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???

100% this! It’s just not worth the risk of startling them.

Why are runners so obsessed with their time and assume theirs is always the right of way. Just be considerate and walk!

The runners aren't the ones bringing potentially dangerous animals into a public place...

Just be considerate. It might shave a few seconds off your run but why would you do something that might distress an animal? Don't be precious.

The entire world doesn't exist for the convenience and use of human beings.

YABU. What's the big deal about stopping briefly? Surely it doesn't happen very often? It wouldn't occur to me to think of this in terms of 'Why should I have to?' tbh. As long as they ask politely, why wouldn't I?

I'm a runner. I always walk past a horse, whether asked or not, because they are large and can be jumpy if you run. I also wall past cows if I am running through a field, for the same reason.

Might be partly my wariness around large animals I don't know I guess

I think given what a total nightmare it would be if the horse got spooked, for want of walking for what must be less than a minute, I'd walk.

It's cheeky. They think they take priority over everybody else on the road. They should be banned from public roads.

I would, for my own safety, but in the hierarchy of road users pedestrians have right of way over everything so it would irritate me slightly. And yes, like cyclists, many riders have little consideration for other people and don't say thank you when you do step to one side.

Exactly. And running human beings in particular seem to think they have a priority.

Pick your battles - walk

It's not so much priority, but they do have the right to go about their run without being potentially kicked in the head by someone else's animal.

I'm not a huge fan of runners, given how some behave on the pavements round here (though cyclists are worse!), but all they are trying to do is proceed on their way. They're not the ones posing the danger to others.

As said above. Horses are flight animals and you running (with your dog) can startle them and even a shetland pony can be dangerous in that scenario. if you don't want to risk being kicked in the head, or run over by a horse and having the rider thrown then you should walk as requested.

to the pp who said that a rider with a skittish horse should dismount- that is often the worst thing to do. It's frequently easier to control a skittish horse when on top of it than walking next to it.

Yes of course runners have a right to use the roads as much as anyone. But so do horses and to share the space the sensible thing is to for the runners to take into account the skittish nature of horses. It’s common courtesy.

(Btw I am a runner and know very little about horses, but the entitlement of some runners in my running group about many different things has been astounding)

Cars and other vehicles are infinitely more dangerous and kill many more people than horses.

Unless your run route takes you past a metric fuck tonne of horses, how much effort can this be? I say this as a runner that isn't particularly a horse lover, but jings crivvens, let's not make life harder for each other than it needs to be.

Horses were on the roads before cars were....

And that's why driving comes with a heavy burden to pay attention to the safety of pedestrians and other road users.

How on earth would you train a horse to ride safely on the road if you were never allowed on the road till it was bombproof (which even military/police horses aren’t!). I totally understand why it’s an inconvenience to you but equally one could say why don’t you run on an off road route🤷🏼‍♀️. I’m not a rider, but I do think everyone needs to learn to be reasonable.

The world is obsessed with what they 'shouldn't have to' do.

It is seconds of your day and makes someone else's (particularly the horse's) day a bit easier.

Do it and quit whinging.

Everybody’s safety is more important than your run time.

I can't see the problem. I often come across horse riders on my running route and I automatically slow to walk as I approach the horses. They always say thank you and appreciate it.

Well yes, but times have moved on and now most of the functions which horses fulfilled are now carried out by cars and other motor vehicles, while horses are primarily owned for leisure purposes and are non-essential, if rather lovely. So I'm afraid I don't understand this argument.

The riders - not the horses - say thank you