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[RC] Riding in Mountain Lion Country - k s swigart

Stephanie Boyd said:


If you ride in Big Cat Country, you should educate
yourself about them. If you are ever confronted with
a potentially threatening/attacking cougar, don't retreat
and don't "play dead". Most cougar attack survivors
had to fight tooth and nail to *be* a survivor.


My own experience with mountain lions (which, despite the fact that they
are rampant in the Cleveland National Forest, Chino Hills State Park,
Carbon Canyon and virtually everywhere I ride and have ridden, is
extremely limited) is that if they see or hear me coming, they will run
away before I ever see them.  And if  they didn't see or hear me coming
so I came upon them unexpectedly, that I only see them for a fraction of
a second before they dart off into the bushes.

My horses lived for years up against the Cleveland National forest and
right next to the Coal Canyon Wildlife Corridor (which was designated as
such so as to preserve the path that the big cats took from the National
Forest to the State Park).  I saw cat tracks regularly in the mud at the
springs, and up and down the barranca that had year round water in it;
however, in 15 years, I have only actually ever SEEN a mountain lion 3
times.  And, as I said, it was only for a fleeting moment as when they
saw me they turned tail and dashed off before I had a chance to more
than catch a glimpse.  All three of these times were at/around
sunset/dusk.

I was told by a hiker in Chino Hills State Park that we met on the trail
(as we cantered around the corner) that he was pleased to see us as
moments before there was a mountain lion in the trail and he didn't know
quite what to do, but as soon as it heard our hoof beats it took off
into the brush.

In my experience, mountain lions are a small threat indeed to a person
mounted on horse back.  Neither people nor horses are regular "fare" for
mountain lions, they do not chase any of their game (they are stealth
hunters), and will turn and flee if even mildly threatened....which is
easy to do on horse back.

Additionally, in my experience, horses have no instinctual fear of
mountain lions.  A mountain lion is no more threatening than anything
else that is big, tawny, and moves (e.g. like a deer).  So, if you have
already taught your horse to chase dogs (see previous thread on such),
you can point your horse at the lion and get it to run away from you
too.

And remember, the average mountain lion weighs 100-150 pounds.  You and
your horse probably top out at over 1,000.  On your horse, you are
bigger, stronger, and faster than any mountain lion you will ever meet.
Pretty easy to use this to your advantage.  The only way a mountain lion
can get you is if you didn't see it before it did.

What you need to know more than "what to do if you see a mountain lion"
is how to ensure that one won't drop on you out of a tree or from off a
high rock without you ever seeing it.  By the time you see it, the cat
knows it is too late.

kat
Orange County, Calif.
:)





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