To think I shouldn’t have to stop my run to walk past a horse?

[Famousperson2023]

This has happened twice now. Out for a run and the horse riders have asked me to stop running while I go past their horse!!

I’ll put this in context- daughter rides, I used to ride. When passing a horse or pony I’ll go wide and slow, or stop and wait at a passing place on narrow roads (often while the riders amble up at a slow walk deep in conversation with their fellow riders, 3 abreast….and without a hint of thank you). When I’m out with our dog I’ll make sure she is on the lead while we pass. but being asked to stop and walk???

"[Riders] should always respect your [pedestrian] safety, but you should take care not to obstruct or endanger them"

It's not a question of this. Most people have said they would stop/walk past/slow down or do as instructed by the rider, in order to stay safe.

The question is whether the rider is unreasonable to expect people to interrupt what they are doing in this way in order to keep themselves safe from his or her horse.

If you are on a shared highway or bridle way you can expect to meet horses. In which case riders will ensure your safety by alerting you to any potential safeguarding issue and giving you clear direction as to the best procedure to stay safe.

I’m with you OP - it’s really annoying. I will slow down if asked, but I do it begrudgingly.

The question is whether the rider is unreasonable to expect people to interrupt what they are doing in this way in order to keep themselves safe from his or her horse.

It's perfectly normal to adjust your behaviour to accommodate other road users or obstructions, whether you're a pedestrian, runner, car driver, cyclist or rider.

God the entitlement of house riders is shocking.

They take a dangerous animal out on the public roads, but
somehow it's everyone else’s responsibility if their dangerous animal injures
other road users. Can you imagine if dog owners tried to pretend it was your
fault if their dog bit you for running past. Plus let their animal shit
everywhere like house riders do.

And then one of them saying it's your own fault if your (stationary) car gets kicked! No idea house riders were this unplesant and had such a high opinion of themselves.

Wow... Aibu isn't a competition, you know? This entire thread, like tons of others recently, is just a bunch of petty women rivaling for how has the most audacious or ill informed opinion. Like that's the aim.

If you're stupid enough to run up behind a horse, you deserve everything you get tbf. Whether that be a mouthful from the rider or kicked in the head by their horse.

If slowing down for 30 seconds effects your run that drastically then you shound't be running.

As for the people comparing dog shit to horse shit. You do know the difference, you're just playing at being ignorant. Dog feces contains parasites that can be passed to humans. Toxocariasis blinds children and is found in dog feces. That is why you can be fined. It isn't found in horse feces , not to mention that horse poo is different as their diet is almost entirely grass and never carnivorous. The reason you clean up your dogs shit inst just because it's unpleasant but because it poses actual risk to people. I can't believe adults need to have this explained to them.

I have horses. I certainly wouldn’t expect anyone to stop running and walk past me - how bizarre ! But maybe it’s good etiquette to call ‘runner behind’ as some cyclists call ahead and it can be helpful if you’re on something spooky

Because it’s the horse (not the human) which is likely to be spooked. It’s irrelevant whether or not the horse is standing still or walking. What’s relevant is whether the person is running or walking past the horse.

Well said 👏 I find a lot of people on mumsnet need a lot of very simple things explained to them lol

It's odd, isn't it?

I could understand the outrage if someone was stupid enough to wave a stick at a horse or run towards it shouting, but there's nothing in the least bit "entitled" about wanting to proceed on your way without being inconvenienced by someone else's animal. The animal owner should move it out of the way.

If my child/buggy/shopping/car is in someone else's way, I move it so they can proceed. If I'm not quick enough so I end up slowing them down, I apologise profusely.

God the entitlement of house riders is shocking

I know right! How dare people ride in the house...

If my child/buggy/shopping/car is in someone else's way, I move it so they can proceed. If I'm not quick enough so I end up slowing them down, I apologise profusely.

Since when are buggies, children, shopping and cars remotely comparable to half ton prey animals?

I feel like with the way the world is these days, I am happy to do people a very small, barely perceptible "favour". Though it's not even that, really. I walk/jog on a super narrrow walking path where lots of parents walk with buggies too. I slow down and get out of their way for all of a minute, maybe.

We’re not all the same ! I for one do not expect anyone to stop lawn mowing or doing anything scary or running past me. I train my horses to be bombproof as they can be. I do however expect cars to give me a wide berth and slow down as that’s a safety factor for all involved. But then I’d also expect a car to slow down and give a wide berth for cyclists and other vulnerable road users

This. No sensible person expects to have total priority over everyone else who happens to be in an outdoor space. And if you take your recreation outside, you should not be surprised to encounter other people pursuing their own, possibly different hobbies.

It's nice to know that there are some sensible people about who don't seem to think they have an absolute right to inconvenience those around them just because they are riding a horse.

I'm thinking in the instance of a young horse out for the first time on it's own, having being rattled by something unexpected - yes you might decide to do some more training/ride in company for next time, but if you're trying to get a spooking horse round something it's never seen before (like new and unexpected arrival of emus in a field adjacent to a bridle path - been there!) and it's having a bit of a look and likely to swing round sideways, would you warn a jogger that it might be safer to slow down or wait a mo before passing?

If something of yours is blocking the way, you move it and apologise. Seems fairly simple to me.

It's not because they're riding a horse.

It's because they know their mode of transport is potentially very dangerous and they don't want you (or anyone else) to get hurt or even killed.

If you really, genuinely believe you're "inconvenienced" because you have to slow down for thirty seconds, how would you cope if the road was blocked by farm traffic, or cows, or an accident?

I always walk by horses when out running, don't see what the issue is tbh.

It's a few seconds out of my run to make sure everyone is safe

If an animal is so dangerous that people cannot even pass it safely, then the general public shouldn't be exposed to it.

I know nothing about horses or how possible it is to train them but should they not be trained to not react to joggers? If not perhaps they should not be out where joggers frequently are. Obviously there is no guarantee they won't react but i had no idea they were this sensitive to normal road activities like jogging.

You can pass it safely if you just slow down for a few seconds

Personally I think it takes a special type of arrogance to think you can just go out in public and never expect to be inconvenienced by anything at all, ever.

What if you had to stop so that farmers could move cows or livestock between fields? It happens daily around here.

This has been explained up thread plenty of times.