I've heard in the past that when you are crossing an equestrian's path on a bike, you should get off the bike and walk. I guess the theory is that the horse may not recognize that you are human when on a bike and could get spooked and buck their rider off. Well I encountered two people on horses for the first time the other day. I was in the middle of a relatively steep climb and really didn't want to stop, but I braked anyway and started to slow down, just as the woman on the first horse gave me an encouraging smile that seemed to say, "It's okay, keep riding!" I stayed on the bike and neither horse seemed to notice me. I'm wondering now if the whole spooking horses thing is just a myth or if the horses around here are just so used to seeing cyclists that they never bat an eyelash. Has anyone else had any unusual experiences when bikes and horses cross paths?