If there are cows, there must be cowboys, and cowgirls… and cowdogs. It is very important that ATV and OHV riders of all varieties respect the horses and riders. The best way to do this if they approach you is to simply (a). stop your machine, (b) turn it off, (c) take off your helmet and (d) wait for them to reach you. Most of them will be happy to chat for a minute and give you some advice on the area. We made some new friends by offering this courtesy.
If you approach a horse and rider from the rear, along a trail, slow way down about 30 to 50 yards from the animal and match the speed of the horse. When the rider hears or sees you, they will most likely stop and wave you on or move to the side so you can pass slowly as they keep to the right. It will depend on the horse they are riding and how spooked they are by ATVs. ALWAYS let the horse rider determine the best course of action. Just be patient and courteous. The riders will thank you for it, most likely.
These riders told me of an ATV rider who came within inches of them as they opened a gate earlier in the day…No apologies. Please, whoever you are… never do that again. It’s discourteous jerks like this that spoil it for the rest of us who have learned how to be kind to one another.
By the way, the reason you remove your helmet and goggles is so that your appearance doesn’t spook the horses. (That may be a gamble for some of us even with our helmets off.) Horses aren’t all that use to seeing creatures with strange shaped buckets on their heads. If they can’t figure out what it is, they will take the natural course of action, (for a horse) get rid of their rider and head out of there. Even a horse has enough good sense to stay away from danger. I once saw a horse take off like that just because someone had a sweater tied around their waist.
Listen, if you get to thinking a horse is dumb, just ask yourself if you could ever give your ATV its head and let it find your way back to the ranch. Don’t count on it happening any time soon with an ATV. The bookshelves at the library are full of books about horses who could do it.
One last point on horses… Cowdogs tend to be protective of their flocks, this includes the horses. You can never be too nice to a cowdog.
