horse and cyclists

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Field04

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Went out on a lovely hack today. Horse was full of beans, well she seems to have two gears which are reverse or full steam ahead. We were on full steam ahead mode today. She was lovely and forward going in trot and canter (backwards in walk though).

Anyway, on our way home we were coming down a country lane, so not very wide. 2 cyclists came up behind us and rang there bell to let us know they were there and wanted to go past. Horse got a little spooked and, did admittedly do a quick spin to face the oncoming danger. She was on her toes and a car was also coming. I decided to get down and lead her out of the way of the bikes and car. However, they asked if she was a wild horse!!!! No she is not wild she just got a little scared and wanted to see what was coming.

How do you get your horse used to cyclists from behind. Coming towards us is ok but from behind not so much!!!!
 
Field04 said:
Went out on a lovely hack today. Horse was full of beans, well she seems to have two gears which are reverse or full steam ahead. We were on full steam ahead mode today. She was lovely and forward going in trot and canter (backwards in walk though).

Anyway, on our way home we were coming down a country lane, so not very wide. 2 cyclists came up behind us and rang there bell to let us know they were there and wanted to go past. Horse got a little spooked and, did admittedly do a quick spin to face the oncoming danger. She was on her toes and a car was also coming. I decided to get down and lead her out of the way of the bikes and car. However, they asked if she was a wild horse!!!! No she is not wild she just got a little scared and wanted to see what was coming.

How do you get your horse used to cyclists from behind. Coming towards us is ok but from behind not so much!!!!
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Funny enough mine is scared, does not like them coming towards him or zoooming bye. I am currently cycling beside my boy due to my accident I am not on a horse but livery is ridding my boy. He is fine with me cycling with him, in the past I had someone cycle towards and past and back up again to de sensitize him to them. this is the best way I think go in the field and get some to cycle around him.
 
I rode out with someone on a bike every day for about 2 weeks. Also I will do a slight shoulder in if there is something behind so the eye is able to see anything to the rear easier
 
Fides said:
I rode out with someone on a bike every day for about 2 weeks. Also I will do a slight shoulder in if there is something behind so the eye is able to see anything to the rear easier
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That's what I did with my boy, got hubby to go round the block and meet us, so boyo got used to bikes coming fast towards him as well. Also I try to say hello, lovely day etc, as me having conversation with cyclist makes my boy thinks all's ok. It's like everything, " practice makes perfect."
 
OH and two teenage sons made up a mini peleton, and cycled to and fro past my cycle wary cob at ever increasing speeds, but stopping every now and again to feed him some carrot. Cob has now revised his opinion of cyclists for the better.

They joke that if he is now taken by surprise by an overtaking cyclist, he will set off in pursuit after his carrots!
 
We have bad cyclists round us -I've had 2 accidents with them and on both occasions, the cyclist had headphones in with an ipod. One of them had the nerve to say he hadn't heard my 2 horses (this is after he skidded, fell off and the bike carried on into both horses' legs)

I did point out that if I had been a car, he would be dead, which he did actually concede.

We do have the odd good one and I find if the cyclist speaks, the horse seems to realise that there is a human attached to the scary bike shaped thing!
 
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spacefaer said:
We have bad cyclists round us -I've had 2 accidents with them and on both occasions, the cyclist had headphones in with an ipod. One of them had the nerve to say he hadn't heard my 2 horses (this is after he skidded, fell off and the bike carried on into both horses' legs)

I did point out that if I had been a car, he would be dead, which he did actually concede.

We do have the odd good one and I find if the cyclist speaks, the horse seems to realise that there is a human attached to the scary bike shaped thing!
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Agree with this, once the wheeled beast talks we are all good with them! I have been none to shout morning at the top of my voice to all who approach, on foot or bicycle - that does the trick!
 
we have had a similar incident, so many cyclists around us, im sure we are on a promoted route.

Only one of ours seems bothered, so ive started parking a bike outside her stable, just to get comfortable around them. Will start cycling around the field when she gets used to it.

Some cyclists are just totally rude and inconsiderate, but the ones that i've managed to stop and explain the situation to have been quite helpful, and where generally surprised that a horse can be frightened of a bike but not a tractor.

Is there anyway we can educate the masses ?
 
My youngster was a nightmare around cyclists when we first started hacking on our own. He used to join up with them to have the comfort of someone to follow home. It was mortifying, struggling with a tank of a Highland who was determined to jog as fast as he could after a cyclist and would speed up with them if they got nervous and tried to get away away from him. And who wouldn't be nervous, with brick s***t house of a pony bearing down on you with a determined look on his face! :D
 
indiat said:
My youngster was a nightmare around cyclists when we first started hacking on our own. He used to join up with them to have the comfort of someone to follow home. It was mortifying, struggling with a tank of a Highland who was determined to jog as fast as he could after a cyclist and would speed up with them if they got nervous and tried to get away away from him. And who wouldn't be nervous, with brick s***t house of a pony bearing down on you with a determined look on his face! :D
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Ha Ha, LOL!
 
Boyo gets on his toes at the sight of a cyclist - if there's a bunch of them it's even more exciting. I hacked out one day not realising there was some kind of club outing on the roads around the yard. After 10 mins of repeatedly meeting them and himself getting bigger and sprightlier I decided to call it a day. Waited for the next bunch to approach from ahead, then turned to follow them back up the hill. Cue mini-broncing and obvious desire to chase them!! It's the most uphill canter he's ever produced and was far from ideal on the road but was only for 100m or so and the alternative was probably me being decanted! Of course at the T-junction at the top of the hill they didn't know whether to turn left or right and sat pontificating so we came, snorting like a raging beast, up behind, had to beg a path to be cleared since it was clear Sir was NOT going to stand and wait, and then set off on the last 300m to the yard. Pony still up to high doh, jogging and snorting.....next thing I know they've all turned down the road behind us! Pony was within close view of home but began spinning, so the decision was taken to dismount and roar at them to stay back until we turned off the road! Fine with individual cyclists or pairs, but to be honest I would never risk him out when there are big groups around.
 
some never do get used to them. I could ride a bike and lead Beacon, but if any kind of bike came near him we would be heading for the next county UNLESS he knew who was on the bike

I did the desensitizing but as soon as it was a stranger he would panic
 
Fides said:
I rode out with someone on a bike every day for about 2 weeks. Also I will do a slight shoulder in if there is something behind so the eye is able to see anything to the rear easier
Click to expand...

This is what I do too. My horse isn't scared of cyclists but will spook if she's in a daydream and they take her by surprise! So make a point of putting her in shoulder in for a few strides as they approach so that she can see them and knows they are there.
 
Horse tends to be ok around cyclists, although will ocassionally turn head slightly so she can see what is approaching from behind.

The giant mule in the field next to the road though is a whole other ball game! She plants herself in the ground and just stares at it before deciding it is time to continue on our way!
 
When we experienced the explosion in the Lyra clad two wheeled silent beings we had to do some work with ours with bikes we rode bikes around them up behind them they where good in no time .
 
Where i loaned a horse the yard owner helped me deal with his fear of walking/hiking sticks in the field we would go up to him using the stick or walk past on the first attempt. when he was in stable we walked past with it ect..
but after a few times didn't really care so you could try the same with a bike?
 
Well at least they rang their bell which is more than they do where I hack.

Here, they like to creep up on you stealth like, my normally placid mare has become a nervous wreck going along one particular bridlepath as the lycra louts use a path that is right next to us but high up, which just makes her think that they are definitely a predator about to pounce on her!!
 
I always say hello and chat to the cyclists for a moment so that the horse realises that the scary thing behind has a human voice and I'm not scared of it. Then there's usually no problem. Most cyclists round here are very good and call out.

I expect loads of cyclists out in the next few weeks as The Tour de France passes quite near.
 
Field04 said:
How do you get your horse used to cyclists from behind. Coming towards us is ok but from behind not so much!!!!
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I get my husband to get his hiz viz lycra on and do some desensitisation :p and whenever possible, educate cyclists to say hello etc. Most of mine had issues with them coming straight on at speed (single track rough lanes-designated cycle route).
 
My last horse never bothered about cyclists but then he was pretty bombproof and a worldly wise older chap. The one I have now is sharp, can be insecure and prone to a bit of over-reaction, in life generally. He has never liked bikes though his reactions have been slowly improving. To begin with he would spin and try to take off. TBH I'm always amazed when I see people on here basically blaming the cyclists for that but it's my problem and down to me to resolve it.

I have been working on it and he's getting better. For some reason, he can cope as long as they keep cycling but if they should dare to stop (because the cyclist thinks that will be better for the horse), that is apparently utterly terrifying. Funny animal.

A few weeks ago I was out hacking and got caught up in the middle of an organised ride, mini sportive type thing. They were coming round the corners and past us in fairly big, fast groups, all saying hello and mostly slowing down. To start with he was getting quite upset but then I think getting upset got too tiring and eventually he calmed down. I then bumped into someone I know who was driving along the road; she stopped for a chat so I let horse graze on the grass verge while we talked for about 20 mins. During this time, loads of cyclists came past but he barely noticed. For some reason, that experience of eating in the vicinity of cyclists seems to have cured him and he couldn't care less when we meet them now!
 
Silent Cheetahs I call them, just push on passed without a word even if you do say hello and wave they look at you as if you are mad and totally ignore you
Malaga's pretty good with them but I have to watch his ears as I can't see them comming up behind and they can make ME jump :)
I had a discussion with one the other night who was bringing his bike out of his shed and was explaining the world as equines see it and trying to explain that if he only let us know he was passing the problems probably wouldn't occure.He said that funnily he always called out to pedestrians to warn them. I said "but I'm a pedestrian,only on a horse!" (only in my case a mule) he admitted he'd never thought about it.
He's passed me twice since and always calls out "Comming through"
 
I am both cyclist and horse rider so obviously make sure I forewarn riders before I get near them. A lot of cyclists just will not realise that there could be a problem and horses could be spooked...just as some drivers are not aware either of the problems they can cause by going past too quick.
It really is an educational thing by all parties really. May be we should all pop a poster into local bike shops to give cyclists hints and helpful advice on how best to pass a horse rider?
May be we could also approach local cycling clubs and do a talk at a meeting or give them a poster to pop in their newsletter?
I think sometimes we have to try and help ourselves because we can't expect everyone to understand what sensitive little creatures our horses can be! Bless them!
 
They make me jump if I don't hear them coming too, fortunately, my horses are more observant than me and they'll move over.

Speaking to the cyclist helps a lot, but if the horse is a bit worried, after the bike passes, I push them on into trot so they feel as though they're making the bike move away, which gives them a sense of control and confidence.
Works with cows and sheep too, although slowly, so as not to make the livestock run.
 
I got knocked off my bike yesterday by another cyclist. I stopped when the pelican crossing lights changed and he rode in to the back of me. I described this to the lady marking my jumping saddle today and she said a bike rode in to the back of her horse and the mare double-barrelled the cyclist and smashed his bike to pieces.
 
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