Training Horses with Motorbikes

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Hiya, I've been asked to help train a horse thats abit scatty on the roads. We decided to let the horse get used to just standing near the bike. Then i wheeled it away and started it. Horse was not amused, but was walked past the idling bike.
3rd stage was for me to do an overtake. Horse didn't like not seeing the enemy and turned to face me !
Horse corrected and i passed by (ears back....not happy gee-gee)
Did 2 more pass bys and then stopped with engine running. Got off and helmet off. Chatted to horse owner with horse munching grass near bike. They set off and i did more overtakes and pass bys, varying speeds.
All this took about 30mins
Will be repeating then moving onto the tractor.
What i learnt is old news really.

When overtaking keep revs & speed constant
If yer gotta hang back then keep well back...like 4 car lengths back.
Pass as wide as possible (i missed a few bucks by inches !!)
Don't pass too slowly..be progressive
Don't be too quick to cut back in front ( might cause problems for those yet to pass)
And finally...Anything with 4 legs shouldn't be on the roads !! Especially horses....

Pat

ps Once had a 18 hands high horse sit on the bonnet of my mini...not good
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[calum17]

nice to see a 'good' post in the horses favour.

i used to ride horses myself when my sister was doing it because if she'd had her own and she was ill or away whatever then i could have looked after it - i really enjoyed it too and rode horses for other people which often had road problems.
of course, bikes pose a greater problem for them due to the type and volume of the noise....which is why these days i stop and often turn the bike off to let the horse pass...and if other cars are trying to be cocky towads the horse(s) and riders i pull up in the middle of the road across the two lanes so no one except the horse can pass, with the engine off....riders often start confused with the 'why would you go to such great lengths to help me?!' attitude...but once the realise you aren't out to cause them problems, but infact help - they are really appreciative.

riding horses on the road is very hard work sometimes, especially when the horse is nervous ( can jsu tbe a mood thing too - horse bad mood one day, wont want to do it ...like us all!! ) and we can make the minute or two 'lost' back up later when we get a safe distance away ... a horse rider left in the middle of the road can not make that time back up.

well done!

[cyberglass]

Just give some throttle before you approach the horse then dip the clutch and go past on idle giving plenty of room.

Nice and quiet
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[mistergixer]

Just give some throttle before you approach the horse then use the killswitch, just as you go past flick the killswitch back on again.

Nice and loud.


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[smegbrains]

This is so not what I thought it was

I had something like this in mind...

https://homepage.ntlworld.com/kevrdoughty/horsebikejump.jpg

(Image not my work!)

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

^^^ Cool..is that trick called the superhorse?

A quick update on the horse training:

I've been 2 more times and there is a slight improvement in the horse and my back brake u-turns !!
Kickstarting the bike near the horse...took about 5mins for the horse not to flinch

Had the horse closely circle the running bike and then circled the horse on the bike (horse was not amused)

Did more pass-bys which was 100% improvement over previous attempts.
The overtakes are gonna take a little longer, cos the horse still doing bucks sometimes, but a least it wasn't trying to kick out at me this time !
They are one weird creature. They accept an overtaking bike, but if it's done different than last time then fun n games start. Also noticed they play-up when they think they're going home.

Looks like it could take awhile (huff...)


Pat
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
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The Harry Turner Project

[Tonka]

Not sure how much this will help your understanding of horses HT....are you aware that they process information through each eye seeing each side separately ie. the information doesn't cross to the same extent as it does for us.

So.....if a horse goes down a road and sees a black bin bag out for collection with it's left eye it jumps, calms down and walks past. Two hours later when it walks back down lane and sees the same bag out of it's right eye it's like it's seeing it for the first time and the scare will be the same all over again! Similar to the goldfish in a bowl thing.

Not sure how it's known or proven but apparently only about 40% of the information can be processed on both sides simultaneously. I'm sure if Mr Stinkwheel sees this post he will be able to clarify situation or tell me I'm a complete wombat for believing what I'm told
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[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Today i have mostly been farted on by horses !
Followed the said Horse (Trixy) on a push-bike. Behaved perfectly with cars and vans groups of cyclists and 4x4 loons
Only a slight shying from an approaching motorcycle, but then we met the big John Deer tractor and trailer
I never knew i could ride a push-bike backwards at speed . Bloody horse just backed and backed then sideways across the road. Rider used the crop only the once, but it made little difference. By this time the driver had turned off the tractor and was watching the dressage improv
i asked the rider if i should lead the horse past but she pushed Trixy on and past the bogey man in his monster !
Soon as we're passed with much thanking of patience, then Trixy just carries on with a perfect ride.
So looks like i'll be circling Trixy in an old Ford tractor soon !



Pat
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Howdo, the past few weeks Trixy has been subjected to Tractors.
First of all she was walked around, and allowed to have a sniff. Then we took her a safe distance and started the Beast. Ears back and walking on the spot When she settled abit i revved the engine (she no like dat) But what surprised me was how she was fine with fixed revs and slow passes of the Tractor
This has been repeated and with a few bike passes t'boot.
Today on my pushbike i followed Trixy on a short B road hack.
We were passed by fast cars, slow dithering 4x4s, a sensible biker (nice 1) and ....2 Tractors (gulp) well would you believe it, she behaved perfectly, probably helped by the fact we could use someones driveway to let the Tractor overtake us. Still its all positive so far, and she'll be perfect by Summer.
I on the other hand am getting to the end of my goodwill, summat to do with the better weather and the need for some early morning hoons

Pat
Today was the 1st time i'd not been farted on
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project