A video* of a horse rearing up as a group of cyclists approached has outlined the importance of taking extra care around horses, according to the road.cc reader who recorded the footage.
> Look out for horses — here’s how to pass horse riders safely
The video shown a group of cyclists slowing down on a descent as a horse and rider comes towards them. The animal was somehow spooked, and a man pushing a pram behind managed to get out of the way as the horse reared and turned.
Luckily, the woman riding the horse managed to get it under control quickly – and road.cc reader Adrian, who shot the footage, told us that the baby in the pram slept throughout.
Adrian told us: “I have posted many near misses by cars and vans, showing careless or wilful dangerous driving over the years towards cyclists and thought this video may be something of a change to remind us of other vulnerable road users, namely a baby in a pram.
“Whilst out riding with [Adrian’s cycling club], enjoying the sunshine and new lockdown rules, this Easter Sunday our group of seven riders encountered a very nervous horse.
“Our club president was ahead of me and you can see us bunching up, showing braking was taking place,” he continued. “We would have normally carried much more speed than this to help with the hill to come.”
As for what caused the horse to suddenly rear up, we wondered whether it might have been the flapping jacket that one of the riders was wearing?
“I think you may be right about the flappy jacket as two of our riders passed without any incident,” Adrian replied.
“Louise with the blue jacket was a bit flappy as the temperature had warmed up from near freezing to a pleasant 13 degrees-ish.
“So just a reminder to pass horse riders wide and slow.
“Only the lightning reactions from Dad, removing the pram from harm’s way, saved the day.
“The good news was that the baby remained asleep throughout, completely unharmed and totally unaware of the incident,” he added.
As we highlighted in our article on Monday about the latest update to the Countryside Code, in 2018 Cycling UK teamed up with the British Horse Society to launch a nationwide Be Nice, Say Hi! campaign – the concept was originally devised by Cycle Sheffield – to encourage horse riders and cyclists to share country roads and bridleways safely.
> New version of Countryside Code urges people to be nice to each other when enjoying the outdoors
The Be Nice, Say Hi! initiative was drawn up in part due to an incident in the 2018 Royal Windsor Triathlon in which a participant on the cycling leg of the event made contact with a horse and rider as he undertook them at speed.
The incident made national headlines and the cyclist, Iain Plumb, was subsequently given a life ban from events organised by Human Race, and was also found guilty at Windsor Magistrates’ Court of riding without due consideration.
Equestrians, like cyclists, are considered vulnerable road users – as the British Horse Society and British Cycling pointed out in leaflet issued in 2016 entitled Code of Conduct for Horse Riders and Cyclists: “We share similar risks when riding on the road”. You can find more advice about riding bikes safely around horses here.
* Update, 11/4/21: The footage of the incident has been removed following a request.
78 thoughts on “Dramatic footage serves as a reminder for cyclists to take care around horses”
I was always told on club
I was always told on club rides to slow down but to also chat quietly to each other as that would reassure horses when passing them. Worth bearing in mind as it worked.
I thought it was the braking
I thought it was the braking and free wheel noises which spooked the horse rather then the jacket. One of those dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t situations.
I’ll always shout hello from
I’ll always shout hello from a good way off, especially if from behind (for the rider’s benefit, the horse can doubtless see behind unless it has blinkers). I do think the voice helps horses know it’s just a human, despite appearances.
I’d also go a fair bit slower, but not stopped as bestriding a stationary bike leaves you flat footed if the horse spooks. For a young horse such as this, [i]if[/i] I’d read the whole situation, I’d have tried to avoid passing until the horse was well clear of the pram, but that’s a big if.
I’ve known young horses get spooked by a patch of fresh tarmac, but generally they come under control as here. So really you just have to expect it will happen, and plan for good clearances.
Maybe not shout exactly, but
Maybe not shout exactly, but I always try to talk to a horse, so it can at least hear a human voice and hopefully associate the weird fast quiet thing with a human being. I say hopefully, cos I think some horses are really not particularly bright, but you can’t really blame them for that.
I will always talk to the
I will always talk to the rider and the horse, “Hello Horsey”, something they must of heard of lots.
Never the bell. And I drop to a lower gear and keep the pedals turning, maybe a bit weird for the huge and dangerous animal, but hopefully not as scary as the ‘freehub’.
Talking to the horse sounds
Talking to the horse sounds fun – I usually just greet the rider. I’m worried what happens if the horse replies, though?
A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.
Go right to the source and ask the horse
He’ll give you the answer that you’ll endorse.
He’s always on a steady course.
Talk to Mr. Ed.
I have no problem with horses
I have no problem with horses being on the road but I wish horse riders would do one thing. Keep having a glance behind. More often than not horse riders in pairs are chatting away oblivious to what’s happening on the road around them.
Should be on the bridleway !
Should be on the bridleway !
The number of stories about horses being spooked raises the question of whether the road is suitable for them. It’s not as if someone uses a horse to commute.
It’s not 18th century cornwall with a sparse population and gentry that don’t worry about the peasants.
Seem to remember you doing
Seem to remember you doing decent posts, so I’ll assume this is irony.
The bridleway was a bit of
The bridleway was a bit of humour but I don’t accept the equivalence to bikes which is used (inanimate v animate). Not convinced that horses get used to anything and the variety of things which spooks them raises the question of whether something that cannot be controlled in certain circumstances should be on the highway.
(I can see my new hub is going to be an issue, so no coasting for me near a horse).
I have a very loud clicky hub
I have a very loud clicky hub and it’s never been a problem (except for me!) I make sure horse an rider have heard me (rather than the bike) from a way off, usually shout hello or something, and switch off flashing light. Older horses are seldom a problem, but young things like this one are always unpredictable – who knows if they’ve see cyclists before. It would be a sad world if cyclists could not tolerate other vulnerable road users.
hirsute wrote:
Control is an illusion. You should not drive or ride as if everything is going to go as planned. Safety is about identifying the hazards that are present or may be present (but cannot be seen) or may develop – and taking appropriate measures to minimise risk.
If this horse rears up everytime a cyclist passes, then clearly it shouldn’t be on the road. But maybe this incident the exception. The risk that a horse will rear up will always be present – just like the risk that an occupant will open a car door as you are passing is always present – or the car that you are following on the motorway will come to a complete stop.
Not sure if you’ve seen a
Not sure if you’ve seen a horse rear up. Certainly you didn’t see it here. But I take your point, and certainly cars, doors, and their operators, are a greater theat.
You’ve swapped it round
You’ve swapped it round though. You are now talking about the cyclist reacting to a situation. Take the case of your car door opening, that doesn’t happen randomly – the user has control over the door whereas in the case of horses, it happens on occasion that there is no control.
I do wonder who would have
I do wonder who would have been considered at fault if a more serious incident had occurred. It does seem slightly unfair that the burden always seems to be on everyone else to avoid spooking the horse, and never on the rider to control their animal or avoid taking it into public places if it cannot be properly controlled.
I suspect the horsey sector
I suspect the horsey sector would go either for the cyclists for not stopping and hiding behind a hedge so as not to spook the horse, or the guy with the push chair for being behind th horse (does seem a strange place to be, I wonder if they were together)
Either way, if the horse is as easily spooked as it seems to be then it should not be on the roads no matter how well she did to get it back under control. If only she had a registration number that could be reported back to the authorities
There’s only one way horses
There’s only one way horses get accustomed to things that go along the road. If you can’t extend tolerance and a less than sniggering attitude to others don’t expect any different for yourself.
I was surprised at how close
I was surprised at how close the pram was behind the horse – not a good place to be if it decides to kick.
Horse riders have every right to use the road and the number of incidents caused by horses being spooked is absolutely minimal. I’m not seeing any particular blame here as horses can get spooked and similarly, humans can have unpredictable medical episodes that cause them to lose control of a vehicle (or indeed fall off a bike if they’re a cyclist).
an incident in the 2018 Royal Windsor Triathlon in which a participant on the cycling leg of the event made contact with a horse and rider as he undertook them at speed. The incident made national headlines and the cyclist, Iain Plumb, was subsequently given a life ban from events organised by Human Race, and was also found guilty at Windsor Magistrates’ Court of riding without due consideration
Many of you will recall the recent topic in which someone posted a video of a vehicle charging round a bend on the wrong side of the road and hitting one of a pair of horses. The poster remarked ‘it’s not only cyclists who are treated like shit’, if I remember correctly. That driver was punished with the frightening driving course! It’s becoming difficult to fail to despise the Magistrates Courts as well as the police- this is not to say the cyclist didn’t deserve whatever punishment he received, but the driver certainly deserved a lot worse. We see incident after incident on here where drivers really are ‘let off’ by police and courts with an excessive sympathy for dangerous driving in motor vehicles.
A couple of things strike me:
A couple of things strike me:
As for the pram being right behind the horse, perhaps the horse had just overtaken the man with pram?
And for people saying horses should only be allowed on bridleways: this is exactly the argument used to say cyclists shouldn’t be allowed on the roads. Can’t cope with cars!
Bmblbzzz wrote:
That’s another good reason to try to walk facing traffic when there’s no pavement.
I wasnt going to mention that
I wasnt going to mention that specifically but… ?
…actually another countryside rule is more applicable, never ever approach a horse from behind like that,because you will get a rear hoof aimed at your head.
Horses cant see behind them without turning,but they can hear plenty fine and will react to unexpected noises
The cyclists werent a problem imo the horse can see them,and the horse rider was prepared in case the horse decided it wanted to do something differently, but what you cant prepare for is reacting to things behind you, that’s why horse riders always say it’s best for us as cyclists to shout out we are approaching.
Bmblbzzz wrote:
At the start of the video the horse and rider were at a greater distance from the pushchair and father. When the cyclists started to pass, the horse and rider came to a stop while the father continued to push the pushchair.
Bmblbzzz wrote:
And remember, cycles and cars are the Johnny come latelies. The roads were built for horses and pedestrians.
The cyclists did slow down –
The cyclists did slow down – but they could also have slowed down a bit more.
Also – rider in front should have shouted a warning.
Must be Mad wrote:
A warning to whom, about what? Everyone could already see everyone else.
He might have shouted the
He might have shouted the warning on approach. The video starts with them already slowing down anyway and some sports cameras turn down the mike when wind and / or close noise being constant. You could barely pick up what the one guy in front was saying when they stopped and waited.
They did indeed slow down,
They did indeed slow down, they were also on the correct side of the road, how much slower before the horse isn’t spooked, what if its spooked by a squeaky brake or a noisy freewheel, or the calls between cyclists to let the group know whats happening.
If a beast that size can be out of control for 27 seconds (that what i reckon from being spooked to moving as directed) then it is a serious danger ot other road users
The cyclists did nothing
The cyclists did nothing wrong here!
wtjs wrote:
Wearing lycra?
Not paying road tax?
Carefully editing the video to ensure that the bits where they jumped red lights on the pavement whilst scattering pedestrians hither and thither are gone?…
Oh yes, wt-so-called-js. I think we can all tell the agenda that your narrative is coming from…..
As a roadie and horse owner
As a roadie and horse owner/rider I’ll say the following.
1) Chances are the dad with the buggy is the partner of the horse rider and they are all out for a walk.
2) Bleed off as much speed as you can and pass as wide as you can. It’s a “just in case” thing but keeps everyone safe.
3) If coming up from behind call out. If the horse can hear you they are unlikely to get spooked.
4) It’s very likely a noise set the horse off. Possibly a squeak of a brake.
5) The horse rider is totally in charge and brings the horse back under control very quickly.
Also roadie/horse owner –
Also roadie/horse owner – agree with all of this.
When solo I’ll call out and speak normally to the rider so that the horse knows I’m people, regardless of the direction of approach. Can’t really tell from the video about the speeds involved here but generally I’ll pass a horse at very very low speed too. I’d wager slower than the group in the video.
“The horse rider is totally
“The horse rider is totally in charge and brings the horse back under control very quickly”
Unless you are suggesting that she wanted the horse to do this, then she is not totally in control, she managed to stay on and get it to move as directed 27 seconds after it was spooked.
EK Spinner wrote:
I’m sure your mammoth knowledge of horse riding tops mine.
S13SFC wrote:
Whatever it is it can’t top my horse knowledge of mammoth riding
They are disputing your point
They are disputing your point 5 not making a claim about horse knowledge. You could argue it was about 10 seconds before the horse was stopped but even then, it was heading towards a junction on the wrong side of the road. Not seeing this as ‘very quickly’
I may not have much
I may not have much experience with horses, but that was not “totally in Control” as you claimed. It turns unexpectedly, travels in the opposite direction and then comes to a halt across the road. Only when it starts being directed back up the road is it “totally in control”. The rest of the time the horse rider was in a damage control exercise to stay on and bring the horse to a halt. Only when making moves directed by the rider is it “Totally inder Control”
The fact that it isn’t under control is the whole point of the video being shown here, the fact that the child was exposed to a risk by this lack of control only akes this scarier to see
Quote:
You’re going to have to help me find that quote. The version I see is:
[I]5) The horse rider is totally in charge and brings the horse back under control very quickly.[/i]
You seem to skip 7 words between “totally in” and “control”.
Apologies for the Typo,
Apologies for the Typo, substitute Charge for control and my argument still stands, the horse was in charge, not the rider.
Great comment, all of it.
Great comment, all of it.
No2, pass slow and wide – totally agree. I try never to actually stop since once you’re stopped, as a cyclist, if the horse reverses into you you’re in big trouble as you can’t get out the way. I don’t think the movement of the slowly passing bike is the problem anyway – so staying stock still won’t help. Horse is probably happier to see you moving slowly past and away.
No way were those two
No way were those two together, if you’ve ever spent any time around horses or handling horses, youll know full well walking up behind a horse especially with its ears pricked is liable to end up with you getting a horseshoe shaped imprint on your head.
S13SFC wrote:
Is that “totally in charge” in the same way that a dog walker with three Rotties on the end of an extending lead is “totally in charge” of them?
Nobody did anything wrong.
Nobody did anything wrong. It is a reminder that horses are occasionally skittish and very large. So a bit like a Range Rover, but rather more attractive.
My 2p’s worth:
My 2p’s worth:
– They should have slowed down to a stop and done so earlier
– making “clicking” sounds with your mouth or speaking will help to put the horse at ease
With the risk to riders, bystanders and horses when horses rear up or kick to the rear, it’s just sensible to let the horse pass first.
This is based on years of growing up in the countryside and a similar number of years riding bikes.
And yes, I do recognise there’s a big element of the horse will do what it wants even if we as bike riders play it safe.
open_roads wrote:
Don’t do that!
The clicking sounds that you’ll frequently hear horse riders making is to encourage the horse to move forwards, and the last thing a cyclist should be doing is trying to emulate the sounds of the person in charge of the horse, and potentially conflicting with their instructions. Admittedly the rider/horse bond is usualy pretty strong so the horse may not respond the same way to noises from strangers, but even so you really don’t want to introduce any confusion.
You could ring your bell from a good distance away if you have one, then call out or talk to the rider as you get a bit closer. Usually gives all parties plenty of time to judge the situation and adjust accordingly, and the sooner the horse knows you are a friendly human rather than a potential threat the better.
Hear, hear, re. clicking.
Hear, hear, re. clicking.
As an aside, we have a police horse around here that will tolerate football crowds, fast-moving emergency service vehicles, gun-fire, explosions, and so on. However, a plastic bag being blown about in the breeze…
Hywel wrote:
Score 10 points!
https://ihearthorses.com/13-completely-normal-objects-spooky-horses-are-irrationally-afraid-of/
[I]1. Plastic bags
[I]Plastic bags are almost every horse’s worst nightmare.
open_roads wrote:
Or just don’t take a ton of animal you can’t control out on a road.
I do my best to slow down for
I do my best to slow down for horses especially when approaching from behind as they are prey animals. If I’m cycling I usually cross into the opposite lane to widen the angle of vision for the horse so it sees me sooner.
We had horses on our farm in Norway and once you lose control of them there is little you can do to stop them, even as an adult male – nevermind the 45kg young girls you see riding on roadsides. As Spen says, it’s a one ton animal. I’d add that a lot of that ton is pure muscle.
Or a ton of anything
Or a ton of anything mechanical. Let’s remember – cyclists and horse riders are not natural enemies.
this story seems to have gotten a new headline?
plastic bags, traffic cones, wheelie bins, drain or cable covers are all examples of things that cause a spook “(I’ve seen a) Monster!” reaction in a horse – it could be a combination of things.
I make “clip clop” sounds, so
I make “clip clop” sounds, so the horse thinks I’m another horse. I might throw in a little whinney and brrrrrrrrrr if they look friendly.
PRSboy wrote:
Be carefull, you don’t want to sound too friendly…..
Nobody in the wrong, arguably
Nobody in the wrong, arguably they could have slowed a bit more but horses can be unpredictable at the best of times. As the saying goes “horses are dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle”
I found if you say hello to
I found if you say hello (in English) to the horse they get more at ease. The rider at the front was probably riding a LaPierre or something and so the horse might have got the false impression they wanted to turn it into a sandwich
But what if the horse doesn’t
But what if the horse doesn’t speak English? It could be a foreign horse (coming over here, eating our oats…).
brooksby wrote:
They all speak English. Just say it LOUDLY and clearly enough…..
It’s almost certainly foreign
It’s almost certainly foreign – A true British horse would have kept calm with a stiff upper lip.
And yeah, I’ve seen the Stewart Lee clip and thought it was pretty funny (although not as funny as the Richard Hammond / Top Gear one)
A stiff upper lip makes it
A stiff upper lip makes it impossible to do the horsey noise
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap
brooksby wrote:
[NEIGHS IN HEAVY SPANISH ACCENT]
Remove the horses road
Remove the horses road licence if it’s not ok being on the road
Is that horse fully taxed?
Is that horse fully taxed? Not seeing a tax disc…
Jenova20 wrote:
You’re not looking in the right place. Lift the tail, it’s under there….
“Guys, Guys, Guys! Horse
“Guys, Guys, Guys! Horse ahead! Let’s all freewheel past it so our screaming hubs help it stay calm!”
Flapping jacket ??♂️
Looks to me like bad luck
Looks to me like bad luck rather than bad behaviour.
The cyclists were going slow… Look at how quickly/short a distance they stop in (short of the horses length, so a couple of metres. That suggests a speed at most ~10mph – slow).
The cyclists left plenty of room (hence why when the horse spooked they were safely clear).
There are several posibilities as to what spooked the horse – the existance of cyclists, squealing brakes, noisy hub or freewheel, the pram being too close behind, tumbleweed blowing across the road behind the camera, rattling chain/mudguard, flapping clothing etc etc…
AFAIK perfect practice with horses is to call out well in advance, keep talking (but not SHOUTING), slow down but keep pedalling to prevent freehub clicking and leave plenty of room just in case, and don’t get close behind, as they can hear but not see you, so might kick out or as demonstrated can turn around to trample something in their blind spot far quicker than you might expect.
This sort of incident is of course a good reminder that (like the cyclists in this clip) you should slow down, call out (n.b. assertive, clear speaking rather than SHOUTING) and leave lots of space for horses, just as cars should allow for cyclists swerving (whether to avoid potholes, or unbalancing slightly when signalling/shoulder checking, or just by mistake…). Hence why the highway code has a bunch of rules designed around the assumption that things like this WILL happen on occasion, so the rules should allow for it to go wrong without anyone getting hurt.
If you see a horse bloody
If you see a horse bloody well slow down! We all know how twitchy they are so why risk an incident when you can boost cyclists’ reputation by slowing down or even stopping to let it pass?
Um – but they did bloody well
Um – but they did bloody well slow down. And it still spooked.
Hi Griggers
Hi Griggers
I completely agree with you. When I ride off road and encounter horses I slow right down, call out to the rider which side I’m one and pass very very slowly. Horse riders have always been pleasant to me and appreciate the thoughtfulness. Remember if you spook a horse, the rider has a long way to fall. The guys in the video at the head of the column where completely in the wrong as far as I’m concerned/
Dear road.cc – footage
Dear road.cc – footage removed following a request by whom? One of the cyclists? The horsist? Or the perambulatorist? Just curious.
Dear road.cc – footage
Dear road.cc – footage removed following a request by whom? One of the cyclists? The horsist? Or the perambulatorist?
This does seem pretty barmy- is this in case the horse sees it and is upset?
wtjs wrote:
Well that explains its long face
H
The OCG
H
The OCG
hirsute wrote:
H The OCG
???
???
Line of Duty tv showw BBC1
Line of Duty tv showw BBC1 Sundays
(told you my sense of humour is warped !)
With this story, road.cc are
With this story, road.cc are just trying to stirrup controversy.
Duncann wrote:
That comment has me bridling….
Well, now you’re saddled with
Well, now you’re saddled with it.
There’s some very juvenile
I didn’t see this footage, shame it was taken down
There’s some very juvenile comments about the horse altercation on here, for christs sake, just be sensible about it and offer them the same courtesy, you have a share the road with them after all. Of course some get spooked by cycles. Animals can be very unpredictable.
Common sense, people!.