[pct-l] Bikes and Horses

[bluetrail at aol.com]

I owned a horse and rode horseback for many years, including horseback pack trips in the Salt 
River Range of Wyoming.  Some horses are bomb-proof baby-sitters.  Others get highly excited when a leaf turns the wrong way.  I have titanium rods in my neck and bone spurs in my shoulder as proof of this.

A lot of horses would definitely flip out when suddenly, surprizingly approached by a speeding bike.
Some hoses would flip out even if they saw the bike coming for half a mile. To other horses, it's all just in a day's work.  In any case, even the most experienced rider can sometimes take a bad fall when a horse gets spooked..

On multiuse trails both bikes and hikers yield to horses. Get off the trail if at all possible.  I highly recommend that hikers and/or bikers stay absolutely still while the horse moves around you.  It also helps if you talk in a low, soothing tone.  

Say something like, "Well, aren't you a pretty one.  I'm just a human with a backpack.  I'm not as scary as I look.  "  Or some other such nonsense.  Speaking calmly helps the horse ID you as a person instead of sasquatch.  Give the horse enough time to get well clear of you before you start moving (slowly at first) again.

Joan








-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Walters <fredwalters2 at gmail.com>
To: pct-l <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Fri, Oct 19, 2012 12:45 pm
Subject: [pct-l] Bikes and Horses


Question: Not being a horse rider and not having hiked the PCT it is a
enuine question.  How do horses and Mountain Bikes get on ?  e.g. MTB
peeding down a fast curved stretch, round a blind corner to meet a horse
oncoming or same direction).  I ask because where I used to live there
ere loads of horses and I got to appreciate that (some) horses can rear-up
hen surprised suddenly by something moving (fast).  And being thrown of a
orse rearing up is probably quite dangerous (broken ... or worse).
Fred
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