How often do you trail ride alone & safety tips please [Archive]

Serigraph

Oct. 12, 2008, 02:12 PM

I have two TB's that are not trail horses, but I really want to trail ride more ~ a few times a week for each. I don't have anyone regularly to ride with so I have to take them each out alone. (I would not pony either)

One is pretty good and I have done trails alone with him, although he can have meltdowns, at least I know him well enough to try to get out of a sticky situation, so he is not really my concern.

The other is fairly new to me. He is pretty quiet, but still a typical TB and he has managed to give me a concussion (not on a trail). I don't know what might send him over the edge (if he goes) since I don't know him that well. I've had him now about 3 months and he has a history of mistreatment. He is gaining trust in me. We do mainly dressage work out of a ring and I have taken him on short rides in my neighbor's field. He's been very good. I also have hand walked him on short trails and he's been very good about that too (even with my other horse screaming his head off).

So I guess what I am wondering is if you have any safety tips for taking a new horse out. I don't really know this horse's history, but been told he's been ridden by kids. From what I see in the past few months he is a sensible but sensitive guy.

saddleup

Oct. 12, 2008, 02:26 PM

I'm not much help in this department because I make it a rule to never go alone. I guess it depends on your definition of trail ride. If you're talking about a walk around the property or on a country road in your immediate neighborhood, maybe it would be okay. But if you've got an unproven horse and you're going to be in isolated territory, I would suggest you find someone with a steady eddy type of horse to accompany you, at least at first.

I've just seen and heard of too many bad experiences where people ventured out alone; I'm not sure it's worth the risk if you don't know your horse is trustworthy. Even at that, a horse is a horse, and bad stuff happens on the trail with the best horse under you. (Ask me how I know this!)

Someone told me once to never ride a longer distance than I am prepared to walk home. That might be my best advice to you! And carry your cell phone on your body, not in a saddle bag.

Serigraph

Oct. 12, 2008, 02:43 PM

This is a hay field that I would go thru the woods (small trail) to get to the field. I took one horse today there, but told my husband to come looking if I didn't return in a reasonable time frame. It is not that far, but pretty remote. It's about 10min hack from my house.

I would not dream of going on the side of the road with either:)

piaffequeen

Oct. 12, 2008, 02:48 PM

I always make it a rule not to go out by myself. Even though Sam would never do anything to dump me-I 'd rather be safe than sorry. Try and find someone to ride with! Or what I did when I first got Sam was we walked the trails together (me not riding him)!

tabula rashah

Oct. 12, 2008, 03:02 PM

Denali6298

Oct. 12, 2008, 03:04 PM

My SO comes out on the trails with me on foot. He likes the hike and I am not alone, it works well.

cevent

Oct. 12, 2008, 03:32 PM

I ride alone a few times a week when I help a friend out when she can't ride. While I agree it's not the safest thing in the world to do, I'm not against it because like tabula, I wouldn't get any riding done! Like others have mentioned, start out close to home and do short rides. If it makes you feel better, hand walk them a few times on the route your planning on taking. That way they become better accustomed to that area. Gradually build up to longer hacks the more you and your horse feel comfortable.
Some tips:
*Always carry your cell phone!
*If someone is on the property and will still be there during your ride, tell them where your planning on going and give them an estimate on how long you'll be out for and for them to come looking for you if your not back. Maybe even call a friend who lives nearby and say you'll call them when you get back. If they don't hear from you have them stop over to make sure your ok.
Have fun!

Serigraph

Oct. 12, 2008, 03:52 PM

Thanks for the replies & ideas. Oh, a whistle is a good idea. I'm gonna get one.

D-I used to beg my husband to go out with me and he has a few times. NOT his favorite thing to do, but I think he'd be a good sport a few times.

What do you carry all your stuff in? I'm riding in a dressage saddle, so no where to hang stuff.

CosMonster

Oct. 12, 2008, 05:25 PM

I am also in the "If I didn't ride alone, I'd never ride" crowd. One of mine is really green and another is fairly broke, but still inexperienced so you never know. There is usually no one but me at the property when I ride.

I also always carry my cell phone, whistle, knife, and a small flashlight (the last three are actually all on my keychain so I've got them with me everywhere :lol:). I call my SO or a friend before I leave, tell them the general route I'll be taking and when they can expect to hear from me again.

jazzrider

Oct. 12, 2008, 05:32 PM

What do you carry all your stuff in? I'm riding in a dressage saddle, so no where to hang stuff.

I rode a somewhat spooky OTTB out on trail for years, and the one thing I learned was don't put your stuff on the saddle. Wear a fanny pack -- so it's on you and not your horse. I found a very small one (by Eagle Outfitters, I still have it) that worked perfectly to store my cell phone and keys.

Now if you trust your guys not to run off if something happens, they do make small packs that you can attach to the back of an english saddle. I'll see if I can find you a link...j.

Overo Kid

Oct. 12, 2008, 05:50 PM

I ride out on the trails alone almost exclusively--on property and trailering to parks.

I'd say for a green horse, just be careful and walk only for awhile. Go to the same place at first and take the same route so that he sees it as routine.

One tip--keep the cell phone on you, as everyone says, but have your number somewhere on the horse so that if you part company, whoever catches him can call you.

matryoshka

Oct. 12, 2008, 05:55 PM

I think OTTB's can make very good trail horses. Butch may have spooked at natural things such as fallen logs and large rocks, but he was great when encountering unexpected mechanical things. I think a fire truck could have lumbered down the trail in full cry and he wouldn't have noticed. Also, he was totally unfazed by bad weather or wind.

I started taking him out on the trail alone as soon as he stopped running backwards with me. I initially rode him in a hackamore to disconnect his association with the bit and running. That flipped him out at first.

So, safety. Tell somebody when and where you are going. Call a friend and let them know you are heading out and when you will call again. If nobody knows you are out there, they won't come looking for you. Also, I joked about wearing bright clothes so I could be found in the event of a wreck, but there was a serious side to that. I always carried my cell phone on my person. I hate how expensive the straps to put it on your leg are, so I carry mine in a fanny pack. I also put treats in there so that I could either reward Butch for staying calm in an otherwise sticky situation or just to give him something to put in his stomach.

I'll be training a young Arab mare for the trail soon. She's green broke and I haven't even ridden her yet. As soon as I have her trust (and trust her not to be an outride idiot), I'll be taking her out alone as well. You can bet I'll call a friend and let them know where I am, where I'm going, and when to expect me to call back.

Twice I've had friends call to tell me they were riding alone and they've forgotten to call me back when expected. The first time I was most of the way to the trail head, dialing her every five minutes, before she finally called back--she hadn't taken her cell phone out on the trail and the ride went longer than expected. The second time another friend had somebody arrived early to look at a horse and forgot to call me back. She felt really bad when I showed up at her house, reviewing what I knew of CPR in my head. I was just relieved she was okay. So don't forget to call back when you say you are going to!! ;)

jnel

Oct. 12, 2008, 07:50 PM

I'm in the exact situation: new horse and if I didn't ride alone I wouldn't ride. So I have moved my horse to a lesson barn for two months of "horse bootcamp". The lesson barn has lots of stuff going on and there are people around to hack out with. My goal is to have me and my horse experience many new situations to see how he reacts in as safe an environment as possible. This includes the tarp stuff, scary flags, mounting from things other than a mounting block, doing leap frog exercises on the trail and anything else I can think of. I'm trying to find out what sets him off and build our confidence in each other. So far its working out great and he has settled from a wildeyed, alert boy to much calmer and relaxed.

Shadow14

Oct. 12, 2008, 09:01 PM

I constantly run alone and no one has the faintest idea of where I went. I ride about 5 times a week and even took my new guy who was totally unbroken or even halter training out alone in the bush after 4 days. If I didn't ride alone I wouldn't be riding. I have a pair of long heavy duty reins and I make a habit of when we/I go down I always keep a good hold so the horse doesn't get away. I get dumped a few times a year at least but always seem to get right back up and off we go.
This is dangerous but so be it. I will not stop riding.

MikeP

Oct. 12, 2008, 09:17 PM

I live in a remote area, and ride alone through wilderness tracts once or twice a week. I do keep a cell phone on my person, but it's doubtful that I'd get coverage when I needed it.

A dog goes along, so I guess if he shows up back at the house somebody will start looking after a time....

The only suggestion I'd have is to get somebody with another horse to ride with you a couple of times, until your mount has a chance to learn what's going on out there.

Now, I know what I'm doing is risky, but I have fun exploring logging roads, deer trails and the like, and after a number of years at this, so far- so good.

Bank of Dad

Oct. 12, 2008, 09:52 PM

I ride alone most of the time. Name and address are on me and on the horse. If something happens on a local trail, I figure he'll make his way home. I would not trailer to ride alone in a remote, isolated area where no one would find me.

Beverley

Oct. 12, 2008, 11:58 PM

I ride alone most of the time, too. I don't venture too far into remote areas alone. I make sure to have my cell phone, attached to me, not the horse, so if I am hurt someone can see the ICE numbers listed and give them a call. For youngsters/unknowns, I will start close to the barn, urban trails through subdivisions are great for presenting all sorts of stimuli so that one can gauge reactions and do a bit of 'it won't hurt you' schooling without bolting onto a road. Using my 3 yo as an example, I started with short 'out and back' rides on a trail next to the barn, coupled with weekend rides in a nearby park with good footing with a few buddies, so we could practice up front, in the middle, and behind, crossing bridges, etc. System seems to work, she won a competitive trail ride last weekend in same park- but it was the first time I'd asked her to negotiate it (couple of hours worth of loop) by herself.

If I'm going to haul somewhere to ride solo, such as National Forest, I'll generally try to remember to tell someone which trails I am planning to go on, as well as leave a note on the dash of my truck. Not 100% foolproof since part of the fun of trail riding is impromptu exploring- but it could at least narrow the search area.

Following up on what jnel suggested, it is indeed possible to do some schooling in the arena and barn area that will both educate the horse and let you know what kind of reaction you'll get to surprises on the trail, e.g. whether the horse might jump sideways or spin 180 degrees and head the other way or bolt. Tarps on the ground, balloons tied to jump standards that you have to walk through, cooperative barn cats that dart here and there, hang a bag of tin cans in a plastic bag on a jump standard and pick it up and carry it around, etc. Kind of fun to blend that sort of thing in with basic flat work.

wateryglen

Oct. 13, 2008, 07:03 AM

Yes, good advice here and I'd add:

Wear a bright colored shirt so the rescue helicopter can find your body!!! :winkgrin::lol::lol:

I'd tack up or bit up some to help with any potential loss of control. I always trailride with a running martingale, a neck strap etc. And my favorite is to keep repeating the same trail or area until he gets somewhat comfortable but always add another small stretch of trail that's unfamiliar so that he's used to some "uncomfortable" or unfamiliar area on each ride. Sometimes they are calm/flat footed in familiar parts of the trail but spooky on unfamiliar so you need to get him used to an unfamiliar place every time you ride. Go up the trail & back; then tomorrow up the same trail 100 yards further and back. The same trail looks different in the opposite direction sometimes. Just gradually add time & distance & locales until it becomes ho-hum!!

To keep yourself supple & calm; talk to him! Sing! Whatever it takes to keep you from feeding his flight instinct. And don't overthink it or over react if he spooks and he will. I'm always proud when I gradually see them reacting less & less to deer for example. 6 mos ago they'd turn & run and now they "spook in place" or just stop, raise head, look and move on. What more can you ask!!?:D

I'm always amazed at how many women over dramatize riding alone. We have to if we want to ride in most cases. I'm not depending on anyone else but myself and my horse. It's up to me to be prepared & schooled to do it. It takes training just like dressage! Certainly the variables are more numerous. But I think we underestimate horses sometimes. Or misinterpret their behaviors. Remember, they aren't being bad-they are just being a horse!! Time & experience & mileage together gives the confidence needed for the discipline of trail riding IMHO!! So just do it!
Have fun! He sounds good to me!

Serigraph

Oct. 13, 2008, 07:58 AM

Thanks again for the advice. I hand walked him yesterday on parts of the trail. He was very good. I wouldn't have really wanted to be on him as he grew about 18hh and wide eyed, but still no signs of wanting to bolt or be stupid.

I always ride with my cell. I doubt too though that I'd get good reception. One of my horses has a dog tag on his bridle, so I'll do this for this horse too.

I wish I had nice groomed trails to access, but this is pretty rugged & narrow through the woods which makes it a bit more tricky. It's not a long stretch at all, but it is more like bushhogging than a nice relaxing trail.:)

matryoshka

Oct. 13, 2008, 08:23 AM

Actually, difficult trails help keep the horse's attention focused on the trail instead of looking around elsewhere. Whenever we accompany a nervous horse on the trail, we head straight for the narrow ones (no drop-offs, though) where the horse has to watch his step. They settle down pretty rapidly. I like introducing technical trails early on so they learn to rely on me rather than looking everywhere else.

If you think your horse might go nuts and cause you bodily harm, you'll want to avoid dangerous trails and stick to more open spaces where you have room to maneuver. I figure you already know that, but I had to say it anyway. ;)

BTW, I'm not a fan of the one-rein stop, but lots of people who post here are. I prefer to sit back and use first one rein, then the other and repeat until I get the horse's head up, get him on his haunches instead of his front end, and get him stopped without having to turn. You'll want to review how you stop your horse in the event of a bolt or panicked run before heading out on the trail mounted.

jeano

Oct. 13, 2008, 08:31 AM

I ride alone a lot more often than not, and often explored new trails--past tense because I've found most of them within riding radius of my place, and have no trailer. Did find a new place to go just yesterday, complete with an incredibly deep clay pit, sucker looked like a bottomless pit. Back when I was in OH and had a trailer I'd drive a hundred miles alone with two horses in the trailer to the horse camp and take one horse out for a ride in the howling wilderness while waiting for a buddy to come out later and join me and ride the second horse.

I love maps and am a good navigator, know to trust the horse to find the way home if necessary, and have had only one really nasty wreck when I was away from home with just me and the horse--got my lip busted good, didnt come off the horse, no real problem.

Since i am pushing 55 and have to find a stump or log or dirt bank to remount, I am good at finding improvised mounting blocks and the horses are now VERY good at standing next to or over almost anything so mama can get back on. That's really the only part of riding alone that perturbs me.

Plus, if my horse is with me, I'm not actually alone, and certainly not lonely.

Prieta

Oct. 13, 2008, 09:27 AM

I, too ride alone 99% of the time - not by choice. :no: However, one nice thing about riding my Arab alone is that we are learning to trust each other more each time we go out riding.

Still, I bring my cell phone with me and let my DH where I go. I recently bought a trailer and will always bring one of my girls and other horse to go with my Arab and myself.

Lori B

Oct. 13, 2008, 09:54 AM

serigraph, if you are trail riding in a dressage saddle, get yourself a bucking strap! I have recently had the opportunity to do more hacking, including at night, and I find the dressage saddle to be great for the trail, but having the bucking strap is nice for those minor moments of losing balance, esp. on unexpected bits of terrain.

wholesaletack.com sells a great fleece lined saddle pad that has two big velcro pockets built into the pad. Get one of these, and you can bring a small water bottle and a halter and lead, just in case. Keep your cell phone on your person, in a pocket.

I hack out alone at our farm all the time, where the place we ride is the edges of fields that are separated by treelines and small stretches of woods. If I didn't trail ride alone, I would rarely get to at all. It's just hard to line up my riding schedule w/ others. I don't think it's so terribly dangerous, but I try to make sure that someone knows I'm going out and to expect me back in an hour or so. The incremental approach recommended by others is best -- do a little out and back, then a little more, etc., etc.

I also find it's good to ask them to do a little work if they get looky and distracted. Ask 'em to bend, ask for a couple steps of leg yield if terrain permits, whatever. When they don't have enough to do, they start looking for cougars, IMHO.

katarine

Oct. 13, 2008, 10:31 AM

Ride them fairly hard at home first. Get the fizz out within reason.
Cashel ankle safe to hold your cell phone, whistle, whatever.
Tell the SO where you're going, how long you plan to be gone.

go ride.

Use your training and theirs if it gets worrisome...shoulder in, half pass, changing the bend even...put them to work.

I take treats sometimes (square english pad with velcro pockets on the corners...get 'em broke velcro before you start out LOL) for horses I think it will help.

Set up challenging things in your home arena- walking over tarps, buy a cheap shower curtain and shred it...then ride through it....drag a small sack of cans in a trash bag, holding it on your left while leading them around the arena...these are all trust building exercises to teach them to look to YOU for help.

Guilherme

Oct. 13, 2008, 11:30 AM

Riding alone is like swimming alone. You might do it your entire life and not have a problem. But if you ever do have a problem you can be well and truly screwed. :no:

Riding alone on a green or otherwise unreliable horse is likewise. Maybe you won't have a problem, maybe you'll control it if it happens. But if you don't...?

We forget that during the Age of Horsepower there were large numbers of deaths and serious injuries every year resutling from equine actions. This risk was taken during that time as it was essential to survial in that era.

As often noted horses today are luxury goods. Only the tiniest of minorities has to ride as part of a job. Under these circumstances solo riding poses risks that I'd not take, even though I have a very reliable mare.

As for safety items, a cell phone, knife, whistle, and light source (small flashlight, chemical light stick, etc.) would be appropriate on the person. I have a handgun carry permit and very often carry a pistol (it's a great signaling device, among other uses). Remember that a solo ride that starts during the day may end up at night. ;)

G.

pines4equines

Oct. 13, 2008, 11:39 AM

jeano

Oct. 13, 2008, 11:59 AM

I agree with Lori B. I ride with a bucking strap and I actually do not let go of that thing. I ride like I'm sitting on a merry-go-round and I hold onto that thing the entire ride with the reins. My horse swings suddenly to the right and I'm with him. Why not? You're alone on the trail, who cares if you're riding improperly?

I also have changed my horse's diet to a less sugary one. He is less spooky and more mellow. Maybe a little change in feed is in order to calm your guys.

Also, don't be afraid to just turn around. I'm older and if I'm scared, I just turn around and go home. Just start out as you're doing walking him on the trail. Then maybe riding 100 yards and turning around.

I do ride alone often as previous posters say, I'd never ride if I waited for someone every time...

Every little success you have builds your confidence and will have you walking on air just like when you got him off his left shoulder in your dressage lesson!??? :lol:

Dont like oh s**t straps and dont like grabbing the horn on a western saddle. IMHO, just leads to a false sense of security, because if that saddle ROLLS you are rolling with it....I grab, but I grab mane. That said, the mare that spooks the hardest has rubbed out most of her mane, damn her.

As regards the whole safety issue of riding alone, I think plenty of people ride alone AT HOME in the arena where they can get just as dead, although I concede the body usually gets found quicker. It might be interesting to see some stats on trail rider fatalities as opposed to, say, show jumper fatalities, eventing fatalities, barrel racing fatalities etc.

I pack a cell phone on my person, usually but not always let someone know I'm riding, wear a helmet, carry a knife, and talk to every stranger I meet, because they might be the person who helps find me later, for all I know. The one time I packed a gun, wouldnt you know it, I came off the horse when, you knew it, the saddle rolled. And I landed with that revolver right in the small of my back in its fanny pack. ouch. I've only once seen something I might have felt the need to shoot out on the trail, and that particular copperhead was being a pretty good sport about having three horses trample right over his sunbathing spot.

There are people (folks who know me in real life, I mean) who seem to be convinced that my main riding buddy and I take off our helmets and whip our horses into a gallop and take off at a dead gallop as soon as we're out of sight....in reality, we're two old heavyweight bats trying to stay as safe as possible. Which is not to say we dont take risks, whether riding alone or in company. Just not really STUPID risks. Yeah, we both crossed a swamp we probably shouldnt have, but we havent made a habit of it having survived once.

cmkdreams

Oct. 13, 2008, 04:05 PM

I ride almost exclusively as the only person. I can't say alone because I almost always pony another horse so have company. :) I do carry a cell phone & whistle on me, & always let someone know where I'm headed & an approximate time of returning home. If you have a new, young, green, etc horse, I find it very beneficial to pony that horse on trail. If you don't have a reliable pony horse, find someone with a calm trailmaster to go with you the first few times. And always wear your helmet. Be safe & have fun.

rainechyldes

Oct. 13, 2008, 04:11 PM

I've ridden alone for years. Though I've noted I've gotten a bit more safety cautious now. I generally have my cell phone with me (on me, not on the horse- I also have a two way radio that has a 5 mile range, so it's fairly good on the closer to home trails. The base for it is at my mom's house who lives close to me, and my sister and dad who also ride have the other 2 radios. Works well surprisingly.

pines4equines

Oct. 13, 2008, 04:47 PM

In response to Jeano:

You know I never liked grabbing the mane when you're riding at the walk because to do so you'd have to lean forward to grab the mane even if it's ever so slightly. I think leaning forward and taking your seat off the saddle (for me) is worse. I like to sit straight and ride out the spook, buck whatever sitting straight on my seat and balanced on my seat bones rather than in a lean-forward position which might throw me over. (I'm an old dressage rider and trail ride as if I was going down the center line to X. Leaning forward to grab mane would just throw off my balance.)

Now, if I was cantering or trotting, it's a different story but I got the impression that the OP is just starting out with two hot horses and probably would be walking.

But you know whatever works for you is the best. Don't switch if you're used to that.

Mersy

Oct. 13, 2008, 07:28 PM

I ride alone 90% if the time, its either that or no riding.
Green or not there is always the risk of something happening. But no need to dwell to much on it or you will have a problem.
Always wear a helmet. Stay relaxed, sing or whistle. Be aware of your surroundings. Don't focus on the things that make your horse nervous, look past them. By all means get off the horse if you need to. You can practice ground work when you feel like staying in the saddle is to dangerous.
Don't overwhelm your horse if he really is having a difficult time.
Carry a cell phone or at the very least leave a map at home (or with friends) of the area you are riding in.

If your horses are calmer together, pony one and ride the other, then swap them out when the greener one is settled.

SlobberHound

Oct. 13, 2008, 08:19 PM

I ride alone a lot. I mostly am always out exploring new trails. When I just had one horse, I would just let someone know where I was going, and if they didn't hear from me when I got back, to be on the lookout that something went wrong. Now I have 3 horse and two dogs so if I go alone, I have the dogs with me, and mostly will bring another horse too, and just let that one run loose. So far in the 7 plus years of riding, I've never been injured enough that I had to call for help. Mostly where I ride, there's no cell phone reception anyways to do any good, but they're always good to have incase your car breaks down. I do keep my cell phone on me and not the horse.

KCFoxy

Oct. 13, 2008, 10:34 PM

{{What do you carry all your stuff in? I'm riding in a dressage saddle, so no where to hang stuff.[/quote]

My sister and I purchased lightweight fishing vests from LLBean. enough velcro and zip pockets for cell, knife, lunch...whatever (when I trailer...my extra set of car keys). We use them for the seasons that do not require jackets w/ pockets :yes:

When I go out alone, I let my sis know what direction and possible ETA. Whistle, talk, sing to my horse...tg he's not a critic.

OH...and don't forget the jingle bells on the saddle for the hunters.

Overo Kid

Oct. 14, 2008, 12:05 AM

BTW, I'm not a fan of the one-rein stop, but lots of people who post here are. I prefer to sit back and use first one rein, then the other and repeat until I get the horse's head up, get him on his haunches instead of his front end, and get him stopped without having to turn. You'll want to review how you stop your horse in the event of a bolt or panicked run before heading out on the trail mounted.

Yep--this breaks their rythym.

Shadow14

Oct. 14, 2008, 08:59 AM

I am really considering getting one of those help things??? The one where you press a button and it sends out a distress signal?? I am all over the country, alone, with no one expecting me back any time soon. My wife doesn't worry and if I don't show up for 4-6 hours she would not be concerned.
I have been doing this for 50 years but getting older and riding young stuff I should have some way of contacting someone in the event of a serious wreck.
What is the name/company that sells a one button SOS gps???

Ozalynda

Oct. 14, 2008, 09:12 AM

I always ride by myself, not by choice but simply because there is no one else around who trains in the forest that I know.

I have my cellphone on me always (on *me*, not on my horse) and it is a Nokia N95 with a GPS. There is a nifty free program from Nokia called Nokia Sportstracker which logs all kinds of info about your workouts (average speed, where you rode, etc.) and has the special advantage of allowing someone sitting at home to see precisely where you are at all times by following your workout on the Sportstracker site. You can also come home and upload it to Google Earth.

Pretty cool.

You can see the program here: http://sportstracker.nokia.com. I have no idea what other GPS devices support the program.

BarbeyGirl

Oct. 14, 2008, 10:14 AM

If I didn't ride by myself, I would pretty much never ride.
One of the first things I do, is a lot of despooking in the ring- see how they handle -walking over, under tarps, maybe balloons or an umbrella- things in a controlled situation.
I also always carry with me:
-knife (on me, not the horse)
-whistle (again on me)
-cell phone (also on me)
- lead rope (on the horse)
I also generally tell someone when I should be back.

For starting out the newbie on trails alone- go slow. Maybe just go out a 1/4 of the way the first time and end on a positive note. Then gradually build up.

Do not be afraid to get off if you can't get him past or thru something.

And lastly, I think by far, the biggest thing about trail riding is if you are calm and level headed about all- the horse will probably be too.

Exactly. I also recommend doing a lot of handwalking (at least 20 miles worth, over the course of a week or two) on the trail before riding out. You'll bond with your horse and learn what kinds of things set him off.

And, as TR said, there's no shame in dismounting on the trail and leading your horse through a spooky situation. Better safe than sorry, and you'll find the number of dismount-situations decreases over time.

pines4equines

Oct. 14, 2008, 11:18 AM

KCFoxy: This is what I used to use when I rode with an English saddle on the trail...Very cute.

http://www.horsetackco.com/tory-leather-sandwich-bag-with-buckle.html?currency=USD

matryoshka

Oct. 14, 2008, 11:44 AM

Daatje

Oct. 14, 2008, 11:48 AM

I too, must ride alone as I have no one to ride with. Nice to see there are so many of us!

I must ride on a busy road to get to my trails, so in addition to the cell phone in my pocket and bell on my breastcollar, I wear day-glo yellow reflective coat, have reflective covers on my bridle, breastcollar and horse's legs.

I like the idea of carrying a knife......and putting your number on your horse.

What about GPS? I know it's probably expensive, but I hunt, and they have a GPS collar on each hound, so I know the technology is out there. That would be useful in finding your horse if he ran off and couldn't be found (think Charlz)

I also leave a note stating the time I left, and where I planned on going so if I didn't return in a timely manner my folks could get ahold of me or come looking. :)

Riding alone can be beautiful, just you, your horse, and the wild...........safety precautions are wise, and there are some good suggestions on this thread! :)

Shadow14

Oct. 14, 2008, 11:54 AM

Ya know Shadow, that would be a good thing to have. I'm also curious what it is and who sells it. There have been too many times I've thought "man I'm lucky to have made it through that unscathed." One of these times, I'm not going to be so lucky. It would be great to have the ablity to send out some sort of distress call.

There was a post on it a while ago. I think it was in the $115 range and all you did was push the button and it sent out a 911 call with your GPS location. Last winter I was down in the snow with what I thought was a broken leg when the horse fell on me. Luckily the horse didn't bolt, I had a good hold on the rein but he didn't fight, just stood back up but it was a while before I pulled myself up and back into the saddle.
All I thought at the time was I could crawl to the nearest road and someone would stop.
I don't carry a cell phone or anything. I just have faith that I will bounce back up and always keep a good hold on a strong long rein when and we do go down a few times a year. It honestly happens in slow motion so if you keep thinking you have time to go through your steps not to loose the horse.
My old horse Strider would just stand back up and would never run off, Shadow was getting close to holding with me but my new guy Rio would most likely run off.
I am not talking about being bucked off, I am talking about wiping out and if you cover alot of ground you will go down.

Huntertwo

Oct. 15, 2008, 06:18 PM

I always trail ride alone. When I first got my mare I just went out to her comfort zone, (to the point where I could feel she was getting nervous)
I would stop her and only on my okay, we would turn around and go back.

Each time out we would go a little further. Again, to her comfort zone. I would never push a horse to go past that.

Putting trail miles on a horse is the way to do it. Again, even if it is 100 feet, that is an accomplishment.

Good luck!

Icecapade

Oct. 16, 2008, 01:10 PM

I don't really have trail friends... and my roommate won't give a damn where I am if I let her know... so I hardly ever tell anyone... (my SO is a 5 hr drive away on most weekends I am riding-seperate state thing kind of sucks)

anyway. I used to ride a lot in california by myself too, now I just ride in state parks because well... there isn't anything to ride in in NJ. But I digress.

In california we had riding belts which had two bottles of water, a little safety bag with drugs (yeah for rider candy) thermal blanket whistel and one or two other trinkets... about the size of a wallet it was. and a gun.

phones are nice but don't always work (at this point I carry mine for mulitple reasons regardless of whether I think it will work or not) I try to always have my knife on me also.

The horse always always always had a mecate line on it... halter under the bridle running through your belt so WHEN you came off... you had a chance to a stop your horse... or b if you couldn't he was more likely to step on a lead line than your nice reins. the thought of having heavy reins to maybe grab on to as your tumbling ass over teacup is a really bad one. if you don't like having the mecate line... at least tie it around your horses neck a la military style... learn the knot its not hard and you can hobble with it or tie and don't have to fuss with getting it out or off of something.

Whistles are good. make sure your horse is trained to not spook... I know I know seems silly.. till you do it and realize your nice horse on the trail can't handle it.

NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER EVER EVER let someone approach your horse and let them touch your reins or anything else.

other than that... its not really a big deal.. hand walking is a waste of times on trails... I'd never get anything done. pony yes... get together with an old hand on the trails... but hand walk? nah. I'd never do it... our base trails that we did when we didn't have time for anything else was either a 3 or 6 miler. both hills. running... it took me well over an hour.. and I used to run a solid 8:30 minute mile. Just go out and have fun... don't be stupid... work your horse... he can't be an idiot if he is working hard and tired.. he won't have time for it!

Shadow14

Oct. 16, 2008, 01:28 PM

the thought of having heavy reins to maybe grab on to as your tumbling ass over teacup is a really bad one. if you don't like having the mecate line... at least tie it around your horses neck a la military style... learn the knot its not hard and you can hobble with it or tie and don't have to fuss with getting it out or off of something.

!

What is wrong with long strong reins. Mine are 6 feet long, 3/4 inch wide of soft well oiled leather with strong buckets at the bit, no snaps for me.
I am already holding them in my hand and if I getting dumped ass over teacup I aready have one in my hand.
I have gone down 5 times in the past 1 1/2 years and every single time I had time to think about having a good hold on a rein and then holding on it it while I tumbled on the ground.
As for stepping on one, I feel the horse doesn't have a hope of not stepping on it and if trained at all to ground tie he will not get away in the even you did loose a him.
I also feel the heavier reins beside the saftey feature let the horse know when you pick them up to stop, slow down or neck rein. The added weight signals the horse quicker then the light synthetic reins that weigh nothing and really relie on pulling the rein.
I don't ride with contact and simply picking your hand up raising the reins signals the horse that you are about to do something. A shift of the reins signals what you want.

KCFoxy

Oct. 16, 2008, 09:32 PM

pines4equines (http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/member.php?u=119038) thanx for the site...i copied the quote..i actually ride in an endurance saddle with a stowaway cantle pack
http://www.sportack.com/cms/index.cfm/path/94789/96913/96322/96332/96933/

it's hard to locate good stuff at good prices

daisyduke

Oct. 16, 2008, 10:00 PM

I ride alone 90% of the time. When I first bought my OTTB, I always let my husband know that I was leaving the farm and the direction I was going. Now, I have a deep trust in my horse and actually find her so much more manageable when it is the two of us. I've had her almost a decade and put many, many miles indoor and outdoor and I figure we've encountered nearly everything we will. I have other horses that are not near as dependable as her.

tkhawk

Oct. 17, 2008, 01:25 AM

I ride alone most of the time. In the week if I want to ride, I have to ride alone. Weekend I have a riding buddy and occasionally someone from the barn may want to join.
Yes like daisyduke, my mare is much better when alone. Before when I started out on her after a bad fall, I was scared and she wasn't too trail experienced so our riding buddy and her steady eddy paint gave us both a lot of confidence. Since I have a trailer, I trailer all over. Slowly I started riding alone in trails I and the mare knew and after a while we were ok. Now I ride her through anything and anywhere. Alone she is great-but we are much more tuned to each other-I usually catch a spook beore she spooks and correct her before-you can feel it coming-just the posture, the change in energy. She has enough experience on the tail, that a little reassurance is all she needs-just me noticing that she is worried about something and saying it is ok and go on or a cue. But when I go out in a group, I am chatting away so she may do a spook occasionaly as I rarely pay attention to her(I know not good but we all need our indulgence:winkgrin:)-but nothing really big-just your typical Arab thing. When we started she pulled everything on me. She is really great now .
Now my mustang is not broke yet. But when he is, I am going to start hand walking a little and then ponying him off the mare. Then slowly riding a little and so on. i think you have to give it time-it took a long time for my mare to get to where she is.
A green horse is different. Before I got my mare, I always rode or leased horses that were fully trained and knew their job and after a while the horse gets a feel for you and once you work out your kinks you can go from there. But my mustang is my first absolute greenie who doesn't have a clue so should be interesting.
But it is always better to know what the horse's limitations are. trail is the worst place to find out what your horse does not know. The trails i ride are just the border of L.A.-so semi-urban and you run into everything-from planes pulling those banners behind them and flying pretty close to you when you are on the hills to bicyles , prams, kids with ballons,deer -stuff you can't even imagine. So it is better you work on the horse -let the horse get some confidence either from you or from another horse -that way when all hell breaks loose, your horse already has some experience and you are not having to be responsible for both yourself and the horse. My mare , now that she has been exposed to so much-i expect more from her-most stuff I expect her to figure out it is not scary-if it is I encourage her-but I am not going to put up with a major tantrum because the trash can flew open in the wind. She can spook but in place and still be listening to me. She knows better. So I like her -because she has been there and done that-I can enjoy the scenery and it is very relaxing.

Also some planning-my mare is in great shape because I trail ride a lot. So if I don't ride as much or the weather is very cool and she is all fresh, I take her on very challenging steep rides. Today she was very fresh-due to work stuff, I couldn't ride her much last three weeks and then we had some pretty bad wind last two days, so I took her on a very nice scenic ride overlooking the ocean, but a pretty steep climb about 1400ft climb from sea level in about three miles. It didn't tire her out, but very little spookiness today. They are smart-my mare behaves differently according to the trailhead I park. If she doesn't know the trails, she is very tuned to me . If she knows the trails-one trailhead is very easy about 4-5 mi loop light hills, no other option, scenic but short -she is all hot and hoity toity. Another one has a ton of trails -you can ride all day -so she is much more calmer and pays attention, because I can mix up a bunch of loops and she never knows how long it will take. This steep one I go to -she is usually very calm-there is just one steep grinding uphill climb and then a full downhill no rolling hills. It is tough-even the bikers rate it as one of the tougher rides. They may not comprehend and plan like we do, but they have very good memories and can remmeber stuff and change heir behaviour trhough exposure to stuff..
Now that I am shipping the mustang to trainig, this will be interesting for me to see how I can bring him long... But I think he should be easier-he just strikes me as a very grounded , solid , chilled out personality. My mare on the other hand is more airy , flighty drama queen so personality matters too.

Icecapade

Oct. 17, 2008, 12:16 PM

I am already holding them in my hand and if I getting dumped ass over teacup I aready have one in my hand.
I have gone done 5 times in the past 1 1/2 years and every single time I had time to think about having a good hold on a rein and then holding on it it while I tumbled on the ground.
As for stepping on one, I feel the horse doesn't have a hope of not stepping on it and if trained at all to ground tie he will not get away in the even you did loose a him.
I also feel the heavier reins beside the saftey feature let the horse know when you pick them up to stop, slow down or neck rein. The added weight signals the horse quicker then the light synthetic reins that weigh nothing and really relie on pulling the rein.
I don't ride with contact and simply picking your hand up raising the reins signals the horse that you are about to do something. A shift of the reins signals what you want.

I agree heavy reins are good... all my leather stuff is made from harness leather rather than light stuff... so much is lost in translation-same with the buckles....

but its not a safety feature for me. thats what a mecate is for... most often my reins stay with the horse... yes they might step on them... but they are more likely to stop w/ pressure off the line releasing from the belt if they truly are ground tied. if they aren't going to stop w/ that they aren't going to stop at all. in that time frame they aren't going to step on the reins.
(chances are increased with the fact that there are 4 ft to step on it rather than just the front two... which is more likely given the reins are usually shorter or connected and no hope of reaching the hind feet.)

besides... I'd rather my lead be stepped on than my really nice reins.

as far as your experiance w/ going down... I'll admit you far trump me, I've had my spills but I do my best to stay on rather than come off.

Baybaby

Oct. 17, 2008, 01:04 PM

I am a avid trail rider, and when I bought my green Morgan mare 12 years ago I started her in the ring first. Then I knew she was tired and moved alone out to the trails behind my house. We had a few bumps on the trail with the deer, small rodents, and birds. It all worked out. In the arena she was really good at emergency dismount, and stayed right by me. I used that tool on the trail with the deer. I would dismount after the fright factor overcame her, and stood with her, facing the enemy!;) Worked great and we increased lenght of trails. Now she can care less, and my friends like her if they have a green horse. She sets the tone.

Few years later I adopted a ReRun thoroughbred at age 7 for my daughter. As he grew to trust her and re-adjust to new life, we did the same technique. Then I lost my trail buddy to college and hit out alone. No problem. Keep your cell phone on your arm, have a few emergency supplies in your pack, and let people know where you are. I went as far as puting my business card in the truck window just incase, when I was on the trail alone. Cell number is on it. Don't do foolish things and you will be fine.

PS- Daughter graduated this year back home and trail riding again.