What pace to pass other horses?

[Irishcobs]

Out hacking today I pulled over in to a field gateway for a car to pass me (coming towards me) this is on a narrow country lane. Behind this car was a horse trotting towards me. I didn't know the horse or rider.
A few years ago my mum had a bad fall because of two horses trotting towards us on a road. My cob (who can't cope with other horses) spun and bolted, my mums horse did the same but she came off on to the road. The riders then said it was my fault as I cantered off after the loose horse! Not sure how I managed that being in front of the loose horse but there you go.
Anyway I held my horse in the gateway as the other horse came passed us, I'm not convinced the rider was in control, my horse is ok with other horses passing her but had a little bounce when I let her move off. If that had been my cob I would of ended up in the fence/gate of the field as he would of panicked.
What pace is acceptable to pass another horse on a narrow lane? Obviously on a wide road/track/field then faster is fine.

 

[canteron]

Unless you are a complete prat, the only way is at a walk??

If I see another rider coming towards me, I always talk to them as once my horse has heard the rider talking, he understands them as horse and rider (rather than horse eating monster) and is as good as gold. If you are confident, if you can get them to stop and chat for a second, it really does seem to boaot the horses confidence for future.

If they cantered past me, I might be tempted to hunt them down and be a bit vile, as I think it can be a really dangerous thing to do if it happens to be a young horse/novice rider they are going past!!!

 

[L&M]

Walk!

My lad came off on his first fun ride as a group of endurance riders trotted past and spooked his pony - a more experienced rider would have been fine but he had only been riding for 4 mnths, and it was obvious we were taking it slow. I was furious and shouted at them, which is very unlike me!

To give them their due they did stop and aplogise, but showed a huge lack of manners and consideration to others, especially to a small child.

I always walk past other people's horses - they are live, unpredictable creatures, not machines!

 

[Luci07]

Walk. Only ever walk. There have been many a time I have been enjoying a lovely canter and seen another horse and come back to walk. And if I am able to overtake and want to move off at a trot, I always ask first!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Walk.....if in a feild unless I know I'm on a horse who isn't bothered about others trotting past him.....lami pony for example....I all ways call out to ask them to come back to walk

 

[Tapir]

I had three riders behind me on a narrow path yesterday and pulled over to let them through at a slightly wider bit. They then cantered off right under my mare's nose. Fortunately she's pretty well behaved but another rider could have had a serious problem.

I hate idiotic riders who have no thought for anyone but themselves. Walk is the only pace to pass another rider in.

 

[xloopylozzax]

I think you have to take each situation as it comes. Communication is key in things like this, I would be miffed if I was out riding and another rider expected me to walk just because they aren't in control.
What happens when you are in warms ups/schooling together?! Or out hunting?

It's rider aware on both counts- the world doesn't stop just because you may be having problems.

 

[little_critter]

I pass everyone at walk, not just riders but walkers and cyclists too. You never know how dogs are going to respond to horses and if you're not comfortable with horses it could be scary to have one trotting towards you. (Especially as the only trot my pony does on hacks is 'spanking trot')

 

[Megibo]

Why can't your cob cope with other horses...?

And I agree the only pace to pass is walk. We went on a fun ride once with other horses trotting past and my mum had a job holding her horse she had at the time, but then she had been a hunting horse.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

No faster than a steady trot. Preferably walk just as they actually pass if on a road.

Trot if it is off road as long as steady is perfectly reasonable.

I personally don't think a child that has been riding only 4 months should be doing a fun xc ride, they need a good deal more experience of actual riding. They should be able to cope with horses coming past at trot before they go to something like that from a safety point of view - that's what is the norm at those rides.

Actually the norm is often about 8 kids on ponies hurtling past the adults at about 100mph with no brakes ))

 

[Shantara]

Walk.

I know people say horses should be able to deal with other horses, but I find that very unrealistic! Like another poster said "Horses are animals, not machines"

 

[canteron]

I think you have to take each situation as it comes. Communication is key in things like this, I would be miffed if I was out riding and another rider expected me to walk just because they aren't in control.
What happens when you are in warms ups/schooling together?! Or out hunting?

It's rider aware on both counts- the world doesn't stop just because you may be having problems.

I know you wrote this to wind people up, but you do sound a little bit selfish. So are you saying that people with young horses/novice riders shouldn't ever venture out because it might upset you???

 

[Bertolie]

My daughter and I were hacking along a quiet country lane last week when coming towards us we saw a girl riding and leading two others. These three horses were spread out over the whole road and at no point would I say she had control of the horses she was leading. We put our horses on the very small grass verge and waited for her to pass, which she did at a fast trot! Luckily our horses are pretty good and stood still even when one of the led horses came so close to my boy that he knocked my stirrup. And we didn't even get so much as a thank you!

 

[Doublethyme]

The mannered way is to always walk and check ok to trot on, however, equally every rider should work at teaching their horses to cope with situations where this doesn't happen. I always work on the assumption I need to try to teach my horses about things so I can keep control of their reactions as O cannot control the world around us. Doesn't always work, but can help.

Few years ago I was leading out my 2 year old, just on a quiet lane, when one of the locals who events, came suddenly our of their yard gate just ahead of us, she proceeded to hammer it past us in trot with a bland smile and complete lack of awareness and manners. Firstly who trota straight out their gate and secondly it was completely obvious I had a very young animal in hand.

Thankfully my warmblood fully was wonderful, spooked a bit but kept her head and we carried on, a valuable lesson learnt for her, that unmannered idiots are everywhere.

 

[albeg]

I pass in walk 99% of the time and would always ask someone before passing, I don't want to be responsible for causing an accident. The rare occasion I've passed in a trot, it's been off-road and the other rider told me to keep coming (I came around a corner and met them, they said to keep coming). Obviously it was at a steady trot, I gave plenty of space, and I made sure I was out of sight before upping the pace. I think it's very inconsiderate to go tearing past someone, you never know how the horse might react.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

The only time I have encountered someone new out hacking it was on a busy main road, my horse was being a bit bouncy as we were nearly home and I heard her coming a mile off so I pulled into the stubble field as I knew Jeff would be a prat if she pelted past him at high speed trot. So as I turned to follow her progress I see she is standing bolt upright in her stirrup, hauling on her ponies mouth - completely out of control. She managed to turn into the quiet lane where her pony prompty stopped dead and refused to move.

By this point Jeff was cantering sideways across the stubble field leaping and plunging - he's a racehorse and wanted to race. We caught her up as she wasn't going anywhere and I was about to ask if she wanted me to give her a lead and help her home when she spouted the most vile string of proffanities at me and told me that the only reason her pony trotted off with her was because I was in front of her and I shouldn't have been out on thw road at the same time as her! What a moron! Needless to say I left her standing where she was. Half an hour of gentle nudging and patting later her pony finally agrees to move - at a high speed spanking trot all the way home.

About an hour later she came back to the yard with her mother and apologised for her use of language and then asked for a job work riding the racehorses ... eh naw! Cheers but no thanks!

Mine can generally cope with anything when they are chilled out but when they are wired they turn into bouncy coiled springs!

 

[patchwork puzzle]

Would always prefer to pass or be passed at a walk. Today out riding, three riders came out of a yard just ahead of me and just around the corner I was planning on having a trot, so I asked them if it would be ok to pass ( and if their dogs were ok) but as we were heading in the same direction and they moved over but kept walking so I double checked are the dogs and ponies ok for me to pass at a steady trot. I always say thankyou aswell when passing in the same direction.

 

[JFTDWS]

No faster than a steady trot. Preferably walk just as they actually pass if on a road.

Trot if it is off road as long as steady is perfectly reasonable.

Agreed - my major beef is with people who expect you to walk past them, but won't stop to allow you to overtake - if I'm trotting along a track and come up behind other riders, I am more than happy to come back to walk if they stop / pull in to let me pass. If they don't stop, I can't overtake in walk - the pony simply can't walk fast enough to overtake bigger horses who are also walking, and I don't see why I should be stuck walking behind them because of their rudeness and inability to remain in control. In those cases, I trot (steadily) past. Similarly if people are trotting, I catch up in canter, I would expect them to slow / stop to allow me to pass in walk / trot or whatever speed they need - it's infuriating if they don't as you can't very well pass them in canter on a track.

Couldn't care less what speed people over take me though.

 

[Lizzie66]

Walk!

My lad came off on his first fun ride as a group of endurance riders trotted past and spooked his pony - a more experienced rider would have been fine but he had only been riding for 4 mnths, and it was obvious we were taking it slow. I was furious and shouted at them, which is very unlike me!

To give them their due they did stop and aplogise, but showed a huge lack of manners and consideration to others, especially to a small child.

Sorry but i think you were a little irresponsible here. When my daughter was young or if she is taking a baby round, then she always aims to go out as last horse, this stops you being overtaken by people wanting to go faster.

They went past in trot, unless you were stationery they would have been unable to pass you at any slower pace !

 

[smellsofhorse]

I always pass other horses in walk
Even if they are further away I will always slow down as I know it can upset other horses.

 

[Littlelegs]

Exactly what jftd said. If someone was to call out they were having problems, or gave me a good reason why, I would walk. Don't get the whole walking past kids things either, when daughter was unable to manage others trotting past, she either rode a pony that wouldn't react or was on lr. And when her pony was just backed, & she was 6 we avoided popular routes at wkends etc, or I walked. Nothing worse than someone expecting you to dawdle behind them for miles.

 

[Mongoose11]

It seems the consensus is walk but I would say trot, personally. I don't think there is always a need to slow to a walk but then I have never had a bad passing, it happens rarely and I have a super steady horse. Had I any different then I might think that anything but walk was inappropriate.

 

[monkeybum13]

I always pass other horses at a walk out hacking

 

[Mongoose11]

Should have added, I would always call out 'ok to carry on?' Or something similar... If asked to walk I would.

 

[Mongoose11]

Sidney - you would have had a right earful back from me I'm afraid. Why is your boy riding in the midst of a fun ride with that little experience and a pony who can't cope with others passing at a trot?

No reason why he shouldn't join in but you should have been at the rear of the ride surely?

 

[mandwhy]

I always walk, same with walkers and dog walkers etc. It just shows respect as not everyone is comfortable with a half tonne animal coming past them at speed! I also usually offer to go in front if we are on a path. A lady yesterday with her dog looked nervous and said 'i hope you've got control of them' I said yes but would you like us to go in front of you, she said she had been out before and had a horse rear up behind her almost coming down on her head! Poor woman!!

Trotting or cantering towards or past another horse that you don't even know is very bad manners. Luckily my horse isn't too bad but my hacking buddies teased me today as I do get nervous going past fields of horses cantering about and don't like to trot past them.

 

[Fuzznugget]

With my current horse, I would greatly appreciate being passed in walk. He's an ex racehorse & goes into overdrive whe he hears another horse come up behind him. It is something we're working on, and I realise it isn't always feasible for others to pass in walk, but it is appreciated if they can.

 

[Irishcobs]

Why can't your cob cope with other horses...?

No idea but he can't cope with horses that he doesn't know coming towards him in anything fast than walk. I have to give up taken him to comps as he wouldn't stay in the warm up arenas. He is the lowest of the low in the pecking order so I guess he's just super submissive.

In both my situations the other horse/s were coming towards me, none of mine give a hoot how fast someone comes past them from behind.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

Mine is a nightmare if other horses pass him, but that is my problem, I am grateful if people pass at a walk, they soon know it might be wise when he starts jogging sidewaysas soon as he heres them behind, but a steady trott is fine. He calms a little when they are out of sight.

I generally pass others at a walk knowing what mine is like and if I want to go faster and they are close behind, I always check with them before going up a gear. Same on sponsored rides.

Just a case of good manners, basics really.

 

[Rigel13]

I was out riding recently when I was approached at speed from behind. The other rider slowed to a walk just behind me and after making some small talk asked if it was okay to go past. I agreed, they came just about level with my stirrup, let out a shout of 'YA!' and pony club kicked. Their mount shot straight off in a gallop and disappeared over the horizon. My own normally perfectly calm when being passed at walk and trot horse imploded, 360'd and shot off in the other direction up a bank and down in to a ditch.

Once I regained control I followed the other rider back to their stables as I recognised the yard and politely asked that they pass me in walk or trot to avoid any difficulties in the future. They agreed but now sarcastically crawl to a halt whenever they see me (with or without my horse) and shout 'Is this slow enough, we are trying to go slowly etc' at me. Some people!!