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???

You clearly haven't seen children around horses.
😂

Unlike the OP they show more respect.

What a stupid remark.

I'm with you, OP, in that it's entirely the rider's responsibility to make sure that their horse doesn't cause harm to others. They shouldn't be inconveniencing others so I'd also be a bit put out by this.

In reality though I'd walk past seething silently because these are large animals which could cause a lot of damage and it would be foolish not to minimise the risk.

I agree with this. I feel similar about dogs when people take reactive dogs or nippy dogs out and then think everyone else has to fall in line and modify their behaviour.

It's one of those situations where being obsessed with what other people "should" do to be responsible with their animals comes second to being safe.

Unless you’re going to drop feed that you’re actually Brigid Kosgei I don’t see how it can really inconvenience you that much, and it’s for your own safety as much as the rider’s. Even a very safe and predictable horse can be having an off day, and if they’re asking you to slow down there is probably a good reason.

I’m a rider, occasional jogger, a dog Walker and a driver. I often have to stop my horse to let dog walkers see my horse and learn not to react to it. It’s no big deal. We all need to co operate to co exist peacefully and occasionally we might need to be inconvenienced. First world problem 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why is it stupid? Do you have control of your child when you're out? If not, maybe work on that rather than moaning about who's fault it is if they get hurt.

Well, clearly we're not going to go for a wander in our local livery yard, but on commons and in country parks we occasionally come across horses. And I'd expect their riders to be aware that there might be children running about.

I run and I always check its safe to pass a horse, I don't mind walking past them. Lots of people hold their dogs out of the way for me and if I'm driving on country lanes and meet a horse the owner will always find somewhere to pull the horse to one side so I can pass. I think you are being a bit entitled. If you don't want to share the road with anyone else why don't you go and find somewhere you can run uninterrupted like a running track or a field?

Don't you just behave in a way that is going to be safest for all regardless of who you think should be doing what? Like assuming children might dart out or touch your dog although they should know not to, or when you are driving assuming others might do something silly, or when passing bikes someone might wobble out or decide to race you down hill? It's just part of sharing the roads. I think because you have ridden horses it's clouding your response.

I was going to say exactly this! The knives would be completely out for the dogs. And the completely bombproof horse that got spooked? Well it wasn't 'bombproof' was it!

Having said that, im a runner. I care about my times, I do. But this is not a big deal and of course it's reasonable for them to ask you to walk few seconds. Unless this was in the middle of a big race or something in which case they shouldn't have been there😆 A bit of consideration for each other doesn't go amiss.

And parents should know there might be horses about...

Of course you should walk. It’s a tiny inconvenience to you and reduces the risk of a nasty accident, either for the riders or for you. I’m amazed this is even a question.

I know where my child is at all times, thank you, and they have the degree of freedom which is proper and sensible for their age.

But they are not the hazard here. They don't pose a risk to other path users.

It is not the child posing the risk here.

Riding horses is entirely for the convenience of human beings! You need to literally get off your high horse there!

For the first time ever we were yelled at to "stay back" by a rider when out on a run (we being me, my husband and our 9 year old). The rider clearly did not have control of the very large horse. So bringing it on one of the most popular riding/cycling/running/walking routes in the south east was probably not the best move. What's more if the rider had had any awareness of the world around her she would have known we were gaining behind her for the past km and could perhaps have taken her out of control horse a few metres down the farm track that was right at the point where we were about to pass her. We did "stay back" as I have no desire to be kicked by a large out of control animal but we shouldn't have had to. The route narrows substantially further on and gets get windy so I wonder how she coped with mountain bikers or whatever suddenly appearing around a bend.

Why is it so hard for people to be considerate nowadays?
It was a simple request, and would have taken seconds.

I always stopped running and walked by dogs. Chased and snapped at too many times.
Walking past a horse isn’t a big deal, unless you are running on Epsom Downs. How many horses do you actually see.

I always stop my run for horses (spooking them could kill me, their rider or the poor horse) or more frequently to reassure a dog who comes over to see me. Often I stop if a child on a tricycle wobbles into my path or to avoid a collision with oblivious teenagers. It's courteous.

I'm not fucking Eliud Kipchoge and a few seconds of rest here isn't going to jeopardise my training for my next world record attempt.

I'm not more important than everyone else

This. You'll go wide and slow past a horse in the car but you won't do it on foot?

I know people seriously injured and in one case killed as a result of horse riding accidents. I'm surprised you don't if you used to move in horsey circles.

The child is a risk if it's running around horses.

Mainly a risk to itself, but a risk nonetheless.

Don’t be so dramatic.

All animals are unpredictable to some degree, but it would be vanishingly unlikely that any horse would kick you in the head (which is why you never hear about it happening). But if they did it could be very serious.

All people are saying is that while the risk is tiny, it would have very serious consequences if it did happen, and if you can bear the incredibly minor inconvenience of walking for a few steps to preserve everyone’s safety, why wouldn’t you?

And people should bear in mind that, as I said above, even the calmest horse can have an off day. My horse is so absolutely safe I let my 3 year old ride him and he’s never kicked out in his life. But we have had very rare days where he has had a fright while we’ve been out (once because he tripped on a concealed wire and fell, and once because a peloton came round a corner and nearly crashed into us) where he was jangled the whole way home.

I don't think for a minute he would have kicked anyone but he was jumpy, and I might well have asked passing runners to slow down just to minimise any chance at all of anyone coming to harm.

The knives would be completely out for the dogs. And the completely bombproof horse that got spooked? Well it wasn't 'bombproof' was it!

Completely bizarre, isn't it?

If you take a potentially dangerous animal out in public, then of course the onus is on you to control that animal. You can't rely on people round about you to constantly make accommodations, otherwise what happens when someone doesn't, for whatever reason?

Walk past the fucking horse. YABU, unless you really want to risk a kick in the head?

The risk exists because the horse is there.

If it's a public place, the owner needs to control the horse. Otherwise, the owner is at fault. If the owner cannot control the horse, the owner is also at fault.

It's quite simple - if it's your horse, you need to control it. If it injures someone, it's your fault.

Of course, you may wish the other person had behaved in a way which would have avoided the incident, but it's still your fault.