# A horse stamped on my bike!



## PK99 (15 Mar 2011)

Oh B*****r!

Out on a trail near Epsom Downs yesterday and my Marin nail trail was stamped on by a horse - we had hopped over a fence to let the horses past but one spooked and stamped! Riders went off giving us a mouthful and i can't trace them!

Verdict from my LBS is that the bike is dead - the very nasty dents and creases in the frame are not a pretty sight.

So, I'm in the market for a new bike and the collective wisdom of the panel is invited!

I do tracks and trails, no adrenaline junkie stuff, and the occasional off road tour like the trans Cambrian mtb route 

The LBS pointed me in the direction of a Whyte 901 - which is the price point i am looking for. Reviews seem good, but what else should i be looking at?


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## david1701 (15 Mar 2011)

if you can get hold of the riders they should have an insurance company to claim on, ours are covered third party independantly of their health cover

don't know much about mountain bikes though


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## skudupnorth (15 Mar 2011)

Horses hurt ! I got thrown off one many years ago and then the bugger decided it was OK to stand on my knee.Luckily no real damage to the squishy bits and i still like horses.


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## Mr Crash (15 Mar 2011)

Unlucky.


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## 3narf (18 Mar 2011)

Report the incident to the police.


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## AuraTodd (18 Mar 2011)

skudupnorth said:


> Horses hurt ! I got thrown off one many years ago and then the bugger decided it was OK to stand on my knee.Luckily no real damage to the squishy bits and i still like horses.




I accidently bumped against my aunt's horse who nipped me on the bum, serves me right I suppose. I still like horses too.


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## Shrim (18 Mar 2011)

I once got bitten by a horse while on a bike ride. I leant against a fence while having a break and it nipped me on my elbow, hurt like hell and drew blood. Then on the same ride I got bit by a horse fly and funnily enough this was even more painful. My knee swelled up to double the size and I couldn't bend my leg.

After this I do not like anythin Horsey whatsoever!


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## mightyquin (18 Mar 2011)

I've never been bitten by a horse but I have bitten one, horse steak, very yummy!


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## PpPete (18 Mar 2011)

Once saw a sign on a fence in Scotland....Do NOT park here, the horses will eat your car.
Some clever moton had thought this was a wind-up and parked there while he went for a walk in the hills. When we went past there were huge deep gouges the length of the bonnet. The horses had indeed set their teeth into the car with something of a vengeance. Oh how we laughed !


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## Lisa21 (21 Mar 2011)

skudupnorth said:


> Horses hurt ! I got thrown off one many years ago and then the bugger decided it was OK to stand on my knee.Luckily no real damage to the squishy bits and i still like horses.



Dont know where it is now but I posted on here a while ago about some numpty opening a car door on me as I rode past, and my horse, a gypsy vanner with hooves like bin lids, showed his disaproval by almost taking the door off with one kick


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## billflat12 (23 Mar 2011)

Most cyclists just don,t know how to take horses, know if your car gets trashed insurance company loss adjusters will just argue you where too close, also if a horse spooks you may have caused the horse to spook unknowingly if you were out of sight and the horse suddenly spotted or heard you , "ie. horse unsure and panicked" Main reason to give horses extra space on a road is the sight of just a piece of discarded litter in a hedge or any environmental changes could cause alarm . ( like a bike left unattended near a familiar path.)
Thankfully no one was injured only your wallet.


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## I like Skol (24 Mar 2011)

billflat12 said:


> Most cyclists just don,t know how to take horses, know if your car gets trashed insurance company loss adjusters will just argue you where too close, also if a horse spooks you may have caused the horse to spook unknowingly if you were out of sight and the horse suddenly spotted or heard you , "ie. horse unsure and panicked" Main reason to give horses extra space on a road is the sight of just a piece of discarded litter in a hedge or any environmental changes could cause alarm . ( like a bike left unattended near a familiar path.)
> Thankfully no one was injured only your wallet.




WHAT???? Am I reading this right? Are you saying that we should steer well clear of horses because if they spook it is our fault?

I would say it is more the owners/riders responsibility if they take a nervous, flighty horse out in a public place and it lashes out at something for no understandable reason. Heaven forbid such a horse should come across a group of noisy restless children. If a horse started going nuts and damaged me, my family or my property I know exactly which direction I would be looking in for recourse.

Having said that, I do experience a good number of horses in my pass times MTB riding and to a much greater extent 4x4 driving on unsurfaced vehicular rights of way and almost without fail these horses are well controlled and well behaved. You do occasionally get one that is a bit skittish and these are typically being ridden by nervous looking teenage girls that appear to lack the confidence to exert their will on the horse and I am sure the horses know this!


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## tightwad (30 Mar 2011)

They will be from a stable nearby more than likely, if you can remember what the horse and rider vaguely looked like it would be worth asking around at local yards. Police will do F.A. not worth the effort. If you can get hold of the local farrier ask them if they know the horse. Do not let them simply get away with it.


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## billflat12 (31 Mar 2011)

I like Skol said:


> WHAT???? Am I reading this right? Are you saying that we should steer well clear of horses because if they spook it is our fault?
> 
> I would say it is more the owners/riders responsibility if they take a nervous, flighty horse out in a public place and it lashes out at something for no understandable reason. Heaven forbid such a horse should come across a group of noisy restless children. If a horse started going nuts and damaged me, my family or my property I know exactly which direction I would be looking in for recourse.
> 
> Having said that, I do experience a good number of horses in my pass times MTB riding and to a much greater extent 4x4 driving on unsurfaced vehicular rights of way and almost without fail these horses are well controlled and well behaved. You do occasionally get one that is a bit skittish and these are typically being ridden by nervous looking teenage girls that appear to lack the confidence to exert their will on the horse and I am sure the horses know this!



I think you fail to see the understandable reason that horses are powerful naturally flighty creatures, not mechanical like your bike and should be regarded similar to an unpredictable frightened child , Horses are not naturally aggressive & sadly in my experience nervous & aggressive horses are a by-product of past experiences from irresponsible owners, motorists, dog owners, and yes cyclists !! who simply don,t give a damn or understand how to act around them . If you do intend going off on a witch hunt to seek the riders i would suggest first you try to understand why they reacted angrily at the time, if you do trace them then a little diplomacy would defiantly help bear any fruit in your situation. In respect of any horse causing damage or injury any court would rightly need to establish any proportion of blame from all parties, say for example a loose dog jumps out at a horse, or your brakes squeal behind a horse that then spooks and injures someone (usually the rider) who,s to blame ? ( ignorance is no excuse in law) , I would say the dog owner for not controlling their pet , or the speedy cyclist braking suddenly too close to a horse would carry a large proportion of blame !! 

unfortunately much the same as your group of unsupervised noisy restless children in a public place ie, a public highway then rest full blame on a motorist if things go wrong.


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## I like Skol (31 Mar 2011)

billflat12 said:


> I think you fail to see the...... reason that horses ..... should be regarded similar to an unpredictable frightened child



This is all about being responsible. If you are supervising a child that may run into the road then you hold their hand. If you have a dog that you suspect will bite someone without much provocation you would put a muzzle on it. If you have a nervous horse that is likely to lash out at someone or something with little or no warning then should you really be taking it on a public highway where you are highly likely to encounter the conditions that will trigger the problem?




billflat12 said:


> unfortunately much the same as your group of unsupervised noisy restless children in a public place ie, a public highway then rest full blame on a motorist if things go wrong.



Who said anything about unsupervised? Don't try to twist my words to favour your argument.

OK, young children do randomly run out in front of cars, everyone knows this so a responsible driver would not drive at 50mph past a school in a 30mph zone at chucking out time. Likewise, a responsible horse owner should not take a nervous horse into a public place without being prepared to accept the consequences (i.e making good damages caused such as trampled bikes).

By the sounds of it the original poster did everything reasonably possible to give the horse and rider a clear passage but the horse still lashed out. If this is the true picture then I can see clearly where fault lies!


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## Coco (31 Mar 2011)

Why is it ok for a horse to attack someone but not a dog? Genuine question.


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## jnb (31 Mar 2011)

Coco said:


> Why is it ok for a horse to attack someone but not a dog? Genuine question.



Cynical (and not very serious) answer - because dogs are owned by common people so they would have to be held responsible but horses are owned by posh people who don't want it on their insurance thank you very much.

More serious answer. Because while both can be unpredictable and dangerous it is reasonable to expect a dog owner to be able to restrain their dog whereas if half a tonne of horse decides to be flighty there's not much a person can do other than wait for them to calm down, and as someone else said dogs are attack animals and so will attack whereas a horse will generally just want to get away if you stand aside a frightened horse will probably run away, stand aside from a frightened dog and it may decide to turn round and attack you


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## dellzeqq (31 Mar 2011)

I think this is the kind of 'debate' in which cyclists can betray something of themselves. The roads are public space. People are entitled to walk on roads, to cycle on roads, to drive cars on roads and to ride horses on roads. They've been doing the horse thing for longer than people have been doing the bike and car thing.

Public space is there to be shared, and that takes consideration. Horses are easily spooked (I've seen one rear up when confronted with a wind-blown newspaper) and it behoves cyclists to behave considerately. There's quite a lot at stake - regrettably horses have been killed by cars, and horseriders have been killed when their mount has been spooked. 

The CTC campaigned to have byways opened up to cyclists. They were supported in this by the British Horse Federation. That, I think, shows horseriders to be a welcoming bunch. I'm sure most of us appreciate the variety that horses bring to the road and give horseriders notice of our approach and give horses the widest berth possible, but it doesn't hurt to affirm that occasionally.


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## Arch (31 Mar 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> I think this is the kind of 'debate' in which cyclists can betray something of themselves. The roads are public space. People are entitled to walk on roads, to cycle on roads, to drive cars on roads and to ride horses on roads. They've been doing the horse thing for longer than people have been doing the bike and car thing.
> 
> Public space is there to be shared, and that takes consideration. Horses are easily spooked (I've seen one rear up when confronted with a wind-blown newspaper) and it behoves cyclists to behave considerately. There's quite a lot at stake - regrettably horses have been killed by cars, and horseriders have been killed when their mount has been spooked.
> 
> The CTC campaigned to have byways opened up to cyclists. They were supported in this by the British Horse Federation. That, I think, shows horseriders to be a welcoming bunch. I'm sure most of us appreciate the variety that horses bring to the road and give horseriders notice of our approach and give horses the widest berth possible, but it doesn't hurt to affirm that occasionally.



Hear hear. We're all in it together.

In this case, it sounds like the riders happened to be less nice people*, but that's no reason to hate them all, any more than we should be tarred with the same brush as red light jumping numpties.

*or possibly, just very spooked by the whole situation themselves, and therefore on the defensive, and not thinking.


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## I like Skol (31 Mar 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> Public space is there to be shared, and that takes consideration. ...........
> 
> ........The CTC campaigned to have byways opened up to cyclists. They were supported in this by the British Horse Federation. That, I think, shows horseriders to be a welcoming bunch. I'm sure most of us appreciate the variety that horses bring to the road and give horseriders notice of our approach and give horses the widest berth possible, but it doesn't hurt to affirm that occasionally.




Exactly, we all have to share, so if a horse damages the property of a gent who has considerately moved out of the way to allow you past surely the horse rider/owner should show equal consideration by attempting to make amends. Not riding off while shouting abuse? I am sure most horse riders would do the decent thing but that was clearly not the case in this instance.


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## benb (31 Mar 2011)

I live in Epsom. Was it Rifle Butts Alley by any chance? That's a fun descent, as long as your bike is tough!!

Anyway, it sounds like you had tried to get out of the way of the horses, so I don't see how this is your fault. And even if the rider wasn't at fault, the costs should come out of their insurance. They absolutely should not have ridden off without checking you were OK and leaving details.

Unfortunately there are tons of stables in the area, so you'll have trouble tracing them.

Some of the horsey people round Epsom can be right peanuts. The other day I was coming along a bridleway, and came up behind two horses. I slowed right down and called "good afternoon". I asked how best to proceed past, but they were turning into a stable just ahead so I waited for them. One of them was very nice and thanked me; the other gave me a dirty look and didn't say a word.


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## byegad (31 Mar 2011)

david1701 said:


> if you can get hold of the riders they should have an insurance company to claim on, ours are covered third party independantly of their health cover
> 
> don't know much about mountain bikes though



I knew a guy very into horses who got his car door dented by a kick from a passing horse. He tried to claim from the rider's insurance. They did stop and give their details. His solicitor told him the people who insure horses have hardly ever paid out on such a claim in over 100 years. Sure enough they didn't and offered to go to court to prove he parked too close to the horse! So maybe even if you can trace the yobs on horseback you won't get anywhere. 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. 

The point about riders and horses being killed is a good one but my ex-wifes dentist and his wife were killed when a stray horse crossed in front of them in the dark. It took the roof off the car from the bonnet up! NASTY! And yes the horse was destroyed on the spot too, but in my book 1 horse comes nowhere near two people's lives.


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## dellzeqq (31 Mar 2011)

I like Skol said:


> Exactly, we all have to share, so if a horse damages the property of a gent who has considerately moved out of the way to allow you past surely the horse rider/owner should show equal consideration by attempting to make amends. Not riding off while shouting abuse? I am sure most horse riders would do the decent thing but that was clearly not the case in this instance.


I'd agree with that entirely. And I'd suggest that causing damage to property and not exchanging details is a matter for the police, if you think there is a swift way to identify the culprit.


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## lukesdad (31 Mar 2011)

Ive ridden and lived with horses for a long time, and just can t picture a horse stamping on a bike other than by accident or being forced to.


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## Arch (31 Mar 2011)

byegad said:


> The point about riders and horses being killed is a good one but my ex-wifes dentist and his wife were killed when a stray horse crossed in front of them in the dark. It took the roof off the car from the bonnet up! NASTY! And yes the horse was destroyed on the spot too, but in my book 1 horse comes nowhere near two people's lives.



I dunno, there's a few people I'd happily swap for a horse. I'm sure they weren't those sort of people though.


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## dellzeqq (31 Mar 2011)

Byegad's post makes very sad reading, but I don't know what you can do about stray horses other than to insist that people care for them properly.

I confess that, on a personal level, I really don't like horses. I've been chased by a bolting horse, and I reckon that it was my finest cycling hour. It's just that I don't really see them as much of a threat in comparison with skip lorries, or cars whizzing down country lanes at 50mph - indeed I reckon that with my stealthy cyclists ways I'm a far greater threat to the horse riders than the horse is to me.


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## lukesdad (31 Mar 2011)

Lots of horses being abondoned at the moment through people not being able to keep them. Passport issues and the price of feed especially hay being I suspect the main factors.


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## henshaw11 (31 Mar 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> I'd agree with that entirely. And I'd suggest that causing damage to property and not exchanging details is a matter for the police, if you think there is a swift way to identify the culprit.



I could well be wrong, but I think the exchanging details thing is for the case of motoring incidents - and in my narrow experience of someone clipping me on the motorbike, the Police may not give a toss that someone scarpered without leaving details ('if you think you know where they live then go and see them'). Irrespective, there's the moral aspect of doing the right thing.

It seems the law changed in the last decade that puts liability on the rider regardless:
http://www.eandl.co....horse-insurance
-tho' without looking further it sounds like a narrow definition may have been made, limiting it to people rather than property...

I'd guess they're just the sort of t*sser that dents your car and effs off...


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## david1701 (31 Mar 2011)

byegad said:


> I knew a guy very into horses who got his car door dented by a kick from a passing horse. He tried to claim from the rider's insurance. They did stop and give their details. His solicitor told him the people who insure horses have hardly ever paid out on such a claim in over 100 years. Sure enough they didn't and offered to go to court to prove he parked too close to the horse! So maybe even if you can trace the yobs on horseback you won't get anywhere.
> 
> Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.



maybe thats why its cheap


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## billflat12 (31 Mar 2011)

- we had hopped over a fence to let the horses past but one spooked and stamped! Riders went off giving us a mouthful and i can't trace them!

In your case think horse insurers would maybe apply it as most motor insurers apply "an act of god " 

I find it difficult to understand the horse just stamped on your bike for "no understandable reason" , Why would the riders give you a mouthful ? where the riders only walking and aware of you and your bikes presence ? without twisting any words would i be wrong to assume you where probably hidden from view or the horse was maybe unaware of you or your bikes presence , also it panicked an jumped as it suddenly became aware of you or your unattended bike nearby , even the most sedate of horses would spook to some degree at something it was unsure of, that,s their nature. we all know cyclists need constant awareness of traffic, so typically all horse riders need to be constantly aware of any extra potential hazards eg. blowing rubbish, litter discarded by fly tippers etc. ( how would you blame the rider for the ignorance of others ? ) , unfortunately horses being a prey animal their senses are more acute than any rider so this is why any quiet cyclist should give careful respect making sure they announce their presence carefully in advance , most horses will not know what a bell even sounds like so any overuse which is necessary cycling up behind some walkers could cause instant alarm to a horse,( don't even start me on that one ) horses instantly recognize a human voice so typical calling to the rider would be more appropriate.


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## tightwad (31 Mar 2011)

billflat12 said:


> - we had hopped over a fence to let the horses past but one spooked and stamped! Riders went off giving us a mouthful and i can't trace them!
> 
> In your case think horse insurers would maybe apply it as most motor insurers apply "an act of god "
> 
> I find it difficult to understand the horse just stamped on your bike for "no understandable reason" , Why would the riders give you a mouthful ? where the riders aware of you and your bikes presence ? without twisting any words would i be wrong to assume you where probably hidden from view and the horse was maybe unaware of you or your bikes presence , then it jumped and spooked as it suddenly became aware of you or your unattended bike, even the most sedate of horses would spook to some degree at something it was unsure of, that,s their nature. an experienced rider is always constantly aware of potential hazards eg. blowing rubbish litter discarded by fly tippers ( who could you blame or claim from then ? ), unfortunately horses being a prey animal their senses are more acute than any rider so this is why a quiet cyclist should give careful respect and make sure when behind announce their presence carefully in advance , most horses will not even know what a bell even sound like so any overuse which may be necessary cycling up behind walkers would cause alarm ,( don't even start me on that one ) horses always recognize a human voice so calling to the rider would be more appropriate.



You response indicates such a narrow minded view I fear you are on the wrong forum now toddle off to the horse and hound forum there's a good chap.


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## billflat12 (31 Mar 2011)

tightwad said:


> You response indicates such a narrow minded view I fear you are on the wrong forum now toddle off to the horse and hound forum there's a good chap.


Sadly yours is the type of attitude that gets cyclists a poor reputation and does not belong in any modern society, you need to understand that some dedicated cyclists are horse riders too who quite happily use dual use paths without any problems . try and see things from another prospective ie. other users are entitled to use public rights of way, believe gadaffi is looking for more recruits maybe you should just "toddle off" an join his regime, There,s a good little hitler..


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## Moderators (31 Mar 2011)

Let's stay civil chaps, eh?


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## Coco (31 Mar 2011)

Interesting reading about the Mirrahedy v Henley case and the Animal Act. I've learned something new today - always a good thing.


But back to responsibility and being able to control your animal - what if a dwarf owned a Great Dane?


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## I like Skol (31 Mar 2011)

billflat12 said:


> - we had hopped over a fence to let the horses past but one spooked and stamped! Riders went off giving us a mouthful and i can't trace them!
> 
> In your case think horse insurers would maybe apply it as most motor insurers apply "an act of god "
> 
> I find it difficult to understand the horse just stamped on your bike for "no understandable reason" , Why would the riders give you a mouthful ? where the riders aware of you and your bikes presence ? without twisting any words would i be wrong to assume you where probably hidden from view and the horse was maybe unaware of you or your bikes presence , then it jumped and spooked as it suddenly became aware of you or your unattended bike, even the most sedate of horses would spook to some degree at something it was unsure of, that,s their nature. an experienced rider is always constantly aware of potential hazards eg. blowing rubbish litter discarded by fly tippers ( who could you blame or claim from then ? ), unfortunately horses being a prey animal their senses are more acute than any rider so this is why a quiet cyclist should give careful respect and make sure when behind announce their presence carefully in advance , most horses will not even know what a bell even sound like so any overuse which may be necessary cycling up behind walkers would cause alarm ,( don't even start me on that one ) horses always recognize a human voice so calling to the rider would be more appropriate.



The police don't seem to have too much trouble controlling their horses during parades, demonstrations and even riots


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## Arch (31 Mar 2011)

I like Skol said:


> The police don't seem to have too much trouble controlling their horses during parades, demonstrations and even riots



Yeah, and the time and money that goes into training those horses is huge.


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## skudupnorth (31 Mar 2011)

Lisa21 said:


> Dont know where it is now but I posted on here a while ago about some numpty opening a car door on me as I rode past, and my horse, a gypsy vanner with hooves like bin lids, showed his disaproval by almost taking the door off with one kick


Never mess with a critter with bigger feet ( or hooves) than you ! Bet they look over their shoulder from now on !!


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## billflat12 (31 Mar 2011)

I like Skol




The police don't seem to have too much trouble controlling their horses during parades, demonstrations and even riots  


Police horses are all carefully chosen breeds with very quiet temperaments which also go through tough intensive training etc. normally well used to a riot situation by the time they are allowed out on public order duties.

Coco
That Mirrahedy v Henley 1971 animal act is quite complex and open to interpretation, don,t know about the dwarf with a great dane though 

henshaw11 
The link to people selling horse insurance obviously quote their own interpretation of the animal act.


"Just to clarify" every horse is different and can react very differently in various situations. 
Typically the horse i ride is well used to bikes, once had blowing plastic bin bag wrapped round his front feet on a windy day without any problem , also dogs have jumped up to grab his tail without any panic or kicking out !!
But "anyone innocently using a brolly nearby " or " drivers that raise their hatchback door to let excited dogs out as you pass " always cause upset . insurers would rightly blame the motorist for causing any accident, but the brolly user although being a cause i would accept as being innocent . 


PK99 
Appologies for hyjacking the thread , The Whyte 901 looks a good buy . If my horse wasn,t such an expensive liability i should maybe buy one, or give up my trusted kona stinky.


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## david1701 (1 Apr 2011)

skudupnorth said:


> Never mess with a critter with bigger feet ( or hooves) than you ! Bet they look over their shoulder from now on !!



lol I had a shire stand on my foot once, gotta love soft bark floor


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## Ticktockmy (3 Apr 2011)

The best thing when around horses is to let them see you and hear you, also let the rider know that you are about, it takes no effort if approaching a horse and rider from the rear, is to call out "Coming Bye" when about 50 feet from them. If horse and rider are approaching you it best to stop, if the horse and rider has not already done so, and stand quietly with your bike so the horse can see a human and not what in his mind a wild beast is, remember horses are fear and flight animals, and silly things can spook them.

One of mine was bomb proof until he would see plastic sacks blowing around the fields or tracks then we would be prancing around because he was thinking it was a crocodile or something, the other one hated cyclists, and I would dismount and calm her down if she got skittish if they got too near to her.

Always remember that horses understand what humans are and associate well with us, but they don’t always understand what bikes or other man made objects are and will prefer to take flight or stamp on the object LOL. 

But I have had cyclists ride right up behind me and I neither of us have heard them, then they either speak out or tinkle the bell and watch in wonderment as we are jumping all over the track because they have startled my horse.

In PK99 case it was wrong of the riders to not stop and sort out the details, let alone ride off giving verbal abuse. Most riders have insurance, to cover damage caused, and if they don’t they should have. But the problem is that contrary to what some people think, most horse owners are normal working people who struggle to keep the horse and feed it and shoe it, so insurance become low priority . which is no excuse.


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## Yellow Fang (3 Apr 2011)

Pity PK99's not been back to give some more details. Not that he seems that bothered about the loss of his bike. He seems to regard it as an opportunity for getting a better bike. The Whyte 901 looks like a pretty good bike, but then they all are for that money.

What sort of trail was it? It sounds like it must have been quite narrow. Were you going quite fast? How far in advance did you see the horses?

I must say, horses bother me. My experience is that they are easy to spook. I usually call out hello and then give them as much room as I can. I was marshalling a running race once at a crossroads in some country lanes when a spooked horse ran loose. It passed me by inches and then knocked over another marshal before coming to a stop.


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## PK99 (3 Apr 2011)

Yellow Fang said:


> *Pity PK99's not been back to give some more details*. Not that he seems that bothered about the loss of his bike. He seems to regard it as an opportunity for getting a better bike. The Whyte 901 looks like a pretty good bike, but then they all are for that money.
> 
> What sort of trail was it? It sounds like it must have been quite narrow. Were you going quite fast? How far in advance did you see the horses?
> 
> I must say, horses bother me. My experience is that they are easy to spook. I usually call out hello and then give them as much room as I can. I was marshalling a running race once at a crossroads in some country lanes when a spooked horse ran loose. It passed me by inches and then knocked over another marshal before coming to a stop.




Seeing the way the thread was going I decided to let it flow without interference.

We ride up over the downs most weeks and have never had a bad experience with any other horses or riders.

Three cyclists (55,66,73: old gits out on bikes!) heading up hill @ walking pace. Three horses walking down hill on a narrowish bridle way, wooden open rail fence and gappy hedge to one side, hedge to the other.

One of the riders immediately told us to turn round, go back and get off the bridleway, in a verbally aggressive manner.

We propped the bikes against the fence, climbed over and stood in the field, riders came through, horse spooked and kicked bike, one rider again verbally aggressive. All three returned up the track not answering request to tell us which stable they were out of.

When i reported it to the police i made plain that i was less concerned about my bike than i was about riders being out on a public path with a horse that was clearly unsafe. We quite often pass elderly ramblers or dog walkers on such tracks.

No doubt the riders would have a different view/interpretation of the same events


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## Lisa21 (3 Apr 2011)

Just my two pennorth worth as a cyclist, and as a horserider with a very large, easily spooked and unpredictable boy(which does limit where i ride him) It seems obvious to me that the riders attitude is at fault here, and its a shame she could not be traced as people like her continue to give horseriders a bad name. Common courtesy and manners cost absolutely nothing, and sadly my experience has made me realise that the horsey world can be very bitchy and attract some right characters (always female) and before any female riders on here slate me this is just my opinion, formed from my experience.
The horse is not at fault here, there instincts are so much more finely-tuned than ours and as the saying goes "whats in the brain goes straight down the rein"....he was probably picking up on the noutiness of his rider


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## billflat12 (3 Apr 2011)

sorry ladies , it does now sound just a little bit like bitchy females in a state 
which would of course wind up any poor horse , 
classic case of riders being "over-horsed"  

jokes apart
I would just express your concerns at any local stable yard, could be the horses were hired out to inexperienced riders by an unscrupulous yard owner ?


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## Baggy (3 Apr 2011)

billflat12 said:


> sorry ladies , it does now sound a bit like bitchy females in a bit of a state
> which would of course wind up any poor horse ,
> classic case of riders being "over-horsed"
> 
> ...


Joking apart, did he mention anywhere that the riders were female?  

Given the location of the incident, it could take quite a long time to get round all the stable yards in that area...

I agree they should have stopped, but the rider sounds like the type of person who automatically assumes they're in the right.


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## Baggy (3 Apr 2011)

Lisa21 said:


> Common courtesy and manners cost absolutely nothing, and sadly my experience has made me realise that the horsey world can be very bitchy and attract some right characters (always female) and before any female riders on here slate me this is just my opinion, formed from my experience.


Overall I agree it can be incredibly bitchy, but think the female side of it just reflects that at a certain level, there are far more women involved in horse-riding. I've met some horrible, arrogant blokes as well - I worked as a groom in a showjumping yard for a while, never again!


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## PK99 (3 Apr 2011)

I'd hate this to get into a "cyclists good, riders bad" orgy. My OP was more about replacement bike than the incient itself.

I've never had a bad experience with riders/horses before, but am prepared to bet that regular riders in the area have had problems with inconsiderate or unthinking cyclists. 

Thus, things panned out in a way none of us would have wished - I'm content to write it off as experience and move on - hey, i have an excuse to buy a new bike and the balance of a recent Smidsy payout to cover the cost.

So, back on topic: Anyone have or have views on a Whyte 901?


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## lukesdad (5 Apr 2011)

Lisa21 said:


> Just my two pennorth worth as a cyclist, and as a horserider with a very large, easily spooked and unpredictable boy(which does limit where i ride him) It seems obvious to me that the riders attitude is at fault here, and its a shame she could not be traced as people like her continue to give horseriders a bad name. Common courtesy and manners cost absolutely nothing, and sadly my experience has made me realise that the horsey world can be very bitchy and attract some right characters (always female) and before any female riders on here slate me this is just my opinion, formed from my experience.
> The horse is not at fault here, there instincts are so much more finely-tuned than ours and as the saying goes "whats in the brain goes straight down the rein"....he was probably picking up on the noutiness of his rider



Got it in a nutshell, Lisa. I hate bitches who ride horses..... just don t tell the wife eh !


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## e-rider (5 Apr 2011)

I cycled into the rear end of a horse! I was going past it on NCN route.... near Norwich, just got next to it and it spooked and went sideways so I hit the rear end. Didn't get shoot on my face though.


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