Getting a horse rider's attention

just hoon past, silently in fluoro yellow at high speed. it will get their attention, although possibly not in a good way.

tfic

rob

ps terrified of horses. i know what a bike is thinking most of the time. less so with horses

I usually say a friendly "good morning/afternoon" to alert horses and riders to my presence. If it's a particularly narrow road or the horse looks less than relaxed, I'll ask if it's ok to pass. Otherwise a slow and wide pass. Obviously if they stop to let you pass etc then I'll say thanks.

You don't usually have to shout to make yourself heard.

In my experience, about 95% of horse riders have been are polite and friendly, just like any other group of people.

Try a small air horn?

Failing that a set of Chris kings hubs tend to do the job..

By way of background, I cycle on the road and on forest trails. I've also ridden horses. A lot of horses. And have  lived in places where horses are common as general transport, used on busy highways.

Horses are not necessarily skittish. Horses are used in war. They are used in riot control. They are used around the world on busy streets with people running and shouting. These tend to be 'working' breeds, which are steadfast. These are the horses which are most suitable for taking in public amongst others.

In Britain, it seems fashionable for equestrians to purchase and keep what are known as 'warmblooded' horses. These horses tend to be used for sport.  But a lot of equestrians buy them because they are cheap, pretty, and that's what they see professionals riding.

But warmblooded horses require a tremendous amount of training and rider skill to be safe in the public. Otherwise they will be skittish and prone to spooking. They need a rider who is confident and in control. Riders need to learn, certainly, but to taking one of these horses in public, when you are a novice rider, or haven't invested hundreds of hours in training the horse, is dangerous and irresponsible. It's a bit like taking a truck on the road with faulty brakes. 

When riding on trails, if I see a rider on a working breed, I might slow down to say 'hello'. I tend to do that for everyone I meet on trails. I don't do this on the road. 

On the trails, if I see what appears to be a very experienced rider (from first glances!) on any other horse, I will usually also slow to say 'hello'. 

However, subject to the above exceptions, I will usually just pass without slowing down, giving the horse a very large amount of room. This is particularly the case if the rider looks nervous, or the horse looks skittish. I pass these riders and horses just like I wouldn't hang around a truck without working brakes, or a drunk driver. 

If the rider has been responsible, and trained their horse well, there won't be a problem. If the rider hasn't done their job, I don't want to be anywhere near them, let alone behind them, if the horse skitters or kicks, which it might do irrespective of how it is passed.

I also ride in Cheshire and have never experienced anything other than friendly responses from horse riders.

A cheery shout is always appreciated, slow down & give them a plenty room.  I'd always exercise a bit caution approaching "head on" as they have different eye sight from us humans.  They can be a tad unpredictable - my Mrs' horse would not bat an eyelid at a vehicle..but a discarded crisp packet blowing across the road used to worry him.  

Whener I happen upon horseriders, which is a common thing in my area of Cheshire,  I always slow down and say 'just passing' in a friendly tone of voice and again, like others have said, I do so for the horses benefit because I appreciate that a silent bike suddenly arriving in eyeshot can be enough to spook them - it always works and their riders always say thanks.

I just say that I'm there in a normal conversational tone and ask if it's ok to pass. As others have said, horses are used to the human voice. From a horse's perspective by approaching quietly and swiftly a cycle is behaving just like a predator.

All good stuff above, and I speak as the partner of a horsist. I would say that "Brightly coloured road furniture may also cause an animal to panic/skitter" can be changed to "anything brightly-coloured or unexpectedly noisy may also cause a 3/4 tonne beast to suddenly displace 3' sideways or rear up. This may include a simple crisp packet in the hedgerow."

Paramount: Always remember that horse riders have as much right to use the public highway as cyclists, drivers and pedestrians. The horse adds an added complication of being a 4 legged swivel eyed loon that weighs at least 1/4 tonne, has spent the last 55 million years or so evolving a strong paranoia about being stalked and eaten and is way stronger than any human. 

Our club proceedure is:

1. Call out 'Horse(es) Up' to alert other riders in the group.

2. Slow down and keep at least 25m clear.

3. If the rider has not shown awareness of your presence, lead cyclist calls out "Cyclists back" to get attention.

4. Ask the horse rider to let you know when it is safe to overtake.

5. Follow their direction and overtake, usually on the right, leaving as much space as possible. This may mean reducing your own visibility so you are relying on the horse rider to indicate when it is safe to go past. Pass in small groups of 6 (max) if you are in a larger group.

6. Once past the horse, alert oncoming traffic for the next half mile or so.

Because our club kit is easily identifiable we often get a thankyou eMail from horse riders.

Keep an eye on the horse's eyes, ears and feet as you approach. The rider too. Any sign of skittering, wild eyes, or the unexpected movements and you're best stopping or even reversing away. 

If the horse is on a 'long rein' i.e. the reins are not in a straight line between the bit and the rider's hands  - loose/sagging down - this means the rider doesn't have control of the horse's head. This is most likely on quiet country lanes when the rider is probably letting the horse stretch his neck. Give the rider time to gather/shorten them before passing.

It's also worth signalling to any cars behind you to slow down or stop, to give you more time to deal with the horse. Setting a good example such as passing widely and slowly helps other road users to understand we're not selfish b*stards holding them up, etc. *eye roll*

I always call 'Good morning/afternoon!' as soon as I'm close enough, and continue to talk as I pass - especially if I'm freewheeling as noisy hubs tend to freak horses out. Human voices they expect to hear, and don't tend to shock them, however something more unusual can provoke the flight response. (Sometimes, the rider can be less alert to other road users than the horse, especially on quiet roads.)

If you're in a group and it's possible, always single out too, and split into smaller groups. Being a flight animal, a wide group can be mistaken for an attack, and cause a horse to panic. Never, ever, pass on both sides, and if there is something happening on one side (i.e. pedestrians on a pavement), wait until they've passed. Approaches from both sides can be mistaken for attacks.

I never pass silently, and always pass as wide as the road allows. Don't try to pass in the same lane, especially if there is traffic coming towards you - you wouldn't want that to happen to you when you're on a bike, so why do it to someone else? It's also extra-challenging for the horse to deal with two 'threats' at the same time. 

It's also worth knowing that if horses are two-abreast you need to take extra, extra  care. I mean a lot more care. That horse on the inside is either green, or the rider is. And bear in mind that they can't single out - loss of 'company' may panic the inside horse. 

Brightly coloured road furniture may also cause an animal to panic/skitter. A few months ago, I was passing a horse on a narrow lane. It went from approaching parallel to me, to hindquarters-inches-from-my-face in a blink, all due to shying away from a yellow grit box. I was fortunate that I was going very slowly, and that my brakes didn't squeal as I stopped - I had swallow a shriek of alarm, speak softly and unclip to walk the bike backwards as the rider calmed the horse. 

I appreciate most of the above is covered by the BC link, but I spent years riding skittish horses, and it's always worth attempting to minimise the 'threat' angle. Some of the most bombproof horses I rode had their moments, and it's not fun to be clinging to the back of a freaked-out animal, nor be catapulted into the air and slam into the ground and pray a stray hoof doesn't catch you. A bit like a pile-up in the 4s at Spillingdon...

I generally slow down and pass them with plenty of room - calling out "cyclist" when 20-30 metres away.

Hope freehub. Tested on animals and humans

I agree with Cygnus.

A tongue-in-cheek theory why horses are generally skittish: millenia ago, horses would have been food for sabre-tooth tigers. The sabre-tooth tigers have all gone, but horses haven't worked it out ...

I'd agree with Cygnus, say something quite a distance away, and then if you get no response you have time to repeat it until they do hear. 

I always say to them "I never know how loud to shout" and they always appreciate being made aware that you are approaching.

Call out "Hello" / "Good morning/afternoon/evening" or similar - horses are used to human voices, just don't yell.

Guidance from the British Horse Society:

http://www.bhs.org.uk/~/media/bhs/files/pdf-documents/safety-leaflets/horse-and-cycle.ashx?la=en

And from BC:

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/skills/article/izn20150106-Horses-on-the-road-0