Riding on the valley floor of Sugarloaf Park in Sonoma County at around 5
p.m. on Sunday my horse was spooked by a thunderous roar from beneath a fallen
tree. We did not see the lion but I'm pretty certain that it was the roar of a
mountain lion.
I would like to know the precautions to take to stay safe. I have been told
that they are more likely to be around early in the am or later in the day so
riding in the middle of the day would probably help. I am not
comfortable with guns but would pepper spray be sufficient to
scare a lion off? Am I right to feel safe all the time I am mounted or have
lions attacked horses before? Coming from London originally this is not a
problem I have previously had to deal with and would appreciate some
input.
