Don’t worry about it. You had bells on, you called out to let people know you were passing.
Half of the organized trail rides I go on, people canter/gallop past without so much as a peep beforehand. Or you are riding together and they canter off leaving you in the dust.
That woman was probably embarrassed and took it out on you.
I haven’t read all the replies, but I’ll just tell you:
Some People Suck.
It sounds like you handled the situation just fine, and you were much nicer than I would have been about it had someone gotten in my face like that.
My husband and I have done pleasure paces and hunter paces, and we also fox hunt. If a horse can’t handle being passed by another horse at the walk, it shouldn’t be out there.
We also drive and, like you, when we are out and come across riders, we go out of our way to be accommodating and communicative. We stop as soon as we see someone riding–since most horse aren’t used to seeing a horse and carriage (but usually the riders are more concerned than the horses!)–and ask them how they would like to pass us.
I’ll never forget the time we arrived at our local horse park, unloaded our pony and carriage (again, we are very careful to wait and unload the carriage until horses are tacked and riders mounted if people are getting ready to ride), and a lady pulled in with her truck and trailer and loudly said to us, “You’re NOT driving ARE you?!”
I wanted to say, “No, we just brought the carriage so it could sit here while we ride,” but didn’t. :lol:
Someone mentioned asking the organizer about going out early and that is a great suggestion! There is a “Pink Ribbon Ride” up here in October to benefit a local hospital’s cancer program. One year, my sister wanted to go but doesn’t ride, so we asked if we could drive the trail and received permission to do so as long as we went out first, ahead of the riders. It worked perfectly and the two of us had a great time.
Chin up!
KellyS, my hat’s off to you regarding how you handle your driving horses when around riding horses!
Last year a friend and I were riding in a park-like area and were on the pavement for a short portion of the ride before getting back onto the trail. Down the “road” comes a belgian pulling a cart. We were not in a good place, i.e., me on pavement with a shod horse, and there was a bit of a dropoff to the side of the road we were on. Well, we (my friend and I) stopped but the horse and cart kept coming towards us. I could feel my horse’s heart pounding. He’s seen a lot of stuff but evidently not this sight!
He stood his ground, thankfully, but I was prepared to bail. They finally stopped, quite close to us. Anxieties subsided, but that was an experience I’ll not forget very soon!
[QUOTE=Sooner or Later;8456331]
KellyS, my hat’s off to you regarding how you handle your driving horses when around riding horses!
Last year a friend and I were riding in a park-like area and were on the pavement for a short portion of the ride before getting back onto the trail. Down the “road” comes a belgian pulling a cart. We were not in a good place, i.e., me on pavement with a shod horse, and there was a bit of a dropoff to the side of the road we were on. Well, we (my friend and I) stopped but the horse and cart kept coming towards us. I could feel my horse’s heart pounding. He’s seen a lot of stuff but evidently not this sight!
He stood his ground, thankfully, but I was prepared to bail. They finally stopped, quite close to us. Anxieties subsided, but that was an experience I’ll not forget very soon![/QUOTE]
I remember a few years ago riding with a friend on a tow path next to a canal. So a very narrow path that dropped off steeply into the canal on one side and into the Delaware River on the other! We were both on young horses ~ mine was 4 and her’s was 5, I think.
Well, here comes a mom and her son on bicycles with those flashing LED lights on the wheels…and well, my friend, our horses, and I almost ended up very wet because, while our horses were fine with bikes, that sight was not so friendly. We kept waving at the bicycle riders to stop and let us pass them versus having keep coming directly at us, but to no avail.
It really impressed upon me how important it is to let horses who are experiencing something new and/or scary approach the new/scary something versus that something approaching them. Because, if I was a horse, I’d be like, “I’m out!”
So, yes, it’s the approach we take with the driving as well. Trails that are open to horses are hard enough to come by…we need to share them well and be courteous and conscientious. Everyone one should come away from an encounter such as the ones described both safe and with horses that have learned that this new monster didn’t eat them. :yes:
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