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Re: [RC] Fitness - heidiAnyone have any ideas for riding in the dark in areas with cougar activity. My husband is gone all week and it's just me and the critters. I am surrounded by National Forest and BLM...closest neighbor one way is 1.5 miles...the other way 15 miles....and there are only 5 houses on the eight mile road I live on. I live in the middle of nowwhere...which is great most times, but we have lots of cougar and I am feel a little like bait out there at dusk and dawn on my horses. Can't wait for that solstice! Thanks for any insight. The main thing I would add to this discussion is to try to avoid riding in brushy areas where the cougars have lots of cover. Cougars are stealthy predators. They are not good sprinters, and don't depend on running up on their prey. They will stalk their prey, and they like to have hiding places and good cover from which to spring. They like methodical creatures like walkers or joggers, that are a good prey size for them and also behave in a manner that is easy to predict and follow. (Think of a barnyard cat watching a mouse.) They think horses are tasty, but are also intimidated by height--so a rider mounted on a horse is far less of a target than a horse by itself. Also, a rider traveling at a trot is going at a speed that a cougar is not apt to follow--whereas a foal meandering along a track from the pasture to the creek is going at a perfect speed for a cougar to get. If you are riding along open roads at a good clip, I wouldn't be too concerned about cougars. Heidi (also in cougar country, but have never given it much thought when I'm horseback...) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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