about these cyclists on a bridle way?

[Ellybellyboo]

I don't want to start a cycling bashing post, most cyclists I come into contact with are fab

DD2 has been riding for years and a few months ago we were lucky enough to find her her own horse.

During DD's lesson Saturday morning, her teacher suggested they go out on a hack. There's a bridle way just to the side of the yard - about an hour, off road, in a nice loop that brings them back to the yard. Clearly signed as a bridle way, on local maps and information. Great. Off they go.

They come back to the yard and the teacher tells me DD has had a fall and explains that DD's horse got in a bit of a tizz after a huge group of cyclists went charging past. Several cyclists went past them - singly and in pairs, gave the horses plenty of room and all was fine. Until a huge pack of cyclists came towards them - all over the path, clearly racing each other, jostling and shouting, etc, etc. Horse had a moment, DD fell off (bit bruised but not hurt)

Anyway, teacher said this isn't the first time it has happened, as apparently it's a good path for time trials and more and more groups of cyclists were using it. She said that other owners at the yard were writing to the local cycling clubs to ask them to speak to their members.

I emailed the main club and explained exactly what happened - was very polite and explained that several people had gone past and were great, it was just the big group. I got a reply this morning, basically stating that cyclists have every right to use bridle ways - we should ride else where.

Yes, they do have every right to use bridle ways and the majority of cyclists were brilliant, but AIBU to think there could be a bit more consideration?

btw what is the trip wire thing please?

I think that poster was referring to extendable dog leads, which you can't always see clearly.

Of course they were in the wrong, and I say that as a commuting cyclist myself. The club response to you was inadequate at best - if cyclists do have the right to use bridleways (which I didn't know) they should still treat other users with consideration, and obviously that goes extra for horses.

On a road, the advise to car drivers is to pass slowly and give plenty of room - I don't see why it should be any different for cyclists on a path. I mainly cycle on the road but there's a canal path near me and the speed some idiot cyclists do on it is ridiculous.

Might be time to deliver some horse poo to that club. So dangerous!!!

We have lots of hacking routes off our yard that we have to share with cyclists. I'd say the majority of them are very considerate, but you always get the odd one or two... the thing that stood out for me recently was taking DD (4) out on Shetland, everyone we met was massively cautious and respectful. Waited quietly and got out the way. Why I as an adult on my horse can't be afforded the same care I have no idea. Boils my piss.

You could try speaking to one of them as and when you see them - either praising or suggesting safer way to ride past horses and ask those individuals to pass on to their friends. It's a tricky one if the cycle clubs are being dickish about it.

OP, check here if the club is affiliated to British Cycling: www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder, there are sanctions that can be taken if the club isn't following good practice.

I think it's horses that shouldn't be let out on public paths. They are a liability, nervous and poo a lot.

Goad fail, heron98

heron - the clue is in the name: bridleway. These paths are primarily for equine use.

@Twopoint

Where does it say the horse was a danger to the public?

Why can't both the horse riders and cyclists be sensible and given both groups are vulnerable, have consideration for others? It is a shared path but the clue that horses may be present is in the title 'BRIDLEway' why should cyclists, horses or anything else allowed to use a shared path be able to behave as they like regardless of their effect on others?
Should OP and a group of horse riders decide to go for a good gallop up the bridleway and not slow, move over and act with consideration towards any cyclists they meet - would that be acceptable too?

I'm a member of a cycle club and have friends in others. Aside from one wierd incident where specific cyclists were accused of spooking a horse when they could prove they weren't there when it happened, this would have been taken very seriously. The local police are quite familiar with the clubs and run safe cycling initiatives with them.

Obviously there's dicks in every club who think they're Olympic racers but the response is unusual in my experience.

Yet my cheery call of "I hate horses and will kick them" gets a different reaction! Don't be so stupid TwoPoint

Horses are easily spooked and can then be a danger which is why it's important to go carefully around them.

God, I loathe the 'shouldn't be allowed because I don't like them' kind of poster.

We had a path on our land that is used often by riders and a couple of years ago we had lots of problems with cyclists...

Changed our maintainance of the path and stopped cutting trees back - now not solid enough for bikes but fine for horses. Problem solved.

That is so dangerous for everyone concerned. We had a batch of these riders round our lanes and B roads this summer. Most are very courteous, but some are just plain awful.
Always try my best to avoid them when with the horses but sometimes we do meet them, it's unavoidable.
The group that really upset the horses and were extremely arrogant received a personal visit from my very disgruntled husband. They weren't quite so ballsy face to face.
If your yard owner can speak to the club as well, it would really help. Asking the Club for their/riders insurance details may help them focus on safety.

Here come the goady fucks...always appear on a horse thread...waiting for the poo comments to appear...

ifailed thanks for the link. The club that DD's teacher thinks they're from isn't on the site.

I'll speak to the teacher again tonight about getting everyone to log the incidents.

Teacher is a bit upset that she took DD down there actually. All the previous incidents have been on Sunday afternoons, she thought it would be OK on a Saturday morning. That said, horse riders shouldn't have to avoid using it. It's a bloody bridle way, not a cyclepath.

Horse is pretty bombproof, was fine with the other cyclists, it was this huge group of shouty, pushy, fast moving bikes all across the path. They went past really close to her, didn't give her any space and took a while to go past

Obviously horses galloping last cyclists would be equally bad.

As a cyclist who uses a shared use path I expect when meeting a horse coming in the opposite direction that I as the cyclist will pull over and stop while the horse comes past me. Some horses are nervous and may spook at a passing bike but are more likely to happily pass a stationary bike. If I come up behind a horse I shout hello and ask if I’m ok to pass. Doesn’t take much effort.

And once I came across some sort of horse event on a public bridleway, all going in the opposite direction to me. They’d obviously set off at staggered times and i must have had 150 horses come past me over the space of about six miles. I stopped for every single one. Must admit it spoiled my ride slightly but it’s not a regular occurrence. Every ride was very appreciative. I have a weird bike with a flag on it and took my flag off every time as well. Horses hate my bike even if they pass normal ones ok.

Non-riders are sadly generally very ignorant about what might spook a horse. My friend ended up with a compound fracture of her femur after a car driver thought it would be a good idea to give a 'friendly' blast of his horn as he drew up behind her horse.

Can the horse be taken for further training so it doesn't spook so easily? (Presumably none of the other horses in the group were frightened hence my thinking on that).

Bottom line is you can't trust other people, and even though they are in the wrong it's the rider that will end up hurt.

Incidentally, the law states that cyclists should give way to horse riders and pedestrians on a public bridleway.

The training I was referring to is called 'spook in place' (basically where the horse learns not to move his feet when he is frightened).
www.equisearch.com/articles/equine-spook-place-training