MOTORBIKES.

This is such a funny topic. I'm a biker and you know they say exactly the same about horse riders? The biking mags are full of people writing in complaining about how stuck up and ungrateful horse riders are...seems no one can win. One bloke wrote the most ignorant and pathetic letter in to a magazine and I wrote straight back and argued the point and the editor of the mag wrote back and said it was expertly written and he would publish in the next edition.

Point is the people you're coming across are the people who are equally fed up with horse riders who don't acknowledge when they do make the effort, the person who's probably been shouted at by a horse rider when he's done nothing wrong. Lord, he might even be the bloke who came off his bike slipping on some horse poo in the road and has it in for us because of that...but I will say that all my biking friends, and everyone I've ever ridden with have ALL been exceptionally considerate of horse riders.
 
Yes im sure they get annoyed with us too, i do always thank them when they slow down though! Its a shame that we are all tarred with the same brush, but i suppose im doing it with motor cyclists! There always has to be one to cause a bad reputation!!
 
My son has not long passed his cbt,and one of the questions he asked me was how did he pass a horse on the road,as that wasn't covered in his test,can not understand why it's not addressed in the test.Thankfully he has spread the word around his friends how to pass a horse safely,i was very proud of him today i saw him in the village with a lady who's horse was having a breakdown so he stopped his ped and asked her would it help if he took his helmet of so the horse could see him.
 
Thank you ,i think he has learnt alot from my walking out with my horse and how rude some drivers are,also having a moped that has about as much power as my hairdryer lol
:D
 
We use a BOAT to hack on, also used by off roaders and cyclists. The vast majority of two wheelers are polite and considerate, after all, motorbikers are very vulnerable if a horse kicks. Many of the 4x4's seem to think you should get out of their way, but they are equally rude to cyclists and bikers!
 
Ditto quirky, providing they can clearly see you they are the most considerate of all the road traffic.

I find peaple pulling cattle trailers, caravans and white van drivers worst.

If want someone to slow down I put my hand out to waive them down if I feel their approaching too fast, along with hi viz from head to toe tends to work :)
 
Nope not at all :) :). I actually find them brilliant (some car drivers take note) we have a motocross course near us and the riders are soooooo considerate, they will stop the bikes and switch their engines off
 
I think there are tw8ts in all kind of road users....

Car drivers, buses, coaches, lorries, vans, motorbikes, cyclists....AND even horseriders :rolleyes:

Most are polite to each other, some are lovely to other road users - but there are always some from each 'type' that are impolite.

Part of society make up unfortunately, there will always be a tw8t who is totally unconcerned about others & who rides/drives in their own little bubble..........
 
Very true that theres inconsiderate forms of very road user! Motorcyclists are just so loud and annoying though... Saying that i have been known to wave fingers at fast car drivers too who think that they own the road!!
 
Piglit said:
This is such a funny topic. I'm a biker and you know they say exactly the same about horse riders? The biking mags are full of people writing in complaining about how stuck up and ungrateful horse riders are...seems no one can win. One bloke wrote the most ignorant and pathetic letter in to a magazine and I wrote straight back and argued the point and the editor of the mag wrote back and said it was expertly written and he would publish in the next edition.
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Few years ago I joined a bikers forum specifically to thank bikers for being so considerate to horse riders after being impressed on many instances when they were extremely thoughful and safety aware.
This sparked an extremely long debate on the issue of horses on the road. Apart from nearly everyone being really polite, it raised issues on both sides that educated us all. One of their problems is horse poo on the roads, they may not see it until quite late and have to avoid it as its a slip hazard, but then oil is more of a problem.
My take on it, is that bikers are, like horse riders, extremely vunerable and are much more responsible than car drivers who have a false sense of safety when meeting a horse.
OH rides a motorbike and I think he's crazy.
 
It is very rare that I come across an inconsiderate biker, but echo the cyclists.
However as a driver, it always amazes and annoys me how rude fellow horse riders are! I always make a point - in my landrover - of slowing right down and giving a wide berth, 1. for horse and rider and 2. in my mission to set an example to other drivers! What do I get back? Nothing! No wave, no smile, no nod of thanks. It's not surprising we have a bad press.
It seems that everyone here on H&H is polite to other road users, so maybe if we all try to educate just one person who isn't, then we might improve our 'image' :)
 
As a rider AND motorcyclist I have to say that all motorcyclists I know are very considerate to other road users especially vulnerable ones as thats the one thing we have in common. Make sure you're not riding right in the middle of the road as that'll pee anyone off (especially if you're forcing the motorcyclist to put himself at risk overtaking you).
 
Bop! said:
Have to say I find that almost all motorcyclists round here are very considerate, slow down, pass wide and even turn off engine if any of the horses look worried! :)

Cyclists on the other hand....................
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I agree. Racing cyclists are the absolute worst. Mountain bikers are great because they get the whole "share the byways approach". We have a lot of bikers going over Ranmore and they are pretty good. I do tend to disappear into the woods if I see the vintage bikes going over though as, even when slowed down, they have a nasty habit of backfiring!
 
Beth321 said:
Im sure the ones in cambridgeshire are all just inconsiderate then.. You get a few that slow down but a lot race past you without a care for your horse having a fit on the verge!
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I'm sorry, this works both ways.
If it's such a common happening for you why isn't your horse better by now? I would have thought you'd have taken steps to correct his behaviour by now because he is just as dangerous to a biker as the bike is to you.
Find your nearest bike club/group and ask them nicely if they could come to your yard one day for desensitisation where you can put your point across to them as well, perhaps get your whole yard/RC involved, it can only be educational for all of you. Hopefully, you will both learn from it.

Bikers have it rough and they are some of the most considerate drivers I know as many of them realise how vulnerable you both are. Yes, there are rogues amongst them but it goes the same for all drivers, same as it does for a lot of riders. If you're greeted by total ignorance and arrogance from riders then it'll be no surprise if they think we're all like that so it behoves all of us to be as considerate to them as you would like them to be to you. It's called mutual respect and surely it's not too hard to acknowledge every driver that shows you respect too.

Talk to them, you'd be surprised how helpful they can be if you ask them nicely.
 
quirky said:
No, if anything, I find motorbikes are the most considerate of road users :).
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Me too.

They are probably passing you in the manner in which they think most safe - quietly. Most horses are not bothered by the noise after they have been passed.
 
While most motorcyclists are considerate and polite (I ALWAYS thank them profusely!!!!), it only take ONE inconsiderate motorcyclist to cause serious harm. My horse and I literally got run off the road by a careless motorcyclist roaring down a narrow country lane only a quarter mile from my stable. I clearly gestured, asking him to slow down, but he just continued speeding toward us head on. My horse freaked out, spun, and bolted. The motorcyclist CARRIED ON COMING AFTER A BOLTING HORSE. I managed to get her into the nearest farmer's driveway and stop her while the idiot carried on down the road. The road itself was a dead end ending in a bridlepath. We discovered that this same idiot actually carried on illegally down said bridlepath. His tracks were clearly visible.

Idiots like him give all motorcyclists a bad name.

The idea of getting considerate motorcyclists to come to a stable to help desensitise horses is a good one, though!

As for thanking considerate drivers, cyclists, etc., I always do. I try to be as friendly to everyone as possible, inviting walkers to come and stroke my mare if they want (she's very friendly and loves people).

But are non-horsey people also judged to the same extent if they don't say thank you? Ie do drivers rage at pedestrians or cyclists for not explicitly waving to thank them if we slow down, give them a wide berth, etc?

One of my major peeves is cyclists riding two or more abreast on a busy road so I have to risk my life to safely overtake them in oncoming traffic.
 
Link not working so I have copied the article.
A RETIRED dentist from Sheffield was killed in a freak riding accident - when her horse was spooked by a noisy motorbike on a country road.
Mary Chapman, aged 58, of Dobcroft Road, Ecclesall, was out riding in Derbyshire when her horse, Lucy, bolted.
An inquest heard Lucy had been scared by two other horses galloping past after they were frightened by a motorbike near the Parkgate Equine Centre in Eckington, north Derbyshire. The rider of the motorcycle has never been traced.
The inquest into the death heard Mrs Chapman had been waiting for automatic gates to open, so she could take Lucy out onto the roads, when a motorcycle sped past and started the tragic chain of events.
The former dentist managed to cling onto her horse as it spun around and bolted, but then her saddle slipped to one side and she fell.
Her death came only months after her husband Paul, also a dentist, died following a battle with cancer. Witness Sara Mason, a fellow rider, told the inquest: “The horse was galloping flat out, close to a fence. She was fighting to keep her balance. She tried to gain control through the reins.
“She was able to stay seated for another 20 metres and then she fell under the horse and became trampled by its legs.
“She was kicked up the driveway for 14 metres, there was a loud thud, and she hit the car park area face down.”
Mrs Chapman died in the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield eight days later on February 28, 2010, after suffering severe head injuries and developing pneumonia.
Ms Mason said the motorbike was louder than most.
“You could hear it rather than see it. It went by so quickly. The exhaust definitely didn’t sound legal,” she added.
“The area is frequented by a tremendous number of motorcycles and I tended not to ride my horse on the roads for that reason.
“Every rider has had their horse spooked by a motorcycle at one time or another. It’s a problem, without a doubt.
“That road is deemed a bit of a race-track locally because it’s a very straight uphill road for quite a long distance.”
North East Derbyshire Council environmental health officer Peter Lazenby said it might be possible to prevent a repeat incident by keeping horses further back from the road, but that would restrict use of the land.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, Deputy North Derbyshire Coroner Nigel Anderson said: “The stumbling block here is we don’t know if the motorcycle and its exhaust were legal. Police never found who the rider was.”
He recommended that police make regular checks on noisy motorcycles and that a sign be erected warning road-users of horses.
 
We have excellent motor bike riders locally, but I think that is mainly due to the fact that round here, as teenagers, the boys have bikes and the girls have horses :D So the chances are that you will know the bikers (even now we are all 'of a certain age' :eek: ) Also ex's biking brother used to say that he took great care round horses, made the bike as quiet as possible etc as he didn't want half a ton of horse landing on him or his expensive bike! I also wish that cyclists would have the same view.
 
As a Horserider & a Motorcyclist I can say that there are bad riders of both kinds ;) . Some motorcyclists give us a bad name but I find that its mainly the likes that ride around in shorts & t-shirt - god forbid they ever come off!!

Most I have found to be considerate when overtaking a horse. To be honest a horse on top of a car is bad, a horse on top of a biker is a death sentence!

Middle-aged BMW saloon drivers on the other hand... :p

I agree with the desensitisation by asking someone with a bike to come to the yard, I did it with my horse. She got used to Mopeds, a small bike & bigger bikes as they all make very different noises - found the screechy ped the worst.

It can be very hard for a motorcyclist to pass quietly.. my old 125cc had to revved to 6000 before it would pull of without stalling :( & some of the big 750-1000cc bikes for example are large engines on a (relatively) small bike & can create a lot of noise even with the best intentions.

I would advise that a rider stops if a biker is trying to pass especially going uphill as the added revving needed to get up will generally create a lot of noise.
 
There is one lady horse rider near me who never used to thank people, she annoyed me so much I was tempted to stop and give her a piece of my mind (she always looks so sour faced too, which doesn't help!) However, the last couple of times I've been past her non hi-vised behind she has actually thanked me so I think someone may have got in before me :D

I don't really mind any other roadusers, apart from reckless taxis - nearly had one run us and another car off the road the other week as he sped past over a blind summit - didn't manage to get his numberplate :mad:

Don't get me started on mum'son the school run in their chelsea tractors :mad:

I am not bothered by cyclists, however quietly they approach, within reason its my responsibility to make sure I can control my horse, yes, he may make a little dash forwards, but never more than that. I love the MTBers that come down some of the bridleways, esp the ones that don't look where they're going - one got within about 5-10m of me the other week - I had seen him so stopped - he pooed himself when he looked up and saw us, and prompty skid on the gravel, must admit I did have a little chuckle, horse was on a long rein and not fussed in the slightest ;) :D
 
I think it is fair to say that there is always one a*se in any category of road user.

I ride a motorcycle and have for over 30 years. I will always pass a horse as carefully as I can as should the horse kick out etc we are very vunerable to injury.

All my horses take no notice of loud engines - they have had my Harley run beside them at increasing revs. However, I rarely ride on the roads as people will not take time to slow down as they pass me, and the most bombproof animal can still be started by a tw*t in a car passing at 60 in a 30 zone inches from them.

Horse rider also need to learn to say thank you and not as the young ladies in Harlow the other day did, ride three abreast making no effort to let traffic past and causing a very big tailback. With this attitude I can see why people were overtaking too fast and close. I
 
Only takes one bad motorbike/one bad horse rider etc to damage respect. Motorbikes round here use the Fosse as a race track but always slow down and are considerate and we always thank them. met two on a byway yesterday coming towards us and they stopped their engines and let us pass, whereas i passed 2 riders on way home, riding abreast, gossiping and neither said anything in the way of thanks.
 
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