Out for an Easter Sunday morning out and back bike ride with five friends on a multi-use path. On the way out we came across two women riding single file on their pet horses riding on their right side of the path as we passed in the opposite direction on our right side. No problem; even said hi. We returned an hour and a half later. This time the woman on the black pet horse was on her left side of the path on my side of traffic. She also was holding up her cell phone, I assume was to videotape an interaction where she felt she could block the path. There was a long, clear line of site for her to see us and move over to her right as her riding companion had. I rode by on the correct side of the path, and she took issue with that. She stopped the woman riding behind me and did not let her pass. I understand yielding to pet horse and all for sharing, but I thought her actions were deliberately intended to intimidate bicyclists in order to fulfill her sense of entitlement to take up using the entire path however she wishes. I have passed pet horse before with no issues. If people consider pet horses a danger to others because they could be "spooked", not sure why would they be around bicyclists and pedestrians anymore than if someone was walking with a vicious, dangerous pet dog exposing others to attack.

Incident location

Incident details

Date of incident

17/04/2022 11:32AM

Incident type

Animal encounter

Location of incident

Gunston Road, Lorton, Virginia 22079, United States