What would you consider a reasonable speed to pass a horse at?

Thinking about the slow down bumper stickers, I don't know if anyone else feels this but I would rather be given more space than less speed if that makes sense.

Also regarding cycle riders, one of those coming past me at 15mph with no warning is the quickest way I know to upset my horse. I would rather they call out or ring their bell to let me know they are about to scare my horse witless, with their very quiet apart from the whirring two wheeled human fast thing!
 
Hi, Im a biker, rider,driver (one quiet car one too noisy :p) and did a dissertation on driver/biker/non motorist behaviour.


I also ride young horses which are learning to understand that cars and bikes wont eat them. From a biker/drivers point of view every situation is different.

Its interesting that you are aware that your loud exhaust had the potential to scare the horses.

From a riders point of view, if my horse started to dance, i would have liked you to back off or wait a wee minute till i found a field entrance/wider bit of lane/bit of verge to stand in, then id have waved you passed ( and of course thanked you for your patience.)

From a bikers point of view id have probably crawled up very wide away from them, and contined to crawl pass if they were ok, if one of them started to dance, id have stopped ( even switched it off if it was noisey at idle) and waited for them to find a place to be safe in. If i managed to get past ok i would accelarate slowly, always watching in my mirrors to make sure i wasnt spooking it.

From a drivers point of view, if in my noisy one id do as described with the bike! but if in my quiet one id pass wide and slow- but always judging what i do next with what the horses do.



I think alot of motorists problem is that they think "if i can just get past itl be ok" so getting past is main thing on thier mind.

Being a biker you also have a great sense of mortality that some drivers do, so you are not ignorant to the fact that 1000lbs of horse landing on you wont be very nice.

Its impossible for me to comment on the situation that happened, on the one hand i think if the rider had to shout at you to slow down then maybe you were going to fast. But on the other you must be a very considerate sort for it to have bothered you so much that youve came onto a equine community to ask thier opinion and potential get met with negative responses.

I had an incident just yesterday where a 7.5 tonne lorry came thundering towards us on a country lane (the horse i ride is gernerally good in traffic, doesnt mind tractors/trailer ets) but he seen it and instantly got scared ( as would we all!) it was a nerve racking moment. But thankfully due to the brave actions of another - it brought the lorry to a halt, and we walked past camly.

Alot of non rider dont realise when a horse is scared it will "birl" spin and reverse. They dont always move away from the danger. If they could get into a safe place to stand, like a verge or field entrance, if the horse did spin or reverse, the rider has more of a chance of keeping it within that area and not onto the road - allowing you to pass safely.
 
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BHS safety videos recommend 15mph. However, I think the Highway code says be prepared to stop. It is what I would do with a spooky horse. You sound like a considerate person but it can be difficult to make a decision when horses are playing up on the road.
 
You also have to think about the damage a sideways spooking horse could do to a motorcyclist and machine if they did decide to keep coming past when the horse is upset. Unfortunately non riders aren't always aware that it only takes one jump for a horse to go from the kerb to the middle of the road. I don't think as lot of people realise that horses can move very quickly sideways as well as foreward and backward!
 
I have to say that I find people on motorbikes are the most carefull and thoughtful people that Imeet on the road. I have never had a biker speed past me, but I always find that the worst are the bints that are taking or bringing back their children from the local school. They seem to own the road.
 
Ruthnmeg said:
If it makes sense, my horse hates traffic loitering behind her... so you did do the right thing in my view.
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Totally agreed! My mare absolutely hates traffic waiting behind her - to not be able to see what is creating the noise seems to create more of a problem for her than people just passing by slowly and sensibly.

15mph seems to me a very reasonable speed to pass by - and how else is this young (?) horse going to get used to people driving past whether on a motorbike or in a car? I think the situation could have worsened if you would have waited behind them.

We aren't all dragons on the road...and it seems not all drivers are either! Thank you! :p
 
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Hmm,caution horse wouldn't do me any good :)
The noise dosn't worry any of my boys they are more warey of "silent cheetahs!" (I start to worry about electric cars soon)
I had a bright orange one with a yellow head (?!) pass yesterday.Bless the man,he passed really wide on a bend (luckily nothing was comming the other way or it might've hit him)unfortunately he did not say a word....now thats scarey to an equine!Why is it that we seem to be the only road users that are expected to "take our hands off the steering wheel"and smile and wave when we are holding onto a ton of unpredictable flesh and blood while everyone else just carrys on?
I find motor bike riders fantastic I guess like us they are aware of how vunerable they are...but what goes on in the head of silent cheetahs?!Even when you ask them to speak they just stare blankley and keep on comming :D
 
I have had a rider of a vintage motorcycle approach slowly from dead astern, pop out close to the horse, scare the bejesus out of her. She tanked off for 1/4 mile on a narrow grass verge. It wasn't the speed that was the problem, but how the rider approached.

I have also had cars stop and block the road whilst trying to help me ride past.

The worst is when cars come past really slow, but then change gear just as you come level. I would rather they had shot past me!
 
A very spooky horse (one you can see playing up) about 10mph? With as wide a berth as possible. A noisy bike though will probably spook most things. Our yard is on a busy, windy road out of town. Although most bikes slow down, many do not (it's apparently a nice run up that road and back), and we can't hack our spooky one in the summer) so thank you very much for slowing down at all!

And yes, if you'd waited behind for ever, you'd have spooked it a lot more unless you were some distance behind.
 
Sounds a reasonable speed to me, easy to stop from if there is a considerable problem - hence 20mph limits outside schools where kids are likely to run out.....TBH I prefer a motorcycle to go past at this speed than to crawl along behind for too long if the horse is playing up, if you understand what I mean?!
I have to say, I think you bikers are one of the most considerate groups to horse riders out there - by far the worst are middle aged women in large shiny 4x4's or people carriers....and that's a whole other thread!
 
Having been in the exact positionas the rider you talk about I would say you did the right thing. Our little mare was a star the first time out on the road, the only thing that bothered her was the vintage motorcycle and it's 'pop' sound coming up behind. We were on a wide grass verge and she was 'in hand' rather than ridden and, as the sound came up behind her, did a huge leap forward and tried to rush off. The second it passed she was calm again. Had the rider slowed or stopped it would have just made her panic last longer and after that we got ex OH up with his triumph bonneville to do some work with her (although not quite the same sound). Had you have stayed behind then the horse would have panicked for even longer. They were pretty rude 'asking' you to slow even more, there is only so much you can expect from other, faster road users, but I suspect they will have been panicking too!
 
Broken_Arrow said:
I have had a rider of a vintage motorcycle approach slowly from dead astern, pop out close to the horse, scare the bejesus out of her. She tanked off for 1/4 mile on a narrow grass verge. It wasn't the speed that was the problem, but how the rider approached.

I have also had cars stop and block the road whilst trying to help me ride past.

The worst is when cars come past really slow, but then change gear just as you come level. I would rather they had shot past me!
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How about the old guy that slowed and came past nice and wide - and then blew his horn whilst level to acknowledge that he had seen me wave thanks to him! Priceless!!
 
I also find motorcyclists to be particularly helpful and cautious on the road, as others have said it must be because they have a better sense of how vulnerable we all are on them!

OP, I think you dealt with the situation very sensibly. If the rider wanted you to do something else she (he?) should have used hand signals to ask you to stop. Seeing as she had two friends with her, surely one of them could have indicated the problem and what else they might have wanted you to do instead?
 
Luckily, ours are pretty much traffic-proof. We were only saying the other evening, though, how much more aware and prepared to accommodate riders motorcyclists are. Generally, we manage a cheery nod/smile/wave of gratitude as the vast majority throttle off and whirr silently past. For us, speed isn't usually the issue and 15mph would get you flowers and chocolates on top of the thank yous! It's the damage we could do and the scope for any evasive action motorists might have to make, if something unexpected causes our horses to spook. We worry about other road users not worrying about us. I think if a horse spooks beside you, the slower you are going and the wider you are passing, the better. If the horse is already pratting about, then I really wouldn't attempt to pass, but only because the horse is likely to knock you over - idiotic creatures that they become when they are frightened.

There are some cows, newly turned into a roadside field we have had to pass for a week now. These bloody stupid things are almost level with our horses knees, the road is so much higher than their field and to the motorists, they are invisible behind the hedge! All they see is us prancing sideways for no reason at all. They are SO unafraid of cars and have never been run into, they forget to consider them at all. That's the problem!

I don't think you did wrong and 15mph is perfectly fine - engine off for us is a big plus. I would, however, maybe hang back 'next time' til the animal is moderately under control and the accompanying foot people wave you on? For your safety only.

I do hope this incident hasn't tarred the rest of us as inconsiderate and ungrateful nitwits. They were probably very frightened and weren't thinking straight. Not that it's any excuse, as you were obviously trying to be considerate.

Do I detect mild amusement on your part regarding their 'animal management skills'?!!! Serious point, nicely addressed. Thank you and keep on doing what you are doing!
 
Pedantic said:
Hi, thanks for your consideration, I find most motorcyclists are courteous, which is more than can be said for some horseriders I pass, anyway I ride my Pony through a city center about once a month, and he is used to most traffic, but I think the old pop pop type engines would probably make him a bit edgy, some of the very large noisy Harley type motorbikes have spooked him in the past, advice would be if your not sure hang back until safe to pass for all concerned, apologies from the rest of us for the ignorant riders ;)
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Don't get me started on most horse riders! I am always amazed at the posts on here complaining about cyclists, cars and motorbikes because I very rarely have trouble with any. Very occasionally you get a t*** of a car driver (usually a sports car, and usually women) but given the amount of cars on the road, I'd say that's to be expected anyway. Motorbikes are always courteous, always slow down and always give room. Cyclists also always slow down.

The horse riders around our yard however, leave something to be desired. They never thank cars, they don't get out of the way when they could, they are usually on the phone, very few wear hi viz, and there are some who happily hack out at night or in thick fog wearing black clothes and without hi viz.

As for the OP, sounds like a perfectly reasonable speed to pass at. If they're obviously having trouble and pony is spinning around across the road then, in hindsight, you might have been better to wait until it had calmed down. But, it sounds like you were sensible about it and TBH going too slowly can sometimes be as bad as going too fast.
 
Riders MUST remember that other road users are not mind readers.

Simple practise: IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS THEN INDICATE TO THE DRIVER TO STOP!!!! Every road user, in a car, on a motorbike, bicycle or on a horse should be aware of what hand signals mean....and be prepared to use/obey them.
 
I find all motorcyclists fantastic around horses, though maybe I'm biased ;)

anyway, 15mph is perfectly fine. I used to meet an old guy who had an old lambretta scooter when I rode out. The pony I rode wasn't scared of anything but would make a song and dance of things just for the fun of it. It used to scare this old guy witless. In the end as soon as he saw me he'd turn his engine off, get off and be patiently leaning on his scooter by the time we rode past :D bless him!


Regarding younger horses, sometimes stopping isn't always the best course of action. I recall my OH picking me up when i worked at a stud, and on the way home we met two of the grooms returning home, one on the experienced (normally completely traffic proof) stallion and one on a just broken four year old. The four year old was quite sane, but it's rider was nervous, and as they drew level with us the four year old began to quicken his pace. so I told OH to pull over and turn the engine off, as we were on a narrow lane. So he did.

Next thing we knew the stallion had gone, I just saw a flash of chestnut as it and it's rider disappeared into the hedge.
The stallion leapt out of the ditch eyes on stalks as his rider gave him a mouthful of "you stupid animal!" and upon noticing that the beast of a car was STILL there cleared off down the lane bucking as he went, his rider growling expletives. The four year old just pootled along behind at his own sedate pace, his rider having dropped her reins in horror...
I'm afraid OH and I took some while to get home as it was just too funny.

Sometimes stopping does more harm than good!
 
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