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Please Speak!
Following the recent conversation about overtaking…manners and common sense…
Just a quick post to ask bike riders to call out to dog walkers and horse riders that they are approaching - most don't hear bikes coming.
If you call out it gives the people time to gather their dogs out of your way and prepare their horses for your approach.
If you think a wallaby can do damage to a rider then imagine a one tonne creature with its own brain who moves very fast and can kick.
Horses are prey animals so their instinct when seeing something moving fast towards it that it can't recognise is to think its a predator and to take to flight. This can cause accidents for horses plus the bike and horse riders.
It only takes a second to call out and slow down so that everyone can share the trails safely.
Mostly this is directed at Red Hill riders as since Red Hill has the single tracks it's getting busier.
Riding right up a horses bottom is one of the stupidest things you can do…along with trying to squash past on single track…
Cheers!
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I grew up country but have seen a few city slickers have some run ins with horses.
With a real skittish horse it's often good to stop completely and take off your helmet.
Avoid quick movements and staring at it with body and eyes square on as this is threatening.
You are then doing the horse rider, other mountain bikers and the horse a favour. Let it learn that mountain bikers aren't a threat.
Have some respect for the rider. Red Hill is challenging no matter what you are riding. Imagine if your bike got nervous about jumps and drops, Lycra and armour and also could sense when you were unsure and got scared.
Having ridden my mum and sisters horses around at home it is a whole new experience with two brains involved especially when your ride aborts a jump and you were committed.
... for horses should be to start talking to the rider as soon as you see them, and ask whether you should come to a stop.
Do exactly as the rider asks. If they're not sure, come to a stop anyway and move to the side of the track out of the way (and out of reach of hooves). Keep talking so the animal knows you're human.
I come across horses regularly around Terrey Hills and Cascades, and this approach works well.
The only time I've come across horses on singletrack was at Cascades, and that was tricky. Young and I think inexperienced riders. We ended up backing up about 25 metres and going down a side track to give them enough room to pass, and even then the horses were a bit skittish and jumpy.
Sitting up on a horse is a long way for a rider to fall. My approach is I don't want to be responsible for spooking a horse and someone getting hurt.
Do what you need to do to keep everybody safe.
We met a pair of fertiliser factories at TH the other week. They seemed pleasantly surprised when we stopped for them to pass.
Almost managed a trade of bike for horse.
... no vets bills for the bike.
But then I have to buy fuel for the mower and pay for my own fertiliser
Police can train horses to accept gunshot,shouting & screaming noises!-if you ride in a MTB usage area can you train the horse that a bicycle is not a threat???
To a certain degree but since they have their own brains even a desensitised one can react. Mine is exceptional but she objects to someone riding up her bottom... Especially when she doesn't hear them coming.
Horses are often affected by the weather...winds and pending rain are generally rather exciting times...
They can also be very creative so a log they go past regularly can suddenly turn into a horse eating monster!
It is also speed dependent, so the hills into and out if red hill for example are difficult as bikes move so fast... Clearly a predator hunting them down.
At the risk of sounding difficult mtbs on the northern beaches are actually riding in 'horse country', it's just that we have been pushed out for various reasons...
Also, please don't hide in the side of the bush if you come across a horse! They are not unintelligent so if you call out they will recognise you are a person, but something lurking in the bushes in silence? You may be there longer than you planned as the horse snorts and plucks up its courage to pass you!.
Generally there are minimal horses at Red Hill so we aren't too inconvenient. It's just a matter of awareness and looking where you are going.
I MTB ride as well and also dog walk and you would be astonished at the amount of riders who can't say hello, how many of them are in their group or complain about my horse and dogs...and how many dog walkers wish bike riders would speak!
NB: police horses go through years (literally) of training. They are also chosen on their temperament. They are special horses and many fail the rigorous training.
"mtbs on the northern beaches are actually riding in 'horse country'".
I wonder what the original owners would think of that comment!
Perhaps the only way people who would sit behind a horse calling track will learn is the olde fashioned painful way?
I grew up around horses, you get kicked once or twice (three times if your a slow learner.. Perhaps four if your reeeaaallyy slloooow) then you have a healthy respect.
But can you teach your horse to ride a bike? Now that would be something.. awesome fast!!
Christine, should we call track?
Obmal, the bike would need to be a tandem, one pedal per hoof, and we all know that tandems have no place on single track.
It's really not hard. Our local pony club allow us to share there event center for our DH track. The other month after a few issues needed a date change or two and us somehow failing to realise, despite good communication that we had clashed weekends we turned up for a clubbie on the same weekend as their biggest inter club jumping weekend... Oopps
Dramas yeah? I mean young kids on flighty horses mixing with flighty young kids on Downhill bikes...
Not an issue at all. Riders got off their bikes atthe bottom of the track, took their helmets off and walked past the horses to load up the trailer on the bottom side of the jumping arena.
I saw one horse get a little spooked the guys stopped and ask the rider what to do, she got the horse under control and said every thing was fine it just didn't see them coming and to keep going. All good.
A bit of common courtesy all round and we all coexist happily together for the mutual benefit of both clubs.
Easy peasy japanesey