OMG......hacking nightmare

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cob1

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My ned nearly jumped on a small child yesterday.
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We were on a bridle path (an old railway line so drops at either side and densely wooded), a small child and her dad behind. The child was on a small bike and dad beside, she rang her bell profusely after coming up quite close to my neds bum, he can be a little bouncy if spooked. He swang his bum out and started to try and canter sideways, and only missed the child by an metre, i nearly s**t my pants
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He pulls up no bother, and we did politely ask them to stay behind and exited the bridle path ASAP to give them the right of way. Luckily the dad was understanding. I dread to think the 'What if he had.........'
 
Sorry but if it is a "bridle" path, then bikes should not be allowed!!! Think they ought to have left not you, despite it being a young child
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It must have given you quite a fright, glad you are ok
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I know Bridle Ways can be used for walkers as well...Did the Father not think they might come across a horse and rider, while he was dragging small child on a bike.....much safer to go to a Park so she could cycle to her 'Hearts content'!
All I can say having had this happen to me with small people being pushed along in buggies by their parents on bridlepaths out on a Sunday walk......I think it is crazy!
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This isn't to give an opinion on the situation which sounds like a lucky escape, but just to clarify whether bikes are allowed on bridlepaths..... I ride and cycle so checked out whether I could cycle on bridlepaths. Per the Government website http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/things_to_do/cycling
"There are also 29,000 kilometres (18,000 miles) of bridleways which cyclists can use, although they must give way to horse riders and walkers. Bridleways are marked on Ordnance Survey maps."
 
OMG how scary!!! Regardless of who is at fault, having an accident where a horse hurts a child is a complete nightmare!! I am so glad everyone was OK, and I do agree the dad was a bit silly not to keep the child out of the way and quiet around horses!
 
Unfortunately cyclists are allowed on bridleways - but horses are not allowed on cycle paths.

I had an issue once on a friend's horse when a cyclist coming towards me asked (well screamed at) me to pull over to let him through. I explained very politely that my horse was young and nervous and didn't like standing still and it would be safer for him to stop and let us walk past but he just said he had as much right to be there as us (I never disputed that!) and kept coming. I had to stop as it wasn't really wide enough and as he rode past, the horse swung his quarters and although he didn't make contact this guy sort of fell off his bike trying to avoid him - he landed diagonally on a sand dune so no harm done but he was none too happy. I just said well I did warn you and you're lucky you didn't injure my horse or you'd have been sent a vet's bill. Wasn't quite as confident on the inside though!
 
Thanks peeps for the info! Cyclists round ours just fly past at 100mph which doesnt help on teh bridleways.

He kept trying to pass, even after we had told him, we just got outta the way, my heart was in my mouth. The bridleway goes right thru a very, very well to do estate and they all think the horses shouldnt be there!!

Hes a big heavyweight cob with XXXXL feet and i get very wary of the damage he could do. Hes so good considering his age (rising 7) but still has the 'moments'!! And there was pink cheerleader pom poms on the handlebars which didnt help!
 
we have the same problems, children, bikes, motor bikes, walkers, runners ........................... the list is endless. I thought a bridle path was for horse riding. These people must know this surely. if i saw a track saying motor bike track, i wouldnt walk down there would you !
 
I must say I have been known to 'rev' up my mare if I see someone coming too fast, despite the fact she's 33 and seen it all, she can quickly move into a very nice half pass canter pretty much on the spot and look very 'snorty' when needed - usually slows them down a bit!
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I amazes me the Dad didn't think that getting that close to a large animal and jamming on the bell wouldn't get a reaction. How thick are some people
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He kept trying to pass, even after we had told him, we just got outta the way, my heart was in my mouth.

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Is he insane??? Yes, cyclists have a right to be on bridlepaths but who throws their child in the way of a horse to prove some kind of point???

When we lived in Yorkshire one of the neighbours was often on the bridleways with his young baby in a pram and he would never stand to one side or allow the horses any room. He would literally attack the horses with the pram as if his baby was invincible to being kicked by a horse!
 
in some ways though......... would you have known she was there if she hadn't rung her bell? Though she was prob a bit too close by that point I imagine?

I have been slowly training all our local cyclists to shout or bell ring as we don't otherwise hear them coming up behind and often neither do the horses and horse is pretty unflappable. Not on bridleways (we just get scramble bike on our one and only one of those) but our road route is part of national cycle network.

I also tend to prefer people in front of me where I can bl**dy see them! though understand if narrow this might not have been an option
 
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we have the same problems, children, bikes, motor bikes, walkers, runners ........................... the list is endless. I thought a bridle path was for horse riding. These people must know this surely. if i saw a track saying motor bike track, i wouldnt walk down there would you !

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A bridle path is so-named for historical reasons only. As said above, horses, cyclists AND walkers can use them. Right of way goes from (highest first) walker>horse>cyclist. Don't assume that a bridleway/path is exclusively for horse use. It isn't!
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Then only one in your list above acting illegally is the motorcyclist.
 
Hes fine normally for cyclists ringing there bells (this is probably the best way to alert us). They were very close to us when the little girl rang the bell (and kept doing it over and over again, getting closer). I am always last (hes quite slow compared to my friends horses), and do tend to 'keep a lookout', but they came down quite quickly from a side entrance. Because of the trees and leaves rustling you cant hear much either, which made it worse.

Its quite scary that the dad didnt see the danger, even when a animal not weighing much less than a ton starts bouncing around near his daughter. On the bridleways i often ask dog walkers to keep a safe distance too, as when i first bought him he didnt like dogs and tried to jump on them!

I was thinking maybe my fault, but he is 'safe' as the next horse.
 
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When we lived in Yorkshire one of the neighbours was often on the bridleways with his young baby in a pram and he would never stand to one side or allow the horses any room. He would literally attack the horses with the pram as if his baby was invincible to being kicked by a horse!

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PMSL at this one...yes, we are bit demented up here....
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we have cyclists/dog walkers and off-road bikers in the woods next to our yard. Strictly speaking the motorbikers are allowed to be there and the police do tours on their off-roaders and move them on.

Generally though they are all ok and stop/pull over for you.

Worst are the people who let their dogs bark/dive-bomb your horse and then go all cheerful like...'its ok love, he's not scared of horses!'
Errmmm.....maybe not but my horse is not keen on yipping dogs hanging off his reins, so don't be too surprised if he gets kicked in the head love!
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This isn't to give an opinion on the situation which sounds like a lucky escape, but just to clarify whether bikes are allowed on bridlepaths..... I ride and cycle so checked out whether I could cycle on bridlepaths. Per the Government website http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/things_to_do/cycling
"There are also 29,000 kilometres (18,000 miles) of bridleways which cyclists can use, although they must give way to horse riders and walkers. Bridleways are marked on Ordnance Survey maps."

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The thing is when you cycle/walk on a foot path or access where horse aren't allowed then ringing bells and letting children cylcle carefree is fine..

but when you are on a bridleway although you are allowed to be there you must expect to pass horses or for horses to be in the area...and being unpredictable animals it is up to the parents who chose to take their children on a bridlway to make sure thier children do not behave in a way the will spook/scare horses using it. afetr all i am sure we can all imaging the scenario where horse is spooked by child on bike lets say and bolts possibly hitting unsuspecting walkes round the next corner. No your fella with a child on the bike was not excercising the proper caution when using the bridleway by letting his child cause upset to a horse on a bridleway. ...and instead of accomodating him you should have mede him aware of his actions as although you managed to pull up next time the next rider and other bridleway users may not be so fortunate.
 
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This isn't to give an opinion on the situation which sounds like a lucky escape, but just to clarify whether bikes are allowed on bridlepaths..... I ride and cycle so checked out whether I could cycle on bridlepaths. Per the Government website http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/things_to_do/cycling
"There are also 29,000 kilometres (18,000 miles) of bridleways which cyclists can use, although they must give way to horse riders and walkers. Bridleways are marked on Ordnance Survey maps."

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The thing is when you cycle/walk on a foot path or access where horse aren't allowed then ringing bells and letting children cylcle carefree is fine..

but when you are on a bridleway although you are allowed to be there you must expect to pass horses or for horses to be in the area...and being unpredictable animals it is up to the parents who chose to take their children on a bridlway to make sure thier children do not behave in a way the will spook/scare horses using it. afetr all i am sure we can all imaging the scenario where horse is spooked by child on bike lets say and bolts possibly hitting unsuspecting walkes round the next corner. No your fella with a child on the bike was not excercising the proper caution when using the bridleway by letting his child cause upset to a horse on a bridleway. ...and instead of accomodating him you should have mede him aware of his actions as although you managed to pull up next time the next rider and other bridleway users may not be so fortunate.

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Thanks everyone for your views and letting me know the rights on bridlepaths etc. I certainly will be polite in explaining the rights of way next time and common sense (hopefully there wont be one), i dont think i could have stood to have a debate with the guy though!
 
I ride on so called "cycle" tracks and bus lanes all the time, bollocks to it, bloody cyclists, people, dog walkers and their shite, kids, puschairs, post office vans, illegal trial bikes, use our local bridleways all the time, I think it's fair game to use their cycle tracks, if they can call it "theirs" ,lets face it we pay for all cycle tracks and bus lanes anyway, I run 3 vehicles so pay through the nose for all of them.
Any body moaning about poo I just tell them "well you dont have a problem with it when riding on our bridleways" why is it a problem now on "your" cycle track, also we constantly have to avoid cans, condoms, bottles, chip wrapping, pizza boxes dog crap, vandalised fencing with nails sticking out, and any other litter you can think of all over our local Bridleway and the crap that gets thrown into our grazing fields as well. We have a council field right next to ours full of bloody ragwort every year, nothing gets done about that either.
Any body who says to me "you shouldn't be here" I just reply with, "well if want to point out the bit you actually personally own I will ride around it"

At the end of the day if you dont like horses dont go on a bridleway, bloody people do my head in.
 
So very few people, and a few inexperienced riders I know of too, seem have any idea/common sense about the effects of a ton of horsemeat standing on your toe, bumping into your bike, pram, child, dogs head, side of your car etc. Many also think that just because you are holding the reins it means you have total control over each leg or any sudden forward/backward/sideways/vertical movement the animal may make. Also I think a lot of men panic that the horse may hit their precious lovely car, so to avoid this nip past fast before horse jumps into their pathway (((idiots))).

Unless someone has had the experience, by having some sort of a previous milder incident with a horse, many people just have no idea how bad things can be when a horse leaps on you, for most they would never have to think of the possibility, until that day they meet you on the bridlepath.

For me I would have jumped off and held my horse firmly if a young child was so close, but it does depend on the horse.
If the child was hurt you would never forgive yourself as a child is innocent, even if the parent is a moron - a horse is always expendable in that case scenario, as is a car.

However, with adults and cyclists I have no problems if they get in my pathway, as long as my horse is safe.
These are the sort of people who have serious accidents/or cause them,, and will probably kill themselves in due course some other way because as they are just plain dim or thick.

The world is full of them.
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I ride on so called "cycle" tracks and bus lanes all the time, bollocks to it, bloody cyclists, people, dog walkers and their shite, kids, puschairs, post office vans, illegal trial bikes, use our local bridleways all the time, I think it's fair game to use their cycle tracks, if they can call it "theirs" ,lets face it we pay for all cycle tracks and bus lanes anyway, I run 3 vehicles so pay through the nose for all of them.
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Hear hear!
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I suspect that you have a very kind horse who realised the situation and avoided the child.
I have to live with having hit a small child at a three quater pace gallop,going down to the start at a point to point.
The parents crossed the track and left the child behind!
 
Just to clarify the situation cyclists on a bridleway must give way to walkers and horse riders. (Section 30 of the countryside act 1968). Cycling recklessly on a bridleway or public highway is a criminal offence as is cycling without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration to others.
 
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Just to clarify the situation cyclists on a bridleway must give way to walkers and horse riders. (Section 30 of the countryside act 1968). Cycling recklessly on a bridleway or public highway is a criminal offence as is cycling without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration to others.

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So just to clarify a bit more, how many cyclists were prosecuted for any of the above in say the last year in say the whole of the UK ??? and how many would you say have insurance compared to how many horse riders have insurance ????
 
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I suspect that you have a very kind horse who realised the situation and avoided the child.
I have to live with having hit a small child at a three quater pace gallop,going down to the start at a point to point.
The parents crossed the track and left the child behind!

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Well of course, that was unavoidable - how terrible for you.
True I have an easy horse ATM but have had lively ones that you darnt get off in an emergency.
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I always remember watching children in need quite a few years ago now when a small child was kicked in the head by a horse. (she was allowed to walk behind it)
I cried .. she lost the entire side of her of her head one half of her brain was removed and consequently her opposing side of her body was paralised.

and tehy featured her with the rda riding a pony (with help)

I have never forgotten her image I only wish I could show her image to MORON parents who see no danger where horse are concerned, and see no problem in literally playing chicken with their childs life. maybe then they will finally see the damage a horse can do with out much effort at all.
 
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