Horse badly spooked by inconsiderate bloke on a bike

[661-Pete]

Human voice is far better than bell or horn. Horses are constantly hearing people shouting in the stableyard. It's something they understand.

Remember also that a group of horses is 'safer' than a solitary animal. Horses are herd animals, they enjoy the company of others and it puts them more at ease.

[Cyril Haearn]

........ When approaching a horse slow down and ring your bell gently several times so it can locate you......

Any horse you meet being ridden or driven on the road is used to people. People bring the horse its food, groom it, pick out its hooves, nail iron shoes on its feet, stable it and turn it out.......
If you are riding your bike and approaching a horse, the thing to do is to convince the horse that there is a person in charge. In other words, speak. Ringing a bell only gives the horse something else unfamiliar to panic about. Horses often don't seem to recognise that there are people in charge of bicycles. Replies have already mentioned taking a h*lm*t off and being upright......a horse is approached by a number of beings, with long pointed heads, the beings are stretched out almost parallel to the road, their back legs are going nineteen to the dozen, and there are shiny bits flashing in the sun. What is it? a pack of wolves?
I have often been cycling in a group approaching a horse, which starts prancing from foot to foot until you talk to it, when it relaxes, as it realises there is a person in charge.
Horses have really good hearing. Coming up behind a horse on a quiet road, position yourself so you can see the horse's head. First you will see one ear turn round to face in your direction. then you will see the horse turn his head just far enough that you can see his eye......which means he can see you. At this point the rider is quite likely to start chastising the horse for misbehaving, at which point I say loudly "The horse is looking at me."
If a horse has seen you and is calm, its safe to pass. I wouldn't get too close to any horse thats agitated and prancing around.....they are very big, very powerful, and very heavy.

edited to add.....don't worry about being loud enough for inattentive riders to hear you....provided its obviously a human voice, horses will be fine with it.

Horses round here are used to cyclists. A person on a bike looks very like a person.

[bigjim]

I always offer a good morning or afternoon etc to horse riders as I approach slowly and widely. It is appreciated. One lady I often see out riding, I ride alongside and we have a chat. There are quite a few riders near here that have a companion alongside riding a bike. I don't know whether it is so they both have a turn on the horse or what, but their horses must be quite used to the bike.

[mjr]

I always offer a good morning or afternoon etc to horse riders as I approach slowly and widely. It is appreciated. One lady I often see out riding, I ride alongside and we have a chat. There are quite a few riders near here that have a companion alongside riding a bike. I don't know whether it is so they both have a turn on the horse or what, but their horses must be quite used to the bike.

I've seen the same around here. I ring my bell but that's for the rider's benefit, not the horse's, because it carries far further than my voice - unless I really bellow, but I doubt that's going to help keep a horse calm either! Then, when I feel it's safe and unless the rider is indicating they feel it's unsafe, I put the bike in bottom gear (if hub) and pedal so the pawls won't click and ride past as wide as I can.

[drossall]

I may have said before that I sometimes whistle some merry tune as I approach, because a rider can pick that up a hundred yards or more away. When closer, speaking is better of course.

[landsurfer]

As a previous horse owner (at gun point) and regular rider can i suggest you just flick your brake levers.
The sound carries well, does not upset dobbin ( the four legged lasagne ) and we know whats coming up behind us ....

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

As a previous horse owner (at gun point) and regular rider can i suggest you just flick your brake levers.
The sound carries well, does not upset dobbin ( the four legged lasagne ) and we know whats coming up behind us ....

When I was riding my old Carrera down the lanes, I scared many a horse well two, by pure accident.
The clik of the twist grip sent the horse wild and nearly unseated the rider, even though the horse and rider could not see me at the time, don't ride it much today and will probably swap the twist grips for trigger shifters.
I am not going to enter into how I warn horse riders, we have discussed this in the past many times.

[landsurfer]

I have some brand new combined brake / gear trigger shifters , Shimano , looking for a good home at a reasonable price ... both sides, £15 the pair

[Flinders]

I may have said before that I sometimes whistle some merry tune as I approach, because a rider can pick that up a hundred yards or more away. When closer, speaking is better of course.

In the days when horses were the main motive power, whistling used to be the instruction for horses to have a pee, and some owners still use it as a suggestion to their horses, so be careful with that one. Horses pee like- well, a horse. Lots of it.

I'd still say use the voice, it's the one thing ridden horses will always be used to and tolerate. Any other sound, you never know.

[MikeF]

When approaching a horse slow down and ring your bell gently several times so it can locate you.

No. If it's being ridden do not do that under any circumstances, unless you want to cause an "accident". What do you think the horse is trying to locate???

I often meet horses and riders when cycling and my communication is understood. Between cyclists and horses/riders one experiences friendly communication that is not possible with drivers.

The horse locates me by hearing, just as I locate traffic by hearing (no need to look, avoiding eye contact with drivers is desireable).

Yes it will if you speak! But "funny" noises eg bells, and "other things" horses find scary. It doesn't sound as though you have much to do with horses.

[Cyril Haearn]

No. If it's being ridden do not do that under any circumstances, unless you want to cause an "accident". What do you think the horse is trying to locate???

I often meet horses and riders when cycling and my communication is understood. Between cyclists and horses/riders one experiences friendly communication that is not possible with drivers.

The horse locates me by hearing, just as I locate traffic by hearing (no need to look, avoiding eye contact with drivers is desireable).

Yes it will if you speak! But "funny" noises eg bells, and "other things" horses find scary. It doesn't sound as though you have much to do with horses.

I have a lot to do with horses. Mind, I live in Germany and use cycle paths, not roads. The only flies in the ointment are the droppings the horses leave behind, in German we call them Pfedeaepfel, horse apples. People who keep horses earn cash by selling them.

[roberts8]

All very interesting but the main rant was that the idiot bunny hopped onto a pavement and shot past the horse on the near side close enough to give him a pat and it was only with great skill that she controlled the horse averting a serious incident.
I agree that speaking on approach is the best way to approach a horse and follow requests by the rider.

[MikeF]

All very interesting but the main rant was that the idiot bunny hopped onto a pavement and shot past the horse on the near side close enough to give him a pat and it was only with great skill that she controlled the horse averting a serious incident.
I agree that speaking on approach is the best way to approach a horse and follow requests by the rider.

Agreed. But I think the comments here indicate that some cyclists are "completely clueless" about horses and "bunny hopping around" must be one of the most stupid actions of a cyclist.

[durhambiker]

Do horses or there drivers need lights in the dark?

[Paulatic]

Do horses or there drivers need lights in the dark?

Highway Code

Rule 51
At night. It is safer not to ride on the road at night or in poor visibility, but if you do, make sure you wear reflective clothing and your horse has reflective bands above the fetlock joints. A light which shows white to the front and red to the rear should be fitted, with a band, to the rider’s right arm and/or leg/riding boot. If you are leading a horse at night, carry a light in your right hand, showing white to the front and red to the rear, and wear reflective clothing on both you and your horse. It is strongly recommended that a fluorescent/reflective tail guard is also worn by your horse.