This may be worth reprinting and distributing;
Equestrians And Cyclists: Can We Get Along?
Theo Stein
Perhaps no animal has meant as much to the advance of human culture as the horse. Paleolithic man first looked to this grazing herd animal as meat on the hoof. The trick was getting close enough to strike. On the steppes where it evolved, the horse’s keen eyesight, hearing and blazing speed made it just about safe from attack. Hunters of all species had to wait for the herd to maneuver into tighter quarters like in the woods along a stream or water hole.
Once the horse was domesticated, its trainability, strength and speed afforded human cultures a quantum leap forward. The horse became beast of burden, transportation and a devastating weapon of war. On the broad back of this noble beast, kingdoms were gained and kingdoms lost. Today, because of the relative fortune required to purchase and maintain a horse, equestrians are often wealthy and landed citizens: people with clout.
Therein lies the rub: mountain biking is a new sport whose devotees are relatively young and not rich. We all wish it were otherwise, but money talks. It is the horse owners who will be able to pull the right strings when conflicts arise. Therefore, it behooves (sorry) us to make friends of equestrians, rather than enemies.
A wary, fast animal of wide open spaces
But this issue is more than just a turf battle over trails between us young turks and them establishment types. It also has to do with safety. On the back of a startled horse, attached only by gripping thighs, a rider is in an extremely precarious position. And to a horse, a mountain biker screaming around a blind corner at Warp Nine looks like a nightmare from hell: alien, silent and horrifyingly fast.
While hiker-cyclist conflicts provoke most land access battles, chance encounters between horses and bicycles pose a far greater threat of injury and death. A horse, by design, is a nervous, cautious beast. Mountain bikers are, more or less, risk-takers. When these two very different users meet unexpectedly on the trail, the results are sometimes disastrous.
Deb Carano, a rider for 26 years and world-class equestrienne racer from New England, believes that the majority of unpleasant horse-bicycle incidents arise from our own ignorance about how this this herbivore perceives its world. When faced with potential danger, humans may choose to fight or flee. Horses have one response, and that’s flight - right now.
One of Deb’s housemates, Tunde “Tucsi” Ludanye, has studied equine behavior and sensory perception. She said that if self-preservation is the first law of nature, it’s also the last word in horse sense. The horse has an inbred fear of being eaten. It is known to be the fastest animal in the world at distances over 50 yards, but within that distance, it is vulnerable to ambush artists like lions and wolves. That first 50 yards is crucial. To gain this ever-important head start, a horse depends on an amazing sensory system - a 360-degree field of vision and ears which swivel a full 180 degrees.
Tucci said it’s possible to understand a horse’s seemingly irrational reactions as natural wariness. Remember, it’s an animal of wide open spaces, not twisty single track. Tucci notes that a horse instinctively fears small, tight, dark places, like a trailer, as place where a horse-eater may be lurking. A tight trail in deep woods may also make a horse nervous, Deb said.
The only way to calm a spooked horse is to convince it that there is nothing to fear. A trained animal takes its cues from its rider or other horses. A startled horse under a startled rider is a dangerous combination. A startled horse under a calm rider is less so.
One of the most volatile elements in the mix is that every animal is different. “My horse Hardin is bomb-proof,” she said. “The previous owner used to take him hunting and shoot a gun off his back.” Deb and Hardin also used to tag along behind a racer-friend when he trained in the woods. “Hardin loved it. He would just fall in behind the bike and away we’d go. But even with a bomb-proof horse, if you startle it, it’s going to shy.”
While a horse is a large animal, it is also quite fragile. “There are a number of things that can happen to a horse, just like with any human athlete.” A spooked horse, madly dashing over hill and dale, can easily pop a tendon, tear a ligament, break a cannon bone, or twist a fetlock, which is the equine equivalent of spraining our wrist. Any of those injuries entail a long-term recovery and big-time veterinarian costs. A severe injury may oblige the owner to euthanize the animal, which is part cherished friend and part investment. Any rider who has had a horse injured or put down after being spooked by cyclists is sure to hit the warpath against mountain bike access.
But the party most in danger during unexpected confrontations is the person is the person riding a spooked horse.
“Typically horses weigh 1,000 pounds and up,” she said. “When you startle a horse, its instinctive reaction is flight, and that’s when people get hurt.” The most common injuries, Deb said, are broken shoulders and wrists and lungs punctured by broken ribs. But more serious injuries do happen. Deb said she saw one rider break his back after getting thrown. She also knows of riders who were killed after they were thrown into a tree or stone wall. Even a sudden sideways movement in the woods may result in the rider being crushed against a tree or clotheslined by a low-hanging limb.
How to avoid conflict
Approaching a horse and rider suddenly from the rear is the most perilous type of meeting. Popping up in a horse’s face will certainly scare the bejeesus out of the animal, but at least the rider can quickly identify the nature of the threat and act accordingly.
A horse is likely to sense a cyclist approaching from the rear before its rider, and will instinctively perceive that cyclist as a threat to its safety. That’s why it is vital that you make your presence known to the rider.
“No matter which way you approach, it’s critical you alert the rider as soon as possible,” Deb said. The best thing to do, she said, is to slow to a crawl or stop and ask the rider for instructions. Don’t be bashful and don’t wait until you get close. Just sing out, “Rider back. May we pass?”
The rider may tell you to pass, or to wait while he or she moves the horse off the trail. The rider may just need to turn the animal around so it can look you over. With a skittish animal or inexperienced rider, you may have to dismount and move off the trail yourself.
Deb also recommends you outfit your bike with a bell, even a tiny, tin kitty bell under your seat. “That may give the horse and rider the split-second warning they need to buy time for everybody involved.”
But the most important thing is to let the equestrian control the flow of events. The horse needs to know the rider is in charge. "Ask the rider for instructions no matter what, she said. “They will appreciate it.”
Anticipating incidents is the best way to avoid nasty accidents. Keep your eyes open for horse sign on the trail. A 1,200 pound animal shod with steel shoes leaves tracks on everything short of asphalt. Even then, manure piles should alert you that you’re sharing the trail with an animal.
If you suspect there’s a horse somewhere ahead of you, consider riding elsewhere. If it’s your training day, do ride elsewhere. Otherwise, proceed with caution and make noise as you go.
Despite having a bomb-proof horse familiar with bicyclists, Deb said that she tries to keep Hardin away from mountain bikes whenever possible, more so because she’s afraid of how bikers will act than how Hardin will.
"I like trail riding, but it’s not relaxing, she said. Given that a horse may spook at the sight of a deer, a few anxious moments per ride in the woods is the norm. Knowing that mountain bikes may be in the area ratchets up the tension level dramatically.
“To be honest, I don’t go to areas where I can expect to run into them,” she said. “The potential for disaster is just too great where the horse and rider are concerned. I’ve been there and it’s not fun.”
Getting along
That admission begs the question: “Can we get along? Yes, if we show respect and a sense of knowing what horses do and what they need. If we don’t do that, then I think we’re going to be denied access to a lot of great mountain biking.” And who wants that?
More Horse Sense From Equestrian Reader
Margo Ems, Lincoln, NE
I am a horse owner and have been trailriding the Midwest for 15 years. I also serve as equestrian advisor for numerous city and state level trail advisory groups, and non-profit trail organizations. I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU for running the informative article, “Equestrians and cyclists: Can we get along?” by Theo Stein in the September ITN.
I would like to make a couple more suggestions: 1) If a horse is crossing a bridge, cyclists should always wait for the the horse to finish. 2) Cyclists should never approach a horse while it is crossing creeks or other water. 3) When calling to the horserider to alert them of your presence, remember it is best not to holler or yell excitedly, but to speak calmly. If the cyclist is some distance from the horse, a loud but calm voice should be used. There is nothing wrong with a “Hello, it’s really a nice day for riding, isn’t it?” The more an approaching cyclists talks when passing, the more the horse will realize it is just a human being on a strange looking contraption.
One last thing just to set the record straight. Although owning a horse is an expensive hobby, the majority of horse owners who trailride for pleasure are not wealthy. Many trailriders are silly enough to dump every last, hard-earned dime they have into their hobby so that they can do what they enjoy. For many, trailriding is all they do with their horses. They don’t show them and do not own expensive horses of show caliber. But they do come from all walks of life, just a mountain bikers do. If all of us use a little common courtesy, and take into consideration the excellent points you have made in your article, everyone can go home at the end of the day after a safe and very enjoyable ride. Again, thanks for helping others understand a bit of horse psychology and promoting trail etiquette.
It just stopped being enjoyable. Fortunately for us, there are lots of other trails around.
