[Closed] What's the best way to approach a horse?

So there I was last night, tootling along a wee back road as I headed towards Plean park for a quick lap or two with my mate Bazz when I spied a lady on horseback ahead of me. Now, having chatted with horsey folk before I know that some horses, particularly young un's, can be a bit frightened of bikes so as I approached I gave a cheery "Hello" and called out that I was approaching on the left. All this was done from about 30m or so behind the horse and rider........oh dear

'Merlin' (I think that was his name), freaked out. No matter how hard the rider coaxed him, the horse just wasn't turning his back on me, even when I dismounted and retreated up the road another 20m or so. Also, by this point, the usually deserted road had suddenly turned into the busiest thoroughfare in Stirlingshire with long lines of cars backing up in both directions!

Luckily, one of the car drivers owned the stables from whence Merlin had just come, so she jumped out and jogged over to the horse and gave him a good talking too, eventually managing to lead him to a layby where he could calm down as everyone went on their way, but it's just got me thinking now, how should you approach the situation?

I was genuinely worried for the horse and rider, as they were skittering about a road with deep drainage channels on each side, and it was obviously my presence that had turned a pleasant evening's trot around the local farm roads into some sort of rodeo. What's the secret to bike / horse harmony?

B.