Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Not all women are afraid of being alone.  I have lived alone, wasn't scared and have ridden many miles alone.  I prefer to be alone on the trail, certainly at rides.  You are right, it is the best way to get to become one with the horse.   Yes, there are risks in all things, and if you worry about that all the time, it will take the fun out of life.  I can understand those horses that don't travel down the trail as willingly as others....but my girls do !!!  I suppose we are all just a bunch of brave females.

 

Jody

Mike Sherrell <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Horses' herd instinct makes them very attentive to other horses, and humans distract each other too. So riding alone is the best way to teach a horse, to increase its tendency to pay attention to you, and to learn yourself. This remains true for many years, until you and the horse have finally come to the point where there is no more possibility of improvement. Beyond that, I find riding alone uniquely satisfying because I never have to compromise my riding style nor my horse's preferred way of going to accommodate another's, so I feel unrestrained. I enjoy socializing less than other people, though. As far as getting hurt alone, I deal with that with a combination of having a cell phone, accepting the risk as a cost of the reward (after all, every time you drive you accept the risk of a crash for the reward of the mall at the other end of the drive), and the proposition that being killed on a horse might be the best way to go. I think maybe men can submerge, compartimentalize or ignore risk easier than women, though.

 

Regards,

Mike Sherrell

Grizzly Analytical (USA)
707 887 2919/fax 707 887 9834
www.grizzlyanalytical.com

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Stacy Sadar
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 4:00 AM
To: Joe/Sabrina; Ridecamp
Subject: Re: [RC] Riding alone...

The only reason I will ride alone is to teach a young horse to focus on me and not another horse.  For safety reasons, I will go out with 2 or 3 other riders but ride away from them for a while and come back to them.  I'm not scared to ride alone (at least not with a good shot of vodka in me) but I just don't feel it's a very safe thing to do.  If something happens and I'm laying in the middle of the trail unresponsive, someone would have to "come upon" me.  My horses tend to stay with me (which is a good thing) instead of running off to the barn or trailer or somewhere else.  Problem with that is no one would know I was in trouble until they found me which could be hours or not at all.  My husband REALLY does not want me to ride alone for those reasons.  If I do go out alone I call to check in at certain times so he knows I'm okay.

 

Stacy


Joe/Sabrina <hilander623@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I often wonder if anyone other than myself is just terrified of going out riding/training alone. I have one dead broke, guaranteed bombproof horse, that I will go out on by myself, but only within 5 miles of my home.(Basically because of being bored.)  My other horse, who is my favorite and love of my life, I am not brave enough or dumb enough to go out by myself. He is basically a good horse. But he has that percentage of becoming disconnected. Does anyone else ever experience these thoughts? If my riding partner pulls at a ride, then I do not continue on, on this particular horse. Please tell me I am not alone. Even better, give me some advice or thoughts on this subject. Thanks!

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