Horse riders want to coexist with bike riders, but Canberra's growing urban sprawl and riders ignoring trail etiquette is creating tension.
President of ACT Equestrian Association Christine Lawrence says speeding cyclists yelling at riders to get out of the way on shared trails is causing dozens of injuries.
"Most accidents are caused by cyclists, sometimes runners, not using common sense and speeding at horses, refusing requests to slow down or stop," Ms Lawrence said.
In a city hungry for land, horse riders are concerned Canberra's unique equine culture is being threatened.
"The rampant growth of Canberra is putting pressure on the horse paddocks in Canberra ... Several of these paddocks have already been earmarked for other purposes," Ms Lawrence said.
"Without the paddocks the riding trails will cease to exist and an entire recreational sector will be displaced."
The Cotter Road underpass into Equestrian Park is another concern for Ms Lawrence.
"It is clearly signposted 'horses only' for safety but horse riders routinely meet cyclists in the underpass moving at ridiculous speeds and failing to even slow down," Ms Lawrence explained.
Endurance rider Fia Cumming rides in the Stromlo Forest Park but she also doesn't feel safe sharing trails with bike riders.
"When riders don't respect the horses, it can result in accidents. I mean, horses can kick bike riders pretty badly and horses can also throw humans," Ms Cumming said.
"We used to ride through forests all along the Molonglo between Equestrian Park and Stromlo Forest Park but a lot of that is now housing."
Ms Cumming recognises the popularity of bike riding amongst Canberrans and wants to ensure they can coexist as the territory continues to grow.
"I do want to say that we want to coexist with bikes as much as possible, and it can be done, we're not going to get rid of them, it's more likely that they'll get rid of us," Ms Cumming said.
Despite the issues, bike riders and horse riders both agree there is a future for both parties to continue their activities in the bush capital.
Canberra Off-Road Cyclists President Matt Batty acknowledges the issue, but says there has been an explosion in the number of novice bike riders at Stromlo Forest Park who are not aware of trail etiquette.
"We think there needs to be more signage at the venue, where people can see," Mr Batty said.
While members of Canberra Off-Road Cyclists are educated around how to approach a horse when sharing a trail, the explosion in mountain bike riders without the correct education is leading to accidents.
"You get a lot of novice horse riders at [Stromlo Forest Park] and a lot of novice bike riders ... and when you throw all those people together at the one time ... that I think is probably the main issue," Mr Batty said.
The Stromlo Forest Park guidelines outline instructions for safely approaching a horse. Instead of ringing a bell when passing by a horse, the guidelines recommend voice contact and asking permission of the horse rider to pass.
To educate new bike riders at Stromlo Forest Park Mr Batty is calling for more signage at the venue.
"A lot of it really comes back to signage, and more, I guess, in-your-face education at the venue probably as much as anything else," he said.
