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Soft Cycling Horse Sense
"Rider thrown, says bike spooked
equestrian,"
A few kind words might have prevented this trail incident that
reportedly resulted in a woman being thrown from her horse in
Spring Gulch, Montana The woman said that passing bicycles startled
her horse, causing it to buck. She said the cyclists did not
speak and were moving too fast on the narrow trail.
Many horses are scared of things that aren't
familiar to them -- like bicycles -- especially if they approach
quickly and without warning. Talking lets the horse know you're
a human; slowing and dismounting makes it less likely that
you'll surprise the animal. When an equestrian knows you're
there she can prepare her stock for the encounter.
Summing it up, here's what works
best when approaching oncoming ivestock on the trail:
1) Speak to the horse and rider.
2) Slow down, dismount and move to the downhill side of
the trail.
When approaching stock from the rear:
1) Slow down,
2) Ask the equestrian for instructions.
Better on-trail communication between mountain
bicyclists and livestock users can help prevent injuries and
conflicts.
The article first appeared in Trail Mix, the
newsletter of the Low Impact Mountain Bicyclists of Missoula,
Montana |
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