Mary,

I used to ride alone all of the time when I was young!  I thought nothing of spending hours on the trails by myself - just me and my horse!  Those were the days.  Now, to send my daughter out by herself without either a friend or her cell - hello, no way!  She can barely ride in the ring by herself!  I have turned into something I can't stand - dare I say it - MY MOTHER!   UGH!

I do however let them ride for hours on end on the trails at their barn and do encourage them to take trails that they have never taken before.  I used to love doing that, and to love getting lost.  My girls are lucky, they have about 125 acres of trails available to them, they are on fox hunting country.  There is tons of people who ride where they are, so it is okay.

Kristen

I don't.

but if you take precautions and you are on a good, bomb proof horse, I don't see it as taboo.

Grace,

Just rereading these posts, and they all have a point.  I have gone trailriding by myself in the past, and there have been times where I have thought what have I done?  I have actually been hurt the worse the closest to home, the horse slipped and I fell off, (actually paralyzed for about 5 mins!), he was my safest and surest horse I ever owned too!  I was lucky he stayed with me and knew the way back to the barn without me guiding him.  Just please be careful.

Kristen

I didn't have a trail buddy except my dog and now he is dead. I have always ridden on my own. I made it safer by always having check in times,wearing a helmet, first-aid kit, and always going by my instincts. If the aura doesn't feel right or for just some reason I do not feel comfortable I am out of there! But I developed a lasting relationship with my mare on all these trailrides!

In my youth I rode alone all the time....and got bucked off, scraped off and generally abused by my Welch/Cross pony. I survived but a few years ago learned the hard way that I no longer bounce when hitting the dirt. I am a better rider now and have lots of fun on the trails jumping logs and camping overnight. I try to ride with at least one friend (my peference since I am working with a green horse and being with one other tolerant rider allows me to use our trail rides as training sessions). I also find it more fun to ride and camp with a compatible buddy with whom you can share experiences...and we have had quite a few! I jokingly tell her that we will have the most exciting memories of anyone in our nursing home! Just use your head and don't take unnecessary chances.

I found this article while looking thru the local section of my paper.  Even my girls and their friends have taken notice.   Thought it was appropriate.  Sorry for the length, couldn't figure out how to paste it shorter.

Girl, 17, who fell from horse rescued

July 17, 2008

 That didn't need to be shorter.  It's fine the way it is.  

I heard about that one myself.  MD isn't that far from NJ, and we got the news while the search was still in progress.  If that's not an excellent (and timely) wake-up call, then I'm more senile than I thought.

Pretty Palomino:

But I developed a lasting relationship with my mare on all these trailrides!

Yes, so have I.  I love "trail" riding.  (we don't really have trails, I'm on the prairies so its all fields and dirt roads).  I do understand that there are risks and I try to minimize them but I have decided that everything has risks and I want to take the chance.  I don't do stupid things while I'm trailriding (my horse won't let me ) but I have decided that I want to experience things and be adventurous.  Maybe I'm just young and stupid.

I ride alone 90% of the time, and have for the last 30 years. My rides alone average 3-6 hours through national and state parks. As a female, I ride alone differently than I do with company. If I meet someone on the trail, I usually speak, but never stop to talk. I don't ever get close enough for anyone to grab my reins if they were to want to. If I EVER feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up, I get out of dodge - that is true if there is nothing in sight or someone around. I consider that to be God talking to me and I NEVER question Him! All my horses are steady eddie kind of guys, but I like something that is sensitive and goes without question when asked. There is a big difference between sensitive and stupid, so know what you are riding. I also wear spurs for that extra omph when I need it. I start my own babies, but unless they've got some go to them, I don't take them out alone much after that first solo trip. If they are on the lazy side I finish them quickly in company then pass them on to a family member and stick to my speed horse when I'm by myself. It doesn't sound like you are trailering to a destination, but I will saddle my horse before I load him to head out. I am at my most vulnerable to harm or mischief when parked starting and returning from a ride. All my horses load without hesitation for this reason as well. I keep the back of my trailer open so if I feel the situation were to warrant, I can ride the horse right onto the trailer immediatly when arriving back to it. I also "pack" and know how to use it. It goes without saying that someone knows where I'm heading and I call to confirm when I park and after I've pulled out of the parking lot. That gives someone a reference if they don't hear from me for some reason. If I'm going on a trail I'm not familiar with, I keep a GPS with me and use new batteries with each outing. That may sound expensive, but I've tried using the same batteries for more than one ride and had them die on me before so I don't take any chances with older batteries. In 30 years, I've never experienced any problems with humans or animals. I do realize that this could change tomorrow and accept that responsibility for both my horse and myself. Good luck with your trail riding, it sounds like you have covered most your bases and everyone here has got some excellent ideas on what you need to have with you so I won't go into that.

When I first got Annapolis (20 yrs ago) I used to trail ride alone out of necessity.  The place I boarded at had few other boarders and I rarely saw them, so I rode out on my own.

Well, I don't ride alone any more.  I have had two bad accidents (both my fault) and if no one had been with me I'd be gone.  I love to trail ride.  I adore trail riding.  I'd love to do it by myself.  The best I do now is I ride either way in front of everyone or way behind.  That way I'm with people but not really with them.  My friends understand that I'm not being rude but sometimes I just want the horse, the trees, and the trail.

I'm getting too old to spend time in the hospital with broken bones and it takes them so long to heal.  A broken leg - both bones - took six months.  My husband wasn't brave enough to talk to me about the possible six months. I almost shot the doctor when he told me. 

 Thank goodness I had people with me to carry me out, put me on a boat and then get me to the hospital.

 So I guess my answer is I'd love to do it but even with a helmet (unconsicous for five days) and a broken pelvis it's not worth it to me.  By the way, doctors told me that I was lucky that I wore a helmet.  The week before they had a woman come in and she died because she cracked her head wide open.  Enjoy your riding.  Georgia has just had a wonderful "cool" summer.  I've been out as much as I can. 

 

fastarab:

Yes, so have I.  I love "trail" riding.  (we don't really have trails, I'm on the prairies so its all fields and dirt roads).  I do understand that there are risks and I try to minimize them but I have decided that everything has risks and I want to take the chance.  I don't do stupid things while I'm trailriding (my horse won't let me ) but I have decided that I want to experience things and be adventurous.  Maybe I'm just young and stupid.

 

 

Funny, but I just had this conversation with the young woman behind the counter at my local tack shop.  I was in to buy (yet another) helmet (and ordered still another one!), and she piped up, "I never wear a helmet.  I figure if I get killed it's my own fault."  She laughed.  I laughed too and asked her if she'd thought about the folks who'd be stuck taking care of her--possibly for the rest of her life--if she DIDN'T get killed but cracked her skull open and wound up minus a few important brain parts.  

When you decide to take unnecessary risks, you have to consider that you're making that decision not just on your own behalf, but on behalf of everyone in your life who cares about you and everyone who might have to give up their OWN lives to care for you, even for a short period.  I learned the hard way that it's not fun for them to nurse me back to health when I've chosen to do something silly without consulting them first.  I bet they'd vote no if I asked.  

 YET . . . when I told my SO that I wouldn't take him out on trails anymore unless he wore a helmet, the same man who complained about my risk-taking behavior when I was laid up with a dislocated hip and shoulder argued that he'd be just fine bare-headed!  LOL  No, he didn't get away with it.  One of the helmets I ordered was for him.  

JMFriedman:

When you decide to take unnecessary risks, you have to consider that you're making that decision not just on your own behalf, but on behalf of everyone in your life who cares about you and everyone who might have to give up their OWN lives to care for you, even for a short period.  I learned the hard way that it's not fun for them to nurse me back to health when I've chosen to do something silly without consulting them first.  I bet they'd vote no if I asked.  

I respect your opinion but I don't think that riding alone is an unnecessary risk. My parents have no problem with the way I ride and both grew up with horses and had their fair share of accidents.  I will continue to ride alone and on the back roads.  Like I said earlier, I don't do stupid things on my horses but I do ride them and have a good time while doing it!  I know my limitations and my horse's and I won't cross them.

I am so glad to hear that you require a helmet even for a MAN!    My friends have mostly taken to wearing helmets.  I have always done it since the instructor that my daughter took lessons from said, "no helmet, no lesson" and then left.   I have a male friend who wore a helmet after a heart attack and was on plavix to thin his blood.  The minute he was off the plavix he took off the helmet.  Dumb if you ask me. 

I am trying to ride more as the winter comes into play.  Winter, ha ha.  Georgia has no winter any more.  Has anyone been to NC to Dupont Forest to ride?  It is a wonderful place and I'm going again as soon as I can find some friends to ride with.  I'm going to be at Croft State Park in SC in October.  I can't wait to go.  I'm hoping that my granddaughter can go with me.  She's six years old and loves the horses.  She's been riding with me since she was one and a half years old.  I just love it. Remember your helmets!!  

 

fastarab:

I respect your opinion but I don't think that riding alone is an unnecessary risk. My parents have no problem with the way I ride and both grew up with horses and had their fair share of accidents.  I will continue to ride alone and on the back roads.  Like I said earlier, I don't do stupid things on my horses but I do ride them and have a good time while doing it!  I know my limitations and my horse's and I won't cross them.

 

 Sorry, Fastarab, I really didn't mean to direct that at you or what you're doing.  It was your last comment that reminded me of the conversation with the shopgirl because she started her end of the conversation with the words . . . "Maybe I'm young and foolish, but . . . ".  Like you, I ride alone on trails on my property and up and down the road where I live.  I know my horses and I know when to call it a day.  I take precautions.  My remarks were meant to make anyone who is doing things that could be done more safely think about the real victims of their possible unhappy endings. 

Also, like your parents, I am a horsey mom, and I introduced my daughter to the sport when she was just a tadpole.  But recently she took up eventing, which has a higher risk level than anything she'd done previously.  I sat with her and her husband, and on behalf of all of us, convinced her to take out a long-term-care policy.  She has a son.  There's a limit to how much even a horse-loving family can tolerate in terms of upheaval.  I fully understand her desire, but I also understand the risks.  So does she.  She got the insurance.  

 Grandma Trail Rider, you really made me laugh!    I had a great experience this weekend when a young couple who love horses but don't actually ride came for a horsey play-date.  I figured the wife would be fine with the helmet thing, but I kind of expected the young man, who is a rock-climber and engages in lots of risky behavior, to object to my "no helmet, no ride" rule, but he jumped right on the chance to slap protection on his head.  I guess there's hope for men after all!