Horses on running trails - what's your experience?

I usually don't have any problems with horses on natural surface trails. Since I'm typically not doing a workout on them it's no problem to slow down a bit to get past them. Most of these rail-to-trail and canalway trail restoration projects around where I live tend either be paved or use hardpacked limestone, which in that case makes sense to exclude horses.

only experience: lots of horseshit everywhere

Better than cyclists.

Trollhard wrote:

only experience: lots of horseshit everywhere

I've always wondered why people are expected to clean up after their dogs, but people get a free ride on the whole horse defecation issue. I have been on shared trails where it is literally everywhere.

opinionated guy wrote:

I've always wondered why people are expected to clean up after their dogs, but people get a free ride on the whole horse defecation issue. I have been on shared trails where it is literally everywhere.

Horses get a free pass on all kinds of stuff, it's complete crap.

For example, all other trail users are required and expected to give way to horses, because they are unpredictable and dangerous.

I once had a horse owner/rider specifically ask me to step off the trail so she could pass, because her horse was easy to startle and could become dangerous. MAYBE A DANGEROUS 2000 POUND ANIMAL SHOULDN'T BE ON A PUBLIC TRAIL!

Of course, all the other trail users (OHV, mountain bikes, etc) always get shut out before horse people.

tony soprano wrote:

Here in East Tennessee, we have a Rails-to-Trails project coming together, making a 10-mile stretch out and back that will be used by bikers, walkers, and runners.

Horse people are up in arms that they're being left out of this rather narrow trail which brings its users over tight bridges with low-hanging canopy branches.

What is your experience with this situation?

http://www.tweetsietrail.com/

- is the site for the trail.

They leave their poop everywhere. Hard to avoid a lot of the time. Also, if you meet one, they sure as hell won't move an inch. Then again, that may just be the rich people in my area.

In Colorado horses have the right of way on all trails, followed by hikers/runners followed by douchebag cyclists.

GoatZenHeimer wrote:

Better than cyclists.

Goddamn right.

And if horses get to ride on running trails, I'd better get to run on horse trails.

There is a section of a trail in rock creek park in dc popular with horses and runners/walkers. Most of the time I never cross paths with a horse(s) but when I do, I slow down to a slow jog. One time I didn't when I first started running the trail and got a dirty look and reminded to slow down around horses. I heard from someone that there is a group trying to get it to be horses only, anyone know more about this?

I have encountered a few on the trail. Riders are older folks who are polite and horses don't freak out or anything when I run by.

Wohooo, it is easy to create havoc overtaking a horse w/ rider. If they don't hear you some horses just freak out.

Recently I was asked to wait so the rider could turn around the beast because it was young and easily irritated.

In a discussion with riders ask them to vouch for problem-free overtaking. That'll keep them in check.

Horses are dicks. They just are.

/thread

Ran for St. Joes. Philly. We ran Wissahickon every weekend and many times there were horses and owners were very obnoxious and yelled at us as if they alone had access to the trail. We never tried to spoke the horses and were always respectful, no the other way around. And the horse crap should be picked up or ride on horse only trails.

I ride horses as well as run and I would never expect people to have to do all those things that horse people typically demand that people do around their horses.

I had one woman loudly demand that I HAD to talk to her horse and let it know I was there.

When I take a horse out in public, it better be ready for anything and capable of dealing with non-horse people.

Picking up horse crap is totally unfeasible and it breaks down rapidly anyway.

They aren't allowed on the multi-use trails around here. I have run on horse trails though and when it's wet, horses really tromp it up. Horses also tend to spook easily if someone is coming up on them from behind so those are two things that come to mind as to why the horse folks are being left out for good reason.

FWIW, when running on horse trails, I'm always careful to stop when I encounter horses and give plenty of warning when approaching. Horse folks seem OK with me on "their" trails as long as I do those things.

Bring a whip.

Hello there! Horses I usually dangerous, when they are young and don’t have too much experience in interacting with a human. For obvious reasons that should be kept in securely enclosed areas where they are training. If the horse will be somewhere in the public services, for example, police, they need to take her occasionally to the city, so the animal won’t be scared of loud noises and cars. One professional horse-rider told me to be aware of young horses because most of the time they are not very well trained and can be unpredictable. They only issue was to find out any horse’s age. I found a few tips on how to tell their age on https://petsoid.com/how-to-tell-a-horses-age/ .

I've had experience with horses on trails in a few places I've lived.

- The horse owners think they ALWAYS have the right of way, going so far to yell at you if you don't slow to a crawl to not "spook" their horses. That's the most benign part.

- Horses crap all over trails, and unlike dog owners, horse owners never stop to pick it up. Horse dung is big and disgusting.

-Horse riders always go very slow, like a walking pace. They aren't galloping through the trails actually training their animals for a race, they are out for a joy ride just to show off how rich they are.

-Horse people are generally uncomfortable to be around. Talking to them, you get a sense that there is something off about them. Maybe if I'd had more than a short conversation with these people, I could put my finger on exactly what it is, but I've never had, you want to extricate yourself when you feel there is something off.

-The worst part is the crap

So in summary, I don't think horses should be allowed on any trails, save in the remotest, least used areas.

Agreed on all points. Just the other day I was doing mile repeats on a pretty remote section of a wide, gravel road and was asked to stop running by this horse lady coming head on because I would scare her horse.