Cyclists and horse riders are being urged to be more considerate of each other’s needs after an incident in Gloucestershire at the weekend when a 10-year-old girl fell off her pony after it was apparently startled by a group of bike riders.
Grace Burton dislocated her knee when her pony was spooked in the incident which happened at around 10am on Saturday morning, reports the Gloucestershire Echo. The newspaper says that the incident prompted a “heated debate” on its Facebook page.
Grace’s father, Chris Burton, had said that a group of cyclists sped past, five or six abreast, causing his daughter to be thrown from her pony in the village of Teddington.
But Simon Worsley of Cheltenham and County Cycling Club said the bike riders were fewer than originally reported, and they were riding two abreast.
“The group I was in numbered around 20,” he said. ”As soon as we saw the horses we slowed right down as we always would.
“The pony carrying the girl veered to the left and she came off (thankfully on the grass verge not the road).
“Our ride leader did a great job if calming the girl down and our whole group stopped for at least 15 minutes out of concern for the girl, before her companions advised us to ride on.”
Mr Burton had said: “I don’t want to stop anyone enjoying themselves, but I would just say to them, you need to be more careful.”
He added that he wanted to meet with cyclists to discuss how people riding horses or bikes could share the road safely.
“We need to look at ways of keeping the highways safe for everybody,” he explained. “The debate online seems to have focused on the fact that I got the number of the cyclists wrong.
“When you’re running up the road because your daughter has been injured, you don’t stop to count them.
“I wasn’t trying to point the finger. Let’s have a discussion about how we can make this safer.”
“We do not want to penalise or discriminate against cyclists,” he added.” We just want to raise concerns that more accidents will occur if large packs of bikes continue to use small village roads.”
Many horses are easily spooked by bicycles, especially when approached from behind, with one school of thought being that they are taken unawares because unlike with a motor vehicle, they cannot hear their approach.
If you see horses being ridden on the road ahead, you should cur your speed to a minimum, call out “bike approaching” or something similar, and give the animals as wide a berth as possible – easier said than done on some roads, and of course you should be mindful of your own safety if there is oncoming traffic.
In our experience, most horse riders will acknowledge consideration given to them by cyclists – one thing both have in common is they are among the most vulnerable of road users.
The British Horse Society has published a code of conduct for horse riders and cyclists to provide “guidelines to ensure equestrians and cyclists co=exist harmoniously and safely when in close proximity.” You can find it here.
52 thoughts on “Cyclists and horse riders urged to look out for each other after girl’s pony spooked”
I always give a warning to
I always give a warning to horse riders when I’m approaching them from behind, I’ll slow down until I’m confident enough to know that the rider has the horse under and knows that I’m there. I do this out of self preservation and a bit of respect.
I say a bit of respect as I believe that a horse that might be spooked by normal traffic should not be on the public highway.
The other side of this is, of coourse, to give horse riders as much respect as they give us when the hunt comes through. B-)
We weren’t coming from
We weren’t coming from behind, the group of riders, 4 i think were coming towards our group we were on one side of the road they on the other. For whatever reason the pony carrying the girl turned i believe her foot got caught in the stirup and this i suspect is what caused the knee injury. She was thrown and landed in the mud just off the road. At this point the pony then bolted and headed for the main road.
I’ve read that shouting a
I’ve read that shouting a warning, even from 50ft away, can spook a horse. Seems counter-intuitive though. I’ll always warn of my approach, steer clear, give as much room as poss but there are some horse riders that can act like selfish twats. This they have in common with drivers, cyclists, motorbikers, etc…
https://www.google.co.uk/maps
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.994468,-2.048037,3a,75y,292.56h,65.5t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdtWA64D9poA9lNpSfxtrGA!2e0!6m1!1e1!10m1!1e1?hl=en
This is where it happened the grass on the left is where the girl ended up
I should also mention that Mr Burton was not there and did not see any of the incident! This detail is what has provoked things,
Good advice, but as a horse
Good advice, but as a horse rider and cyclist would like to add:
Horses have a much wider field of vision than we do – due to the position of their eyes they can see to the side and slightly behind, so they are often aware of something approaching from the back before the rider is.
Also, horses are naturally prey animals whose instinct, in a situation that they perceive as potentially dangerous, is to run off at great speed (We, meanwhile, are predators so we don’t necessarily react quite as quickly!). Training and breeding help keep this equine instinct in check – but the potential is always there.
If I see a horse and rider when I’m cycling I slow down, and say hello as I approach. My theory is that the horse recognises a friendly human voice and is more likely to understand that its a person approaching (familiar, nice thing who sometimes brings dinner in a bucket) and not just a fast, chasing thing who might want to eat it.
It also pays to know a little bit about their body language: I’ve never (touch wood!) had a problem while riding past a horse because I can tell how they’re feeling from the way they are moving. You need to look at the rider too: a child on a pony is always going to be vulnerable and needs special consideration.
Cyclists and horse riders share the same spaces and we are all vulnerable: understanding a little about each other’s chosen activity goes a long way to helping everyone feel safer. :0)
I think vulnerability is key
I think vulnerability is key here, we don’t wish to appear as the car driving bullies in the way the collective ‘we’ are viewed by horse riders.
However, the language directed towards the cyclists is again provocative. If when running up the road he didn’t stop to count the cyclists why did he feel the need to pick an arbitrary large number? Also, the word pack when referring to cyclists on narrow roads, it’s hard to determine whether he sees the pack as aggressive or he just anticipates that we should stick to the A roads and battle the cars…
Mountain biking down a narrow
Mountain biking down a narrow Dartmoor lane as a teenager, my two younger brothers both sped past a girl on a horse. Following them, I slowed down, the horse backed towards me and kicked me in the thigh. I fell off. Rider then said to me “He got scared.” I was to busy moaning in agony to dispute this. My leg was black for over a week.
However much I understand that I spooked it by my actions I stand by the principle that horses are unpredictable and I give ’em a very wide berth.
It’s funny how groups of
It’s funny how groups of cyclists are always “5 or 6 abreast”. Presumably from grass verge across the white line to the other grass verge…
Imo some horses get spooked
Imo some horses get spooked way too easily and shouldn’t be on the roads with a young rider on them.
On Saturday I was on a chain gang ride (15-20 people) and there was two horses around 100m infront of us. One of the horses had a young rider on it and it got spooked when we were still 100m away and going up a climb so we weren’t moving too quickly.
This horse and/or rider was clearly not ready to be on a public road, what if a car had been approaching significantly faster around a blind corner…
luckily the young rider managed to stay on but even so, some horses and/or riders should stay off the roads until they are safe..
2 Wheeled Idiot wrote:Imo
If it had been a car the horse would probably have been fine. Most horses are used to cars, and as most riders have a car its pretty easy to teach them about cars. A large part of the reason you pass horses wide and slow while driving is so that if the horse shys at a plastic bag or a pheasant you don’t get half a ton of horse coming through your passenger door.
The horses I ride are all fine with bikes, but it amazes me how close some cyclists pass. Do they have no instinct for self preservation?
“One of the horses had a
“One of the horses had a young rider on it and it got spooked when we were still 100m away and going up a climb so we weren’t moving too quickly.
This horse and/or rider was clearly not ready to be on a public road, what if a car had been approaching significantly faster around a blind corner…”
This could be said of some cyclists who lose power and the ability to hold a straight line on inclines…or those cyclists who, in general, are wobbly and unable to hold the line…maybe they need to stay on the turbo/rollers in order to build strength/speed/good technique and also undertake some exercises that build/strengthen their core muscles. 😉
I would also like to add that
I would also like to add that some bike riders and drivers should not be on the roads too, I’m not doing a holier than thou thing, just that sometimes common sense needs to be applied….unfortunately not everyone has common sense
IMO, vulnerable road users
IMO, vulnerable road users should be sticking together. We’ve actually had an email from a horse riding teacher who has people out on our regular club run route saying how good we were around horses.
If approaching from behind, speaking/shouting “bikes behind” lets the rider know you’re coming and the horse know that it’s people. Try to keep talking to reassure the horse that you’re people. Pass wide and slow. I have heard that horses don’t like loud freewheels but I’ve always been on Shimano so not an issue.
Oncoming horses, again slow, plenty of space, verbal communication.
Me, I’ve only ridden a horse once in my life and never intend to again. However, those above saying that a horse is skittish or the rider inexperienced – well that’s like saying that young kids shouldn’t ride bikes on the road. Be nice.
As another horse rider /
As another horse rider / cyclist I’d just like to add.
‘Horses shouldn’t be on the road’, is the equine equivalent of ‘you don’t pay road tax’, so please drop it, as the only way for me to get my horse from its paddock and onto the local bridleway is… on the road.
Second, the only way for a horse to get used to all kinds of traffic, cars, lorries, busses, cyclists etc, is to expose them to those things until they get used to them. In order to do that, I have to ride on the road.
I have bells fitted to most of my bikes, a quick ‘ping ping’ 20 yards out, along with slowing down has always done it, although I did have to stop once on my mtb for a ride, as the biggest horse in the group, a Shire, was terrified of bikes. I was happy to stop and spoke to both the rider and the horse as they walked past.
Grubbythumb wrote:As another
I was recently told by a horse rider, never use a bell to a horse, as the sound itself can spook the animal.
Funny that if a motorist
Funny that if a motorist spooks a horse then the horse should not be on the road but if a cyclist spooks a horse then riding a horse on the road is acceptable and the cyclist should not be on the road. Just an observation.
The horse riders I come
The horse riders I come across are absolutely lovely – they always say thanks for slowing down and good morning etc. If they’re blocking the country lane they always move to single file once I make my presence known.
It embarrasses me when I occasionally see moronic cyclists speeding past them without a second thought.
It is often a case of warning
It is often a case of warning the rider, in my experience the horse is always aware of the bike before the rider is. Don’t need to make much noise to make the horse aware.
Cyclist failing to act considerately are a problem for walkers, and horse riders. I have sometimes felt uncomfortable cycling in a group due to the militant attitude of some of the group members.
soooo we’ve got some
soooo we’ve got some horseriders saying bells are good, some saying they’re bad. This is confusing!
I do, no matter how careful I am/the group I’m with is, worry when passing horses. They’re big and heavy and not under 100% control of the human on the back of it, who’s not 100% predictable either.
There’s a lot of horses around these parts- heading north east from Cambridge you hit Newmarket and surrounds, but even in all other directions they’re just common in affluent rural areas. Rather hope that the riders though are all pretty used to cyclists though
I’ve never had problems with
I’ve never had problems with horse riders. If approaching from behind I pass wide and slow and let them know what I’m doing and where I’m coming from i.e. “Passing on your right” or whatever. I don’t shout, I just speak in a calm, firm voice. This has been OK so far, and I’ve generally been thanked by the riders. At most I’ve been asked how many other cyclists are following in my group, presumably so they know what to expect in the next minute or so.
Always slow down and let
Always slow down and let horse riders know I’m there, in my experience they’re some of the nicest people you meet on your ride.
my solution; slow down, free
my solution; slow down, free wheel down, let the whirring of the free hub inform the riders that there’s someone coming up slowly
i’m slow and audible, everyone is happy
I read the code of conduct
I read the code of conduct for cyclists and it seems sensible enough. Some horses spook more easily when they see a recumbent, so when I approach from the rear I always call ahead and warn the rider that I’m on an unusual bike. Never had a problem so far & the riders are always appreciative.
Sometimes shit happens. This
Sometimes shit happens. This seems one of those times.
Having said that horses do worry me a tad. The rider essentially has ZERO control if that horse decides to freak out because it doesn’t like the look of a leaf that’s just blown past.
I always shout “cyclist” when
I always shout “cyclist” when approaching and slow down….I get a smile and a “Good morning” from the usually attractive lady upon the said nag, And we both go about our day.
Much better response from the laaydeeees than I used to get at the discothèque
>We just want to raise
>We just want to raise concerns that more accidents will occur if large packs of bikes continue to use small village roads.
PACKS OF BIKES
LOL
Funny how things get reported
Funny how things get reported elsewhere, 40 bikes now 5-6 abreast…!!
[url]http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/girl-falls-hack-cyclists-spook-pony-497369[/url]
I’ve heard it was just one
I’ve heard it was just one very fast ginger bloke, gingerbloke… doing around 54.526kmh
I can’t really see what more
I can’t really see what more the cyclists could have done… they acted reasonably & in consideration. They slowed down & then stopped for 15 mins ! These things happen & Mr Burton &/or the media are looking for a story/someone to blame.
Timsen wrote:I can’t really
The Echo have form….
I always shout a warning of
I always shout a warning of “Cyclist” and ride as far across the other side of the road as safe to do so when passing, and usually get a thank you from the rider.
Some horse riders could also help themselves a bit more by looking behind them occasional, not just when they hear an engine, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen a horse rider enter the road from an off road position without looking to see if there’s anything coming.
So, what is the definitive
So, what is the definitive way of dealing with a tonne of easily spooked animal being ridden by one of the privileged classes (disclaimer: ‘probably‘ a member of the privileged classes)?
Do we ring a bell or not? Do we call out or not? I encounter horses quite a lot – there’s a commercial stables in the village – and I’ve been told off by riders for ringing a bell, for not ringing a bell, for calling out, for being too quiet, for being too fast, for being too slow, for being too near, and for wearing hi viz (apparently all of these things scare the horses). As far as I can tell, cars are OK, though.
brooksby wrote:So, what is
This thing about horse riders being privileged is bloody boring and wildly inaccurate. People from lower middle class backgrounds and people in normal teaching & nursing jobs massively outnumber the ‘privileged classes’ at most horse events. Even if they didn’t are you suggesting that we don’t have to treat people (and their animals) with respect because their poshos?
The plural of anecdote isn’t data, but my cyclist friends are far posher than my horse friends. Would you like it if someone more deprived than you cut you up when you were on your bike?
I pass horses wide & slow and start singing when I see them if I’m coming in from behind.
Olionabike wrote:Even if they
No, I wasn’t saying that. I was making a (clearly unwarranted) presumption based upon the price of a horse and the likely maintenance costs of the same. And was a bit miffed off by the reactions of had from my local equestrians (as per my earlier post).
The idea of singing loudly as I approach is a good idea, though; thanks.
Olionabike wrote:[People from
Yes dear, they’re the staff.
One can never have too many servants. 😉
“People from lower middle
“People from lower middle class backgrounds and people in normal teaching & nursing jobs massively outnumber the ‘privileged classes’ at most horse events”
That is true. It costs a fortune to own a horse, and lots of people choose to do so without being enormously rich. As is their right. When I cycle past racehorses in Lambourn, as I do quite often, I don’t immediately think that the wee jockeys are aristocrats.
It is also true that lots of cyclists are very rich.
But frankly, why does the consideration that you give to other road users depend on their social status? And doesn’t the huge shoulder chip slow some people down on climbs?
really couldn’t make this
really couldn’t make this up
http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Siogn-banning-cyclist-road-near-Winchcombe-erorr/story-26673627-detail/story.html
The sign isn’t actually near Winchcombe, it is near Alstone, which is next to Teddington, ie round the corner from the above accident, literally around the corner! Not sure where the second sign is, but fairly certain that we would have passed the signs on Saturday morning…
Can’t help wondering if,
Can’t help wondering if, since Mr Burton thought it was Ok for his daughter to ride an animal which she had no hope of controling if it bolted, Mr Burton would be happy for his 10 year old daughter to cycle along that road. Probably not.
Pehaps it time for horses to be tested before they can be taken onto roads and mixed with traffic to stop things like this happening. 👿
10 year old girl on a big
10 year old girl on a big powerful unpredictable animal riding on a public road not sufficiently experienced or able to control her horse when it gets spooked. Father goes mental at cyclists! Sounds like the cyclists did everything reasonably possible in the situation.
Durrrr! The problem here is the Dad who allowed his 10 year old girl to ride such a powerful animal on a public road without her having sufficient skill or experience to properly control her animal. If the horse was of a nervous disposition he should not have allowed her to ride it. He is reckless with the safety of his daughter and other road users. Period.
The father is at fault here. He is angry with everyone, but himself. Grossly exaggerates what has happened to suit his own agenda to shift blame.
Don’t normally have a problem with horses or horse riders, BUT the thing that horse riders NEVER do is clear up the shit their steeds leave on the road which can be lethal for other road users – cyclists and cars alike. Where several horses are being ridden together the road can resemble a shit fest. Lethal for other road users especially for cyclists if you hit the piles of it in either the dark or during the day especially if frozen it can easily cause you to come off and crash; also for cars causing a skid hazard. It is an offence to let fall and leave material on a public highway. At best horse shit is a menace and or at worst can have terrible consequences for other road users. The riders/owners should have to clear it off the road/path like dog owners now have to do with their animals shit. Why not have a bag under the horse’s backside as in times past?
Surely the obvious solution
Surely the obvious solution is that, before any horse is allowed to go on the road, it should have to go out on a bicycle.
(although an even more obvious solution is for cyclists to be very sensitive around horses, which are large, unpredictable and often rather stupid)
Most of the time I have no
Most of the time I have no issue. Bad horse riders/bad cyclists/bad motorists aside. A horse is a prey animal so it is an alert thing. It is usually aware you behind it long before the rider, its ingrained. Its the training of the horse and its behavior on the roads that is more of an unknown. Just treat it as its going to be nervous and you are covered. Saying that, I’ve had one put its head through my car window (we were stationary) and another bolting horse jump onto the roof of our car and destroy it (Parents were NOT impressed, it was brand new), thank god we had the sunroof closed (again, we were parked and stationary)…so deep down I hate the dumb animals being on our roads.
I’m mildly surprised by the
I’m mildly surprised by the attitude of some fellow cyclists commenting on this.
I’m used to slowing down, waiting, and passing wide while driving a car around fellow cyclists. I think it’s entirely reasonable to do the same thing when cycling around horses.
The code of conduct linked in the article suggests: “If possible, ask the horse rider if it is safe to pass before attempting to go by and call again if they haven’t heard you.”
This is exactly what I’ve done when encountering horses in the past – ask if it’s ok to pass, not just shout “coming through!” or something similar which seems rather rude and inconsiderate to me. You don’t have a right to overtake when you want, whether it’s safe or not, just the same as car drivers don’t.
If I’m able to do so safely, I also switch off the bright flashing lights I have on my bike (there for the inattentive drivers) as I figure they might spook some horses. I then turn them back on at a safe distance, often round the next bend.
As a cyclist it seems surprising that some cyclists seem unable to empathise with the needs of other vulnerable road users.
That said, it does sound like the mother in the article was looking for someone to blame for her daughter getting injured, which is understandable but not necessarily just. It sounds like the cyclists behaved perfectly reasonably.
What I have never quite understood with horses is that they can be trained to charge into battle without getting distracted/spooked, yet they seem to struggle with routine distractions on roads. Perhaps an equestrian could enlighten me on why this is – there must be a reason!
DaveE128 wrote:What I have
I am not an equestrian person, but I always thought part of the point of blinkers on race horses was to stop that getting distracted, yet I have never seen a horse on the road with such a thing, I guess it doesn’t sort out the hearing???? and hearing but not seeing would also spoke a horse??
What I do find slightly more concerning, I know riders who want a “flighty” horse as it is a challenge, this might be fine away from other road users but you have to ask if a horse with attitude is really a sensible proposition on roads?????
Dave, it has to be remembered
Dave, it has to be remembered that horses are prey animals and herd animals.
As a herd it is instinctive for them to run when other members of the herd run. Add a good deal of training and you have either a racehorse or a cavalry charger.
As a prey animal, anything approaching from the rear, at speed is immediately regarded as a threat. How many wildlife documentaries have shown deer, zebra and all sorts of other animals being hunted, attacked and killed by big cats, where do the big cats attack from, usually 3/4 behind.
So, a cyclist, or multiples thereof approaching fast from behind kick the horses instincts into action. On a well trained and accustomed horse, nothing happens, on a spooky, or young horse, it can provoke a reaction.
Grubbythumb wrote:So, a
But in this specific case, the group of cyclists was approaching from in front.
Tell me about these
Tell me about these considerate equestrianist again… 😀
Ah yes – clean up after your
Ah yes – clean up after your dog, but a horse “No problemo, your highness!”
I ride in the country a fair bit, and while every cyclist expects to see other cyclists and cars and even trucks on the lanes, some horse riders seem to exist in a fairyland all to themselves.
I could cite many examples, but most memorably was the young man (13?) on a huge horse, riding down the centre of the lane. I kept left and slowed, but as I approached, a sheet of paper blew out of the verge and spooked the horse. The rider had no ability to control the horse and I braced for a collision. Thankfully, they missed me, but really, horses are strange creatures with minds of their own. If they are unpredictable, or ridden by those unable to control them, they should remain on private land.
I use my bell (if a horse is spooked by a bell, see above) but a while ago I came up, very slowly, behind two riders (again, in the middle of the road) chatting up a storm. Bell – nothing. Bell – nothing. Finally “HELLO!” Oh – there’s someone else on the road! I suppose if a horse had bolted, it would be my fault?
And on bridleways? Well, obviously the name says it all. They are supposed to be for horses only (some think).
CanAmSteve wrote:Ah yes –
To be fair, there is quite a difference between the two excrements. Gardeners will be pleased to pick up horse muck, but dog muck is nasty stuff.
I usually get on with horse riders, and I am careful not to spook them. I have encountered a rather snooty attitude from the hunt though.
Quote:To be fair, there is
Not when it’s being trodden through the carpet. ~X(
don simon wrote:
Not when
Horse shit every time.
Herbivores and carnivores you know.
folks who ride bikes and
folks who ride bikes and folks who ride horses are on the same side and one incident, the details of which seem to be a little vague, does not represent some kind of tribal conflict between the two. I see lots of horses on the roads from children on ponies to professional riders on racehorses and never have any problems. We have more in common than divides us and horses are beautiful animals which I love to see on the roads when I go for a ride
Quote:folks who ride bikes
It’s not about sides or tribes, or at least it shouldn’t be. :S