Re: Trail Riding Safety

["goearth" <goearth@shentel.net>]

Hello,  my first time managing a ride turned into a Governor declared State of Emergency when a young stallion took a spook up a steep incline on the side of Kennedy's Peak on the OD Trail and came back down and starting cartwheeling down the mountain on the Ft. Valley ride a few years back.  It took a helicopter from the Virginia National Guard using an elephant harness because that was all that was avialable to lift him out.  An LZ had to be created by cutting out trees and building a flat space for the horse to stand all night for the extraction the next day.  People stayed there all night consoling and treating the horse.  When i first heard the news and showed up i found the horse tied into a tree w/ its front legs extended uphill and its back legs uphill too. There was no way to get him up.  The owners son came w/ me and after looking at the situation we made the decision to cut the rope.  After a few more tumbles down the rocks he landed upright and i caught him w/his broken halter and at least he was standing upright, where he stood for about 15 hrs.  He came out of it w/ a few scrapes and abrasions.  After that i was ready for anything and have never seen anything such as that since. tom sites