Whilst on my lonely travels I came up with a question that I thought I'd put on here having come by a few more horses in the past couple of weeks. Now, I'm not trying to put a spanner in the works or cause arguments. It's a genuine question. So;
> If horses were reared around motorbikes, sights, sounds and smells, a lot of them would not be so scatty on the roads. True or false??!
Having been around dogs all my life I can see how training can help with things such as socialising, car travel, fear of noises etc. so it's a genuine question because I don't know the answer with horses!!
There are a few members who have a horse, or knowledge of them, so I'm sure you will get your question answered MjN.
Maybe you could search for horse owner/enthusiast sites and also get the answer you need there?
All I'm going to say is if I come across a horse and rider I will give way and if needed will switch off and wait till the horse has passed by at least 100 mts. 800kgs of horse on top of your tank really messes up your paintwork. yes police horse's are trained to cope with traffic gun shots and all sorts of other stuff but the average owner couldn't afford the training needed. Even when I worked on a farm the horses that were there all there life would back away from tractors which they saw and heard every day of there life
Not a Horsey person myself but my daughter has horses. Can't believe how easily spooked they are. Hers have always been fine with traffic but could then be scared by a crisp bag blowing in the wind or a bird flying out of a bush. She tells me there a bit like humans, they have good and bad days.
Can't believe we took them into battle for 8000 years.
In general true, though like dogs (and people!) some will always be more highly strung than others. My last horse was a thoroughbred ex-racehorse, supposedly one of the most highly strung and nervous horses its possible to find, but she would happily pass through busy roadworks complete with pneumatic drills and JCB's while my ex-wife's supposedly placid native pony threw a complete wobbler!
On a practical note, of course most horse owners lack the opportunity, or the incentive/motivation, to de-sensitise their horses to bikes,
I think it has a bit to do with common sense on both sides... rider of bikes and rider of horse. As you pass a horse, you don't know how sensitive the animal is, so I always push or pull the clutch in when I approach a horse and keep as much distance as possible when driving or riding past. Most horse riders are appreciative of this. Although sometimes I question the rider with a horse on a busy road if the animal is that nervous....
Horses are animals and react to stuff in mostly a 'flight' mode - so even if they 'think' they saw something they didnt like - they're off !! Even a 110 % bombproof pony isnt all the time and it can be 1/4 of a mile before a horse that spooked and buggers off stops to think about it !! Give 'em space and work with the rider - if they are worth their salt they will let you know what works for their horse by halting you or waving you past !
well having been a horse owner in the past....horses frequently react to what the rider does. For instance my mate had a horse that was terrible in traffic with her but when I rode it there was no panic at all....because she had in her head the horse is traffic shy ...so with her it was. having said that when I encounter horses unless the rider signals for me to pass I stop and turn off the engine. if im asked to pass I do so slowly and with the clutch in (so the bike is quieter)
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