Venom in an unexpected place...

[tctrek]

If we paid attention to everyone who doesn't like cyclists, none of us would ever ride. I choose to ignore... at least my bike doesn't poop on the road.

[IFjane]

...at least my bike doesn't poop on the road.

LOL, tctrek! I agree. I also wonder about those who say we need to register our bikes and pay road use taxes for them. Ok....I will do that, but do I also have to register my running shoes??? And then there are horseshoes....shouldn't they also be registered?

[colorisnt]

Personally, as an equestrian and cyclist, I don't see why equestrians who don't cycle get all up in arms over road riding. We pretty much want the same.damn.thing -drivers to be smart and not kill us and for those who use the road to do so PROPERLY and SAFELY so they don't ruin it for the rest of us. Both take some common sense. If you are riding in traffic, be safe. And I don't even LIKE road horseback riding because of the lack of safe roads here. It is a pretty urban area to be riding a horse in. In many of these places, I don't even ride my bike because the area has proved very dangerous to fellow cyclists and there are better routes to take. And to me, even riding a bike in a congested area is different - mainly because if I get hurt it is *my* own problem, but if my horse and I do, that isn't fair to the poor animal carting me around. My show horse was road safe as they come and could deal with bikes, cars, motorized scooters, etc, but I did not take her out on our roads. Many, many here give me hell for riding by the local arena going 20 mph or so - the speed limit is 35. In fact, one mother actually stopped me and demanded to know why I was "spooking the horses" She actually CHASED after me and flagged me down.

Now, I stopped and talked to her because I thought there was an emergency or something, but I was out of the area too quick to see really,so she had to have been LOOKING for me specifically. This is the same family who rode their horses in the city and almost KILLED me previously this year. 5 cars could have been in an accident. Two horses were riding on the SIDEWALK (they aren't allowed that here) and one got caught up in a utlity line coming off a pole. The horse started to flip out and spooked the other who went up in the air rearing an flipping out in the intersection (he almost flipped over).

While I don't ride on the roads, I think any equestrian should be allowed the same rights as I am. So I don't understand the cycle hate. I brought up a topic on this a couple of months ago when my accident happened and people didn't understand why I was angry at these people. They attacked me. After all, I am one of those terrible cyclists. No bother than I have been riding a horse for about 15 years.

[JennK13]

As a former Rodeo Queen who grew up with horses AND bikes, that thread just pisses me off!! Some real holier than thou people there. The one that really got me was the person who said "they don't know how horses can spook". Well, I had horses who could stand next to a bomb going off and not even flinch, and others who would freak if a butterfly came near them, and you know what, it was MY RESPONSIBILTY as the rider to control my horse, work with him to get him over that fear, and know what would set him off so I could prepare for it. Just like that OP who claims she was taking precautions to move her tempermental horse, yet was upset that cyclist happen to be there. What if it had RAINED on her??!?!

[Owlie]

While I've not been around horses much at all, even I know that horses can spook. You don't encounter many horses here (very urban), except for perhaps a police horse in training, or an event that is likely to have mounted police present...and that's a different sort of animal.
On the MUP I ride on at home, horses are allowed. I've only ever encountered one once. The rider was very polite and let us go by. Trail rules say that you need to yield to horses--and I get that. What these people don't seem to get is that--and this goes for any animal--it's their responsibility to know how it reacts to stress and to control it accordingly, including avoiding those kind of situations as much as possible.

[marni]

What these people don't seem to get is that--and this goes for any animal--it's their responsibility to know how it reacts to stress and to control it accordingly, including avoiding those kind of situations as much as possible.

amen to that owlie.

Oh how I wish people who use the multi use trails in the local park would learn that with their dogs. Yes they are on leashes, but when you have a 20 foot retractable leash that runs out in two seconds when your dear dog runs out to attack the biker or runner passing by then yes, you have a problem and yes, your dog will get yelled at or kicked at and yes, if your dog had made me crash I would have come after you for medical expenses. If you know your dog "doesn't like bikers very much" then it is your responsability to keep him on a very short leash and perhaps even consider moving off the path a bit when you hear me or the two runners who were also attacked call out that they are passing.

just saying- you don't let your dog lunge at me and I promise my bike won't lunge at you. I can't speak for the runners but I would imagine that they are capable of controlling their running shoes in an equal fashion.

marni
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