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Be Careful (turns into horses... AGAIN!)
Be careful on the road though unlikely to happen doing laps of the carpark.
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woh....
nah on Terrey Hills you have to keep an eye for Horses
had a bit of a scare last sunday on the trail there as I approached 2 different groups of horses from behind (both a different times), they all freaked out...so I had to wait a while for them to calm down, get off my bike and walk past them...
Tom
you're meant to get off and walk past them every time?
they were sort of shouting at me...I am aware of horses on the trail; I slow down at blind bends and try to keep left but the horses don't do any of that at all.
I mean this is a shared trail, it's a pain in the arse riders have to break their rythm to wait, get off and walk past super-nervous horses
Tom
i SERIOUSLY hope you are just expressing a very odd sense of humour about now...
I don't know if you're "meant" to get off but that's what they kept telling me - actually it happened 3 times not twice doing the perimeter + long trail return. Me thinks don't ride at Terrey Hills on sunday arvos again !
The horse riders should be ones getting off and leading their horses around the bike riders...
Just a thought... use it, don't use it...
Some horses are spooked by bikes and some aren't.
Some riders are experienced, but others are just learning.
Some riders are riding their own horses and know how they will react, others are riding hired horses and don't know how they will react.
As there are so many variables you need to stop everytime you see a horse, dismount and let the horse rider tell you how to pass. If you are approaching from behind, yell to the riders to alert them, they will appreciate it more than if approach them without warning.
Most horse riders are cool.
WORMS....
now declared open....
...Tom, if you don't want to share the bush trails with other users perhaps you should invest in a road bike and take up scumming
I will say 'incoming' coming from behind - not sure yelling is the right volume as it may freak out the horses too
The horses I saw were not local ones (so not used to bikes) as they asked me how far away the lookout was. I suppose I just got unlucky they were all newbies ruining my ride
Tom
it you are aware that horses do actually have brains, so whether they are used to bikes or not is irrelevant - one day they will be fine with someone riding past and the next day or even hour, they may have decided that an approaching bike is impending doom with a demon on top.
i am quite sure you ruined their ride as well!
west head is alway horse free
acknowledged
If your coming from behind it lets them know you are there before you are within kicking distance (it'll hurt you more than the horse) Once they have acknowledged you then you can ask them what they want you to do. If you're approaching head on then just call out and ask them what they want you to do.
As Paul said there are lots of variables and around there are lots of stables that hire horses out so you never know what you're going to get. Always safest to ask first or it could end up a real pain in the arse for you or the rider, as Bernd and Paul found the other week. Hired horse / pony was freaked by a bike riders bell and threw the young rider of.
I'm not a nag lover, but maybe one should look at this another way - I reckon someone sitting 3 metres up on top of one ton of muscle with a mind of its own is gunna be a damn sight more worried about what might happen to them in a horse-bike freakout meeting than someone on 13kg's of metal over which they have total control. Perhaps we should give horse riders a bit of a break before we think about what a speeding cyclist looks like to Mr Walking Liquid Nails.
Or maybe suggest they take up mountain biking as a safer past-time.
but what about those horse riders who DO mountain bike as well?
And as one of those people Morgan you are quite right! it is more scary on a horse!
and so should their horses.
Ok now you know I'm joking
Just a thought but a Horse twitchy enough to buck a rider at the sound of a bell mabe should remain in a paddock until broken in.
I agree get off and walk and do the right thing when there are horses, and follow the riders instructions, but come on a Bell.
Those hire companies have to have some responsibility to ensure the safety of all trail users, as MTB'ers have a responsibility to do the right thing as well.
the horse hire companies should fit on some mirrors on the horses so they can see behind
I wasn't complaining about the presence of horses, I accept it's a shared trail, I just didn't like the shouting treatment I got from some of them. It's a shared trail they must expect bikes to come near them and be prepared for them too (and so do we but this was my first time so still learning).
Some of them didn't seem to be in control of the horse at all and I was scared myself too at this 3m high ton of muscle, especially when behind just after a blind corner...
so are you guys riding tomorrow ? I hope horses have lights on too
I am so totally over this whole conversation, i am going home.
The bottom line is we don't always know what our horses are going to do and yes, we do shout when some moronic bike rider is oblivious to the fact our horses are playing up and insist on continuing to ride towards/past us
As for leaving them in the paddock - i am not even going to bother with a reply to such a blatantlystupid comment.
The trails are there to share and that means everyone being nice to each other
Last weekend at Red Hill the only people who had any manners to my horse and i were the trial bike riders - who were exceptionally nice - NOT the mountain bike riders, who were flat out ignorant.
"Trial bike riders"? Do you mean people on MTB's with no seat and funny drilled out rims? Or do you mean moto riders? If the former whereabouts? And yes, trials bike riders are the nicest bunch of bikers I've met by far.
Reading this thread, I almost forgot that horses here are used on busy roads as recreational transport and by mounted police performing crowd control!
I even forgot that they were used for warfare too! The whole idea of jousting completely slipped my mind.
I wonder how sympathetic people would be if I took a pit bull into a public area, and yelled at people who went near me, because I could foresee that my dog might attack...
I don't see why a properly trained horse needs to be dangerous. The police wouldn't use them among crowds if they were. I do not, however, think that the easily spooked semi-wild ones should be taken into public areas - to do so is little better than me driving a car with malfunctioning brakes.
Enough already! my head is bashing on the key board as i am typing this reply!
Jeeze, people please STOP discussing this horse/horse-riders Vs other trail users issue. every one has the rights to use the trail appropriately.
Is it the weather that is pissing people off, so this age-old issue is being given another bash?
Tien.
Happy riding people... (what ever the ride is.....)
I can't let this one go...
You have to feel sorry for those unprepared for horsey confrontations, to go from the ego boost of [begin caveman] "Hey me big man, me can scare big lump of pet food ;-)" to being cowed into submission by a ten year old clad in jodphurs must be a terrible blow to the ego...
Hence the need to whinge like little girls.
Seriously, just grow a set, have a bit of common sense, and get over it.
Shut up and ride,
Matt.
PS - I think an avatar and a whinge-ometer might be an idea on people's posts so that we can instantly see who the repeat whingers are and colour thir posts yellow or vile green, oh hang on that's me...
Hahaha chill mate, it's just a bit of banter
I think we are all acutely aware that amongst the threats to our pastime, horses and riders aren't particularly ominous.
We both like rides in the bush. Christine is proof both of the fact that the hobbys aren't exclusive, and that horse riders can be pretty nice too!
Then again... I might be wrong about the scale of the threat. I think this guy was hungry! : http://davepit.smugmug.com/gallery/4778441_J5XVe...
Dave
I apologise for starting to talk about horses; I didn't know it was a repetitive and controversial subject here. Just wanted to warn riders
Tom
This article from the 'International Mountain Bicycling Association' helped me understand the issue more.
Note: You must read the reply by Margo Ems at the bottom.
http://www.imba.com/resources/soft_cycling/horse...
"The more an approaching cyclists talks when passing, the more the horse will realize it is just a human being on a strange looking contraption."
sounds familiar doesn't it?
So that's why Christine continually talks while riding!
I thought it was because she was a woman, but no it's a just precaution in case we run into a horse on the way.
Even funnier is the fact they are bound to hear here coming from a good couple of k away. Someone was saying something about a horsey whine, oh no, that was whinney
Why she keeps riding into the back of the rider in front when they stop.
Without the bike panicking under her she is unaware others are there..
Jokes
Flynny
Who is working with the local horsey club up here to get MTB trails in place on their lease so we can run events and use their facilities.
I like horsey people. Horsepeople on the other hand scare me.
Ive seen horses kick out with their hooves enough (sometimes with the skill of Mr. Miyagi) to be extremely paranoid about them. I suggest getting off even if it pisses you off
This is the best passing method.
-See horse, start ringing bell till the anodising comes off.
-Keep riding.
-Wait for horse rider to be bucked off.
-Get off and walk past (its dangerouse to ride when your pissing yourself laughing)
-Continue 0n (continue pissing yourself laughing)
-Throw lump of horse shit at said horse rider (aim for the bleeding wound, they say horse poo in clean, right!)
-Keep riding
Only takes a minute out of your ride but jez its bloody funny!
Horses can be scared by bikes so it pays to practice.
(only joking)
Never abuse a Bell!
But Pikey
Isn't that the same drill as passing a Cannondale rider.
Lorrie... How would you know? When have you ever passed a Crack 'n' Fail rider?
Nice Rob.....you've just mistakenly accused the wrong Andrew
OOopsss. Sorry Andrew. Got you confused with Andrew. I mean Lorrie. Oh... you know what I mean!
I'm not well today, can you tell!?
This is great.
I can take the piss and Buck can take the flack.
I like this arrangement.
Substitute lorrie for Buck and then you're in business...
Just don't start on the Garys...
That's it I am changing my ID to Anonymous.
amusing in my defence but i don't need to after that exchange! amusing!!
Matt
We all know you could if only your bike would stay in one piece
Cunningly you could do that... anonymous users are called 'Guest' here!