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???

Yes it's ambiguous how much distance she's giving the horses while running past with her dog (that's 2 for 1 predators!).

We also don't know if the horse in the middle of the 3some was there for safety . She's thinks they were just talking and not paying attention, yet they asked her to slow. Occasionally, if a horse and rider have been spooked by something out of their control, it's very frightening for both of them. Even the most experienced rider may then be understandably tense for a while and this can inadvertently transmit to the horse, that there is something still to be afraid of. So on a rare occasion it may be the safe thing to do for all - sandwich the horse so it feels the security of the herd, and keep talking to the rider to calm their nerve and distract them from their worry.

Given that the last thing a rider wants to do is injure anyone or their horse, it might be that you just don't know what happened on their ride just minutes before you're passing them. A bombproof horse is only bombproof until it experiences something beyond it's comprehension or experience. Much like us really. And you've then got to get it home safely.

I would therefore always give the benefit of the doubt and put safety first in this kind of situation.

Well, people's safety (that of riders and others) actually matters. Run times don't.

Why should OP give a shit about people’s safety when they don’t even have basic courtesy to say thank you.

They want OP to stop whilst they go on.

They should stop the fuck down.

Why should OP give a shit about people’s safety when they don’t even have basic courtesy to say thank you.

Err because she's a grown up.

OP vaguely alluded to some riders that didn't say thank you. Not these. So by that logic she should disregard the safety of any rider.

God alive. Grow up.

Because that's what decent people do. It's called having integrity. You do it for yourself, not for the appreciation of others.

I make a massive deal about thanking people who slow down to an appropriate passing speed. Some people think they have slowed down, but are still passing too fast. I don't thank those ones but make an even bigger fuss of the next person who does!

Maybe if you're not being thanked, you've not quite got it as right as you think you have?

Yeah good point. Why should we care about other people being hurt or dying?

*They want OP to stop whilst they go on.

They should stop the fuck down.*

You get that 'a horse ' is not a car don't you?
It's about safety, not right of way.

God alive, grow up and read the thread. She is regarding their safety by giving them a wide berth.p and stopping at narrow points.

She doesn’t have to worry about their safety beyond that, as a pp implied.

what the riders, runners and cyclisits often forget is that many people have hearing loss about 1 in 6 ( more common as you get older). our ears are designed to hear mostly what is in front of us; so someone shouting from behind is actually fairly likely to have not been heard so shouting at people in front of you but not coming towards you may mean you are not heard. so unheard warnings are the same practically speaking as warnings not given

to be honest I see this mostly with runners seeing older people walking with sticks up ahead or people walking together with children. they shout and expect people to move not realising that especially older people will not have even heard them. it is the runners job to go around the slower people not the old person with the stick to step into the road or flatten themselves against the hedge or wall. just like a car driver should slow to go safely past cyclists and riders runners should slow to go past slower pedestrians

If you can’t stop your horse you shouldn’t be on the horse, you do get that don’t you?

Wondering if some people have rtft

If you can’t stop your horse you shouldn’t be on the horse, you do get that don’t you?

Sigh. It's not about 'can't'. It's about what's safest.

It’s not just about that though is it? A rider upthread has admitted she doesn’t like slowing down for pedestrians but she does it because it’s the right thing to do.

Sounds like these riders are just lazy or entitled.

@wesurecouldstandgladioli can I point you in the direction of my lost at 14.46?

Yes there are always wankers, on foot, on horseback or bike, but sometimes there are valid reasons a horse rider does or requests something because they are best placed to risk assess a situation. Nothing to do with entitlement at all!

*It’s not just about that though is it? A rider upthread has admitted she doesn’t like slowing down for pedestrians but she does it because it’s the right thing to do.

Sounds like these riders are just lazy or entitled.*

What's lazy and entitled is not caring about other people's safety.

It's give and take. Some horses will care, some won't. The sort of black and white thinking on here is so childish.

Christmas almighty some of you really.must hate horses. Already said that I either slow to walk or stop when passing horses during a run.

The places that I'm likely to come across a horse (in fact that anyone is likely to come across a horse) are simply not ideal for trying to get a personal best anyway. The bridleways are often muddy and if not actively muddy the churned up mud has dried in to ruts (or frozen in the winter). The country lanes are so narrow that if you hear a car coming then you need to find the next safe place to get on the verge (and i hate electric cars because unlike petrol or diesel theres no way of knowing theyre behind you until theyre up your backside). The actual paved roads have other people that will get in the way.

No-one ever had to tell me to stop or walk when approaching horses, I did speak to a horsey friend whether they would appreciate me calling out if I was coming up behind, but I worked out all for myself that a horse isn't going to appreciate me storming past them, uts common bloody sense.

There's at least 3 stables on the routes I regularly run (in fact all 3 are on one 10mile route), when marathon training I'd be going past at least one set of riders on each run. They always thanked me for slowing and let me know if any of the horses were a little extra nervous so I could stand still. If they could swerve on to a field so as not to inconvenience me they would. We all got to know each other quite well over the months, each thanking the other if we stopped/walked/moved on to field.

And this is how it should be, neither one of us had more right than the other to be there and if I really wanted to avoid the horses then I could go on the footpaths they weren't allowed on.

But I would also slow to a walk when going through a field full of horses, cows or sheep (especially the epic run where the sheep were shagging), because, well, that's how trail runners should behave.

*those fields had public rights of way running through them, but just because I had a right of way it didn't mean that I didn't have to adjust my behaviour

Tell that to the people talking about anti horse wankers.

They are the ones who have black and white thinking and think horse riders can do no wrong.

Of course their attitude is going to get people’s backs up.

Yes god forbid any joggers have to make any compromises for the world around them ever. It's an outrage!

@margotrose 😂 agreed

*Tell that to the people talking about anti horse wankers.

They are the ones who have black and white thinking and think horse riders can do no wrong.

Of course their attitude is going to get people’s backs up.*

Let's all act like it's the playground then. 🙄🤦‍♀️

Maybe tell that to people calling each other wankers.