Video: It Pays to be Courteous

 In most places where there are multi-use trails that allow horses, the horses were there first. In many cases the original "trails" in a given area were cleared by horse riders.

That said, I do agree, a thousand pound animal tends to wear the trail more... Count your blessings, at least there is access

 it's not like they're on the good trails though, who cares if they ruin a fire road? I doubt there are berms on horse trails

 In VT, there aren't a lot of "berm" flow trails, so you basically get stuck on the ones with horse bumps or build your own. I chose the second personally, although it didn't have to do with the horses.

 Should b weight restrictions on certain trails like roads

 We build our to avoid the horse but the stupid owner ride our trail with his horse and destroy it

 the horse issue is a seperate issue...when push comes to shove horses arent the problem..its the riders ...they're just bizzare people we all knew that girl in school who rode horses and she was a total weird-ball. fact! and why is it ok for them to shit everywhere?

 Horses have every right to be out there on the trails. But where I ride there are often equestrians who ride their horses down Mtb specific trails. That we're (I know for a fact) built by mountain bikers. And there is a sign at the trail head that says that the trail is dangerous and not recommended for horses. But they still ride it and tear it up. And no hate because I like horses and all but there definently some d-bag horse riders who get ma at you for even being on the trails. But that's no reason not to be courteous.

Stay classy

 horses make LOAM. yes they destroys the trails but those trails generaly arent great anyways.
my mum sent me a pic of her and her friends out on a ride and the ground looked soooo soft and it was steepish. no bikes alowed on the trails though.

you may hate what horses do to trails but they hate us just as much, horses are terrified of everything, including bikes.

 Haha the irony.. the ad I'm getting above the vid: Commencal - made for hooligan trails

 i thought the ending was gonna turn into a porno

 you sound like a great guy. it's people like you that make hikers want to string up wire across trees at neck height.

 In my experience horses are majestic, powerful, and surprisingly graceful animals that are capable of deep emotional connection with humans... and they shit everywhere they go haha. In VT where many of our trails are topsoil and we get a ton of rain, the amount of damage a horseshoe weighted by 1000lbs does to wet singletrack is horrific. Luckily not too many horses wander onto bike specific singletrack, however you can bet when they do they aren't considering whether or not things are too soft for a massive beast's frollicking. In Utah outside PC there's a cool little network called Dutch Hollow, the mud there is epic- like peanut butter epic. Bikers generally stay off during the melt/freeze cycles, horseback riders could give a shit- riding there early season (before it all turns to dust) is like riding over a million speedbumps, such a buzzkill.

 I dont mind the horses, but I hate riding second through horse sh!t..

 I find that riding down the trail and screaming Liiiiiiiiiiive Action! Is the most effective way to remove horses, small children, and turtles from out my way.

 Trust me, I'm not anti-horse but I see that false argument that "Horses were here first" all the time. Seriously, how so? It was the European explorers that brought them over. It's not like they're an indigenous species of North America. It's not like the Indians were riding horses to greet Christopher Columbus when he arrived.

 For that matter indians weren't there first either though... They were just the first humans. They walked over the bearing straight relatively recently in the history of the american continent.

 jbeglaw (5 hours ago)
the horse issue is a seperate issue...when push comes to shove horses arent the problem..its the riders ...they're just bizzare people we all knew that girl in school who rode horses and she was a total weird-ball. fact! and why is it ok for them to shit everywhere?


I don't know 'bout you, buddy, but when nature calls...

 I don't know about any horses, but I absolutely DESTROYED a long section of singletrack today.

 @rojomas - LOL, So the horses weren't here FIRST, that sure destroys that consideration. You know damn well the argument means as trail users, before mountain bikers. Sheesh. You must be great at parties...

 @jbeglaw, idk u is is, but just to be fair, i think all bike riders should do the same, while riding... And hope i doesnt hit ur back tire and become a projectile towards u

 Horse are stupid animals! They destroy the trails and shit everywhere!

 if you think that HORSES RUIN TRAILS, you should see what COWS can do them ;-)

 Yeah man, they put cattle to graze in the woods/heath where my trails are and they totally wrecked my berms from trampling all over them and there were cow pats everywhere!

 Anybody notice he accepted that beer right before he was about to drive home... Which could have resulted in him crashing into a school bus and killing dozens of children due his his decreased reaction time and impaired judgement...

 Horse & cows shit is called MANURE , it fertilizes the ground and nourishes life on earth, but digging that precious manure out of your pivots is "not fun" , and they seem to calculate the exact center point of the singletrack and take a dump there (pref after a high speed turn).
on a side note horses make great glue! (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_glue).

 Hi, i respect the horse in the trails, what i don't like is when i do a other trail separated from the trail horse because i don't like to ride their bumpy trails. And the owner go ride my singletrack and destroy my bench cut trail with his 1000 pounds horse. Dude it's a single track track not a boulevard so don't go there with your horse

 Use the copious amounts of shit to make kickers, adapt to your environment
@jimbsport: if the guy owns the property then he can do whatever he wants as it is HIS and not YOURS....

 It's 2013 HORSES ARE OBSOLETE!

 Where I live and ride in Nor-Cal it's not uncommon the encounter a horse on a ride. I always slow or stop and say "hi there"... but for the love of GOD will the equestrians hike the trails they ride once in a while with a shovel and clear all those horse turds?! I'm not talking about fire road, but the best single track here. On a side note I stop to "shovel" the turds with my front tire on climbs when the offending pile is in the apex/center of a jump/landing...

 I know Aibek is frauding because cows are rare in Israel.

 where were you in Israel? Telaviv? , in the 20km radius around me there are 1000++ cows (and goats and sheep) , not counting dairy cows which never leave the cowshed (unless they are sold for "meat" ). money is rare in Israel not cows! .the closest official singletrack to me (beit keshet) is used as a pasture where the cows are lords of the land and we (biker's) are mere guests on their dumping grounds! (annoying in winter\spring time less in summer).

 I also hate the horses and their owners cause they shit in the middle of the trail and don't clean it up.

When you pass a horse on the trails politely remind them to
"please clean up your messes"
to at least make them feel guilty.

 God I love u SlodownU

 Not to the Amish bitch!!!

 @Protour: both horses and owners shit in the middle of the trail where you live? That sounds like a terrible place

While it is annoying it really is just grass and maybe it makes you a better rider for having to dodge and jump over while ripping a trail. Look on the bright side! At least you have a shit covered trail to ride, some people dont even have that.

 

 But then some people wont be able to go on it.... haha jk

 lol @qualtyCTRL horses ARE obsolete!

 @rockymountainsrule not to the Amish

 So 3 horses and 2 riders who the fuck brings an extra horse that's like bringing an extra bike

 Its not like a horse pops a squat or makes a noise when they shit how do you know its taking a dump. How big is a horsey bag. Would you want to stop riding your horse tie it up, pull a shovel out of your arse, scoop the poop, then remount the horse with said poop bag and hold it with you whilst you ride? Hope you didn't want to gallop much. Also while we are being technical horses evolved in North America then migrated, became extinct in North America etc.

 Ya they don't pop a squat horses can shit standing up.... And they do..... And they make a noise before they drop those landmines..... They fart... REALLY loud right before they let those brown torpedoes fly...

 Hahahahahah

 A decent mix actualy seems to be the polite awesomeness always called for

 karma doe

 ^^^ haha for sure

 it pays to have a sexy moustache, if not sure ask stevie

 My moustache runs below the radar

 It's science.

 A guy working at our local pizza parlor grew a 'stache just like that and the resulting pizza immediately got better...

 No one knows that better than Stevie Smith

 67% of Tyler's power comes directly from 'stache. It's a scientific fact. Google that shit.

 I believe this applies to the situation: youtu.be/bBeSi-ODfJk

 I have the same problem withh some of the horse riders where I generally ride. Most are friendly and thank you for pulling over or warning them, but some keep giving out to you even when your completely off the road. And then they bring their horses down trails that could easily break the poor things leg and accuse you of being the one whos doing something wrong. Its ridiculous.

 Tbh there are some who are friendly and nice but i'm sick of been scowled at even after slowing down in the car or when the trails covered in crap or when they come down bike only tracks. as always tho we're more likely to remember the bad ones than the good.

 Yeah, some do feel way too much like theyre automatically in the right, there was one guy I remember seeing right in the middle of a two way road and started screaming cursing at my friends mam when she had to swerve to avoid him coming the opposite way in a bend. But of course since he was on a horse she was wrong and he was right.

 True. And are squid lids making a comeback? I see more and more nowdays

 Squid lids!!!!!

 Amen brother.

 They should have to pick up after there animal or get a fine!!!

 I think they should also pick up the fucking mountain of shite their stupid horses leave for me in the middle of the fucking trail just like dog walkers. And they ride on bike only trails and act like they have done nothing but completely destroy everything. I can complain all day about the retardedness these people have, not to mention how stupid the actual animals are. I mean horse people are some of the worst people I can think of ever encountering. FUCK HORSES!!.

 In California, many equestrian groups are major allies of trail access for bikes. We are in this together.

 Raggi-Boy chill out man. Although I don't really enjoy sharing trails with horses, I can't say I really mind it either. For most of the XC riding I do, the trails are all shared by bikers, hikers, and equestrians alike, but most people are courteous and I have even had horses get out of the way for me. The way I see it, no harm no foul. Honestly where I live its so wet that its mostly @$$hole bikers that ride before the trails dry that do the most damage.

 Its that kind of attitude that takes up city hall meetings. If you "happen" to see a horse on the trail give the person a break. They have paid to feed, doctor and house that animal all month. As long as someone is using a trail you are on without a motor ...chillout....their outside just like you, away from the sidewalks. Drop the ego and say hello....maybe you make a friend or create a new oppurtunity.

 Back were I used to live there was an old railway (rails removed) and it was forbidden for horses to ride, but eventually they were allowed if they pick up the shit like you have to do with dogs etc. But then some of them started to complain about that it was to hard to get back on the horse if they have to get out of the saddle.

I mean wtf??...

 that is shitty excuse.

 I have never seen horse people out doing trail maintenance.

 That's because all the holes in the trail are filled in with horse poop.

 So i take it ur a horse guy?

 To coaxh sb

 No (never ridden one), but we had some horse organizations attend one of our leaders summits for race league I'm coaching for. They were very supportive and expressed that they work hard to educate their members about bikes. Also, about half of the trails around me only exist because horse riders built them. I have respect for those who make my passion for riding possible.

 Well thats pretty vool. Looks like you guys have it pretty well off, bevaise riders around here are not repectfull or productive

 It's really hard not to paint all horse-people with the same brush, but god damn do they make it hard. The ONLY horse folk I've ever encountered that aren't total snobs are those that actually live on production farms (i.e. horses are a hobby, not a "living"). I think that's mostly due to the fact that these people actually understand the meaning of work, not just throwing money at a problem and expecting it to be solved.

Case in point: I unload 3500-5000 bales of hay every year for a guy who does custom haying at a horse barn (since these people don't own any land except for their beat-to-piss pastures). These people sweat money! They show no respect to the people that are there to supply the very thing their animal survives on, and are totally oblivious to the hazards around them. Sure they work hard on training their animals, but most don't even have to muck their own stalls. On top of that, they b*****d and moaned when their boarding costs soared due to the drought and expect everyone to have a big pity party for them when real farmers were/are going through MUCH worse. Who do you think has more money to buy hay, a suburbanite who visits her horse once a week, or a farmer trying to scratch a living in the dirt?

Also, it does not matter that a horse doesn't have a motor. That's totally irrelevant to their ability to wreck singletrack. Read what I wrote above and see who needs to drop the ego...


TL;DR Horse people need to realize that all their money doesn't make them better than anyone else. But yeah, turn the other cheek and all that...

 on that note most of the people i see riding horses on trails have beat ass trucks and 50 years old two horse trailers that their horses hate to load into because that's all they can afford. their horse costs less than our bikes and maybe their trucks do too. rich folks ride their horses underneath covered arenas costing more than most of our homes. the horseback riders are just like us for the most part, spending every cent they have on their horses all month for a few rides if their lucky. now if your horse cant handle a bike whizzing by then u shouldn't be on the trail yet in my opinion but that it another topic. just cut them some slack, push back up 100 yards and hit that section again. hate people on sidewalks and in yuppy coffee shops. by the way the people who found that kidnapped girl from so-cal in Idaho....were on horses....rednecks....but on horses. so many other things to complain about besides horse people.

 I would agree. Just need an outlet to take out the frustration on..or the knowledge that we are having way more fun then they are. I hate having to pass idiots with off leash dogs, not much stopping them from hopping in their car and taking you out while riding home.

 Most recently, I had 2 man hating lezbos( I could tell by the dike hair cuts, you know, spikey on top long in the back kinda like a lezbo mullet), tell me to put a bell on my mtn. bike, after I politely passed them. I wasn't going too fast, I announced my presense, I did nothing to endanger them. They still gave me tons of attitude. I told them, after they were bitches, that if they don't like bikes, there are plenty of hiking only trails in the area. They still don't get it though. Somehow in their small minds, bikers are in the wrong. I tired of bending over backwards to appease everyone. I pay a lot more taxes than most, nobody owns the woods, I just don't care anymore.., I will probably try to bite my tongue. Nice guys finish last, in this race despite the video's message which I try to adhear to.

 Ahh... Here on the other side of the globe, the pyramid of power is as follows:
1. Middle-aged hippies, wearing Jack Wolfskin or North Face hiking outfits, who drive their Audis into the woods until it gets too muddy, then get out and hike. Always in couples, mostly with matching jackets. They litter, never clear the way and give you the 'Evil Eye of Disapproval'. They probably haven't had a decent orgasm in years, which causes them to have that throbbing vein on the side of their necks, and the tense look of frustration, screaming "it's the weekend, and I want my recreation time NOW!"
2. Green soldiers with wild beards, wearing Teva sandals and retro backpacks. They carry binoculars and an iPhone. I call them 'wood-be hipsters'.
3. Hot chicks on horses. They don't bother me. I use the emergency whistle on my backpack as soon as I see a horse, and they get out of the way. We politely say hello and go our seperate ways. I never see men on horses though... Maybe they're out working a second job to support their wife's expensive hobby?
4. 'Man hating lezbos' walking dogs. Always bitches. The dogs, I mean. Their sexual preference is none of my concern. They're rocking the most wild hairstyles, which makes me laugh... And laughing is never a bad thing.
5. Trailrunners in a complete Salomon outfit. They're too out of breath to complain.
6. Geocachers. So focused on their GPS, they will die of cardiac arrest when you pass them unannounced. Approach with caution!
7. XC-riders on 29ers who got lost following their Garmin. They never greet and leave Powerbar wrappings everywhere.

That's about it...

 Hey I think some Germans are wandering over the Border to annoy you. We have all those sorts ALL over the place here ! I forgot the Geocachers too ( even though I am one myself ). I came across this guy marching straight at me down the middle of the trail with his head in his gps'r ... whoa , di he jump :-)

 Freddy, funny shit man, well it's not, but it is! I have an emergency whistle, I'm going to start using it.

 Some places like Santa Barbara require bells on bikes. We fought too hard to gain legal access, if a bell is required then put on a bell.

 @FreddyBear, really, really great work. Exquisite. Keep it up.

 Well thank you Sir!

 Nailed it Freddy!

 yes. all 3.

 At the same time!

 Blindfolded, straightjacketed, and in outer space. No wait that's Chuck Norris. I think.

 What?

 old school ugly helmets, 1990s bike looks brand new, Joey wait... refer to this www.pinkbike.com/news/Video-I-Only-Ride-Park-2013.html

 squid lid

 Totally agree, everyone needs to be courteous and on the lookout. Not just riders

 Some of us are short sighted and need to see. I've got prescription goggles now but remember we might just be blind not style challenged

 Yup, l have a perscription for -3.00 in both eyes. My glasses fit just fine under googles

 Why are sunglasses in the full face a no-go? I prefer it to goggles. No fogging and more air flow to my face. Been wearing sunglasses with a full face since 05 when I bought my first motorcycle. Not sure why its frowned upon.

 Because you look stupid. I've had to do it myself i know it looks stupid. decent goggles shouldnt fog too much

 Guess I will look stupid while having fun and hauling ass. "Shouldnt fog too much" compared to my sunglasses never fogging at all... I made my choice, apparently 8 yrs ago too.

 If your goggles are fogging up is because you are not really "hauling ass"

 Or I sweat alot....

 correct.

 I prefer females but to each of their own

 Female horses?

 Good point. Instead of feeling guilty for scaring a horse politely tell them they need to learn to train and control their animal.

 In what possible way is that "really dumb"?!?!?!?

 I don't see videos instructing other users to get out of my way.

 because its telling me to watch out duh

 I think that just creates more d-bags. Imagine if A-line was in a multi-use area! Need slow tech!

 My sudjestion is to make more gravity only trails. Like A-line, but without the lifts and fees. Make super technical trails, and super jump trails, and ones with some of each.

 Stravasshole...LOL

 Big booty hoes.

 I'm even later to the party, but couldn't agree more buddy. The guys that stop to chat at the bike park need to be told 'it's not all about them'! It's hard to be courteous when you're in mid-air or pinning down the track, so when you do shout out for them to move it comes out stronger than you intended, and makes you look or feel like the bad guy. Just use some common sense and get out of the way!!!!

 If you do you usually have the boyfriend close by.

 I guess you have never built or maintained trails. If you had, your question about skidding would not have entered your mind.

 You guess wrong. There are steep mountains where I live. If you can ride Prevost all day without locking up your wheels a few times then you are a hero and I'll gladly treat you to all the beers you can drink after the ride is over.

 LOL There is a difference between skidding when a trail is super steep and skidding just because you think it is cool. The latter is what the video was referring too. Your comment definitely leaned toward the 'think it is cool' side.

 yeah its not like being nice in trails with 3 hot chicks will get you get a foursome with them after your ride for real.

 me too! spandex rawks!

 That's right, no hot chicks here in WA, it rains all the time, people are rude, its so hard to find a good cup of coffee and our local beer scene sucks so please, stay in California...nothing to see here.

 WA= Dank

 I am not sure how to take that. Our greens are very dank indeed.

 No big secrets I love smoking killer greens

 Yes, nothing in WA, please remain or migrate in CA , CO or deeper into the midwest.

 I know right, a load of crap