Frightening the Horses

[CoCo]

Is it just me or do recumbents frighten horses more than uprights? Why is this?

[andytheflyer]

IME, yes.  Previous threads either on here or elsewhere offered that it is because the horse thinks that the low, moving object is a predator, and it's more used to DF bikes.

I tend to strike up a conversation with the rider so that the horse knows that the predator is at least part human, so maybe nothing to be worried about.  And be prepared to stop if it all kicks off.  Don't use a flag either - that makes it worse.  So a horsewoman once told me.

[Rob.Archer]

Havaing had a couple of scary moments with horses reacting badly to my recumbent (even when I've stopped and talked to the rider) I now stop and stand up as soon as I see a horse!

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[Nethypete]

I've been involved once on the back road to Carr-bridge when my cycle past appeared to cause a horse to throw it's rider 50m away in a field. She (the rider) was winded but OK. So now I'm carefull when close to horses.

[Tigerbiten]

The "fun" thing about a recumbent trike is if you cycle across dartmoor then all the wild ponies, which have been ignoring the traffic, scatter like mad.
It the same with the wild ponies in the new forest, deer in scotland and even reindeer in Iceland ..... 

[Tilley]

Everyone thinks that your lowered stature on the road makes you more vulnerable to drivers. But no horses are definitely my worst hazard. I stop as soon as I am aware of a horse and rider and then give the rider the option to pass or be passed. My problem is exacerbated by a twirling windsock which I will lower if I notice the horse soon enough. Talking to the horse and rider definitely eases the horses anxiety.

[Kim]

Met a relatively sensible horse just now.  It turned and expressed its displeasure as I approached, but calmed down as soon as I stopped and stood up, and was further reassured by its human (leading, not riding) not to worry about the strange monster approaching from behind.  It decided I was allowed to pass as long as I freewheeled for the close bit.

They do seem more tolerant of the Streetmachine than the Baron or the trike.  I assume the extra height makes it a bit less scary.

[slowfen]

Horses worry me, that much brainless muscle is scary.
I have found that the riders are not always sure how the horse(s) will react and if it is the machine or flag causing the problem.
eg I came up to a group of 4 horses  on a quiet road, called/whistled got the last riders attention asked if it was alright to go by, he said fine no problem, horses good.
2 of the horses took off as if a rocket had been shoved up their arses.

If approaching from behind, I will slow down, call/whistle/talk and not pass until I have been seen by the riders/handler
If approaching the front I will slow down, ask if they want me to stop/remove flag.

However if after a number of these, if there is a distinct lack of goodwill/roadsense (I have been told I should not be on the road) then the time spent on these is reduced

The "fun" thing about a recumbent trike is if you cycle across dartmoor then all the wild ponies, which have been ignoring the traffic, scatter like mad.
It the same with the wild ponies in the new forest, deer in scotland and even reindeer in Iceland ..... 

I've done this to pigs in Norfolk, and seen them try and go from lying to flat out run from a wallow

[Kim]

Best approach is to look for feedback from the horse, rather than the rider.  I'm the least horsey person I know and even I find that they're usually pretty clear when they're not happy with something.

My main advice would be to unclip early, as the sound of clipless pedals can push them over the edge if you decide that they're too spooked to carry on at the last second.

[slowfen]

I do watch the horse as well, twitchy ears, change in gait/stance etc. But I do hope the rider is in control, and knows their horse. And expect them to be neither of these. If I'm on the bachatta, I have unclipped if there is no response from the rider as I'm expecting to stop.

[jelhinks]

I've been told by a couple of horse riders whose horses were upset by my trike that it's the flag that bothers them
My Bacchetta with no flags seems to not cause horses any trouble
Interestingly a very friendly collie I Pass without issue on normal bikes hates the Bacchetta and chases me down the road

[Phil W]

On a number if audaxes I have encountered dogs come running out of farm yards as I pass. They are barking and all excited and barking till they see me. Then they go quiet stop and stare at me all puzzled. They dont even chase me after I have ridden past them. On my road bike they would have had my ankle by then.

[Kim]

Can't say I've really noticed a difference in dog territorial behaviour.  Sometimes the ones being walked stare.

[arallsopp]

I don't ride with flags, but do find that the lower the bike, the more jumpy the horse.

I'm assuming its to do with my knees looking like the shoulders of a low slung cat.

If I'm with an upright, I try to position them so that the horse's line of sight is obscured, but either way my best experiences seem to be in calling out to the rider early, describing that I'm on an unusual bike, making sure the rider has actually seen me before waving me around, letting the rider make a judgement call about whether I should pass or not, and (if we do agree to go for it) keeping a flow of words coming out of my face until I'm long past them.

Seems that spoken words mean human to a horse. Song lyrics help, if you really run out of things to say

[Kim]

It's not just a Darkside thing, either.  I was once stopped at a convenient bench at a crossroads eating a sandwich, my boring Dawes Discovery with four panniers on its kickstand at the side of the road.  A horse approached, stopped, and steadfastly refused to go any further.  "It's a bicycle with nobody on it, silly!" proclaimed the rider, but the horse remained unconvinced.  I put my sandwich down, walked over to the bike and wheeled it forward about a metre or so.  "Oh, it's a bicycle!  I know this!" thought the horse, who then proceeded with the confidence of a cat pretending that it hadn't just fallen off the back of an armchair.

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's not just a bicycle thing. I had once just got back on my – upright – bike after stopping in a gateway, when a horse (and rider) came round the corner of the field. The horse stopped and couldn't be persuaded to move, so I did the talk to the animal thing. "It's not you she's afraid of," said the rider, "it's that pile of branches." Makes sense really; could hide a snake or a small wolf.

[SeldomSeen]

My Baron definitely had more reaction than my higher Metabike. Never used a flag, but I found once I stopped wearing my lion suit things improved. Seriously though, I got to a point where I just slowed and shouted to alert the rider. Living near Newmarket, if I was to stop and stand up every time I passed a horse, I would never get anywhere. All comes down to common sense on both sides.