Considerate and helpful motorcyclist!

Holly Hocks

Holly Hocks

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I took my recently backed 3 and a half year old out for a hack today - well I walked behind while a lightweight rider rode her. Once again she was unflappable. Where we hack out is pretty quiet roads with just a couple of hundred yards of slightly busier road away from the yard and back towards it - but still nothing major.
The only thing I've found that pony doesn't like is motorbike noises and similar type noises, like lawnmowers and about 100yards from the driveway back to the yard I heard a motorbike. I grabbed pony who made it quite clear that she had also heard it and put my hand up to stop the motorcyclist who was coming towards us. Not only did he stop, but he turned his engine off. When we got closer I asked him if he would turn his engine on, which he did. He let me take pony, with rider still on, to the bike and he gave her big pats and made a fuss of her while his engine was running. We then walked on and he slowly drove away.
So I just want to say thank you, to whoever that motorcyclist was. It was really really helpful - I just need to meet him for a few more encounters!
 
Just be carful sometimes its the puff of air from the bike that sets the horse off rather than the sound once they are used to it, as it will puff hot air on their legs.

My hubby used to come to the yard on his bike when we were courting... Gingerwitch discovered that man with bike usually had a polo.... we used to chase after bikes after that as she thought every bike was hubby ! lol
 
That's really lovely to hear :)

I was passed by two extremely considerate motorcyclists today as well, who slowed right down to walking pace.
 
Crimbowitch said:
Just be carful sometimes its the puff of air from the bike that sets the horse off rather than the sound once they are used to it, as it will puff hot air on their legs.

My hubby used to come to the yard on his bike when we were courting... Gingerwitch discovered that man with bike usually had a polo.... we used to chase after bikes after that as she thought every bike was hubby ! lol
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Oh I don't intend to be getting her close enough for her to feel the puff of hot air on her legs - I just need her to get used to the noise.....it's that high pitched revvy noise she doesn't like.....but she is a real dude and hasn't reacted to anything else...
 
Theocat said:
That's really lovely to hear :)

I was passed by two extremely considerate motorcyclists today as well, who slowed right down to walking pace.
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That's good. I do find that most of them, if you put your hand up, do slow down or stop - after all, they're vulnerable road users as well, so they probably know how we feel!
 
Holly Hocks said:
Oh I don't intend to be getting her close enough for her to feel the puff of hot air on her legs - I just need her to get used to the noise.....it's that high pitched revvy noise she doesn't like.....but she is a real dude and hasn't reacted to anything else...
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you would be surprised how far away the puff hits them... especially on a country lane and the bike goes past them- see if you can get someone to come to the yard and let her get used to the rev sounds... they soon desensatise especially if they get a few polos.... its also a good way of finding a fella if your on the hunt :D
 
Crimbowitch said:
you would be surprised how far away the puff hits them... especially on a country lane and the bike goes past them- see if you can get someone to come to the yard and let her get used to the rev sounds... they soon desensatise especially if they get a few polos.... its also a good way of finding a fella if your on the hunt :D
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LOL!! No not on the hunt......I'll bear it in mine re the puff - I'd never thought of it! Thanks.
 
I always try to pass horses slow and wide on my bikes, last one was a Triumph Thunderbird 900 with loud pipes, some horses didn't mind but some hated it, I stopped switched off the engine and let them pass me, waited a few minutes until they were clear and off I went.
Not only would I not deliberately scare any animal but it's not in my interests if I scare the hell out of horses of potential clients is it!
 
I too have always found motorcyclists to be considerate and I agree it's probably to do with understanding how vulnerable we all are, what I don't understand is why cyclists don't get it?!?!
My OH Is a cyclist and constantly has to educate the people he goes out with on how to pass horses.
 
The motorcyclists round here have learned to avoid the road that our gallops is on in the mornings as theywill have a great ride spoilt by a string of racehorses. It's a great road for bikes as there is a mile and half straight with a big, steep enough downhill followed by a tightish bend and a few more big sweeping bends and an old stone railway bridge to go up and over. About 3miles of good fun in the process.

Any we do meet are generally scared by the sheer number of horses that they slow right down. We don't encourage them to stop as they are too vulnerable should one of the string take a rare spaz attack.
 
Ex-OH's brother was somewhat of a hardcore biker, he always used to say that he slowed and switched off if necessary, as he didn't want upwards of half a ton of horse landing on him! I find the only ones who don't slow are young lads on the little noisy beggers and of course the cyclists. I also can't understand the fools who don't get that they would suffer as much if not more than the horse.
 
We meet a lot of off roaders on hacks, 99% of them couldn't be more polite. Oddly, the last rude ones I encountered were 4 middle aged men who tried to squeeze past, engines running. They had a lad with them, he was the only one willing to stop and looked distinctly embarrassed by his elders.
 
Im a biker and would do the exact same, as would many of my non horsey biker friends. Bikers are also in touch with their own mortality ;) in also being a vulnerable road user - so maybe have a extra little sprinkle of consideration :)
 
Unlike the one i came upon today - tinkering with his bike, shoving it around when my horse was quite visibly alarmed (backing up, spinning, snorting) just as i got her past he decided to turn it on rev up and speed away. Thanks for that!!

Then had a cyclist come out of nowhere behind me, shouted to warn me just as he was level with same horses bum, who then spooked (all 4 legs out to the side like a cat lol) and then he carried on shouting and muttering!!
 
I find motorcyclists to be brilliant tbh - they really do seem to understand how vulnerable we all are. I wish the cyclist around here would take a leaf out of their book.
 
I think a lot of bikers have horsey OHs! After all one expensive hobby deserves another! Me and oh both have bikes. I'd stop if a hand was up, if not just pull in the clutch so there's no engine noise and coast past wide and slow. The key is to get well past before letting the clutch out, and keeping revs low. On behalf of bikers I'd say thanks for appreciating our vulnerability. Hardly anyone does!
 
I always find motorbikes to be brilliant around horses. In fact I met some trail bikers a while ago and the minute the saw us they stopped and turned off their engines. We thanked them profusely and they told us that their club rules require them to stop and turn off their engines everytime they encounter a horse. :D
 
I think most motorcylists are good as they are kind of vulnerable themselves but I always find most of them curteous. But if you have had a good experience I hope you can build on it. But its good to traffic them so it all becomes normal. Shame about most of the other road users...Cyclists....urghhh.
 
Encountered 2 middle aged men on really loud big quads just recently down a very tight country lane, i'd already started to get off when i heard them, they pulled over, switched off engines and then let me come over to them with quivering pony and made a fuss of him before switching them back on. Thanks to whoever they were, understood why i'd dismounted when i explained that just a yr ago my pony was spooked badly by a noisy bike and bolted, cue me flying off sideways........
 
Darcy associates nice things with motorbike noises as I turn up on a scooter every day and they get fed .(she was liking a tractor today) very special . None of the other horses bother when I come up behind them on the lane to the yard. Any problems I would always switch off and let then pass in their own time.
 
I'm a biker as is hubby, we often take bikes to yard so I think it's good for the horses, hubby bike really loud so he will wheel it away a bit before starting it up, my young lad happy to let my hubby roar right up next to him and park and he don't bat a eyelid..!

Cyclists on the other hand.... Argh they are the worst flying past you without slowing down freighting the hell out of the horse.
 
I passed a large group of motorcyclists not too long ago on my sisters old horse who preceded to have a totally hissy fit about them. They were lovely and all stopped while I got him under control and didn't continue on again until we were well past. They seemed a smiley, happy bunch which was nice too since I was mortified :D
 
Gingerwitch said:
My hubby used to come to the yard on his bike when we were courting... Gingerwitch discovered that man with bike usually had a polo.... we used to chase after bikes after that as she thought every bike was hubby ! lol
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That brought back some memories!! First horse was scared of pushbikes (probably because they sneak up on him quietly) so daughters OH came out and did the polo feeding trick. It took almost instantaneous effect, and then her OH remembered he was actually a bit scared of horses so he cycled faster... and faster.. and then into a field. Still pursued by a large black cob.. daughter and I were crying with laughter and no use at all!
 
Motorcylists are some of the most consider people out and about, cyclists on the other hand (and I'm generlising) are dredful and thanks to some rude obnoxious *insert very rude word* my 20 yo horse now has a mortal fear of pushbikes.
 
Had the same experience as others in that motorcyclists are so much courteous than cyclists. A lot of posts on here have said that's because motorcyclists understand the vunerability as they share that feeling - so why the hell don't cyclists?? :confused:
 
pigpony said:
Motorcylists are some of the most consider people out and about, cyclists on the other hand (and I'm generlising) are dredful and thanks to some rude obnoxious *insert very rude word* my 20 yo horse now has a mortal fear of pushbikes.
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Another one who has had nothing but good experiences with motorcyclists, but just this morning a cyclist appeared from nowhere behinh us on a hack, they are without doubt totally self absorbed and rude.
 
EKW said:
The motorcyclists round here have learned to avoid the road that our gallops is on in the mornings as theywill have a great ride spoilt by a string of racehorses. It's a great road for bikes as there is a mile and half straight with a big, steep enough downhill followed by a tightish bend and a few more big sweeping bends and an old stone railway bridge to go up and over. About 3miles of good fun in the process.

Any we do meet are generally scared by the sheer number of horses that they slow right down. We don't encourage them to stop as they are too vulnerable should one of the string take a rare spaz attack.
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We had this! One of our racehorses kicked someones motorcycle. He wasn't very happy as it got a big dent :cool:

Ohhhh why can't all drivers and motorcyclists be like this! What a lovely guy!
 
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