WIBU to politely ask cyclists.....

[Bruisedarse]

.... To shout a warning, ring their bell, sing Bohemian Rhapsody, in fact anything to warn you are coming up behind a horse?

As my (changed from regular) username suggests, I landed on a hard lane from a large horse this morning because 4 cyclists appeared from no where, going quite a pace and scared the living daylights out of me and my horse. She launched forward as they approached from behind but as I regained control, myself not knowing the issue at that moment, they flew past, 2 abreast. Horse shied away and spun and I came off over the shoulder. Not one stopped, despite looking back. Luckily I'm pretty tough and once she realised what they were she stopped.
A warning shout could have totally prevented it, bikes are silent as they approach more or less until they're very close, and if the lead bikes could have warned me they were there then I could have let the horse see, and she'd have heard them call out as well and it wouldn't have completely taken both of us by nasty surprise. I was wearing fluorescent and reflective clothing, and I know that you can see parts of the road from the lane though admittedly they may have missed me.
Luckily there were no cars about or it could have been worse, but I'd like to say a big thank you to the farmer who legged me back on in the safety of his field gateway because I'd have had to walk quite a way to safely get back on and not do it at the side of the road, causing a hazard.
So all you cyclists out there, please, please warn us horse riders you're approaching behind, I can hear a car, so can the horse so we know what to expect, both cyclists and horse riders are vulnerable road users and if we look out for each other then there may be less accidents.

Thank you!

[SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace]

Being a cyclist does not make you immune to being a cunt

Of course not. I'm a driver and a cyclist, I don't think either group is comprised of cunts, or that doing one makes you or exempts you from being a cunt.

I do think there's a lot of confirmation bias about it though, especially in the first two posts on this threads. "Ah yes, well I hate cyclists anyway so this doesn't surprise me" - well no, it wouldn't then, would it?

Anyway, if cyclists are more defensive, I think it's easy to see why. I do see cyclists (and pedestrians, and drivers, and dog walkers, and people generally) being annoying, but when cyclists annoy people it seems to stir up, in some quarters, some real hatred of the whole group, which unfortunately does seem to correlate with a lot of drivers going out of their way to make the roads difficult or downright dangerous for cyclists

[SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace]

And I also think that often things which cyclists are actually supposed to do - use the cycle lane, wait in the cycle section at the front which is designated for them - are unfairly perceived as cyclists somehow 'cheating' or getting something 'extra' - so drivers do often deliberately block cycle lanes, or go right up to the lights so they can cut left-turning cyclists off.

I mean, I think, that some of what people think is cunty about what cyclists do is actually what they're supposed to do, yet it all goes to fuel this confirmation bias and make people feel legitimated in acting like gits in the car.

[WineGummyBear]

The aggression on this thread is horrible.

I and loads of my family and friends ride bikes. With consideration for others. Some even ride horses too (not at the same time obviously).

From the tone of this thread you'd think horse riders and cyclists were feuding drug gangs. FFS people.

I don't know where you lot are in the world but I'm happy to say that on the trails around here both horse riders and cyclists show consideration.

I like to think the horse riders that I encounter don't believe that I deserve to be kicked into a ditch.

[WineGummyBear]

Oh and YANBU OP!

[Doublechocolatetiffin]

The most important thing is to slow down when overtaking horses. I think this is where the cyclists in the OP went wrong, it sounds like they were going far too quickly for the road so couldn’t slow down quickly enough when they saw the OP. (Well I hope it was because they couldn’t slow rather than they chose not to).

If anyone is worried about passing a horse, just go past it wide and slow. A friendly greeting will also help to warn both the horse and rider that something is approaching. Wizzing past at speed, especially with no warning is likely to make the horse jump so should be avoided.

[Tinycitrus]

Yep I sooooo enjoy waiting at a junction with a car revving behind me. Makes my day.

[Pannnn]

Oh MN is now well know to have a fuckwit attitude to bikists and anyone else that doesn't conform to a "fuck all else to do all day but type to the interweb" mojo.

Fortunately people in RL with things to do aren't as brainless as your bike slagging MN poster.

[littlepeas]

I don't have anything to add to this discussion, but one poster is coming across as a complete and utter dick. I really needed to say that.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Seek - I think the new bike lanes and boxes for cyclists to go in ahead of the traffic are an excellent idea. Could someone explain to me why some cyclists won't use the new cycle superhighway in London but take their chances with the cars instead? Going round Vauxhall the other day, the cycle superhighway was empty and all the bikes were on the road. Is it not fit for purpose in parts?

[Eve]

no one has mentioned road tax yet - and how that buys you the right to own the roads?

[berliozwooler]

If they didn't bomb down narrow country lanes as if the road is closed for them in a race that would be great too and not put them into contact with horses, tractors and car windscreens.

Honestly have more trouble with cyclists than any other road user at the moment. I know it's only a minority, but it's something daily.

Crossing the road in London. Wait for the green man, finally cross and on a twice daily basis, a cyclist will zoom across the pedestrian crossing while the green man is on.

Perhaps it's because the vast majority are Default Males and some are rather entitled and aggressive about it.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Hope you and Dhorse are ok OP. Not surprised at the 'hope they get hoofed into a ditch' responses but that's really not what any horse rider wants!! I'm a cyclist and horse rider. And I feel pretty vulnerable on both on the roads, its really given me a better perspective as a car user. Hopefully your post will resonate with other road users on how to safely approach horses.

[NikiBabe]

Ah cyclist hate again......wishes of violence.

Get your bloody wild animal off a public path where it is a danger to everyone!

What difference would a shout of hello make if your horse was spooked by them passing. It would be spooked by them anyway.

[Northernmum12]

This drives me absolutely nuts! I used to ride out on the common near us regularly and had terrible trouble with people on road bikes. Oddly enough everyone on mountain bikes was kind and courteous as were motorcyclists. I only hack around private land now as everywhere has gotten too dangerous

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

Niki a bit of warning you definitely help! Horses like a bit of warning just like anyone about to face something they might not like!!! Plus the rider would've been a little more prepared to sit to a spook. Not rocket science.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

*would not you

[NutellaLawson]

When I see a horse ride up ahead I always find myself singing something like "I've got a luvverly bunch of coconuts..." or similar. Then I watch for the ear swivel or head move so I know the horse has heard me. Tjen its a cheery good morning/afternoon to the rider and a wide berth, as some horses are spooked by things as trivial as a plastic bag on the road or light reflecting off me.

Trouble is too many road users are ignorant of the experience of other road users. Most horse riders and many cyclists know what it's like to drive a car but too few people ride horses. I'd like to see more information out there on tv or fb ads on what drivers and cyclists should be doing and why.

[TheTapir]

NikiBabe if you shout "hello", "good morning" or "bike" etc the horse knows that you are there. The problem comes when something whizzes past them with no warning. It would make most humans jump, never mind a prey animal.

[Bruisedarse]

Well so far from this thread I've learned that there's more hatred for cyclists than horse riders! There's been some awful comments directed at them as a group.
And to be fair, the defensive attitude of a couple on here, along with the old 'horses shouldn't be on the roads' anyway argument from them, along with the 4 I encountered this morning, doesn't exactly give a good impression of cyclists in general. But I realise not every cyclists is like that.

The OP was a plea, and discussion opener, from a member of one group of vulnerable road users to another. With no side to it or intention for cyclists, motorists or horse riders to be bashed.
Cyclists don't always know about horses, which is why I'm not angry about what happened, just asking that if you're on a bike, about to fly past a horse, you give a warning.

[clematisflower]

Horse riders:
If a runner is overtaking you, should they give warning? And what is best?

This is most likely to happen on a wide off-road track around here.

[Someoneasdumbasthis]

What I can't quite get my head round are the defensive cyclists up in arms about being knocked off their bikes who couldn't give a shit about a horseridder being knocked off her horse. Its the same right? Jeez. Show some respect, some common sense and a bit of curtesy and everyone would be happy.

And to the cyclist who said what is he supposed to do when going past a runner or rider, slow down to 10kph. What do you think drivers do when we come up behind a cyclist? I live in an area with thousands of cyclists (and horse ridders). I respect everyone's right to be on the road and am chilled about it. I just add an extra 10 minutes to my journey if i am going through cycling / ridding areas.

I would have thought cyclists would have been more respectful of horseridders and runners tbh.

[Moo678]

Were you on the pavement or also on the road? I'm a cyclist and (also a keen horserider) and if you'd been on the road I would have treated you as I would a car and slowed right down before going around - I'm not sure I would have shouted though because I'd have been worried about frightening your horse - also I'm British so shouting doesn't come easily at the best of times. If you'd been up on the pavement I'm not sure it would have occurred to me to shout - sorry - I don't ride on roads, I guess I assumed that horses that go out on roads would be used to that sort of traffic.

I'm sorry nobody stopped to see if you were ok though, that's horrible and in future - if I encounter a horse - not that it's ever happened during my three years of commuting to work - I will shout before I pass them.

[Igottastartthinkingbee]

I'd say runners should call out but as runners are so much slower I'm sure the horse would hear the footsteps if they're as noisy and flat footed a runner as I am anyway. Plus runners aren't going to be whizzing past at the same speed as cyclists so I think the risk is lower. Allow plenty of space just in case clematis for your own safety as much as anything.

[Didntcomeheretofuckspiders]

Completely agree OP. It’s really not hard to give a little shout and slow down a bit!

It’s so sad that there is such an anti-cyclist sentiment around though. DP went out on a long ride (120miles ish) on Saturday and got so much abuse and came home completely miserable. I know for a fact that he is good at the rules of the road, a confident bike handler and doesn’t actually go slow enough to hold anyone up for that long! People just love to lump all cyclists together and by rude for no apparent reason though. I got abuse from a guy the other day who got WAY too close in his car, because I should ‘use the cycle lane’... there was no cycle lane! He thought the road markings indicating the line that high vehicles should take under a bridge were a bike lane ffs! What people also don’t realise is that most cycle lanes as poorly maintained and often entirely inappropriate for road bikes! I could go on with my cycling moans, but I won’t.

[Mantegnaria]

@containsSpoilers

What a nasty comment.