[RC] LA Gumbo Ride-horse lost for 29 hrs found - Mary Ann Spencer
This was overall a good ride. And no problem for barefoot horses. It was fine until my horse stepped into a sink hole in a puddle. The hole is caused by 4 wheelers competing to see who can send up the highest mud wave. AND THE 4 WHEELERS THINK THE HORSES MESS UP TRAILS!! He fell down twice and on the second fall he went side ways and gravity threw me into the 3+ ft mud sink. Instead of going to camp which was in sight, he went back up the trails at 90 to nothing. No stopping him. We had just ALMOST completed the first 20 mile loop! We tried to track him on foot. Guess what-they walk much faster than we do, yeah right like no one on this site knew that??? Luckily I found his tracks and saw that he doubled back onto the main trail. Then it was impossible to track him over the many horse tracks on the trail. The hope was that he would hear the other horses
finishing and follow in. NOT. So there he is out there fully tacked with my almost new Passier dressasge saddle!!! DANG. He was paniced. Don't know if he will ever cross a puddle again. He took off at 11am and he was not found until 430pm the next day. Tack was ok. The sissor style reins clips had opened on one side so he was stepping on the other side but was found in a area of old grass and was eating. He was not far from the main trail route. A very nice young lady, Lucky, loaned Fred, the ride manager, and me a horse to ride. Fred went one direction and we went the other direction. After riding at a walk for about 2 hours in the vicinity where I last found his tracks, we heard a snort in the distance. Our horses had spooked at deer about an hour before and then spooked but we could not find anything that would have caused the spook. So we walked off trail and tried to think lilke a
horse who would be hungry by now. And it worked. We walked slowly toward the sound of the distant snort and found him and he just looked at us. We dismounted and contnued walking toward him so not to spook him. He was standing on one of the reins but did not try to avoid us and seemed happy to be found. It was a 2 hr walk back to camp.
On hindsight, I am wondering if there should be a ride team, ie horses, to assist with lost horses/riders? Horses tend to find each other and their sense of smell and sight and other senses are better than ours. As my horse is not herd bound from being a stallion for 6+ yrs and living alone he is fine for riding but when he leaves he doesn't look for other horses. HOWEVER, this is only the 2nd time he has done this. This is only the 2nd time I have left the saddle. Yes, more and different training is in store.
Competetitve trail rides yrs ago had what they called drag riders to help with problems. I am not saying that would be needed but as all the other riders are trying to compete then there are no horses for search and rescue.
After a horses was found dead last yr(another ride and different site), it might be something that needs to be addressed.
ALSO: tack choices in case your horse is lost is another subject.
Mary Ann, bruised but unhurt as mud is quite soft but the water was cold after getting out.
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