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Re: [RC] safety and riding alone. - heidiHow do you all condition alone? What do you do to make it safer? First off, many of us from rural environments simply accept the fact that we cannot expect 911 to come to our rescue. A lot of this is a mindset, and a mental preparation for the idea that if we are hurt, we may have to grit our teeth, and wait, and survive. Having done a great deal of riding in years before there were such things as cell phones, and continuing to live in an area where cell phone access is still pretty much restricted to areas of major roadways, I don't even consider carrying a cell phone with me when I ride. (In fact, I just got one for the first time a few months ago, and most times it does not work in my house. I do have marginal coverage in my barnyard. It gets somewhat better as I go up the hill behind my house, and goes away completely the minute I go over the first ridge.) Second, smart riding. Neither of us take green horses out alone--or at least not when the other of us isn't right here in the barnyard. Accidents can still happen with well-broke seasoned horses, but they are far less frequent. I also don't try a lot of new things, or go in strange places, or go at extreme speeds when alone. Doesn't guarantee safety, but does help with risk reduction. Third, always let someone know where you are going and how long you anticipate being gone. That way, someone will miss you by 4 pm when you said you'd be back, instead of by Monday morning, when you don't show up for work. Much less time to grit your teeth and wait. Fourth, carry any needed survival gear (may be minimal in summer, may be maximal in winter) on YOU, not on your saddle. If you are badly hurt, odds are you will have parted company with your horse--or even if he is with you, odds are you won't be able to get up to the saddle to get stuff off of it. This was pounded into me as a kid on hunting trips in winter--we always had something to eat, some way to start a fire, etc., etc. in a small pack on ourselves. Summertime I'd worry more about a water bottle. I think going alone is an important part of a horse's education as well, so definitely worth getting past one's fear of it. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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