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April,
I didn't know folks rode along the road at all.  If I could do that I'd 
be in great shape.  I trailer all the time to parks but if I could get 
my horses (and myself) used to riding alongside the road I have a park 3 
miles away.  There is a big shoulder but the cars go by at 60 alone 
about 1 mile of it.  The other 2 miles are slower country roads.

*Any suggestions* on how I can get myself used to cars zipping by and 
getting horses used to mailboxes?  They always slow way down while 
passing mailboxes and look the entire time.  If I try trotting past they 
make a real wide arc around them which I don't like too much either.  
Walking for 3 miles just would wear me out before I even got to the park 
due more to the fear factor then anything else.
I would never have to be on the road but some of the time (I drive it 
all the time and am always studying just how Could I do this) the bank 
is pretty sloped along the side of it which would also make it difficult 
to trot on the horse I would imagine?


Kathy R - Georgia


April wrote:

> Hey, Susan,
>
> I do a lot of road riding. I'm lucky in that I can do a 9-12 mile ride 
> where much of the time we're on the side of the road off the pavement 
> (safer). We know the route very well since we do it a lot. On my older 
> less active horse, Serts, I use an LED headlamp that is attached to 
> his bridle brow band. That actually works very well for him. We can 
> canter (because I know where it's safe to do so) without issue. It 
> only took a day or two of riding from dusk into dark to teach him the 
> light was ok.
>
> My endurance horse, Tanna, I just ride without any light because he 
> knows the route so well, I think he could do it blindfolded. The 
> neighbors usually have lights on in their house so I know where I am 
> and what the footing is like because I ride this route often. If the 
> moon is out even a little, we can see well enough. If I needed light 
> on him, I'd probably train him to have the head lamp on his browband 
> like Serts. Tanna used to be really freaky about riding at night but I 
> just started riding and then came home more and more after dark until 
> we could start in the dark. Probably the same routine I'd used to get 
> him used to the head lamp.
>
> Another night road riding tip. I got a small rectangluar red LED rear 
> bike light from Walmart. Takes a AA battery and has 3 different flash 
> settings. One of them is a steady blink-blink like a turn signal or 
> flashers on a car. The light can be attached to a bike seat, but also 
> has a belt clip. I clip this to my hip pack waist strap so that the 
> light is behind me. That way cars coming from behind are more aware of 
> me. I also use a reflective vest and Tanna has a reflective brow band. 
> I got the light after a neighbor/friend told me they almost hit me 
> once because even with the reflective gear, they could not see me 
> until they were almost on me. I also have a smaller red LED light that 
> I got in the jogging aisle of Walmart that works well also. Drivers 
> are aware of me way before their headlights ever touch my reflective 
> gear. The reflective gear helps to define what we are (my vest says 
> "horse and rider"), but the red light alerts them that something is ahead.
>
> Oh, brand of headlight. I have a Petzl Tikkina that I got at REI about 
> 3 years ago. Still going strong. I use it at rides, too, to saddle up 
> in the AM. (Unless I'm parked next to Angie F., then I just share her 
> nice trailer light! ;-))
> *http://tinyurl.com/8536o*
>
> My husband has an Energizer that he uses. Not on horses, but his is a 
> good one, too, and has red and white light settings. He got his at 
> Walmart in the camping section.
>
> Good luck.
>
> April
> Nashville, TN
>
> On 9/30/05, *Jerry & Susan Milam* <milamj@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> <mailto:milamj@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>
>     Due to the darkness now so early and wanting to continue at least
>     once in the middle of a week riding, does anyone have experience
>     with using a headlamp on a helmet for seeing where you're going.
>      
>     We tried road riding the other night and ended up walking most of
>     it cause it was so dark. Made reflector bands for the horses legs
>     and tails/bridles but we can't see.
>      
>     Saw a bunch of brands and didn't know which way to go with the
>     light issue. Any recommendations would be helpful.



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