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[RC] A Christmas riding story - rides2farI couldn?t find anyone to go with me, so I set out with my trusty steed & off we went, alone, to Pigeon Mtn. You should have called me! :-) Honestly, post me privately at rides2faratjuno.com That's my home trail. As a person who's been hurt a couple of times in remote areas, I started carrying a couple of good pain pills. The trip out is no fun when you're hurt. Make SURE you tell somebody exactly where you're going. For instance, if you'd left word that you were riding from the Mine trail up the South Pocket to Rape Gap your family could have told the ranger that and he'd have known just where to look. Seems like I remember the ranger up there telling a story about an older fellow who fell of his horse up there and broke his leg. Fortunately, the signs our club paid for tell the names of the trails as you enter them. He managed to call out and tell them he was near Estelle Point and they went in for him. Dave Bennett and I rode up there one weekday in the winter and wore light jackets since we were riding pretty fast and keeping warm. A cold front rolled in with flurries and it was COLD up on the brow. We took the North Pocket trail down trying to get back faster and a big tree was completely blocking the trail with boulder fields on both sides. New rule: when it matters, go on a trail you KNOW is open. One tree can make a trail impassable around here. We managed to get down before dark, but Kaboot slipped and cut his fetlock wide open. I didn't know till we were back at the trailer. I never felt a bad step. After that day I started tying a wool blanket on back of my saddle on long rides on really cold days...just in case. If I have to lay around with a broken leg I at least want to be warm. Another thing I do in winter is take a change of clothes to leave in the truck. Was riding with a guy on a mule once and when the mule put its head down to drink in a stream the saddle tipped up and ejected him pretty as you please into an icey stream. BRRR! We were a long drive from home and even after he made it back to his truck he had to drive home in wet clothes. Could your boa boots have caused your horse to slip in the mud & wet leaves? I know easyboots are slick that way. I guess I'm assumign you took the South Pocket trail. If you took the North Pocket or Cane trail you're lucky he didn't fall more than twice! :-) Glad everything turned out alright. My last ride on my new horse was actually 1/2 a ride and the 2nd half hiking home alone. Maybe we should start a new sport...instead of Ride & Tie we can do "Ride and Chase". :-) P.S. Bekki Crippen just brought me a Christmas present. It's a T-shirt that reads: "I do not intend to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death" Angie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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