*@(&%$~# Horse riders!

[dizzyblonde]

Berlin was in racehorse country, theres horses on every corner.
I know you said you were up Leyburn way but were you up Middleham? You should have expected it somewher to be honest. The horse could have been a national winner that they were trying to protect

Much as I think your a very nice person, I think you should take yourself to the naughty step. I've ridden nigh on in the ditch at the other side of the road to get past quietly going past horses, we all do. Theres always one who thinks you've not tried enough.
I think you just have to put it down to one of those things, they didn't think you were quiet enough, even though you tried, I don't think there was much need to get so aggravated by it.

Originally Posted by ArtyLady

Berlin - they may have well been asking to stop completely so that they could walk past you rather than you go past them, as one of the horses may have been particularly nervous. Just a thought.

Sorry Arty lady but why?

Why should I stop? I was riding as cautiously and courteously as possible. If the horse is still spooked, it shouldn't have been there. Full stop!

The very, very last place to try exposure therapy is on the public road. Its dangererous bordering on the idotic.

To take a horse that is known to be a risk, is completely unpredictable and cannot be controlled onto the road is blatant stupidity and irresponsible.

Its like me loosening the front wheel of my bike and going out on the road expecting absolutely everyone else to make allowances because it could come off at any time.

If a horse has been through full police training, then it can go on the road. If it hasn't it is a liability that shouldn't be allowed.

... and if my girlfriend reads what I'm writing, I'll probably be single

Dizzy, I ride past horses up to five times a day and go through the usual drill of clutch in, slow and as far over as possible. I'd passed several others on the same ride. Never an issue. But these two today were just taking the **** if they'd been blokes, I'd have had them off the horses and thrown them over the bridge.

C

Originally Posted by Berlin

Sorry Arty lady but why?

Why should I stop? I was riding as cautiously and courteously as possible. If the horse is still spooked, it shouldn't have been there. Full stop!

The very, very last place to try exposure therapy is on the public road. Its dangererous bordering on the idotic.

To take a horse that is known to be a risk, is completely unpredictable and cannot be controlled onto the road is blatant stupidity and irresponsible.

Its like me loosening the front wheel of my bike and going out on the road expecting absolutely everyone else to make allowances because it could come off at any time.

If a horse has been through full police training, then it can go on the road. If it hasn't it is a liability that shouldn't be allowed.

... and if my girlfriend reads what I'm writing, I'll probably be single

Dizzy, I ride past horses up to five times a day and go through the usual drill of clutch in, slow and as far over as possible. I'd passed several others on the same ride. Never an issue. But these two today were just taking the **** if they'd been blokes, I'd have had them off the horses and thrown them over the bridge.

C

Just a bit of courtesy. How else can you teach your horses to be relaxed with traffic without exposing them to it. When you went out on bike lessons with a bright jacket and L signs, people gave you extra room. Why does this differ?

[ophic]

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

Just a bit of courtesy. How else can you teach your horses to be relaxed with traffic without exposing them to it. When you went out on bike lessons with a bright jacket and L signs, people gave you extra room. Why does this differ?

Cos he wasn't expecting all the other traffic to do 2mph just cos he's nervous.

Sounds like the OP has respect for horses on most occasions. He's complaining that these ones were ungrateful idiots. Not surprised he's wound up, tbh.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by Berlin

Dizzy, I ride past horses up to five times a day and go through the usual drill of clutch in, slow and as far over as possible. I'd passed several others on the same ride. Never an issue. But these two today were just taking the **** if they'd been blokes, I'd have had them off the horses and thrown them over the bridge.

C

Fairs enough, I suppose in reality we are all guilty of wanting to throw somebody over a bridge once in a while

Rant over.

And relax, two, three, four. Breath, two, three, four.

and then we calm down again

Originally Posted by ArtyLady

It is advised to ride two abreast in order to prevent vehicles from squeezing past to close/make them wait until there is no traffic oncoming. Also often a sensible older horse will often be used to shield a youngster from traffic.

Hmm, I stand corrected. Although I have seen many horses on the road and never 2 abreast, always single file

I'm a live and let live kind of bloke. I try and live by never upsetting anyone and always try and leave everyone I meet in a better mood than they were when I met them.

But it boils down to this:

If you are not 100% in control of the method of transport you are on, then you shouldn't be on the road regardless of what that method of transport is. As a horse has it's own brain you are not 100% in control of it. You can suggest it does something but there's no gaurantee that it's going to do it and you have no control if it decides to do something of it's own accord.

Its like a bike that has a control system that is free to do whatever it wants on a random basis. Should that bike be allowed on the road? Should a bike with a thottle that suddenly snaps open or closed becasue there's a carrier bag in the hedge be on the road? Or brakes that can suddenly choose to work or not work. Or tyres that suddenly deflate.

No one would allow a bike like that on the road and yet horses, with their own control system are.

The place for exposure therapy is a field. Maybe a field next to the road. You take the hazzard, whatever it may be to the horse, not the other way around. Use a CD player, Cymbols, a chainsaw or whatever else you need, away from the highway. Away from a situation where it can affect others. Its common sense.

c

Police riot horses is what you need, those bad boys don't seem to get spooked.

Originally Posted by Berlin

Its like a bike that has a control system that is free to do whatever it wants on a random basis. Should that bike be allowed on the road? Should a bike with a thottle that suddenly snaps open or closed becasue there's a carrier bag in the hedge be on the road? Or brakes that can suddenly choose to work or not work. Or tyres that suddenly deflate.

No one would allow a bike like that on the road and yet horses, with their own control system are.
c

I beg your pudding. What?

Throttle cables snap, my throttle at the moment is sticking (open), but I know how to control it - when I remember. Brake systems can leak - mine did on my Metro City in college, whilst I was driving. Tyres get punctures & rapidly deflate.

Life is unpredictable. Pretty much like you seem to believe horses are constantly. I've spent a lot of time around horses, and I don't agree with most of your comments in this thread. But you're entitled to your opinion.

[Balky001]

I sympathise with you Berlin, whenever you feel you've gone out your way to be courteous only to be shown a total lack of respect in return accompanied by aggressive jestering it does make you wonder what short of person you're dealing with and how far you can throw them. It's not about horses but respect and manners.

Horses are bloody tall though, you come off your bike and you have a couple of foot to fall if you're lucky, a fall off a horse can kill you, my best mate's wife broke her back on an almost stationary horse even though she was wearing protection. She's still having operations 5 years later. Thinking of the consequences of your actions is hard in the heat but you'd be gutted right now if you caused an injury.