rumrunn6

It’s not like they’ll chase you & bite you like a dog. They always seem under control of the owner/operator

indyfabz

And cows. Don't forget about the cows. Give them a wide berth.


.

livedarklions

They can do all sorts of nasty things if startled, especially kicking and rearing. Always best practice to make sure you're not startling them. Keep in mind that not all horses are docile and even the docile ones can have a bad day. You're relying on the rider to keep the big animal under control, best to give them whatever assistance you can. I always announce in a calm voice from as far back as I can without shouting. And I go slow when passing. I may be a horse's ass, but I don't have a horse brain, so I don't know what they might interpret as threatening. I suspect that to a horse, we look a lot like some kind of four-legged animal when we're on a bike, and if we're moving fast, I suspect that might look like predator behavior to them.

RCMoeur 

(Sits back on front porch, puts boots on rail, tips hat back)

About 30 years ago on a trail ride, the wrangler assigned me to a horse named "Jitters" after hearing I had ridden before (I am no master of horsemanship, but I know the basics). I treated the mount as well as I knew how to do so - he may be a rental, but I knew it could end badly in several ways if I didn't. No sudden pulls or movements, no conflicting or confusing directions, etc. Near the end of the ride, ol' Jitters decides he's going to have a bit of fun, and started into a full-on buck. I let the reins slack, grasped the saddle horn with one hand, and attempted to balance with the other in that time-honored method silhouetted on Wyoming license plates. After about 10 seconds of vertical oscillation and significant discomfort (fortunately without ejection), Jitters settled down and I regained the reins. The wrangler trotted over and said "Are you OK? Good. Let's keep riding."

The only response I could think of at the moment was "I stayed on. Where's my belt buckle?"

The lesson in all this is that horses still have a mind of their own, and may be in a happy / ornery / playful / cranky / mischievous / sullen mood and react to direction accordingly. And with many times the strength of the rider, if Mr. Ed decides to do something, then he's likely to do it given that the rider's power at that moment is suggestive, not coercive.

Polaris OBark

Yet another reason never to ride a mountain bike unless you are armed with bear spray.

bikelif3

Kids on bikes are the most dangerous things you will encounter. They should presumably have the ultimate right of way.

RCMoeur 

"They got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes... til they bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white..."

indyfabz

Here's to swimmin' with bow-legged women.

CAT7RDR

I'm not particularly fond of horses after being "treeed" by one at age 14.
Full gallop under some oak tree branches, "Ouch!"

Second time, I was hiking on singletrack in the Puente Hills and a man was exercising his steed and I had nowhere to go but dive into the brush.
Don't assume horseback riders will slow to pass or wait for you to move.

Schweinhund

Yurall rong,
it's mailmen and by extension, their truck.
Yesterday.
There's little more to it, but that's the gist of the exchange.

https://modesto.craigslist.org/rnr/d...630436660.html

unterhausen

More trails should be like the Lower Trail in Pennsylvania. Horses aren't allowed on the trail itself. They really ruin a trail for everyone else, and horse people don't have the sense not to ride when it's wet.

mrodgers

I was standing at the end of the horse trail eating my dinner before turning around and heading home when I saw a horse coming down the path. So I moved my bike over on the other side of the barrier going into the state park propagation area when the horse looked my way. I said, "oh, you want to come this way?" to which the answer from the rider was no. I stated, I didn't want to spook the horses when I'm this way on the bike. She said just to speak with a normal voice, that way the horse recognizes me as human rather than some weird moving tree, LOL.

Roughstuff

"A horse is a horse of course of course,
and nobody talks to a horse, of course!
Unless of course the name of the horse is...
The FAMOUS Mr. ED!"

Eric F 

Beware of bulls...

indyfabz

What’s that trail like now? I rode what existed of it back in 1998 during Pedal PA. Rode Ghost Town also. Nanty-Glo is one of my favorite town names.

SPlKE 

Nanty-Glo might be in the Top Five Best Town Names in the entire world.

The first time I saw that town name on a sign, up around Nanticoke, PA, IIRC, I was stunned by the beauty and simplicity of it.

unterhausen

I really like the Lower trail, but I haven't been on it recently. The middle section between Williamsburg and Alexandria has often been a little too mushy for smaller tires in the past, but I guess it's good exercise.

rumrunn6

even wheeling on the beach, I have to share the trail w/horses

everybody got along just fine

indyfabz

livedarklions

Looks like he thought the cyclist was another buck during rutting season.

billew

I wouldn't be bragging about being on that committee, I known two other people on it and I know you can't do anything really. You can't even require SLMs be centered in the lane or remove the word "May" from the Bikes May Use Full Lane signs. As John Schubert said to me "it's a committee" as an excuse as to why he has been on it for well over ten years and nothing is being done about sharrows in the gutter. He seems more interested in having the initials after his name than doing anything, which is my opinion of people on committees. I'll say it again the MUTCD and FHA do not apply to railroad ROW trails usually deemed Linear Parks by states.

RCMoeur 

Have you considered writing for Streetsblog?

TC1

FYI, this hierarchy is not universal, and concerned riders should check their local regulations, and etiquette.

For example, in Illinois, equine right-of-way varies by county. In some counties, horses do not have the right-of-way. At the same time, the situation is reversed in other neighboring counties. So if one is really diligent, they must always be aware of which county they are in, and what the prevailing rules of the road are in that jurisdiction. There are other restrictions on what you term "ultimate right of way", as well. For example, in my county forest preserves "All horses must remain on the right side of the trail and be in single file when riding in groups.".

Of course you will never find one equestrian on public land who cares one iota about etiquette or regulations, as evidenced by their mounts' feces left behind everywhere. They clean that up around their own barns, or hire someone to, but when on public land, they just leave it for others to deal with.

DidntHearU

dd