horses

[DavyMox]

I was up in the cambrian hills the other day enjoying a challenging but great ride when i came across a horse event. My question is what do you do to make yourself known? The riders were having a right old chinwag oblivious to me and any thing else probably. If you shout the nags spook, ring the bell ditto do nothing and the damn things can see behind with lively results as I found out. A ton of future frozen ready meals stamping, rearing and going off on one is scary

 

[NormanD]

Make your presence known long before you reach them, cough or shout, the horse will hear you long before the rider will, but keep repeating some sort of noise as you close the distance, also when passing go slow and easy and give them a wide birth as horses will kick out if startled ... once the horse understands that something is behind them, they'll be fine.

 

[Broadside]

Lots you can do. My favorite is to simply call out morning/ afternoon to catch their attention. If not then just an obvious cough is often enough to make the horse and rider aware.

 

[ianrauk]

Hello! Cyclist! OK to come past?

That's all you need to say.

 

[screenman]

Two very good replies, judging by the amount of horses around here I am surprised there is enough of them made to be anywhere else.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Hello! Cyclist! OK to come past?

That's all you need to say.

This. Simples.

 

[raleighnut]

Lots you can do. My favorite is to simply call out morning/ afternoon to catch their attention. If not then just an obvious cough is often enough to make the horse and rider aware.

+1 from me I live in Leicestershire so lots of "hunts" locally.

 

[Donger]

I recently came in for a load of stick from a couple of horse riders because the cyclist in front of me (who was completely unknown to me) had called out "coming round to your right". I didn't think he could have done anything better. I got a bit irate at being chastised for something a complete stranger had done, just because I was also riding a bike in the vicinity, so must be guilty by association. Can't remember what else I was accused of, but I remember making the point that, (for the most part), at least cyclists do not tend to take massive dumps in the middle of the road and expect everyone else to drive through it.

 

[JasonHolder]

Hope its a female rider and enjoy the view for 5 miles. Do it all the time

 

[jack smith]

I had a group of three in a line blocking the c2c Friday night, that paticular section has a huge no horses sign between two parts , I let them know I was there they looked and did nothing numerous times, then two pulled apart so I thought oh they are letting me by eventually, so I pulled through slowly.
only to get a bucketload of swearing, c word and all, I stopped and said. What's the matter darling she said they were young horses scared of cycles, I responded it's a no horses part of the path and you think bringing horses scard of bikes one me of the busies cycle paths in the uk is a good idea, clever girl you aren't you she then got off the horse "stay there I'm going to f*ing bray you" okie doke go on then I replied fair to say she got a few steps closer and realised I wasn't moving then just bottled it got back on the horse and they all left, the other cyclists that stopped were in stitches. I'm always nice to horse riders although i never seem to get a smile or wave back but if they start swearing on I shall gladly wind them up lol My two cents is treat them how they treat you, don't stereotype them though just the specific person your dealing with, remember if you spook a horse it can cause huge issues

 

[Sharky]

As posts above, call out when approaching from behind.
If approaching from the front and riding with day time flashing lights - cover them with your hand or switch them off. The flashing can spook them.

Keith

 

[DavyMox]

Some good advice I shall start shouting from a distance away one problem up in the hills are narrow roads so you are going to be passing at close quaters. Some of the replies indicate a few pig headed people spoiling it for the many. One thing I shall have to shout bi-lingually being in Wales I work with a couple of Welsh speaking Swansea jacks so what I end up saying could be interesting.

regards all Davy

 

[Acesand8s]

I live in the US. Here in CO horses always have the explicit right of way and a cyclist is never aloud to overtake a horse rider unless instructed specifically to do so by the rider. So i never needed to learn signals!