bike vs. horse etiquette on the road
10-21-13, 06:42 PM
#76
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Horses are vicious, vindictive, unpredictable beasts usually ridden by inept, arrogant, unpredictable people with no regard for their own safety. How often do you see a horseman take the most banal of precautions (wearing a helmet) while riding along the road? I never do. I don't care if they ride on the road, and I also don't care if I spook the beast or what the rider thinks of me. Therefore no etiquette is required.
10-22-13, 02:27 AM
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Still very new to riding. This morning on one of the back country roads I ride around 930, no traffic no people. Come around a gentle sweeper and see a woman on a horse she's off the road on the right side by ten to twenty feet, she's a hundred feet away facing me. As I pass her (only probably riding at 15mph). She asks me in the future to warn horse riders when you're approaching.
Not sure what I could do short of singing merrily on my entire ride to let a potential horseback rider know a bike is near. Am I missing something, think she's way off base. Had she been riding facing away from me I certainly would've spoken up, but since we laid eyes on each other the same time?
Not sure what I could do short of singing merrily on my entire ride to let a potential horseback rider know a bike is near. Am I missing something, think she's way off base. Had she been riding facing away from me I certainly would've spoken up, but since we laid eyes on each other the same time?
10-22-13, 05:47 AM
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I find horses to be twitchy. And giving the owner a heads-up, or wide berth a smart idea. As a kid I remember someone on a beach in San Francisco was riding their horse amid a few beach goers. I also remember seeing the aftermath when that same horse stomped some older dude to death. I was something like 10-11 yrs old. Very bad.
Since that time - I make sure to be very careful around these gigantonormous beast who are easily capable of throwing a rider, kicking a person or at the worst - stomping someone.
Since that time - I make sure to be very careful around these gigantonormous beast who are easily capable of throwing a rider, kicking a person or at the worst - stomping someone.
10-22-13, 06:36 AM
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This thread has been an interesting read. In the UK, the 'Highway Code' has rules for pedestrians, for users of powered wheelchairs and powered mobility scooters, for cyclists, for motorcyclists, for drivers and motorcyclists, and for Horse riders and for Horse-drawn vehicles. All of these rules should be known about by all types of road users, and the guide deals with all sorts of scenarios and refers to all road users and specifically includes this advice in the section 'Road users requiring extra care':
214
Animals. When passing animals, drive slowly. Give them plenty of room and be ready to stop. Do not scare animals by sounding your horn, revving your engine or accelerating rapidly once you have passed them. Look out for animals being led, driven or ridden on the road and take extra care. Keep your speed down at bends and on narrow country roads. If a road is blocked by a herd of animals, stop and switch off your engine until they have left the road. Watch out for animals on unfenced roads.
215
Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard.
The last sentence says it all "Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard."
For the Horse rider it also states:
Riding
52
Before you take a horse on to a road, you should
ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
make sure you can control the horse.
Always ride with other, less nervous horses if you think that your horse will be nervous of traffic. Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.
So taking a few quotes from this thread...
Yes, they are bigger and more dangerous than you, so this is common sense.
Yes and more importantly NO. You as a road user should be able to act considerately towards all other road users. You don't need to know a specific person or animal to do this.
Sensible signs, but not to assume that Horse riders can act inconsiderately.
I'm not convinced about this announcement thing. You might be out of breath or not comfortable singing out. The unexpected noises could do more harm than good. Just expect the horse to act unpredictably and give it a wide berth.
Horse riders do not have carte blanche. They must act responsibly and considerately, and if they do, other road users will act that way towards them.
214
Animals. When passing animals, drive slowly. Give them plenty of room and be ready to stop. Do not scare animals by sounding your horn, revving your engine or accelerating rapidly once you have passed them. Look out for animals being led, driven or ridden on the road and take extra care. Keep your speed down at bends and on narrow country roads. If a road is blocked by a herd of animals, stop and switch off your engine until they have left the road. Watch out for animals on unfenced roads.
215
Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard.
The last sentence says it all "Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard."
For the Horse rider it also states:
Riding
52
Before you take a horse on to a road, you should
ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
make sure you can control the horse.
Always ride with other, less nervous horses if you think that your horse will be nervous of traffic. Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.
So taking a few quotes from this thread...
Yes, they are bigger and more dangerous than you, so this is common sense.
All the multi-use hiking/biking/horse trails around here have signs giving the right-of-way hierarchy rules:
1. Horse.
2. Hiker.
3. Bike.
As previously noted, horses are easily spooked.
There is an old saying: "If a mule kills you, it was on purpose; If a horse kills you, it was probably an accident."
BTW If you need to get off the path to let a horse by, get off on the *downhill* side.
Being on the uphill side makes you look more like a predator.
1. Horse.
2. Hiker.
3. Bike.
As previously noted, horses are easily spooked.
There is an old saying: "If a mule kills you, it was on purpose; If a horse kills you, it was probably an accident."
BTW If you need to get off the path to let a horse by, get off on the *downhill* side.
Being on the uphill side makes you look more like a predator.
Precisely why the rider the OP encountered was right ... and why a cyclist needs to announce him/herself some distance away from the horse. Call out as soon as you see the horse, keep talking as you approach the horse, and as mentioned above, slow down and wait for the rider to motion you past.
I hope this thread teaches some riders that horses have right of way, every time, every where.
Wow, the pictures of the horse galloping over to a house and the picture taker thought they weren't at fault(unless I misunderstood)? The horse lives by it's ability to hear, and it heard something that scared the life out of it.
Horses have the right of way, this rather reminds me of the way most cyclist's just ignore stop signs and stop light's.
Anyway, love to horse camp at Acadia, a park in Maine, few horse campers, lot's of bike's, beautiful carriage roads, I noticed a lot of MT bikers were buzzing me, they thought it funny (I'm on a horse) so I started actively keeping bikes(they were easy to spot, most were polite) from buzzing, horses go sideways and do 180's rather quickly, nobody tried it twice, you got no respect you get no respect.
And then there was the time I was with a group of three other horses, we were going up a slight rise, beautiful carriage road and at the crest, a slight turn, we were all at a slow gallop and a group of bikes just appeared, the horses banded and the bikes went in the bushes, it was no ones fault, no one was injured or bruised, everyone's eye's were wide open. I was the only one laughing
Wow, the pictures of the horse galloping over to a house and the picture taker thought they weren't at fault(unless I misunderstood)? The horse lives by it's ability to hear, and it heard something that scared the life out of it.
Horses have the right of way, this rather reminds me of the way most cyclist's just ignore stop signs and stop light's.
Anyway, love to horse camp at Acadia, a park in Maine, few horse campers, lot's of bike's, beautiful carriage roads, I noticed a lot of MT bikers were buzzing me, they thought it funny (I'm on a horse) so I started actively keeping bikes(they were easy to spot, most were polite) from buzzing, horses go sideways and do 180's rather quickly, nobody tried it twice, you got no respect you get no respect.
And then there was the time I was with a group of three other horses, we were going up a slight rise, beautiful carriage road and at the crest, a slight turn, we were all at a slow gallop and a group of bikes just appeared, the horses banded and the bikes went in the bushes, it was no ones fault, no one was injured or bruised, everyone's eye's were wide open. I was the only one laughing
10-22-13, 12:59 PM
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*(the usual friendly noisemaker is a bell)
If the horse appears to be fidgeting then you stop and wait until the rider says it's okay to pass.
That's kind of a bummer when you're cruising at a good rate, but here's the thing: what the rider thinks of you doesn't matter one bit. It's the HORSE you are worried about.
If the horse panics they can toss the rider off and put YOU into the hospital intensive care unit in about 20 seconds.
10-22-13, 01:29 PM
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Horses are ******** so give them lots of room. As much as we think we can control them, we can't. Simple as that. If you value your carcass and your bike, proceed with mucho caution.
One exception.....
--- Mennonite buggies and horses. ---
They almost always have blinders on and I have yet to see one spook in the hundreds of times I've passed them (single or as a group). Their good, calm behaviour is made up for by leaving huge dumps all over the road. That's Mennonite country for you...
One exception.....
--- Mennonite buggies and horses. ---
They almost always have blinders on and I have yet to see one spook in the hundreds of times I've passed them (single or as a group). Their good, calm behaviour is made up for by leaving huge dumps all over the road. That's Mennonite country for you...
10-22-13, 02:34 PM
#83
Portland Fred
This situation strikes me as a bit nuts. Trusting your safety to others and their animals doing what they're supposed to is not smart for the simple reason that you know things don't happen the way they're supposed to.
But if someone sees you from 100 feet ahead, it makes no sense whatsover to warn them.
But if someone sees you from 100 feet ahead, it makes no sense whatsover to warn them.
10-22-13, 02:57 PM
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10-22-13, 03:09 PM
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I think you're right. I forgot about Mr. Ed. That's what happens when a species doesn't get the proper coverage in the media. And don't forget about Francis the Talking Mule. He set the stage for today's parade of talking jackasses.
10-22-13, 03:22 PM
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I regularly observe some basic rules of etiquette and respect when meeting a horse on the road. I always address them as Mr. (or Ms.) Horsie, rather than simply saying, "hello horsie". Wins 'em over every time.
10-22-13, 05:16 PM
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Lets see if we can clarify:
1) The number of people who understand horses and how they might behave is tiny. Therefore, smart horse riders will be extremely careful about taking their animals on public roads and be prepared for unexpected encounters with other vehicles.
2) The number of people who understand bicycles is tiny. Therefore, smart cyclists will be extremely cautious around large unpredictable animals. Horse owners may not understand how their animal will react around bicycles.
1) The number of people who understand horses and how they might behave is tiny. Therefore, smart horse riders will be extremely careful about taking their animals on public roads and be prepared for unexpected encounters with other vehicles.
2) The number of people who understand bicycles is tiny. Therefore, smart cyclists will be extremely cautious around large unpredictable animals. Horse owners may not understand how their animal will react around bicycles.
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10-22-13, 06:46 PM
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Defer to the big and stupid, whether animal or human.
10-22-13, 08:27 PM
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Quote Originally Posted by halfspeed
Horse owners can't possibly expect cyclists to know how to treat their animals.
Horse owners can't possibly expect cyclists to know how to treat their animals.
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10-23-13, 08:45 AM
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Winter has come early this year, it seems.
This thread has run it's course. Closing.
This thread has run it's course. Closing.
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