Running directly behind a Horse 😱😱!

[StephieSlade]

AIBU to think that even non horsey people should know not to run up directly behind a horse? I came off on Sunday after my mare spooked and stumbled after a small child, and her dog ran up behind her. Child's parents were slightly further back along the bridle path. Thankfully my horse doesn't kick, and I'm not blaming the child for my fall, as I'd have sat the scuttle forward, if she hadn't tripped. However, I'm cringing at the thought of that, or another child running up behind another horse on the street that possibly might kick😣😣😣.

@ClaudiaWankleman

But be prepared to be told that your horse should have the attributes of a rocking horse if you take it out in public.

No, but you do have to accept responsibility for your horse when you're out with it. It's no different to driving a car - if a child does something stupid like running out in front of you and you injure the child then it is your responsibility. You can't absolve yourself of the responsibility to ride your horse in a way that is safe for all people by expecting people to read your horse's body language.

If, like @NewYearNewTwatName described above, that means having to tell people to accompany their child, or if that means riding somewhere less convenient for you that is just the way it has to be. You have the right to ride your horse everywhere it is allowed to be, but you have the responsibility to do it safely.

Are you serious.....if i'm being a responsible driver and driving within the speed limit and a child runs in front of me and gets hit, i'm responsible. How the hell do you come to that conclusion.

What should you do if you’re running on a bridge path & are faster than two walking horses? Asking with no malice.

Bridle not bridge

@BigGreenOlives ask if ok to pass, drop to a walk if necessary and leave as much room as possible

@BigGreenOlives

What should you do if you’re running on a bridge path & are faster than two walking horses? Asking with no malice.

You forget about your personal best on this occasion..

To add it's usually the appearing out of nowhere that startles them so bikes silently overtaking from behind or someone popping up in a hedge best to shout morning/hi/ok to pass anything to show you're not an alien

Depends how old the "small child" is

Yanbu, everyone knows (or should do) horses might kick. I am the opposite of horsey - I find it unsettling not knowing what they are going to do, so I give them a very wide berth.

@ClaudiaWankleman

It's a bridleway, and therefore horses are to be expected, and if you run up behind a horse then you run the risk of being kicked.

Yes, and if it's a road then cars are to be expected. If you step onto the road without looking you run the risk of being run over. That doesn't mean the driver shouldn't be alert and in control enough to avoid the collision.

Horses are quite unpredictable, especially for someone who doesn't interact with them, and can be really dangerous. If you choose to ride you have to accept that you're meant to be in control of something potentially dangerous.

If the driver is driving within the speed limit, and is alert and aware, it's still not an absolute given that they are going to stop in time, or be able to swerve. They have no control over the child running into the road. In this scenario, the OP had control of the horse, moving away from the people and they approached her. She had no control over if the child ran towards her, away from her or the London marathon, because it was the child 'out of control' in this situation, not the horse. From the info here, had the child not ran directly towards the horse, it's unlikely that anything would have happened at all. She wasn't galloping past them or barged her way through the middle of the group. Would it have been devastating if the horse had kicked out? Of course, but not the riders fault. You should have insurance to cover incidents like this, but it's impossible to train for and anticipate every single issue that may occur, driving, riding or any other activity, other people, using a space designated for horses need to accept responsibility for themselves too.

@BigGreenOlives

What should you do if you’re running on a bridge path & are faster than two walking horses? Asking with no malice.

Call out and let them know you’re there, when you pass give them plenty of space

DD’s pony is pretty bomb proof but she struggles when the zillionth cyclist has whizzed past her on the bridleway. far too close. It’s appearing out of nowhere that usually causes the spook - if you call out or ring a bell she knows you’re coming.

DD carries a whip now and holds it out beside her - tends to force people to give them a bit of space

Top tip, if your shoulder catches the stirrup, you’re too close!

Are you serious.....if i'm being a responsible driver and driving within the speed limit and a child runs in front of me and gets hit, i'm responsible. How the hell do you come to that conclusion.

Because you're the one in the car with the breaks, having passed the test that requires you to make an emergency stop, and being the adult who has chosen to wield the potentially deadly weapon of a car. Just because you may not be jailed for an offence it doesn't mean you aren't responsible in some capacity.

If you're on a horse which kicks and injures a child then do you not think you would feel responsible? Clearly the OP does, as she is still cringing about it days afterwards.

@Iluvfriends If a child runs in front of your car and you hit them, you could well be liable. When I worked in personal injury I had to do a claim for a 30 year old who got hit while running across the road to the shop. There was a working pedestrian crossing about 30m away and he still won the case. He was basically a child, had his parents constantly ringing on his behalf because he couldn't be arsed... twat. (Didn't help that his first questions were how much could he get and how can he stop the mother of his child trying to get some of it)

For those saying that you shouldn't take out a horse that spooks, ALL horses spook. They are fight or flight animals and their entire limbic system is geared up to avoid being a monster's lunch. You can have the calmest, most well trained horse in the world and they will still spook.

Of course, there are steps you can take to mitigate this - not riding along in a daydream on a long rein, getting horses used to seeing different things and maybe not going out on a day when it's howling a freezing wind, which would put most horses on edge.

But you cannot over-ride a horse's intrinsic nature.

(And as well as parents not letting their children near a horse, I would add that runners should walk past a horse. And certainly not sail past from behind then get shirty with me when I ask you to walk. The same goes for cyclists - please let us know you are there (quietly - don't holler or suddenly ring a bell) and pass slowly.

And I never expected people to read my horses body language, I expected them to be respectful, not treat my horse like a public service and not get close enough so they needed to read any body language.

Horses are very big animals so regardless of whether the parents knew not to stand behind a horse, they should never let a small child near it at all!!!! Back or front!

@PawsQueen & @Northernsoullover luckily I have no PBs at risk on bridle paths . I did call out from quite a distance & then stopped, but I think even my calling out ‘Excuse me’ was enough to startle one of the men’s horses. I stayed where I was until they signalled I could pass. Just wondered what more I could do.

@Iquitit

And I never expected people to read my horses body language, I expected them to be respectful, not treat my horse like a public service and not get close enough so they needed to read any body language.

Yes! This!

On a bridleway, you are going to come across horses. Don’t allow your children or dogs to run up to them and give them plenty space.

Never understand why people with dogs and cyclists feel the need to go on bridleways they have everywhere else to go! After me and my kids horses got chased and barked at for the millionth time I contacted the police to ask about it and they said get a go pro on your helmet and next time someone's dog comes running up barking around your horse, call police as apparently, it's an act of aggressive behaviour and the owners are not in control.

@ChainJane

YANBU but if a child gets injured by your horse you are going to be the one who ends up in trouble, regardless of the circumstances.

A bit like if your dog bites a child that tried to pat it - the owner is the one liable.

This.

I think a lot of people see horses as like big pet dogs. Our yard is next to a country footpath and loads of people walk past and want to pet and feed the ponies and think it’s ok for their dog to mingle with them. The amount of times we have told people not to let their dogs wander into the yard and mill around by the horses legs. You can see the ponies getting into position to administer a good bite or kick. They are also greedy pushy buggers and will nip people and each other to get food.

I'm so sick of idiots running up and panting " he's never seen a horse before that's why" I have to say it was funny on a bridle path once, a particularly aggressive staffy type came running up, no owners in sight. It ran up to the first horse which was the wrong horse to do it too!! We still laugh about my son's Friesian stallion lifting it up and throwing it , it was not hurt luckily but ran off whimpering. I love dogs by the way and have loads of them. Just find a lot of dog owners entitled pricks! Rant over

it dawned on me one day that I told all my students to not walk behind the horses, and then did presicely that myself

We were taught to keep a hand on the horse’s rump if you had to go around them behind them and to keep in close. That way if it wanted to kick out, you’d be close in and the kick really doesn’t have much effect. And never stop talking to your horse in a calm voice.

Mind you, none of ours kicked as a rule. Except one wily little 12 hand mare when she didn’t want to be caught. I once had a hoof mark on my chest from a random kick when I got on the wrong side of her to catch her. Luckily we didn’t keep her shod.

But …

I’m intrigued - and a bit horrified - at the 12% who think YABU. Are they just voting that to be silly?

I know this but I regularly walk on the canal path near my house with my pram and people ride horses along there too. It does worry me that one will kick back. I try to stay as far away as I can but the path is narrow

@ClaudiaWankleman

Are you serious.....if i'm being a responsible driver and driving within the speed limit and a child runs in front of me and gets hit, i'm responsible. How the hell do you come to that conclusion.

Because you're the one in the car with the breaks, having passed the test that requires you to make an emergency stop, and being the adult who has chosen to wield the potentially deadly weapon of a car. Just because you may not be jailed for an offence it doesn't mean you aren't responsible in some capacity.

If you're on a horse which kicks and injures a child then do you not think you would feel responsible? Clearly the OP does, as she is still cringing about it days afterwards.

A car still has a stopping distance, it doesn't just stop as soon as you hit the brake. The highway code is there for pedestrians too, as are crossings.

I was driving and had a kid (10) on a bike come off a pavement between 2 parked vans and right into the side of my car. Traffic police attended because a child was involved........guess who was to blame, not me.
Had an adult step out from between 2 parked cars and she got smacked by my wing mirror......i got out and she apologised, why, because she was in the wrong.
If someone steps behind a horse and spooks the horse and it kicks out, how is that the riders fault. Doesn't the fault lie with the stupud person getting too close. If they hadn't got close the horse wouldn't have kicked.

Too many ppl want to blame others and can't accept they might be in the wrong.