Kathy: I also do the Drivers Flat loop
quite frequently and have only had one bad incident with bikers. The fellow
was blasting down the hill and saw us at the last moment. He put his brakes on
and ended up skidding toward us. Then he literally flew over his handlebars landing
in the brush. His bike, however, kept coming at us and ended up sliding to
Hermano’s feet. Hermano went up and I went off. Thankfully, I wear an
eventing vest as well as a water camel and though I came down flat on my back,
nothing was broken. While I may look like the Michilin Tire Man, the vest and
water pack has saved my back a number of times. I must say, I find the bikers
in our area almost universally polite and willing to give us the right-of-way.
About dogs: My dog Rio goes on most of my
rides and paces us – usually out front. He wears a bell which not only
scares wildlife off the trail – no deer spooking my horse – but warns
the bikers that someone is coming. More than one biker has commented that first
the sound of the bell then the dog let them know someone’s just around
the bend. Rio is a very sensible dog and
never rushes unfamiliar horses. He stops and stands off the trail when we
encounter other horses. I know that other dogs can be a problem when
unleashed, but mine is not one of them. Running with us is great for him and
his health and mine too since his presence has helped us avoid some close
encounters of the worst kind. -- Dave
