Headphones: was I out of order?

spookypony

spookypony

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We were coming home from our looooooooong hack today, at a hilly bit where it's nice to have a canter. Pony and me both bouncing, wanting to shoot off up the hill---I see a walker with a dog (on leash) off the path, further up the hill. I shout to warn him, and we go go go---thought we'd be fine, since he was quite a ways away from the path. What does he do? Wander down the hill, straight onto the path, head in the clouds, and doesn't even notice us until we're nearly along-side, me trying to pull up the pony, and the pony trying to spook sideways off the path into the ravine...

...and he takes headphones out of his ears: "Oh, sorry!", clearly not having noticed a thing around him.

I point out politely that these paths are full of bikers and riders, and it's not really very safe to be walking around unable to hear, and he seemed to accept this, but I wonder, was I being unreasonable? It just drives me crazy when people are wandering around on the street or on busy trails with earbuds in both ears, completely unable to notice what's going on around them.
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I can see your point although personally I wouldn't have cantered up there when I could see a person and dog were approaching. You never know what the dog might do and as he hadn't seen you he might not have been holding the lead very tightly and the dog could have got away and come at you (yes it's rare but does happen). So I would have walked up. Not much you can do about the headphones, it's a free country. At least no harm was done, hopefully he might pay more attention in future.
 
I know what you mean. we have a field where the boys always want to gallop up, flat out proper going for it type gallop not half hearted poottle along a bit faster than canter gallop! The bridleway goes straight up the middle and the footpath actually goes diagonally across to the kissing gate in the corner. So often walkers (generally all the kit no clue types) just stroll up the bridleway! drives Ron mad, you can practically hear him saying "I'll run them over and jump them if they don't move!" the number of times we've bounced past them politely pointing out that the footpath is shorter and less steep and its over theeeeeeeeerrreeeee (as we disappear in a cloud of smoke (or mud rather!
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I think that you did right to point out to the walker that its not sensible to walk along unable to hear anything, but agree that I would normally try to walk until past the walker/dog.

hope spooky wasn't too scared!
 
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I know what you mean. we have a field where the boys always want to gallop up, flat out proper going for it type gallop not half hearted poottle along a bit faster than canter gallop! The bridleway goes straight up the middle and the footpath actually goes diagonally across to the kissing gate in the corner. So often walkers (generally all the kit no clue types) just stroll up the bridleway! drives Ron mad, you can practically hear him saying "I'll run them over and jump them if they don't move!" the number of times we've bounced past them politely pointing out that the footpath is shorter and less steep and its over theeeeeeeeerrreeeee (as we disappear in a cloud of smoke (or mud rather!
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I would like to point out that although you can't ride on a footpath, you can walk on a bridleway, and i think, although i might be wrong, you should give way to a walker on a bridleway.
 
Personally, I would have remained in walk until I had passed him. On the other hand, as a female, I wouldn't walk alone with headphones on, for safety reasons, either.

We live off a byway and some riders come thundering along completely disregarding the fact there maybe walkers or cyclists also using it. There's a time and place for fast work and Public Highways, where you cannot see clearly ahead, are not one of them.
 
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I would like to point out that although you can't ride on a footpath, you can walk on a bridleway, and i think, although i might be wrong, you should give way to a walker on a bridleway.

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that was kind of my point Fii!
 
jenhunt, oh ok, i read you wrong then, i thought you ment you thought the walkers should'nt have been on the bridleway.
 
Yep, on bridleways, cycles give way to everyone, walkers are given way to by everyone, which puts horses in the middle of the pecking order.

I run long distance races, and listen to music, but if I'm on a single track (whether footpath or bridleway), always check behind me every few metres, and have the music low enough to hear around me.

Doesn't stop me freaking out when cyclists coming silently zooming up behind me though...
 
I'm quite shocked you did that. I have to share local bridleways with cyclists and walkers\dog walkers and I NEVER canter past people or at them. They have as much right to be there as I do so a bit of compromise and good manners are required. I hope you learn from this and don't bomb at people or past them again. Inconsiderate riders give us all a bad name

It's ironic that you say he wasn't taking notice of things round him when you weren't either. Sorry if I sound harsh but it's how I feel.
 
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jenhunt, oh ok, i read you wrong then, i thought you ment you thought the walkers should'nt have been on the bridleway.

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it just seems odd that they choose to walk up the wet, muddy, steeper, longer track than go up the part paved, less steep and shorter footpath! that's what I don't understand.
Both tracks lead to the same point, and the gateway for the bridleway is about 2foot deep in mud because of how the moor above drains, and that's why the foot path was put in.
 
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I'm quite shocked you did that. I have to share local bridleways with cyclists and walkers\dog walkers and I NEVER canter past people or at them. They have as much right to be there as I do so a bit of compromise and good manners are required. I hope you learn from this and don't bomb at people or past them again. Inconsiderate riders give us all a bad name

It's ironic that you say he wasn't taking notice of things round him when you weren't either. Sorry if I sound harsh but it's how I feel.

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If you'll re-read my post, you'll note that the person was actually at quite some distance from the path when we began. He was not actually on the path on which I was moving, and I had thought that we weren't going to be anywhere near him. If someone is actually on the path, there is no way I would even trot past; I always walk past walkers.
 
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