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😣😣😣.

I didn't vote, but I can understand why people think she's BU. It was a small child. You can't always expect them to be sensible or know how to behave around horses.

However the parents should have more sense, especially on a bridal path.

@Ch3rish

Without knowing anything about the child and family you can' know for sure. As a PP has already said if the family has no experience of coming across a horse while out walking then the need to warn the child won't have come up. And people who aren't rural regulars won't necessarily even know what a bridle path is or make any connection with the fact that they might come across horses or know they are walking on one. Maybe my area is different to others but the signs designating bridle ways don't have big neon letters, you'd have to know what you were looking for

We can't cover every single possible situation that might arise.

I'd like to know what the reaction of the parents was before making a judgement

The bridleways here are a green sign, with a picture of a horse and rider and lettering saying 'Bridleway', with an arrow pointing in the direction of the route. Footpath signs are the same except sans the horse and with 'Footpath' and route direction. I'm not allowed to ride my horse on a footpath and saying the sign wasn't big enough or there isn't a good enough reason. That's my responsibility to know/find out.

How close was the child to you?

I once got told off by a horse rider for having the nerve to push my pram past her skittish horse. I was on the other side of the road, well away from the horse, walking calmly! Apparently I was supposed to stop well before she approached, wait for her nervy horse to edge past uncertainly, and not continue walking until she was well past. And as a non horse rider I'm supposed to instinctively know some horses are apparently terrified of prams.

I think you have hit the nail on the head, many people have lost touch with animals and nature generally- they think all animals are robots that are there purely for our pleasure, kids Patting strange dogs, runners belting past horses, shock that an animal reacts to defend itself. All parents have as much a responsibility to teach a child how to behave round animals as they do teaching them to cross a road

people who aren't rural regulars won't necessarily even know what a bridle path is or make any connection with the fact that they might come across horses or know they are walking on one

What do they think the "bridle" in "bridleway" is referring to?!

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

How close was the child to you?

I once got told off by a horse rider for having the nerve to push my pram past her skittish horse. I was on the other side of the road, well away from the horse, walking calmly! Apparently I was supposed to stop well before she approached, wait for her nervy horse to edge past uncertainly, and not continue walking until she was well past. And as a non horse rider I'm supposed to instinctively know some horses are apparently terrified of prams.

It’s true that not all horse riders (or cyclists, or drivers) are as polite as they should be. In that situation I’d have asked very politely if you would please keep still until I’d gone past, and very genuinely and politely thanked you afterwards.

Re the OP post, it’s not unreasonable, surely, for the child’s parents to consider that they’re likely to encounter a horse on a bridle way, and it’s sensible to make sure the child isn’t getting too close? If they were on a canal towpath, for instance, they’d realise the risk of deep water?

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

How close was the child to you?

I once got told off by a horse rider for having the nerve to push my pram past her skittish horse. I was on the other side of the road, well away from the horse, walking calmly! Apparently I was supposed to stop well before she approached, wait for her nervy horse to edge past uncertainly, and not continue walking until she was well past. And as a non horse rider I'm supposed to instinctively know some horses are apparently terrified of prams.

Well that's out of order on the riders behalf. If it'd been me I'd have asked you to stop if it were causing that much of an issue to me/other road users and then got the horse past even if that meant getting off and leading - that's my responsibility, and apologised and thanked you for your time and patience. Unfortunately, horses sometimes react to something we can't forsee, that horse may have walked by a thousand prams in it's lifetime, but for some reason, maybe the noise of the wheels on that surface, or the angle of the sun on the pram, that time it was an issue. On a road unfortunately, horses are treated with ignorance and sometimes contempt, the rider was probably worried that drivers would get impatient and too close and an accident would happen, asking you to stop for a few moments would be the safest solution. But obviously that doesn't excuse her being rude, which I think she was.

However if you pushed your pram up my horses back legs..... Well that's kinda on you. (Not that I'm suggesting you did or would!)

I once got told off by a horse rider for having the nerve to push my pram past her skittish horse. I was on the other side of the road, well away from the horse, walking calmly! Apparently I was supposed to stop well before she approached, wait for her nervy horse to edge past uncertainly, and not continue walking until she was well past. And as a non horse rider I'm supposed to instinctively know some horses are apparently terrified of prams.
She was probably panicking! Things don't always go according to plan in the same way if something happens you automatically snap at people but you don't mean to

Big bugbear of mine was at county shows. Public walkways, horse walkways. Pushchairs, wheelchairs, kids, grannies, dogs on extending leads all fucking millinv around the horse walkways as the welsh cob championship class empties and welsh pony broodmares waiting to go in. Broodmares often have foals at foot (with the mare, mum). Welsh pony foals are the size of collies generally at weeks old. Loads of families wanting to come and stroke the baby horse. Loads of pony mares losing their shits, welsh cob stallions snorting, cob youngstock losing its shit and fucking people with 2 year olds in prams getting in the middle if it.

To be fair, it's pretty hard to do a circular walk anywhere without going on a bridle path. They are for horses, cyclists and walkers, all of which go at different speeds.

I prefer meeting horses on bridlepaths than cyclists, who just seem intent on bearing down on anything in their path.

I can’t believe that a couple of posters on here are stating that it’s more reasonable for a rider to control a c 0.5 tonne animal that’s being scared by a few pounds of child who is not realising the danger and spooking their horse…

Rather than PARENTS who should be looking after their own children to control their own tiny and innocent child who is running up to a giant dangerous (by virtue of its comparative size) animal?!

So basically the child has the right to run riot under all circumstances even putting themselves and others in danger, it’s down to the “others” to guard against this rather than a semblance of control, respect and care from the child’s actual parents?!?? Wow.

@FloraFoxtrots

Well yes, everyone should know this.

I don't like horses at all, really. I used to live in a village where racing horses were kept and trained and they were always being trotted past my house. My car was parked outside - in its space - and one of these horses kicked it so hard that it was a financial write off.

I live close to a racing yard, and they road work the horses on our estate. There have been a couple of incidents where horses have got spooked and damaged parked cars.

The other morning, some twat in a parked car was waiting to pull out as two horses came along the road. One of the horses got a bit frisky, and turned sideways in the road, and the rider was having a bit of trouble getting it to turn back, and the car driver sounded his horn in annoyance.

How the rider managed to stay on, I don't know. The horse was up on its back legs a couple of times, and proper prancing about. If it had kicked the car, it would have served the driver right.

@bingoitsadingo

people who aren't rural regulars won't necessarily even know what a bridle path is or make any connection with the fact that they might come across horses or know they are walking on one

What do they think the "bridle" in "bridleway" is referring to?!

In England & Wales a bridleway is defined as "a way over which the public has a right of way on foot and a right of way on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals along the way." it is possible they don't know a bridle is a horse term, considering bridleways are not just for horses and horses don't have priority over walkers. However cyclists should give way to both.

Children are just as unpredictable as animals and care should be taken around them. I would always tell my children to avoid horses and not approach them though as they're too unpredictable, flighty and dangerous.

@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.

If a child runs out from behind something like a parked car directly in front of a car the driver can do nothing even if they are hyper alert. Are you one of those ghastly parents who let's their kid cause all sorts of problems and blames everyone else?

Don’t get me started on this kind of shit, because I’ll be posting all day! Non horsey people can be completely fucking stupid.

All I can say is YANBU.

This reminds me of my most recent horse arse encounter.

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking along a country footpath with kids and dog, and encountered a horse tethered on a rope in the field nearby. But the rope was long enough to allow the horse to walk into the middle of the path to demand a fuss and sniff at our pockets.

The kids and dog eventually made their way past, and mr horse turned to look at them and presented me with his arse 😂.

It was a long, nettley and nervous detour for me to get into the field and around the cheeky creature's danger zone.

@itwa

To be fair, it's pretty hard to do a circular walk anywhere without going on a bridle path. They are for horses, cyclists and walkers, all of which go at different speeds.

I prefer meeting horses on bridlepaths than cyclists, who just seem intent on bearing down on anything in their path.

Yes I agree, same with bridleways, you have to go on roads to access most of them. But if you're using a bridleway, you should expect to see a horse, a cyclist or a walker, and act accordingly no matter which you are or which you're encountering. I didn't canter/gallop on a bridleway unless it was a clear run and I could see no one coming in the time it'd take me to pull up for that reason. Certainly wouldn't dream of doing it close to people walking or cyclists, walk or at most a trot. I'm quite happy to share space with others and treat them with respect, unfortunately not everyone thinks they should do the same.

@5foot5 I also walk there without the pram and even then it is narrow if horses are passing you. Lots of families with children walk along there too

YANBU but you also need to firmly tell them to stay away. The same as if a child ran up to a strange dog it’s on the owner (if no parents are around) to tell them to not get too close. I’ve heard many horse riders sternly ask that dog owners keep their dog away as it’s gone up running behind and barking at the horse.
I’d rather sound like a bitch than get in trouble because my dog/horse has hurt someone.

@toocold54 exactly. I probably sounded awful screeching at the owners to get the bloody puppy from under my horses legs but I didn't want the puppy hurt!
Most horse owners are pretty normal I've always stopped for children to pat her or come and say hello because I remember being that age and desperate to ride
Usually find motorbikes are really considerate (probably because they're used to being vulnerable on the road), car owners not so much

Yeah that's nuts and I think common knowledge to watch out! I'm not remotely horsey or familiar with the countryside but know not to do this. Hope everyone involved is OK, including the horse.

Ignorant and lazy parenting,yanbu.
Posters saying it's the riders fault for not controlling the horse....stay away from the countryside .,it's not the riders fault!you cannot stop a horse kicking,rearing,bucking ,bolting or shying.

So are all these references to ignorant “non horsey people” veiled insults towards the plebs who have grown up in towns and cities and whose parents don’t have the money for riding lessons (and probably know little about horses themselves)? Basically if you are a posh wanker with a horse you should just ride it around your giant estate and leave the commoners to have their walks in peace.

@bingoitsadingo

people who aren't rural regulars won't necessarily even know what a bridle path is or make any connection with the fact that they might come across horses or know they are walking on one

What do they think the "bridle" in "bridleway" is referring to?!

Obviously I can't speak to what people who don't know what bridleway means would think but imo not everyone even knows what a bridle is never mind makes the connection that they might come across a horse on a footpath with that designation

You might know what all words mean but you can't assume that everyone else does

In that situation I’d have asked very politely if you would please keep still until I’d gone past, and very genuinely and politely thanked you afterwards

My point being that if a horse cannot cope on a public road in a built up area with a pram walking slowly on the other side of the road, that horse should not be being exercised in that area until the horse is better trained to manage that situation.

If I had to stop every time a horse went past where I live, I would literally never get anywhere.

Of course the parents need to control/educate the child. But there are stupid non horsey people and stupid horsey people in equal measure.