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Re: Horses

I have never had any problem with horses whilst they are out with their riders. Now horses in fields, thats a different storey On one occasion a path through a paddock had a single horse in that seriously objected to me being there and kept running in front of me, behind me making one hell of a noise. On another occasion in a seperate place one horse ws rearing up not far from me. I just turned around and got out of that field fast.

Saying that, i have walked thrugh other fields with horses and they have been ok. So i am very weary about horses more than any other animal.

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I know what you mean about some horses, they have that look in their eyes like I'm going to freak out whether you like it or not and if you get in the way tough. Having said that the two at Stool End Farm always come over and say hello and I can't say horses have ever bothered me. 'Live and let live' as they say.

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I walk quite happily through the ponies in the New Forest, and have some lovely equine friends but I was really spooked some years ago when walking at Porlock.  There were some horses roaming loose there near the beach.  I approached a gap in a line of trees/shrubs to walk on to the beach.  I could hear (and feel through the ground) a horse galloping and getting nearer.  Suddenly he came into view and was headed for this same gap in the trees where I was.  Yeek!   I was certainly a tad scared.   All my husband could say was the old chestnut (sorry for that pun!) "I'm going to graze - you'd better brace yourself!"    This mighty horse charged up to me, passed by at great speed and into the field I'd just come from where there was an obviously very attractive mare.   Phew!   

Not had a problem with horses and riders though.   I give them as wide a berth as possible and so far so good!   

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horses?

*shudders*

hate 'em

cow's are great tho'

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Big difference between cows and horses?? Cows will actively stamp on whatever they perceive as a threat, whilst horses will do everything they can to avoid getting their legs tangled up with you, as this is their primary means of defense. Give me a field of horses anyday, you can also tell what is going through their heads by their facial expressions, cows just look the same whether they want to graze or kill you.

Horses are by their very nature, nervous of anything they see as a threat, whether that is your umbrella or a field of pigs. They also have as much right to be on a public highway or bridleway as anyone else. Just because a horse is prancing about does not mean that the rider is out of control, if that was the case, then the horse would be two miles up the road, rather than jogging on the spot. It is actually quite easy to contain a horse between the legs and the bridle, even if it doesn't look it from a lay persons perspective.

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It can be quite a problem with cycling too. Round my way there are loads of horses on the country lanes. When you're coming up behind them, often the horse will sense your presence before the rider, and some start that nervy sideways movement. One rider asked me to "make some noise" when approaching from behind (oo-er missus!), but I'm really not sure if that's a great idea....

A few years back, cycling up a steep hill towards a horse, it reared up, throwing the rider off into the road, turned, and galloped down the road. I stopped to check on the rider but she insisted that I leave her & follow the horse to make sure it went into its yard, which I did. On entering the yard, the woman's mother appeared, and I explained what had happened - I said that I assumed she'd be walking back to meet us by now, to which she replied "oh, she can't walk! she's disabled". Cue a stunned silence, followed by a quick bike ride back, where she's fortunately been picked up by a passing motorist.

seeing horses makes me nervous ever since that day....
 

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Recently, I had Walked through a long field, when I became aware of half a dozen horse
shading under a tree by the stile that I was heading for. They all slowly walked towards me,
so I altered course in order to walk around them - they altered course too, cutting off my
route to the stile and came up to me. I was pretty nervous, having the previous chats of
cows trampling people fresh in my mind, horses are taller ! Fortunately, they were only
curious, and after a bit of nose rubbing they allowed me to continue in peace.

How about being trampled by sheep though ? I was going up the steep part of the zig-zags on
the tourist route of Ben Nevis the other week, when I almost got knocked over by a
stampeding sheep. The owner of the terrier that was chasing it told me that he had been told
there wasn't any cattle on the hill. Animals in the country - Who'd have thought it ?!!

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Re: Horses

As a rider and a walker I can see it from both sides.  I love exploring with my four legged man and there are times when out of nowhere he finds a monster in the undergrowth!  I always apologise if there are walkers near by as the look on their faces normally speaks volumes.  When a horse spooks it is mostly as much a surprise to the rider as it is to others.  If the rider is familiar with the horse though, there is a very good chance they will know what will happen over the next 10 seconds or so after a spook, so although they may sound anxious, where possible, it is worth following what they ask you to do as trust me they will be thinking of you as well as themselves and the horse.  Riders may sound anxious if they see walkers near by panicking and causing more worries for the horse.

From a walkers point of view approaching a horse I do not know I always call out to the rider if we have to pass in close proximaty to see if they are happy for me to pass.  I also bike ride and do the same, as a horse rider it makes such a difference if a bike rider makes themselves known to me as I do not always hear them.  A rider jumping out of her skin as a bike whizzes past is enough to then send the horse into the bushes, even if the horse is one step ahead of his rider and knows the bike is there!

I always tell my friends that are wary of walking through fields with horses to remember that horses are flight animals, not fight animals.  If you go into a field looking for a fight (in the horses eyes) with clenched hands and starring them in the face, the horse is likely to react, if they are in an enclosed field they can not run away from you so may start running around the field etc, which could be intimidating for a walker.  However if you go into the field and keep your body language soft then chances are the horses will either ignore you or they may wonder over to say hello, again if you keep your body language soft they are likely to say hello and then wonder off.  One tip I also have is to not eat anything if walking through a field with horses.  I had one walker go crazy at me (I arrived at the field just as she was exiting it) as my horse followed her the whole way across the field nudging her with his nose as she was eating an apple! 

If you do have any promblems with horses, contact the landowner or owner of the horse (most will keep their details nailed somewhere to the fences in the event their horse is found injured).  As an owner we are not always aware if our horses are causing problems as we are not with them 24-7. 

I hope some of the above may be helpfull.  Horses are lovely animals even though they are the size of small houses!

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I have never had a problem with horses , be it walking through a field full of them or passing a horse and rider on a path or road , lovely animals . Now walking trough a field of cows is a different matter i am always wary and try to keep a good distance away from them and cross the field as fast as i can walk with constant glances over my shoulder.

Re: Horses

topper said:

A question for horseriders...

 

horses just HATE me riding past on my motorbike. They usually rear up and panic even though I give them a wide berth. So why do horseriders use roads, when they have all those lovely fields to ride in ?

 

My motorbike is sadly stuck to using roads.

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Topper, i think you'll find they have more right than us to use the road. And like all paths, bridleways, they still have road sections to walk. The same as us walkers. When was the last walk you did, that was not all on hills or moors where you didn't have a road section to walk down?

 

Re: Horses

topper said:

A question for horseriders...

horses just HATE me riding past on my motorbike. They usually rear up and panic even though I give them a wide berth. So why do horseriders use roads, when they have all those lovely fields to ride in ?

 My motorbike is sadly stuck to using roads.

As a horse rider AND a motorbike rider I can only assume this is because you roar past using high revs as fast as you can...since I have never suffered a horse rearing up and panicing when a motor bike (or i on a motor bike) passes them.
 

Obviously I've only ridden a few thousand horses on the roads over the years and passed a few hundred so have limited experience.  It is also illegal to ride a horse on any random field (and deadly dull) in th e same way as it would be for you to ride your motorbike there.

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Buffy said:

topper said:

A question for horseriders...

 

horses just HATE me riding past on my motorbike. They usually rear up and panic even though I give them a wide berth. So why do horseriders use roads, when they have all those lovely fields to ride in ?

 

Because all those 'lovely fields' are private land where horses are not allowed to be!!! Why do you think there is a network of roads in this country? They were built for people to get around, using horses!!!! A road is a byway, open to all (except motorways of course), that is why you are permitted to walk, ride a bike, drive a tractor, ride/drive a horse, etc!!
 

The fact that these byeways were originally for horses is why motorised vehicles are required to pay ROAD TAX - horses are there by right