Dog walkers or horseriders?

Trips, adventures, bikes, equipment, etc.
alpgirl
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by alpgirl »

Dirk wrote:When I ride off road, my dog usually comes along with me. She's better behaved than many of the other mountain bikers I come across. As for horses, our local stretch of the Sustrans route is absolutely covered in horse ****.

Llandegla is a purpose built mountain bike centre, with trails specifically designed for bikes, not bridle ways. You don't expect to see dogs on the trails, in the same way that you wouldn't expect to see dogs on an ice rink or a ski slope (for example).
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simonineaston
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by simonineaston »

alpgirl wrote:...in the same way that you wouldn't expect to see dogs on an ice rink or a ski slope (for example).
Be a Good Laugh, though!
Seriously though, I had to share much of the route of my Sunday walk this week-end, with sheep, cattle (inc. bull), humans (in motor vehicles) and dogs - no horses or humans-on-bicycles. All behaved tolerably well, so am unable to form any prejudice on this occasion...
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Dirk
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Joined: 30 Jun 2008, 9:33pm
Location: Port Talbot

Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Dirk »

alpgirl wrote:
Dirk wrote:When I ride off road, my dog usually comes along with me. She's better behaved than many of the other mountain bikers I come across. As for horses, our local stretch of the Sustrans route is absolutely covered in horse ****.

Llandegla is a purpose built mountain bike centre, with trails specifically designed for bikes, not bridle ways. You don't expect to see dogs on the trails, in the same way that you wouldn't expect to see dogs on an ice rink or a ski slope (for example).


Sorry, but at what point did I state that I took my dog on purpose built mountain bike trails???
dazza500
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by dazza500 »

Dogs, I find are generally more predictable than humand on off road tracks.
dazza500
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by dazza500 »

Human beings will walk out in front of you blithely, without a care!
Mark1978
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Mark1978 »

Out for a walk on a nature reserve at lunchtime. Woman who is out walking 5 or 6 small dogs, of course they come running straight up to me and start jumping on me, apparently they are "only being friendly", I'm just trying to have a leisurely walk in the sunshine and don't want your mutts jumping on me :(
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I have had 35 - 42 kgs Pointers for over 20 years and they have never jumped on anyone with out my permision.
I am regulary pawed and knocked by your typical small or even Lab sized dog, the last three Labs (silly soidal) got my knee in their chest, the owners said nothing.

Its not freindly or greeting for a complete stranger to be pawed with muddy feet on your clean clothes.
Some dont like dogs and some eastern natives think dogs very unclean and will quickly scoop up there young.
In basic dog training greeting your own dog is done at you leisure at the time you specify, when arriving home you ignore your dog and some time later greet it, saves all that hyper bouncing of the walls :)

These dog owners are not masters at all..........ask them who wears the trousers in their house :?: If they do then why are they not masterful of their pack :?:


A certain owner always goes for a silly dog, then trys to laugh off any criticisum of their pet.

I have had dogs run into my shin at speed even trip me up and cause me to fall to the floor, the owners make them selves scarce be walking away.
Next time turn your back on dog /s and ask the owner to put their dog on a lead...always gets their goat especially when you add that their dog needs training classes.

Next Labrador sized dog that jumps up at you, just bring your knee up on its chest, If you get it right the dog will do a backward somersault, and dogs learn very quickly not to come back.

Fortunately pointers are very aloof thus showing no interest in humans unless they are hairy and fast :lol: But are very strong willed, so not for the faint hearted..............Thats why Weimarana rescue homes are a plenty
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Mark1978
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Mark1978 »

These were little things, sort of pit bull sized, but not pit bulls, no idea really ;). I think the person walking them wasn't the owner, but either a 'professional' dog walker, or kennel owner. You sometimes see a van parked at the top.
MichVanNic
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by MichVanNic »

Mark1978 wrote:
Dirk wrote:When I ride off road, my dog usually comes along with me. She's better behaved than many of the other mountain bikers I come across. As for horses, our local stretch of the Sustrans route is absolutely covered in horse ****.


The thing is you have no idea when approaching the dog if it's well behaved or some idiot dog who's going to run in front of you. The owners often get upset with your caution too being like "he's ok!!" Of course I've had situations where the owners have shouted that their dog is well behaved and then it's ran in front of me :(

And yeah a few times a particularly narrow bit of path and a horse crap pile about a foot high and difficult to avoid. Nasty :(


The thing is that you have no idea when a mountain bike approaches you if they are considerate and are willing to share the shared space and slow down or they are ignorant and just want to see how close they can pass you at speed.

I had to get a dog put to sleep last year because a mountain biker rode into her. She was close to my side on a wide path at Rivington. A large group of bikers approached and passed on all sides at considerable speed and collided with my dog. I did find out which group it was and complained to them ( by the way the group are CTC) registered. By just go a simple thank you for you comment we will look into it then nowt.

I can only presume that these type of mountain bikers never ride on the road, because if they did they would understand how it feels to be closely passed at speed by something bigger than them.

If you are approaching walkers etc why can't you slow down?
Psamathe
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Psamathe »

MDC wrote:Who gets your vote for the most irritating?

Abstain ... because our countryside should be for everybody to enjoy and we need to be considerate to all users.

So often on this forum there are "anti-motor vehicles" posts blaming drivers for anything and everything. Now we are "blaming" dog walkers and "blaming" horse riders. It is sounding like cyclists want everybody else to just get off everything and everywhere and have everything turned over for the exclusive use of cyclists.

A disappointing question.

Ian
Psamathe
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Psamathe »

And to add, In the 9 months/2600 miles I've done around my local lanes I've seen plenty of dog walkers and passed plenty of horses (it's a horsey area). Not a single incident with a dog; most dog walkers see or hear me coming and if appropriate hold their dog by its collar whilst I pass (owners who don't have calm dogs that just ignore me). Not a single incident with horse; horse riders always say thanks (for slowing whilst passing) and exchange brief pleasantries.

In my early days I noted I was slightly disturbing the horses and one rider said it was my hi-vis waistcoat flapping in the wind so from then on I always held my hi-vis waistcoat to stop the flapping whilst passing horses and no issues.

Ian
Bicycler
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Bicycler »

I guess mine could probably get lumped in with the "anti-motor vehicle posts blaming drivers for everything". It may seem that way if a cyclist makes a mistake and gets hit by a car and people blame cars. Instead of being anti-car people like me just view the motorists as having a much greater responsibility to other people on the roads - a duty of care if you like. Their presence and speed raise the stakes and turn something as safe as riding a bike or walking into something potentially lethal. It is not enough to say that the driver wasn't at fault like it's solely an issue of priority, the question is whether they could have forseen what happened, slowed, allowed space and prevented the collision. There is no such thing as 50/50 when one party ends up wiping the other's blood from their bonnet.

Now it would be hypocritical if we didn't apply this same logic to the tracks and trails of our countryside where we can be a danger to others enjoying their activities. Again, responsibility is not 50/50, we have a duty not to endanger others and must be prepared to slow or stop when necessary. That is not to say that we pose the same threat to pedestrians as cars do to us but we still can hurt people and animals if we hit them. We must ensure that this does not happen. The responsibility is ours.

Inconsiderate and obstructive behaviour by other path users is, of course, another matter entirely
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Redvee
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Redvee »

Had a run in with a dog and owner last Sunday. I tried to remain calm and polite but soon lost patience with the owner as you can probably tell from the NSFW langauge I resorted to.

[youtube]r1WA5SkJd2E[/youtube]
Psamathe
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by Psamathe »

Redvee wrote:Had a run in with a dog and owner last Sunday. I tried to remain calm and polite but soon lost patience with the owner as you can probably tell from the NSFW langauge I resorted to.

[youtube]r1WA5SkJd2E[/youtube]

Accusing the behaviour of the dog as being aggressive and threatening is just ridiculous - the dog was showing play behaviour (barking is NOT a sign of aggression). I cannot understand quite why you felt threatened by the dog. Your bad language so quickly almost certainly made the situation far worse than it needed to have been. OK, the owner should have held the dog as you passed but I can see how your attitude would get her back up to be uncooperative.

Ian
AlaninWales
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Re: Dog walkers or horseriders?

Post by AlaninWales »

Psamathe wrote:
Redvee wrote:Had a run in with a dog and owner last Sunday. I tried to remain calm and polite but soon lost patience with the owner as you can probably tell from the NSFW langauge I resorted to.

[youtube]r1WA5SkJd2E[/youtube]

Accusing the behaviour of the dog as being aggressive and threatening is just ridiculous - the dog was showing play behaviour (barking is NOT a sign of aggression). I cannot understand quite why you felt threatened by the dog. Your bad language so quickly almost certainly made the situation far worse than it needed to have been. OK, the owner should have held the dog as you passed but I can see how your attitude would get her back up to be uncooperative.

Ian

I agree that the dog was showing play behaviour, but that 'play' was interfering with Redvee's ability to commute: The dog was darting in front of him every time he started off again, attempting to prevent him moving. Sure the dog was 'playing' but that play can be very frightening for those unfamiliar with dogs - and can in some dogs lead quickly to aggression if the play is not cooperated with. Oh, and some dogs also 'nip' (i.e. bite) 'in play'; this being natural between dogs. Personally I'd have responded to the dog playfully, got hold of its harness, walked it back to the owner and requested that she keep it there until I was out of range, with an assurance that I had no intention of playing with her dog and I found the assumption that I would, offensive.

Part of the problem is the owners - and your, assumption that 'everyone' knows when a dog is playing and is happy that this is not aggression. People with no interest in dogs should not need to learn about the different aspects of dog behaviour! To say that "Accusing the behaviour of the dog as being aggressive and threatening is just ridiculous" puts the onus on Redvee to learn about dogs and that is not where the responsibility lies. Legally, if someone feels threatened by a dog (as Redvee clearly did - with good reason as Redvee is not expected to be a dog behaviour expert), then the dog is out of control*. He quite reasonably asked her to control her 'playful' dog and she refused. IMO she is morally and legally at fault (but it wasn't A Good Idea to threaten to kick the dog).

*Reference: https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public
Controlling your dog in public wrote:Out of control

Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:

injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them

(my italics)
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