*@(&%$~# Horse riders!

Originally Posted by Berlin

Hi Balky,

If one or both of them had come off would it have been my fault for having a "noisy" bike on the road (taxed, insured, roadworth and in control with a rider with 20 odd years of experience on my side of the road) or their fault for bringing a horse onto the road that wasn't mentally suitable to be there?

Devil's advocate question.

Carl.

No it wouldn't have been your fault if you had behaved yourself, but if you had revved the nuts off your bike - what do you think?

Originally Posted by DanAbnormal

Horses have no place on our roads today, no question. I'm sorry but if they are taking a nervous horse out onto a busy road then that's their own stupid fault, what if an ambulance or police car had to pass them? Keep them in fields where the horses can have some fun and let us have fun on our roads. Horses are only on the roads because people want them there, bit selfish really. I'm sure the horses would rather be in a field eyeing up some horse totty or stuffing it's face with grass or hay.

So how would you feel if people on a car forum started spouting that motorcycles have no place on the roads?

If an ambulance or police car had to go past they would do the right thing and kill the sirens and their speed

How many times do i have to say it! If there were a sufficient network of bridleways then they wouldn't choose to use roads - do you seriously think anyone wants to put themselves out on todays roads amongst people with your opinions?!!! And as for staying off road to work the horse - do you have any idea how much a manége costs to build?

Originally Posted by Magnum

^^Ugly sod isnt he!

Has anyone ever ate horse?

( i bet Berlin has just ordered in bulk a load of horse steaks )

Yep. Tastes good between two slices of bread with cheese and sweet chilli sauce.

Also makes a fine stew.

Originally Posted by Dan

Yep. Tastes good between two slices of bread with cheese and sweet chilli sauce.

Also makes a fine stew.

I must have cooked it wrong then. I had it in france, cooked steak of it on a bbq then slapped it in a burger roll. It was so chewy.

Well I'm with Berlin, If it and its owners cant be sensible on then they shouldn't be on the road and in the same situation of an idiot waving about when my bike was practically at tick over i would have hit the rev limiter as well. I pay for insurance and road tax, they don't so by my logic i have more right to be on the road than they do

For those that don't think nervous horses should be on the road, perhaps this analogy would help...

When you're new to riding a bike, or driving a car, the known stable constant in the situation is the car/bike. The car/bike will do as it's told, immediately, so long as you understand how to tell it what to do.

You, the learner, are unsure of yourself, you could even say nervous. Granted this doesn't apply to everyone, but the vast vast majority of people are nervous for their first time on the road.

Now, re-read the above two paragraphs with the following changes:
- Any reference to a car/bike is changed to a horse rider.
- Any reference to you, or a learner, is changed to the horse.

If it's a horse's first time on the road, wouldn't you expect it to be nervous? How do you think riders establish if a horse is likely to get spooked by traffic or not? They get an experienced rider to take it out on the roads. If it's spooked, as others have said, it'd be irresponsible to take it out on the road. If it's history is unknown (because it's a road "virgin"), where's the problem?

I always tell non bikers how considerate my fellow riders are when confronted with Horses on the road, but reading some of the replies on this thread I can see I was wrong.

It's not as if you come across horses every day is it? And it's only a few seconds out of your life.

Originally Posted by BanditPat

Well I'm with Berlin, If it and its owners cant be sensible on then they shouldn't be on the road and in the same situation of an idiot waving about when my bike was practically at tick over i would have hit the rev limiter as well. I pay for insurance and road tax, they don't so by my logic i have more right to be on the road than they do

point of note mate horses have insurance
i know cos i pay for marigold (i am ,i repeat, i am not a horsey person)
and its f ing expencive

[Balky001]

Originally Posted by Berlin

Hi Balky,

If one or both of them had come off would it have been my fault for having a "noisy" bike on the road (taxed, insured, roadworth and in control with a rider with 20 odd years of experience on my side of the road) or their fault for bringing a horse onto the road that wasn't mentally suitable to be there?

Devil's advocate question.

Carl.

Hi mate, no, I meant when you were hitting the rev limiter, not after you pulled the clutch in and freewheeled. I was trying to say I thought your actions were totally correct right up to the red mist full throttle bit, obviously you don't do that normally as you mentioned you pass horses all the time, it was the reaction to the rider's attitude, but the consequences might have been disproportionate to the irritation long term

[jamesterror]

I'd imagine you'd be more annoyed if you came round a corner and road through horse poo.

As davepreston said, horses usually are insured and are not cheap, my cousin use to have 2 and it costs her a fair amount.

I rekon it just depends on the rider, the first time I went passed a horse I just whacked the clutch in and moved over as far as I could, nodded as I went by and both riders smiled + put their hands up.

I've seen cage drivers do 60+ passed horses on country lanes, no consideration.

Originally Posted by ArtyLady

So how would you feel if people on a car forum started spouting that motorcycles have no place on the roads?

Not really a fair comparison, one is a mode of transport the other is an expensive hobby.

A better comparison would probably be:

Originally Posted by ArtyLady

So how would you feel if people on a car forum started spouting that caravans have no place on the roads?

^ that.