples perceptions which are usually completely unfounded or based on stereotypes or prejudice. I work hard to afford my horses and to take part in a hobby I adore, same with my bikes.

Great to read so many positive replies and sensible responses – the horsey community thanks you all for your help.

Of course horses were on the roads way before cars existed.

Have you got a degree in stating the bleeding obvious or are you just a talented amateur?

Possibly a New Forest thing though? Seems to be a bit of an epicentre for small-minded, entitled Tory bell ends.

Yep, probably – although I still would say a high proportion of horse riders are going to naturally be from the small minded tory bellend pool.

I would also be amazed if they showed me the respect they want when they pass me in their cars whilst I am cycling. In fact judging by the horse box towing cars I know that is not the case….

Possibly a New Forest thing though? Seems to be a bit of an epicentre for small-minded, entitled Tory bell ends.

Well they probably hate you on principle, based on you being a labour voting bike riding chip carrier…

I don’t get what the issue is, I ride bikes a lot, and I know a lot (certainly more than I know ride bikes) people who ride horses. My 6yr old daughter is one of them ( Isuggest she doesn’t want a throbbing animal between her thighs daveextreamist) every time I go out on the bike I encounter horses. I never ever have an issue. I talk to the rider, let them know I’m coming past and they, 100% of the time have a quick chat as ride by and the horse is fine. If ones a bit scatty, keep taking and give it time. Strava will wait!
When I’m out leading my daughter, I’ve also never had an issue. Cars wait, cyclists are reasonable and everyone seems to get along. Can’t work out where all the friction is (other than the new forest where everyone hates the cyclists) but maybe move to Somerset – it seems people are more tolerant to each other!

Can’t work out where all the friction is

a tiny vocal minority – even the BHS agree that there are few real problems with cyclists, especially off-road.

It’s really just good manners. Spook a horse and you could end up with an injured rider.

They don’t half turn a nice piece of singletrack into a postholed bog though.

My only real gripe is I wish they would pick up their shit.

How dare horse riders use so-called bridleways!!

You can’t make this shit up

Horsey folk are like gypsys, I keep hearing how they’re good folks, but I’ve yet to meet that type….

How you give way and act consideratly is a judgement call. However plenty of people have little horse experience and do not realise how spooked a horse can get and the danger they can pose.
I’ve seen mates slow down and think they have given way but can’t tell the horse is getting jittery and the riders concerned. I tend to go over board on the giving way as I have been on a spooked horse and that myself.
The strange thing is generally no one is taught this. So it comes down to individual perception and judgement.

What about electric cars.. Very quiet, hard to hear approaching.. Much more likely to result in a serious accident. Seems like cyclists getting blamed yet again for a near non existent issue..

they’re a bugger to fit on a bridleway though….

I’m generally ok with them in Suffolk. I’ve only had one bad experience where a group off three cantered uphill around a blind bend on a bridleway and it was my fault that the riders were worried. As posted above there are dicks everywhere, try not to be one.

What about electric cars.. Very quiet, hard to hear approaching..

A good blast on the horn should make them aware…

A few years ago, in my area, a chap was killed by a horse. He was on the front of a tandem, his sister behind, he was kicked on the head. He died, she’s left to cope.

They can be vicious killers.

I’ve never had a problem with horses or horse riders. Then again, where I ride they are normally coming down the up bits. I always stop and let them pass. I have a healthy distrust of large, powerful, rather daft animals and will do all I can to ensure I don’t scare them.