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news
Horse rider (licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 by Louis on Flickr)Woman thrown from horse after bike rider struck it calls for cyclists to ride responsibly
A Hertfordshire woman who says she was thrown from her horse when a group of cyclists came round the corner on a gravel track has called for people on bikes to ride responsibly and look out for horse riders.
The Herts Advertiser reports that Carolyn Tuck, aged 62, was riding her horse on a bridleway at Bricket Wood, near St Albans, when six cyclists, in her words, “came around the blind corner at 20mph.”
She said her 20-year-old horse, Chino, was struck by one of the cyclists, causing it to bolt, which resulted in her being thrown out of the saddle.
“They nearly killed me,” she said. “They came around this bend and crashed into me and my horse. My horse chucked me over the hedge and left me for dead.
“They carried on, and one bloke couldn't get past. My friends all bolted off and disappeared on the horizon, and I was staggering down the hill – semi-conscious – and this guy is saying ‘Can I get past you?’.
“They came around the blind corner at 20mph, on gravel and didn't even anticipate that something could be coming around the corner. It could’ve been a post office van, a child ... anything. But they hit me on my horse.”
She said that some cyclists, such as the ones she encountered, “just don’t care,” but acknowledged, “most cyclists are fairly good and kind,” adding, “I don't want to punish good cyclists, I just want them to be aware to not treat horses like they are machines.”
In 2018, the British Horse Society and Cycling UK partnered on a video showing cyclists how to pass horses safely, and published a leaflet containing guidance on the issue.
The collaboration was launched after footage emerged on social media of a competitor descending at speed during the bike leg of the Windsor Triathlon striking a horse as he undertook the animal and its rider.
At the time the video was launched, Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, said: “Every time a cyclist encounters a horse, there are three brains involved: the cyclist’s, the rider’s and the horse’s.
“Many people aren’t familiar with horses, and there can be confusion on what they should do when overtaking on a bike.
“Cyclists may already know to pass wide and slow when it’s safe to do so – but they could still startle the horse unless the horse and rider are made aware of your presence.
“Generally, if a cyclist startles a horse, it is due to simple lack of awareness that a horse needs more time to react, which is why Cycling UK is pleased to be helping the BHS promote the consideration and courtesy message of ’Be nice, say hi’.”
Alan Hiscox, director of safety at the BHS, commented: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Cycling UK as both groups are vulnerable road users and will benefit from working together to share the roads.
“We are encouraging riders to respond positively to cyclists who pass with consideration and reciprocate their courtesy.
“Horses are flight animals and may react to anything they are unsure of. By promoting the ‘Be nice, say hi’ message, we hope more cyclists will appreciate the potential risk they pose.”
He added: “If all road users are considerate and mindful of one another we can reduce the number of incidents between horses, cyclists and vehicles.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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51 comments
If a cyclist hit a horse they would very likely be injured. They would be thrown from their bike and I would be surprised if they weren't kicked by the horse that is now acting in fear of what is attacking it. I don't doubt she and her friends encountered some cyclists on the narrow lane, but I do doubt there was a collision and that all the cyclists and her friends scarpered leaving her in a hedge. Something smells suspiciously like a story to fuel the anti-cyclism.
The moment anyone claims and acussues cyclists of going at "FULL SPEED" and in the same breath, being specific at "20MPH," you know their 'STORY" is NOT entirely truthful and bears the hallmark of someone who may actually detest and hold discriminative views of groups she complains about. And to try and disguise that, she gives credit to 'good' ones, but then she still marks them down with other BIZARRE allegations.
I expect her other horsepower transport is in the form of 4x4 SUV - a Range Rover?
This maybe the root to her 'unbelievable' story >encountering cyclists as she churns up countryside in her SUV, perhaps.
"She said that some cyclists, such as the ones she encountered, “just don’t care,” but acknowledged, “most cyclists are fairly good and kind,” adding, “I don't want to punish good cyclists, I just want them to be aware to not treat horses like they are machines.”
As with all people there's good ones and bad ones. Nice to see whe's not following the prevalent anti-cycling rhetoric of collective responsibilty.
I'm reading her version of events and some of the other things she has apparently written and I do find myself raising a sceptical eyebrow and thinking "really?"
Regardless of how true this actual story is, there is an important underlying reminder about tolerance and care towards people riding horses, the horses themselves and livestock in general.
Any shared use path requires cyclists to ride at a safe, reasonable speed, ie, slow; if you want to fly along with your cycling mates, stick to the road.
The reporting in that Herts Advertiser story is bloody awful, and Road.cc doesn't do much to make it better.
"Other horses traveling with Carolyn were freaked by the experience,'' the former story says. Were there riders on the other horses or was she out leading a herd of horses? You can't tell from the story.
She does say "my friends all bolted off and disappeared on the horizon, and I was staggering down the hill - semi-conscious....'' Would those friends be the other horses or people on the other horses?
And if it were the latter, why in God's name would they disappear over the horizon instead of staying around to help the poor old dear?
Meanwhile, what happened to the cyclist who hit this horse at 20 mph? It's hard nearing impossible to believe he somehow collided with a horse at that speed, stayed upright and rode away.
And where in the bend where this supposedly happened is to be seen the stump in the second photo in the Advertiser story, the stump the horse reportedly bucked Carolyn over? Given that she supplied the photos of the accident scene, would not even a neophyte reporter ask this question?
One is left with little doubt Carolyn had an encounter with cyclists which upset her greatly, but it is impossible to tell what exactly happened in that encounter. Things could be exactly as she states them; they could also be largely exaggerated.
There was a time when it was the job of those in the news business to sort these sorts of things out. But now....
"'They nearly killed me': Rider left shaken after cyclists hit horse" does make for a grab-you headline even if, as it turns out, it was "a cyclist'' that hit the horse, according to a rider who says cyclists also show up at 2 a.m. to feed her horses sandwiches.
"My horse chucked me over the hedge and left me for dead."
I do wonder if Ms Tuck has a tendancy to anthropomorphise her horse "friends"...
I do wonder if people have a tendency to trivialise her experience by focusing on everything besides the essential fact.
But do we know what the essential fact is ?
It's hard to work out the basic narrative from the stories.
let me help.. fast cyclists caused her horse to bolt.. got it?
I have no doubt she had an encounter with some cyclists that she found unpleasant; however, her story is so full of contradictions and statements like the above that I do find myself questioning her credibility.
Was she riding with any other humans, or leading a herd of horses?
Was she thrown over a tree stump or a hedge?
Was she still blocking the path after being thrown from her horse into a field? Or was it her horses blocking the path - after they had bolted?
Is the correct term for a group of cyclists a "gaggle"?
You just can't help yourself, can you? A less than satisfactory encounter with another road user led to the more vulnerable person being unseated. I'd call that more than "unpleasant". But you'd rather question her reliability as a witness and ask puerile questions about "other humans" and "herds of horses"?
They are not puerile questions; I am pointing out that from her account of the events it is very hard to understand what actually happened. And if we don't know what actually happened then we can't reach any meaningful conclusions about the event.
All my friends are either people or household appliances...
I'm pretty sure that if I'd hit a horse doing 20mph I'd would have come off my bike and suffered some kind of injury, odd that there's no mention of that. There's also no mention of where on the track she and her horse were, for all we can tell from the description the cyclist may have been keeping to the left while her and her chums were all over the track. It's ani dictation of the poor standards of local journalism that her story was accepted without apparent question
If you click through to the link for the main story, there is an awful video of two horses and their riders being struck by a car travelling on the wrong side of the road as the driver was travelling too fast for the conditions. I decided to follow it up and it turns out it isn't just cyclists that the Police treat like shit. He wasn't prosecuted for it and only given a DAC.
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/witcham-horse-crash...
it isn't just cyclists that the Police treat like shit
They really do hate work, don't they? Pretty shocking video!
that they do.. from my days in the job, I knew cops that would do a u-turn if they saw an accident ahead just to avoid the paperwork.
I have found that horses really dislike the sound of a noisy freewheel which can be difficult to avoid when you are travelling slowly.
@MrSimonMills, put yourself in a high gear and turn the cranks as slowly as possible, therefore keeping the hub engaged. You're welcome
I've found the biggest problem is that you have a rider sitting on a tonne of incredibly stupid and unpredictable animal they cannot control. I've seen horses shy when a jogger has passed them. If any vehicle behaved in such an unpredictable way it would be banned but apparently its OK for pensioners to be in control of one. Strange isn't it!
My flashing front light once spooked a horse which skittered across the road and into a ditch. Fortunately the rider was calm and skilled, didn't fall off and managed to get the animal under control.
She was very nice about the incident and didn't blame me, when I see a horse approaching now I cover my light with my hand just in case.
Yes, I was informed of this, quite nicely, by a horsist. I now turn them to constant or off depending on conditions.
I try and show respect to horse and rider, for them, but mostly for me, the horse is big, often a bit stupid, (it's the breeding) and to me, terrifying.
The motor car cannot kick you, or move sideways...
Horses were here before bikes and before cars.
You're basically the same as a motorist wanting bikes off the road as they wobble in the wind and meander round potholes.
Never had a problem with horses in 40 plus years of cycling.
mmm, I was once riding on a small lane in the countryside when, passing a gap in the hedge, the local hunt decided to join the lane without giving me any option. Before I knew it I was surrounded by a large number of very skittish, buzzed up horses fresh from galloping with the arseholes not on their behinds but sat on the saddles. I would say it was it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my cycling life. However, I often meet very nice and considerate horse riders so there is a balance of views to be had, a bit like cyclists.
I also always cover my light which runs in flash mode normally, riders seem to notice and appreciate that one is at least trying to help defuse any situation but sometimes the horses take off...and there ain't a lot that can be done about it. It's what they do.
But but but HORSES DON'T PAY ROAD TAX!
Well, at least they leave a deposit.
and the locals used to collect for their gardens..
If I were jogging towards a horse, I would slow to a walk or even step aside until the horse passed.. just decency and common sense.
Her story doesn't seem to add up, I'm struggling to come to a conclusion on which bits are true and which seem like pure embellishment that contradicts the narrative.
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