Does your horse react to motorbikes out hacking?

[Dulcie]

I hack on a bridleway next to a dual carriageway which slips onto one of the main motorways. I've had everything, lorries, caravans, motorbikes, people beeping their horn to spook us.

Fair to say my seat muscles could take on Kim Kardashian's any day after the amount of snorting and leaping/prancing I've had to sit

But they are usually extremely considerate, I had one wheel his once (not on the dual carriage way) and I actually spoke to him as I walked past to thank him!

 

[RIDMagic]

Wow thanks everyone for replying. Very interesting reading. It's interesting that so many people say motorcyclists are amongst the most considerate drivers on the road. I'd actually agree with this - I had a bad experience once where my mare ran off as a motorbike approached from behind but the driver was absolutely mortified and so apologetic (even though he hadn't actually done anything wrong and was driving very sensibly). I just worry, as someone else said, that my nerves would pass on and make a horse react even though it had no intention of doing so! I guess desensitisation is the key.

 

[Rollin]

I had an experience which will make you laugh. My old darling gelding, who lived to be 36 years of age and never gave me a vet bill, was an ex-film horse. (Pinewood Studios, Three Musketeers, film with Julia Roberts), he was pretty good in traffic but would chase bicycles, given the chance and hated motorbikes. As other have said I found bikers mostly considerate.

We were returning from a hack coming down a steep hill. I always kept my eyes and ears open but on this occasion a motorbike had coasted down the hill and gunned the engine just as he came alongside the old horse's hindquarters. The old boy took off like a race horse out of a starting gate but stopped after about 10 yards. At this point I heard a small terrified voice say "Your horse nearly had me off my bike". There was a second rider coasting behind and as we took off my horse had moved to the right almost knocking off the second rider. I pointed out he was lucky I stopped the horse "His stable is a mile in that direction. Lucky he did not bolt all the way home". I am sure they were both prudent when approaching horses after that.

 

[millikins]

We have a lot of off road bikers and ponies aren't bothered, though the old mare gets terribly excited because they sound like the quad bike the drag hunt uses. On my first ever road drive with my small pony, I chose a nice quiet Sunday (I thought) and met what must have been the entire Southern Harley Davidson Club out on a jolly. Must have been 50+ of them, I thought OMG I'm going to die, pony didn't bat an eyelid then spooked at a jogger coming up behind

 

[Bob notacob]

Bob notacob is a real petrol head . He does react to the sound of a Harley ,but the canter on the spot is certainly not fear based. He also loves model aeroplanes (whinneys at them,and as for cycles. The highlight of his life was to watch the olympic mens road race (didnt even blink at the crowds and noise) .Pigeons are however demon spawn .I have convinced him that Guy fawkes night is an annual cull of pigeons so he is completely on side with fireworks too.

 

[Kat]

No mine doesn't bother about motorbikes. She has met a classic motorbike rally which included 20 odd old noisy bikes and a few side cars and we have hacked past a moto x event too (met the air ambulance helicopter there once too). I don't like the noise of the moto x so tend not to hack too close if I know it is on, plus meeting some of the massive trailers on our narrow lanes can be annoying.

 

[Cocorules]

I would like to say mine was good but having read these replies she could be better. She was born on the New Forest so very used to traffic and genuinely good with big rattly lorries etc.

She can cope with motorbikes but we did meet 70+ Harley Davidson's once and definitely got a strong reaction to that. We weren't even on the road at the time just riding along side it.

 

[Reacher]

Wow thanks everyone for replying. Very interesting reading. It's interesting that so many people say motorcyclists are amongst the most considerate drivers on the road. I'd actually agree with this - I had a bad experience once where my mare ran off as a motorbike approached from behind but the driver was absolutely mortified and so apologetic (even though he hadn't actually done anything wrong and was driving very sensibly). I just worry, as someone else said, that my nerves would pass on and make a horse react even though it had no intention of doing so! I guess desensitisation is the key.

My previous horse was scared of motorbikes and would spin et if she met one alone but in company if given a sensible lead she was fine. (Mind you she wasn’t great to hack out solo in general)

 

[MagicMelon]

My mum has Harley Davidsons so mine have always been pretty used to the noise of those. I find 99% of motorcycle riders extremely good about slowing right down for riders. Its only the young boys on their mopeds / 125's that really have no idea how to pass a horse unfortunately. I heard what sounded like a weird high pitched chainsaw type noise out hacking the other day and realised it was a boy thrashing the hell out of his 125 towards me, he clearly had no intention of slowing down so I parked my horse in the middle of the road (its a quiet rural road) and held my hand out telling him to stop, when he did in a clearly irritated fashion I walked past him and overly thanked him (you know, that patronising type one you save for twatty road users - massive smile, big wave etc.). He still took off down the road as fast as his teeny bike would carry him. My horse isnt bothered by most traffic but if there is something odd sounding then of course her ears start to flicker and even though she would be highly unlikely to do anything more than step to the side, I still don't wish to risk it thanks so I just demand they stop! I hope they learn from it too when they next pass a horse.

Those silent killers (cyclists) are far more of a concern! Motorcyclists are usually the best for being considerate as they can relate to how vulnerable we are too.

 

[millikins]

My mum has Harley Davidsons so mine have always been pretty used to the noise of those. I find 99% of motorcycle riders extremely good about slowing right down for riders. Its only the young boys on their mopeds / 125's that really have no idea how to pass a horse unfortunately. I heard what sounded like a weird high pitched chainsaw type noise out hacking the other day and realised it was a boy thrashing the hell out of his 125 towards me, he clearly had no intention of slowing down so I parked my horse in the middle of the road (its a quiet rural road) and held my hand out telling him to stop, when he did in a clearly irritated fashion I walked past him and overly thanked him (you know, that patronising type one you save for twatty road users - massive smile, big wave etc.). He still took off down the road as fast as his teeny bike would carry him. My horse isnt bothered by most traffic but if there is something odd sounding then of course her ears start to flicker and even though she would be highly unlikely to do anything more than step to the side, I still don't wish to risk it thanks so I just demand they stop! I hope they learn from it too when they next pass a horse.

Those silent killers (cyclists) are far more of a concern! Motorcyclists are usually the best for being considerate as they can relate to how vulnerable we are too.

Not always the young 'uns. Met a group of 5 or 6 off roaders one day, mainly lads but a couple of dads too. All the boys stopped and switched off engines, older guy at the back continued at speed until forced to stop by the others who all looked horribly embarrassed.