Boy, what you said sounds just like I could have said it. I wish more
people on the list lived closer to me, then we could all go riding together!
One way I met people to ride with (and it really worked), is I put up an add
at the local supermarkets that basically said "WANTED - somebody who likes
to TROT to ride/condition with me", and left my name and phone #. I did get
a couple of dorks calling, but I also make a couple of good friends (though
everybody keeps getting pregnant so I'm still looking for more people to
ride with!) Anybody out there in NO. Ca or Nevada that'd like to get
together and ride? I can trailer half way - I know some great camping
places.....(weather permitting or course)
I always carry pepper spray, that way I can use it from a safer distance
than I would a knife, and of course it would be hard in a scary situation (I
think) to actually aim and fire a gun and not risk injury either your horse,
yourself, or somebody you are with. What I do (I ride alone a lot) is I try
to avoid people at all costs. Luckily, my horse is really aware and I watch
his ears - he knows when somebody up ahead or over that way is making
sounds/noises and we just try to go a different way. Lots of the time the
people out there where I ride won't even know I'm there because of this.
I was confronted with drunk men once with chain saws. They were illegally
cutting down firewood (boy what I wouldn't have given for a cell phone right
then!). They made all sorts of disguisting remarks and started coming
closer and closer to myself and my friend. Well, we just started walking
way around them with the horses. I'm sure that in their drunken state had
they really decided to chase us we would have out-run them easily. We did
come straight home and call the police, but it was too late. I am currently
looking into getting a cell phone myself - it will make me feel a little bit
safer.
I would also like to recommend that when you go out riding you let somebody
know where you are going, approximately what time you will be back and kind
of what area you will be riding in, how far, etc. If I am ever three hours
later than I tell my husband he is instructed to call 911 and ask for Search
and Rescue (boy I'd never live that one down, being a member of SAR!). So I
have some incentive for not being too late or getting sidetracked, etc. It
is also nice to know that somebody will come looking for you if you get lost
or injured.
Stay safe!
Karen
(P.S. I have a large pepper spray that I got thru a police dept, though
they are available and fairly inexpensive at Wal-Mart)
>I am a small 15 year old equestrian, and I ride a half welsh half arab pony
>named Sabrina. In my area it is hard to find riding companions that Sabrina
can
>keep up with, or people that ride as often as I do. Unfortunately, in order to
>access any of the good trails, I have to ride along a 10 mile dirt road that
>allows vehicular access. There is a rock quary up this road where even the
local
>poliece practice target shooting, and further up, it connects to another road
>that is paved. Mostly hicks drive out there to illegally hunt deer. All of
this
>property is legally state protected forest, but the local athorities intend to
>leave this issue alone. I carry a knife when I ride alone, and I have a
harmless
>dog that also often follows along. I am weary of carrying a gun, because 99
>percent of the men that drive out where I ride also have guns. How does
everyone
>else deal with confrontations? What sort of protection would be best? Any
>suggestions would be more than helpful. I have not yet been really harassed
>(some people ask me questions) but I don't want to be the next on the back
of a
>mild carton...
>
>
>