Do you think I caught them unawares

I was behind at a walk for a while and they just weren't paying any attention to anything from behind, bearing in mind there are a lot of bikes along this stretch, so I trotted on hoping they would hear me, obviously not :rolleyes:
 
ino its prob not what you want to hear but that could have been a massive disaster. Those dogs could have been shocked and gone for your horses legs and leaving your horse injured.
Cyclists do my head in when walking my dog/riding they just whizz up behind and yes ok your louder than them but still. Maybe a polite excuse me could you move your dogs etc so i can pass. Luckily they were ok
 
here is my honest opinion. I would never have approached those people or those dogs like that. There was no need to rush up behind them like that .. with a little bit more thought on your part you could have both enjoyed your activities in harmony. The whole video comes across to me as very arrogant.
 
luckyoldme said:
here is my honest opinion. I would never have approached those people or those dogs like that. There was no need to rush up behind them like that .. with a little bit more thought on your part you could have both enjoyed your activities in harmony. The whole video comes across to me as very arrogant.
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^^agree^^

I was always taught that you WALK past pedestrians - even on bridle paths. You could have called - 'Hello' or something.
 
Pat10 said:
^^agree^^

I was always taught that you WALK past pedestrians - even on bridle paths. You could have called - 'Hello' or something.
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Ditto - i always shout good morning and walk past everyone - if you had informed them you were there they would have had chance to put the dogs on leads!
 
Yeah I agree with the posters above.. sometimes people just don't know that you are approaching. Trotting up behind them could just make it worse.

When riding, I take a similar approach to how I do when I am on my bike. I cycle regularly. If someone (pedestrian, fellow cyclist, whatever) is ahead of me and I wish to pass, I make my presence known. I make sure they know I am there by noticing their response. In this case, I usually just have to ring my bell.

If on horseback, I would call out. "Excuse me!" or "hello!" should suffice. Being polite is key.. I can imagine these people might've gone home and told a story of how they were out with the dogs when suddenly a horse was practically on top of them..
 
That was er..nice, considerate and thoughtful riding. That's why people complain to parish and local councils and horse riders get banned from some paths.

Didn't even slow to a walk and say hello and wait for them to get their dogs under control - you just "rode them right down"

No wonder people have an attitude towards horse riders. Pedestrians are already at a disadvantage when you're towering over them, but to ride like that is not making any friends.

Not what you wanted to hear Pedantic, but that's what it looks like.
 
brucea said:
That was er..nice, considerate and thoughtful riding. That's why people complain to parish and local councils and horse riders get banned from some paths.

Didn't even slow to a walk and say hello and wait for them to get their dogs under control - you just "rode them right down"

No wonder people have an attitude towards horse riders. Pedestrians are already at a disadvantage when you're towering over them, but to ride like that is not making any friends.

Not what you wanted to hear Pedantic, but that's what it looks like.
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Agreed, why not just shout ahead - hello and given them chance to sort themselves out.
 
Why not just shout out to let them know you were there and give them chance to put the dogs on a lead? Surely better than pushing right through the middle of their dogs and potentially causing an accident, which no doubt you'd have blamed them for had it happened. Next time you post about the "nation of ar3eholes", I hope people remind you of this.
 
Actually to me it just indicates that the people walking their dogs were deaf if they could not hear the horse from behind. Horses at trot or walk have a very distinguishable sound on a hard surface! Also if said path was in fact also a bridle path then the dogs should really not have been off the lead like that in the first place. At least Pedantic kept to the hard surface on his approach and didn't go onto the grass in which case the people would not have heard him at all. By keeping the horse moving and not stopping to walk or to a standstill actually prevented any danger in my opinion as a standing/still horse is an easier target for a dog to attack its legs than a moving one. So he did the right thing by getting past them safely but not at a sedate pace.
 
uhhh-ohhh.
pop-corn post methinks.

have to agree with other posters about this kind of riding,i think it gives horse riders a bad name.
you may have had a good reason for wanting to keep your horse going but your average unhorsey person would not understand that.
 
Just out of interest .... what would the liability issue be IF the horse had injured a dog or person?

Dogs do not legally have to be on the lead on brideways, they just have to be under control- these here seemed under control.

I am unsure what the video aims to prove?
 
I have to agree with the others. Would it not have hurt you to call out "excuse me" or "Horse coming through" ? it would've took 2 seconds! you were lucky that all the dogs just barked and nothing else. They couldv'e attacked your Horse! and I'm sorry to say it wouldv'e been your fault if they had! It's people like you that give riders a bad name. They have just as much right to be there as you.
 
I don't think Pedantic was riding irresponsibly, and it is not he whose animal was loose and out of control in a public place. True, he could have called out when the people in control of their dogs continued to be remarkably oblivious to the hoofbeats approaching them, despite having 4 loose dogs. However there is nothing wrong with keeping the horse moving (I believe he did slow down) and riding confidently, more likely in fact to avoid attack by the loose dogs.

The dog owners had FOUR dogs loose on a public track. They, like all animal owners, are strictly liable for any harm caused by their dogs. ie liability without fault.

Happens to me all the time when I'm out running - if I had to stop and wait while dogs were put on the lead every time I passed them and they ran at me, I wouldn't get any running done. We were talking about this at the weekend re a local track near us and my relatives were complaining about dogs jumping up on their children in small pushchairs and licking them in the face, etc..
 
Sorry, I don't think this is cute at all!

As both a dog owner and a horse owner/rider, I would never trot up to or past dog walkers and I'd be livid if someone did that to me while I was walking my dogs. I do my best to make sure dogs are under control and well-behaved when we meet horses out and about . . . but how on earth am I supposed to do that if you don't slow to a walk? Dogs are predators . . . many of them are predisposed to chase. Yes, owners have a duty of care to make sure their dogs are under control and sociable, etc, but horse riders have an equal duty of care.

If you had trotted up to and past me and my dogs, I'm afraid my older collie cross would have both barked and lunged at your horse . . . he is beautifully behaved (now - I have had to work hard) if horses pass at a walk, but he would find the trotting far too exciting to cope with . . . and if he lunged at your horse and it spooked and you came off, whose fault would it be?

Please be more considerate and stay safe.

P
 
Cazee34 said:
Actually to me it just indicates that the people walking their dogs were deaf if they could not hear the horse from behind. Horses at trot or walk have a very distinguishable sound on a hard surface!
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It's not about deafness, it's about time to react. I can distinguish between the cadence of a horse's footfalls in walk, trot and canter . . . but if a horse is trotting towards me I have far less time to gather my dogs and get them under control than I do if said horse is walking.

Would you trot past another horse and rider too? Again, I'd be seriously peeved if someone did that to me - it's just not good hacking etiquette. Speed = fun and/or chase to some horses and dogs alike - it's both common sense and good manners to slow to a walk when passing dog walkers and other riders.

If, as a dog walker, I'm expected to take due care and attention that my dogs don't chase or bother or otherwise harrass riders then it makes sense that riders should not do anything that makes that more difficult - quid pro quo and all that.

Anything else is just inconsiderate and rude.

P
 
Mithras said:
Happens to me all the time when I'm out running - if I had to stop and wait while dogs were put on the lead every time I passed them and they ran at me, I wouldn't get any running done. We were talking about this at the weekend re a local track near us and my relatives were complaining about dogs jumping up on their children in small pushchairs and licking them in the face, etc..
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But no offense - you don't run as fast as a horse . . . as a dog walker I am always on the lookout for riders, runners, bike riders and people pushing small children in buggies - and when I spot them I always call my dogs to me to allow those folks to pass safely and unmolested - because I have time. A big-striding horse in trot moves much quicker, though, and is much more enticing to chase because it is BIG (at least it is to one of my two dogs - the other doesn't care at all).

The rudeness here (to me anyway) is not giving people due warning and time to react/get their dogs under control - and I think the rider is jolly lucky that the dogs were so well-behaved - one of mine wouldn't have been. Oh, and I ALWAYS slow to a walk when I meet walkers (whether they have dogs with them or not) when out hacking. Coming up behind someone hard of hearing at speed could startle them - which in turn could startle my horse . . . it's called manners (and self-preservation).

P
 
PolarSkye said:
Dogs are predators . . . many of them are predisposed to chase.
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All the more reason they should be on leads in public places where they might do so, unless they are so well trained not to.

PolarSkye said:
Yes, owners have a duty of care to make sure their dogs are under control and sociable, etc, but horse riders have an equal duty of care.
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Wrong. You are attempting to string together various unrelated legal concepts to an area covered by strict liability.

PolarSkye said:
. . . and if he lunged at your horse and it spooked and you came off, whose fault would it be?
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As a solicitor, I can confirm that it would be you, as the animals' owner, under the strict liability of the Animals Act 1971, which does not recognise contributory negligence, volenti non fit injuria, standard of care, reasonableness and so on as defences to an action for damages, whether to property or person. If your animal injures someone, you are liable.

(its because animals can't be relied upon to follow the law themselves and the law therefore regards their human owners as being better placed to control them and take out third party insurance).
 
PolarSkye said:
But no offense - you don't run as fast as a horse . . . as a dog walker I am always on the lookout for riders, runners, bike riders and people pushing small children in buggies - and when I spot them I always call my dogs to me to allow those folks to pass safely and unmolested - because I have time. A big-striding horse in trot moves much quicker, though, and is much more enticing to chase because it is BIG (at least it is to one of my two dogs - the other doesn't care at all).
P
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Eh? At best, I'm still a sub 20 min 5k runner and do sub 6 minute miling in intervals. I run faster than my horse trots and one of my 30 minute run loops takes my horse between 35 and 40 minutes to do - if I run at race speed, they have to canter to keep up with me (tried it when running in from the field). And I'm female - there must be quite a few male 10k runners out training who will be doing 5 minute miling.

If your dog decides running with me is more fun than ambling about with you because its off the lead and you can't control it, don't reckon on me running all the way back to make sure it comes back to you.
 
What the hell ever happened to a bit of give and take, and basic good manners on both sides? Or is that out of fashion these days? If, say, someone out running with a dog overtook someone riding at walk with no warning I'm sure everyone would think that was terrible, so how come it's ok for the roles in that situation to be reversed?:rolleyes:
 
Mithras said:
As a solicitor, I can confirm that it would be you, as the animals' owner, under the strict liability of the Animals Act 1971, which does not recognise contributory negligence, volenti non fit injuria, standard of care, reasonableness and so on as defences to an action for damages, whether to property or person. If your animal injures someone, you are liable.

(its because animals can't be relied upon to follow the law themselves and the law therefore regards their human owners as being better placed to control them and take out third party insurance).
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I'm normally a mild-mannered person, but I don't care for your rather arrogant tone.

I'm not stupid (although I'm no lawyer) - I am aware that I would be liable - it's called a rhetorical question. However, I am not talking about the law, I am talking about manners - remember those?

What you're describing is a society in which right maketh might . . . manners and consideration of others be damned. I prefer to operate on the principle of consideration of others . . . I like other people to treat me with due care and consideration, and I certainly treat everyone else the same way.

It may not be grounded in law, but last I checked manners and consideration aren't necessarily governed by the judicial system.

P
 
Mithras said:
Eh? If your dog decides running with me is more fun than ambling about with you because its off the lead and you can't control it, don't reckon on me running all the way back to make sure it comes back to you.
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My dogs always come back to me. Who said I expected you to run back to me? Get over yourself.

P
 
PolarSkye said:
I'm normally a mild-mannered person, but I don't care for your rather arrogant tone.

I'm not stupid (although I'm no lawyer) - I am aware that I would be liable - it's called a rhetorical question. However, I am not talking about the law, I am talking about manners - remember those?

What you're describing is a society in which right maketh might . . . manners and consideration of others be damned. I prefer to operate on the principle of consideration of others . . . I like other people to treat me with due care and consideration, and I certainly treat everyone else the same way.

It may not be grounded in law, but last I checked manners and consideration aren't necessarily governed by the judicial system.

P
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I actually think its rather arrogant to assume that the law doesn't apply to you, and to take large, potentially out of control dogs out in public, and assume that everyone else will take steps to avoid upsetting them, so you are not troubled in YOUR chosen activity.
 
I think Mithras probably does run as fast as Pedantic was travelling, she is a fit athlete so she won't be wheezing along barely faster than a walk like most of the joggers I see and Pedantic rides a pony.

Harking back to the days I used to help out at a riding school with the lead rein lessons, even the bigger ponies did not trot faster that a comfy jog for an adult, some of the smaller ponies you could walk fast to their trot.

You only have to look round at an inhand showing class to see horse trotting speeds compared to human running speeds and not many really have to run at speed to keep up, even with big horses. I am only jogging rather than actually running when I trot my WB up.

Anyway back to topic, I think there is a bit of a lack of manners on both sides, but I don't think trotting past dogs is a terrible crime, unless they ask you to slow down. Ideally Pedantic would have called out excuse me, but ideally the dog walkers would have been aware enough that he didn't need to!

ETA: Oops just seen things have moved on while I was typing, logging back in and retyping!
 
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Polar skye i am 110% with you. I think this video is shocking and i wouldnt dream of going faster than a walk past people also shouting to let them know we are there. If horses dont hvae shoes they make no noise, also as horse owners you know the sound of a horse but if you dont have horses you dont know necesarily.
mithras you sound like someone who gives horse riders a bad name. Also if you ran up behind me without saying hello when out wlaking my dog she wouldnt go for you but she could spin round and knock you over, even if she was on her lead. she is a big dog and very well behaved but silly things happen and accidents happen. The same fro cyclists and horse riders. Get off your high horse just becasue you know whos fault it would be and go and find some manners.
 
Mithras said:
Happens to me all the time when I'm out running - if I had to stop and wait while dogs were put on the lead every time I passed them and they ran at me, I wouldn't get any running done.
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Yes, I know. I keep trying to get some fittening work done on my horse and we have to trot and canter on all tracks, but we keep meeting bikes, walkers and dogs, families with pushchairs and toddlers who toddle under my horses legs. I have to keep slowing down to a walk and its so annoying.
The tracks should be cleared for us serious althletes.:rolleyes:
 
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