661-Pete wrote:.... Perhaps the lead cyclist should be some distance ahead, and should warn the riders exactly what is approaching, so that they can take preventative measures: dismounting if necessary. ....
This reminds me of the Locomotive Act 1865, which prescribed a maximum speed of 4 mph for the new-fangled horseless carriages so as not to frighten the horses. The source of the horse rider's invective here was a flag. The Locomotive Act 1865 has more generally been known as the Red Flag Act because somebody had to walk in front waving one. If red flags were OK for horses then, what's changed?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way.No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse. There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Horses are familiar with people. They know that people are harmless, despite having binocular vision, and that people often carry things. They can mostly interpret a upright bike with a rider as a human on a funny sort of something; not a problem as long as it's predictable and not too fast. But a recumbent does not look like a person. It has a human-type face but it's lying down and weirdest of all, it's the wrong way round; legs at the front, going round and round in a running motion, but disconnected from the head!
My feelings exactly (and I live in a fairly 'horsey' part of the country). Probably the safest action for an able-bodied 'bent rider is to dismount and stand up as the horses approach. So that they look like a human alongside a 'thing'. Inconvenient I know, but that's a price one may have to pay if one chooses to ride a 'bent on roads frequented by horse riders. I personally wouldn't advise it.
For a rider who is disabled, obviously, other options must be considered.
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity. Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments... --- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
No obvious suggestion, other than to visit the various local stables...
Talking is a good tactic, to the horse rather than the rider....
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way.No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse. There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
My feelings exactly (and I live in a fairly 'horsey' part of the country). Probably the safest action for an able-bodied 'bent rider is to dismount and stand up as the horses approach. So that they look like a human alongside a 'thing'. Inconvenient I know, but that's a price one may have to pay if one chooses to ride a 'bent on roads frequented by horse riders. I personally wouldn't advise it.
For a rider who is disabled, obviously, other options must be considered.
Why should there be an expectation to stop? Surely the horse rider should not be taking a horse on the highway that is going to be spoked by someone riding past. Do they expect a funny looking car to stop and everyone get out and be inspected?
Because when you spook someone it is your job to reduce that.
In the same way we expect car drivers to give us some clearance...
There is another thread open at the moment, where I do exactly this...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way.No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse. There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
661-Pete wrote: ... For a rider who is disabled, obviously, other options must be considered.
Any suggestions? (Remember that in this case, horse and cyclists met unexpectedly, even though it seems everybody was moving slowly.)
I think the one thing that hasn't been mentioned is simply talking to the horse/rider as you approach. Horses understand people talking even if they are 'odd' shapes. Many years ago as a horse started to spook as I rode (slowly) towards it the woman shouted - 'Well talk to him then - show him you're a human!' Since then I've always given cheery 'Good mornings' or whatever to oncoming horse riders and it seems to work.
I also liked the fact that at least the original horse rider saw me not only as a cyclist but a human!
Over the years, there have been several threads on here and before that various "Letter to the Editor" exchanges in the CTC mag from riders concerned about the best way to approach horses on the road, especially from behind. Typically, these threads or exchanges of letters were triggered by "you can't do right for doing wrong" experiences: eg some riders being criticised for not ringing a bell, others for doing so. IMO, the fact that these issues were raised generally indicates that cyclists - at least CTC types - are considerate and would like to "do the right thing" if only they knew what it was.
In this case, cyclists going slowly went even slower. Unfortunately, there was still a problem, which led to swearing from one of the equestrians. That person blamed the flag; some on here have suggested that the horse might have been frightened by the recumbent. Perhaps the equestrian would have blamed the cyclists no matter what. Sitting on a saddle, be that atop a horse or cycle doesn't transform anybody into an angel.
My advice to the OP would be that you can please some of the people some of the time.
Yep - there is pretty much nothing that the OP could do differently.
My behaviour is shaped by a significant number of interactions with equestrians on the road. Horses in a field are only sometimes spooked - on the road it is virtually guaranteed.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way.No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse. There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
