What do you do with bikes?

Do you own the trails?? They have as much right as I do so again I yield the trail and let them pass. Train the horse to accept motorized vehicles to pass. Side passing is convenient to park the horse off the trail.

They don't own the trails either, and if they are purposely trying to rile up the horses, they are in the wrong.

Not all ATVers and bikers are like that, but I see nothing wrong with making it inconvenient for them to pass if they are being downright dangerous around horses. Even the best trained trail horse can decide today is the day to lash out or spook. The ATV isn't going to freak out, but the horse could.

I have never run into an ignorant dirt biker or 4 wheeler but that could be because I am a man and they might respect me more.
Until they actually did something ignorant to me I wouldn't block the trail, I would yield it by sidepassing off into the brush. They could pass me by a few feet and the horse would not be bothered.
Every one so far has shown respect.

Usually, it's just not an issue for me. I ride on my own private property - though that's where the horse flipped oh me so long ago. Other than that, we try to stick to the horse, bike & foot traffic trails - though we run into 4-wheelers and dirtbikes that aren't supposed to be there. Usually that's no problem though - my girls are used to 2strokes and 4 stroke engines. Nephew rides both, and they're desensitized. Our problem comes when friends ride with us that have animals that aren't used to them.

I always put my guy between the new horses and the danger. I ask the new person to tuck in a parking spot and then side pass my guy up against or close to their horse using him as a shield between the danger.
It really comforts a horse to have another horse take the plunt of the danger and show no sign of reacting.

4 wheelers and dirt bikes actually improve the trails. The 4 wheelers mow the brush down on either side of the trail and dirt bikers chew up the trail killing weeds and grass leaving a bare trail.

No in fact. There is a law that the 4-wheelers can NOT go on trails in state (and county) parks. As far as I know they have special places for that. Moreover the rangers and all are really asking to call police for the county the park is in if one see the 4-wheeler there.

You are lucky. I know for sure at least in one park around it's a HUGE problem whether you are a man or a woman (I heard that from both genders). And it's highly recommended to go in group of at least 2 there, because the local ATV people may literally attack your horse "just for fun". That's the park people dismount and block the trail. And I repeat they even forbid to ride there by law.

Another park owners (it's kinda private county park specifically for horses only) are crying that 4-wheelers disregard all postings, closed gates (they go thru the woods I assume) and just go there and run.

My horse isn't completely traffi proof or so..
If the biker/whatever seem to be sensible, I usually stay on, stop my horse and let them pass (and let Crow look at them), if it's the less nice type, or tractor or anything, and not a lot of space to move, I simply get off before Crow gets nervous, or as he starts to tense up (I expect him to be genuinly scared). Then I show him that I'm not afrad (since if I'm on the ground I'm not) and that I dare to go past it without fuss and that I am to be trusted, pretty much. Hes alwas calm then and learns it's not dangerous. Walked past a big tree-chopping machine/tractor thing on a really narrow path the other day, using this method. :) He behaved perfectly even tho he's still pretty green, and made no fuss when I mounted again just behind the thing.

I'd do exactly the same in any situation that can go out of hand with bikes, people or other moving objects.. My horse don't wanna fight me and I don't wanna fight him so it's just easier. Normally it's not necessary any more tho :P

I would never tell on anyone for trespassing on public land or anywhere else if they are not destroying any crops or doing damage. I feel live and let live. I ride in parks, green belts, walking paths, keep a dust pan on my horse and clean off his poop and other then tracks try to show no sign of my passing. I don't appreciate people/joggers yelling at me or telling me I shouldn't be there and I in turn show respect for them . Dirtbikes, 4 wheelers, mountain bikers if they show me courtesy I will return the same courtesy.
We are all enjoying the same outdoors.




If my horse can't handle these people he will learn in short order to handle anything that comes along, and I mean anything.

Tonight we had a good laugh at some mountain bikers.
We went on a late evening ride up in the mountains. It was dusk and sun was going down fast when two mountain biker came flying by us from behind. They had gotten up a lot of speed and wanted to save it for the hill that they were approaching. They started hollering as soon as they saw us and we side passed off the trail and let them fly by.

We only had a 1/2 mile to get back to the trailer so we let the horses break into a canter to follow the bikers. The bikers ran out of speed on the hill and were soon working hard at pedals to keep moving forward. My daughter and I blew by them at a full run. The horses wanting to get back to the trailer were roaring to go.

This is a very mountainous area, There are wild moose, deer and other animals in the area and it was almost dark. The bikers freaked right out thinking something was going to get them. They had no idea the horses would catch them. let alone blow by them. I kinda felt "Serves them Right" for blowing by us at speed.

We all had a good laugh including the bikers who turned out to be good sports and laughed at themselves.