Under no circumstances would any responsible horseman consider riding
their horse across this (and to go back the way we came would have
required a 3000 ft climb and another 12 miles...having already come that
far). I got off my horse, and led him over the boulders across the
stream to the narrow trail on the other side. THere was no room to be
anywhere but in front of the horse and when we got the the other side,
there was no room to get on, but had to lead the horses along a precipice
(15-25' drop into the stream below).
Everyone else in the group followed suit (all of us being responsible
horsemen). The horse of one of the gentlemen of the group, kinda crowded
his rider and stepped on his rider's spur as they were crossing the
stream. Fortunately, the extent of his injuries was a bruised ego when
he landed on his ass in the water.
At the end of the ride the gentleman (he was in his late 50's to early
60's) mentioned that in all the years he had been riding (since his
childhood), he had NEVER gotten off his horse and led it along the
trail. Which accounts for why his horse didn't know better than to step
on his spurs.
Sometimes, the only safe thing on the trail is to get off your horse and
lead it...yes...from in front. It would be far better to have practiced
this in a location where the consequences of a mis-step are slight,
rather than waiting until it is necessary, and your horse, out of
ignorance and nervousness, jumps on top of you. Or when you are at a
ride and there is a crowd of people behind you waiting for you to get a
move on.
I remember the very first endurance ride I went to, the ride manager at
the pre-ride meeting said, "some of the bridges you will have to cross
are about to give way...so we recommend that you get off and lead you
horse across these bridges."
There are good times to be teaching your horse "stay off of me": climbing
over boulders, crossing streams, along precipices, or over "bridges that
are about to give way" would not be among these "good times."
There are all kinds of things that endurance horses need to know how to
do at an endurance ride. If you can practice these things at home in a
controlled setting, it would be better to do so.
kat
Orange County, Calif.