A way to ask people clearly and politely to stop behaving like predators?

[soloequestrian]

My girl has no problem with walkers/dogs/bikes/small children until they try to be helpful by hiding in bushes. Today someone took their dog and bike 'out of our way' behind a big stand of bracken so we could only see the person's head. Horse stopped dead, eyes on stalks! I tried to communicate that she couldn't see them and that was worrying her but we were still a distance apart and the message didn't translate so we ended up in a brief stalemate. It's not a huge deal, but just wondering if anyone has come up with an effective way of asking people not to pretend to stalk them?!

 

[Polos Mum]

I ask them (shouting if a long way away) - "please could you come out from behind the tree so he can see you "

Very specifically what I would like them to do, then as we tip toe past in full panic mode I give my biggest smile and say "Thank you so much he's really scared of things he can't see." (or whatever they are doing)

People are trying to be helpful and if you're really specific they do that.

The worst I had was a lady with a massive GSD type dog that she was keeping the attention of by holding a large tree branch piece of stick above her head. !!
Then it was "please could you put the stick down as he thinks your going to throw it at him" followed by big smile and "they are very illogical some times !"

when they launch at a sneaky cyclist I always ask them to call out next time they come up behind a horse.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I tend to bellow (politely) and once I'm closer, I usually say 'my pony thinks you are hiding and likely to pop out by star jumping' that usually breaks the ice and I thank them for having the foresight to give me space.

These days it's rare for B to peer at hiding walkers, unless they have a pram or pushchair! ??

 

[rextherobber]

It's a perennial problem, agree with Polo's mum, be very specific. Avoid saying the horse is fine with dogs though, as apparently that translates into allowing the dogs to run under the horse while yapping... Have you met the dog owners who say, "He doesn't do anything ", as their dog is circling, darting in to nip the back legs and under their belly? Presumably, "doing" things is actually leaping on their back, going forth jugular. I asked one last week to swop places, they can sit on the big prey species herbivore, and I'll be on ny phone, ignoring the prowling carnivore, see if their definition of "doing anything " changes....

 

[criso]

Re dogs I always say my horse is really good but very clumsy and might step on them without realising.

 

[CMcC]

As already said by others deal with it politely and with humour. When explained I find most people find it interesting and are happy to comply.

As a dog owner am proud to say in 30 years only one of mine went under the feet of a horse, I apologised profusely while trying to get her back. Lovely old chap on horse said, “Don’t worry m’dear, he hunts, quite used to hounds”!

 

[JackFrost]

I haven't found any successful way to stop people hiding in bushes. I wish they wouldn't. If I shout they don't hear me or seem to think they must keep quiet. So I use a different approach of trying to communicate to my horse that there are nice people there by talking to the people very loudly and cheerily. I remember someone on this forum saying they dealt with their horse's anxiety about random things by pretending that everything was a person. This required shouting a cheery hello to all lamp posts and dustbins.

 

[BSL2]

"Hello there, person in hedge, would you come out of hiding and show yourself and speak please, horse then knows you're a person". That's what I call out. It works sometimes but I do live in a town full of zombies who often grunt and not much else. What has happened that people can't say "good morning/good afternoon anymore?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Yes… i just shout! I can see you, but my horsey cant , please come out ?

 

[Barton Bounty]

"Hello there, person in hedge, would you come out of hiding and show yourself and speak please, horse then knows you're a person". That's what I call out. It works sometimes but I do live in a town full of zombies who often grunt and not much else. What has happened that people can't say "good morning/good afternoon anymore?

Yeah, happens a lot, but the cyclists round my way want a full conversation while riding past ???

 

[millikins]

A memorable one was the small boy who helpfully hid behind a tree at the top of a bank then lost his balance and slid down it in front of the ponies. They fortunately had seen him but it was funny.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Re dogs I always say my horse is really good but very clumsy and might step on them without realising.

I just say mine will kick, he never has but it’s not one I want to ever risk!

As for the people in trees, I have said would you mind just standing where he can see you please? And follow it up with a sorry, he’s bit of a scaredy-cat or something!

 

[J&S]

Its difficult, isn't it, as the person/s intentions are good! Only thing to do is to call to them and hope they hear.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I usually call out a friendly greeting, apologise and ask if they could call out so pony realises are a person/people and not a hedge residing monster waiting to scare him ? I usually blame my pony being a wimp - he's not, but by putting the blame on us and apologising I always think it recognises they are trying to be helpful.

Always with a laugh, a big smile, big thanks for their help & wishing them a lovely walk/run/day.

 

[paddy555]

it is very difficult because these people are the exact opposite of cars and bikes that zoom past too close.
When I finally get level with them I stop and explain but they are all trying their absolute best to be helpful.

 

[MereChristmas]

I always call, shout if necessary, something like
Don’t hide. Come out please. My horse knows you’re there. He thinks you’re going to jump out
If I can I explain about horses feeling threatened and then running away. Everyone so far has listened and co operated.
Sometimes I end by saying
Their brains and eyes are different to ours. They don’t process stuff in the same way as us.

I have told this before but
Riding along and we see a line worker at the top of a telegraph pole. Horse plants, turns into equine giraffe.
I shout
Hello
no reply
I shout
Say something please
Man says
What do you want me to say
I say
That’ll do, thank you

.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

The biggest problem I had was with a guy hiking with a huge rucksack on; it was massive and completely altered the shape of the person.

My old lad, bless 'im, was as daft as a box of frogs one minute and a plod the next, but when he caught sight of this apparition coming down the road towards him (think there was also a couple of pots & pans clanking on the back somewhere - NOT helpful!) I just felt him freeze........ that awful feeling where you just wonder what the heck they're gonna do.

Fortunately we were on our way home, but I just knew the situation was dire so shouted out to this guy, who was striding towards us, to please just "stand as still as you possibly can (i.e. don't even breathe for god's sake!!) coz my horse can't quite identify what you are". The poor guy, he just stood there, as bidden. Thank goodness he did.

Somehow we managed to creep past. All was well. But it just shows how much our horses are in the "prey" mode for such a lot of the time.

 

[cauda equina]

I had this approaching a man who was mending his bike
Man = ok
Man on bike = ok
Man crouching down next to bike = very much not ok

 

[criso]

I had this approaching a man who was mending his bike
Man = ok
Man on bike = ok
Man crouching down next to bike = very much not ok

We had bike upside down with its wheels in the air while being fixed. Absolutely terrifying.

 

[Winters100]

I have a reminder to be careful of this in my sore back and neck after a fall last weekend. Totally my fault that I fell as was not paying attention and had not bothered with a saddle, but a good reminder that without a saddle I should not be riding on the buckle of my rein while turning round to talk to the friend riding behind me. Horse span around and I carried on. Lesson learned!

 

[paddy555]

I have a reminder to be careful of this in my sore back and neck after a fall last weekend. Totally my fault that I fell as was not paying attention and had not bothered with a saddle, but a good reminder that without a saddle I should not be riding on the buckle of my rein while turning round to talk to the friend riding behind me. Horse span around and I carried on. Lesson learned!

perhaps liking this is not very sympathetic. hope the pain is easing.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

The biggest problem I had was with a guy hiking with a huge rucksack on; it was massive and completely altered the shape of the person.

I had something similar back in the day when I worked at a RS. I was taking a hack out with several adults and we met a walker with a fisherman's basket on his back. One of the horses leapt sideways in horror which was a useful lesson for the men on the ride. I remember one saying he hadn't realised horses could or would do that.

 

[Caol Ila]

My ex-feral was quite suspicious of people hiding in trees in a predatory way. Luckily, he's good with large backpacks, which is handy because we sometimes use the West Highland Way. He's better with people going into the trees, but he still gets spooky if people are crouching down, fixing a bike or picking mushrooms or taking artsy photos of rocks (it happens) or whatever, looking not quite human.

I usually yell, "Hi" or "Good afternoon."

When they act puzzled about some random stranger saying hi, I explain, "My horse needs to know you're human." They usually laugh or say something. I don't care. The moment they make human-like noises, Fin realizes what they are and he's fine.

 

[criso]

We get a lot of DofE teenagers with rucksacks. There's a couple of points where they unload their rucksacks and collapse on the grass in numbers which can be tricky.

Also sometimes the girls rush towards you, rucksacks and all, wanting to pat your horse.

 

[Winters100]

perhaps liking this is not very sympathetic. hope the pain is easing.

All fine thanks. The main injury was to my pride! Especially because I am of an age where without a saddle I use a step to mount, so had to find a suitable tree stump and scramble up in a rather inelegant manner!!

 

[ThreeFurs]

Timely thread. I'm keeping a friend's Clydie x in light work while she recovers from a fractured knee. She broke it in a fall off this horse, in her own arena, warming up on the right rein, coming around the short side, across the road from her arena, her [non horsey] neighbour stepped out at that moment, from behind a huge tree, holding a squirming puppy. [He'd wanted to show it to my friend] Clydie slams on the brakes and spins 180, my friend flies off at great speed.

6 weeks later, I'm on the Clydie [thankfully in collected walk, same spot, and the neighbour's wife slips stealthily out from behind the same tree! [silently; I had no idea she there]. The gelding freezes, grows four hands and snorts and I think, here we go again, ... but coach was there and we got his focus back.

Despite spending two months on crutches with a leg brace my friend hasn't said anything to these neighbours, arguing, 'well they should be able to move around their own property freely' but some of the feedback here would be good to give them, like she could suggest to them 'if you see me on the arena, can you say something when you approach your front fenceline so the horse knows your coming'?

The clydie is a dear soul, he's sensitive, but he has been loaned to Riding for the Disabled and has always been trustworthy, I just think his startle reflex took over.

 

[Sleipnir]

This thread reminds me of a couple of events ?

* Riding my then youngish gelding down a very steep and narrow forest path. Towards us comes a group of ladies, all dressed in neon pink and click-a-clicking on the rocks with their hiking sticks. Upon noticing us, they all, without even ushering a word, suddenly hide in the thick bushes on the side of the path and stand there as if frozen. I tried calling out to them and begging them to come out, but they just stood there motionless as we passaged by. As soon as we reached the last one hiding, they suddenly all emerged right behind my geldings' tail and hurriedly clicked away. Horse nearly bolted...

* Riding along another forest path, we spot a man foraging for mushrooms. I voice a friendly hello and hope for an answer. Instead, he crouches down without a word and starts creeping away on all fours. ? I was honestly ready to take off myself. ?

 

[Tiddlypom]

My safest ever horse once had a complete meltdown when nearly home from a hack - a neighbour was clearing out the ditch in front of his house and decided *helpfully* to crouch down low in the ditch so as not to frighten the horse ?.

Opening up a general conversation ("Lovely day" type of thing) is IMHO the best way to go rather than asking the person(s) to speak. I've done that since a cyclist declared to me "I'm not talking to a ****** horse".

 

[scruffyponies]

I think as horsey-people we often forget (or don't realise) that normal folks are often **** scared of horses, and will avoid getting close at all costs. This accounts for much of the hiding in bushes.

If I can, I try to raise a smile by explaining that ponies aren't very bright, and get tense when they think someone is behaving like a lion.

 

[J&S]

In the New Forest near my old livery yard there was a huge black and dirty pig who used to lie in the ditch beside the path from the yard onto the forest proper. She sadly never learnt English and would pop up to terrify the event horses out for exercise!