OMG! Do tell!!! I could savor a good “trail ride from Hell” story at the moment. LOL!!
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I moved to a southern state 3 years ago from the Northeast with the intention of being able to ride more due to better weather and lower cost of living. I got hooked up with a group of women, ranging in age from late 40s to mid 60s, who were interested in getting together for dinner once a month and doing a couple of camping trail rides a month.
Last July, we got really good rates at one of the bigger campgrounds in our area, because it is July in Tennessee and the heat and humidity are killer. A total of 6 of us make reservations to go for 5 days. It turns out when we get there, we are the only people there. Out of 160 campsites and over 200 stalls- Clue #1. Temperatures are supposed to be mid to high 90s with very high humidity- Clue #2.
We headed out the first evening we are there and in the first five mintues we have one horse bucking and the bugs are the size of small birds. We end up splitting into 2 groups of 3, and I get grouped with 2 women on gaited horses, who do not believe in wearing helmets because it might mess up their hair and “wearing helmets is an English thing”. Mind you, I have shown cutting horses, and am in a Western saddle, and am on my using horse- nothing English about us! One was bucked off the year before because she had not tightened her girth, broke 4 ribs and now had fear issues, and while I was not there for that incident, I was told it was quite spectacular- Clue #3. I was told the 2 women riding with me wanted to ride with me because I have a very experienced quarter horse who is extremely dependable, and very laid back and quiet.
After we get back from that short ride, it is decided at dinner by the majority that we should ride out at 9 am, which to me was way too late considering the weather forecast- Clue #4. My suggestion was we get up early, leave out by 7 am to avoid the heat and humidity, get back by lunch time, and either nap, relax or sight see in the afternoon. The compromise was reached that we would leave by 8, but we would stagger going out so the groups would be separate and the fearful rider would be in a smaller group. I was in the second group who was supposed to leave 15-20 minutes after the first group.
The first group goes out, and we start to mount up and get ready when they come riding back through the campground because THEY GOT LOST! IN THE FIRST 15 MINUTES! Clue #5. They start off again and we prepared to start off again at close to 9 am.
We get out about a 1/4 mile on a fire road type trail and the two women I am with start gaiting with their horses, even though I was told they wanted to do nothing other than walk due to the one’s fear issue. I am long trotting and posting to keep up, but they both pull away from me and are out of sight before I know it- Clue #6. I soon realize that even though my horse has not acted up, the other horses are well out of sight and I am better to get off him and walk as opposed to getting dumped and being alone. About half a mile down the road, I find the other two, standing in the shade off the road waiting for me. They kinda sorta, half ass apologized, telling me they has no control over their horses, and they will have to make it up to me- Clue #7. I ask politely if either one of them has ever heard of turning a circle or a one rein stop, but am told “they are only trail riders, and that is something they have never learned in 30 plus years of riding”.
I remount and we continue. About 200 yards down the road, my cell phone rings, as no one else in my group has cell service. It is the other group- they are lost again. Clue #8. I pull out my map, figure out where they are and tell them how to get back to where they are supposed to be. This proceeds to happen 9 more times, to the point where the other two I am with tell me not to answer my phone, just ignore the other lost group. I can’t do that because I have a sense of responsibility to make sure everyone is safe. Clue #9. We are to meet up with them for a quick lunch at a scenic overlook and then get back to camp before the heat and humidity get brutal.
In the meantime, on our way to the overlook, we come to find out that most of the land we are riding on has been clear cut and we are totally out in the open, no shade, on white sand trails and fire roads. Clue #10. There is some shade once we get to the overlook, and we get off, tie our horses, have a snack and take a few pictures. The other group gets there, does the same thing, and the picture taking starts in earnest. And goes on. And on. And on. For an hour and a half. Clue #11. I keep pushing for us to get started back, due to the heat, humidity and exposure to the sun, but I keep getting told “Oh, just a few more pictures.” I had already downed 1 20 ounce bottle of water and was starting on my second and last bottle, and was sweating like there was no tomorrow as was my horse.
Someone in the other group mentions they only have 1 map, and none of them have never been here before, and since my group has 3 maps and an electronic compass, I offer the most sane member of the other group my map. HUGE MISTAKE ON MY PART. I sit down with this person and go over a route back to the campground with her and mark it out with a Sharpie. Clue #12.
I start out with my group, and though they have camped here multiple times, we get lost fairly quickly because 1) the other two cannot read a map or electronic compass, and 2) they recognize nothing because it has all been clear cut. We are again out in the blazing sun on the white sand with no shade or water in sight. The others keep wanting to stop and let their horses graze because according to them it will help keep their horses hydrated, until I finally snap and yell at them and say “it is fg late July in Tennessee and there is no water in the fg grass”!!! One of them starts to dump her only bottle of water on her horse “to cool him off” in the blazing sun, and I tell her to save the water for herself because we have no idea how long we will be out here! Clue #13.
We continue back and get about a mile from camp when the other group calls me. I am told again to not answer my phone because the other group “can just figure it out on their own.” I answer anyway. One of their horses is struggling badly in the heat, as is one of the riders, who has a pacemaker due to a heart irregularity, but had not previously told any of us this. I tell them to find shade and rest, and to call me back if we need to get someone from the campground to come get them or our group needs to hook up a trailer and come for them. I then call the campground to let them know we may have an issue, so they are prepared in case we need a trailer or an ambulance. Clue #14.
We get back to camp and I untack my horse, offer him water, hose him off, get him into his stall in the shade and give him a tube of electrolytes. I offer tubes of electrolytes to the rest of my group, but they decline as they are going to let their horses graze in the sun to rehydrate on the grass. Clue #15. The other group arrives back in camp within 10 minutes of us, so they must have either really been moving fast or they got back quicker because the route I mapped out with one them was more direct. Thankfully, they and their horses made it back safely.
At dinner that night, they all laughed about our “death march” through the desert and thought it was funny we were out so long- it ended up being close to 7 hours. The two in my group then told a story about how the last time they were at this particular campground, one of the group came off and they had to get a truck to go out and get her as she broke her arm and could not ride back, and then she was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Their theory is it is only a matter of time until you get hurt riding, there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Clue #16.
I packed up and went home the next morning. I attended one more dinner get together and realized they would never change, were not safe to ride with, and that it was only a matter of time until one of them gets very seriously hurt or worse.
In hindsight, I should have turned back when I got left on the trail first off. My next HUGE mistake was to give up my map, and not carry my own compass. I now make sure I have at least 2 maps in my saddle bag.
It was a big learning experience and it made me understand VERY clearly that I am responsible for my safety and that of my horse. My poor horse was an absolute angel that day and I will NEVER put him in a situation again where he is at risk like that. It is the very minimum I owe him!
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Cutter 99 sorry that happened to you. It does sound like the ride from Hell!! I was annoyed enough by the butt crashing TB, I would have been much less nice than you were.
It is so hard to find the right people to trail ride with. When people find out I know every trail in the area, they are all willing to tag along. It has taken me a while, but if they won’t wear helmets, drink alcohol while riding (I don’t care what they do back at the trailer if they are camping overnight) and like to just let their horse RIP, no thank you. I’d like to survive another day, thank you.
You sound very prepared, which is great. While I always have a map, I rely more on visual memory. When they clear cut an area, it does really mess up your sense of where you are, so a backup plan is always good.
My one gelding will go alone with no issues, and I’m working on the second one doing the same. It is better to ride alone, then with an idiot.
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I have been riding alone for the last year lawndart, and honestly feel much safer. I use the Road ID app when I have cell phone coverage, so my husband can always see where I am, even if he is in China! Luckily all three of my horses do great alone. I wouldn’t trade any of them!
The drinking thing would be a HUGE issue for me. That is just wrong, no matter how you look at it. I wish I could say these women drank, but no, they are just plain dangerous and stupid.
I do know some nice nice people in your state to ride with, but they are all down in the Southeast part. I believe that over the years I have met more people to NOT ride with, than people who are actually safe enough to be around.
@cutter99 Holy crap girl- that sounds horrid. And, yep, like you, I pretty much ride by myself or with one or two like minded people.
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That was the BEST story!!! :lol: Yes, yes, we’re laughing now, but what a trip and a half. I learned long ago that people who want to go with you because “your horse is so quiet” are the WRONG type of people to have anywhere near you. When you said that, I immediately thought “oh no, no.no.no.no, NOOOOOO!” Then the story got really fun. LOVED all the clues!!!
Sorry, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! So many great lessons learned. Best line of all was I packed up and went home the next morning. Awesome!!!
Thank you for telling it, too. 
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Cutter - I’m guessing you were at East Fork, and it’s hard to believe people managed to get that lost.
Like you, I ride alone, with Road ID, a lot. I’m fortunate my horses are happy alone, or to separate from others.
Helmet, lots of water, a snack for me and my horse (he likes nutragrain bars).
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Katyb- You guessed correctly. And no, it should not have been that easy to get lost, ANY of the times it happened. I was stupid enough to trust people who told me they had been there before and knew the area like the back of their hand. Never again!
I am glad I could entertain you gothedistance! You are so right about the people who want to ride with you for your quiet horse. I will run like hell if that is ever said to me again.
I hope people can learn from my stupidty. I knew long before we ever got back to camp that I should have turned back in the first 20 minutes of the ride. I will never ignore that feeling again.
The whole incident has caused a new dilemma in my life- who to ride with? I am actually driving to both OH and WV to meet friends from up north to ride this fall. I feel crazy doing this when there is so much incredible riding in TN. Meeting people who are safe to ride with is seriously worse than dating! This coming from the woman who swears if something ever happened to my husband I will be single and alone for the rest of my life!
Cutter I think I’ve ridden with their twins it’s AWFUL
The thing about leaving the woman in the OPs post is that if she’s loopy- she might just start walking. Then you get back to where you left her, and she’s not there.
Also- horses have to be broke to hobbles and they can run and fall in them, too. Fair warning.
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99% of the time I just ride with my SO. Finding like minds is nearly impossible. the last time I did ride with some back country horsemen locally they speed-racked the entire time over pretty rugged terrain. My fit horse was sucking wind and trying his heart out and I should have QUIT early. Trying to get along to go along, and it wasn’t worth it! I have honestly wondered if I was invited to taunt (I’m that ‘dressage girl’ to them, while they are ‘tough trail riders’). When I DID take the lead coming out of a rest break, in a flat footed walk, we went MAYBE 100, 150 yards before the ‘pro trainer’ blew past me and said ‘I got this!’ and OFF we went again at high speed. Over 13 miles of rolling terrain. Just stupid.
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Some people just HAVE to be first. I did one ride with a local trail riding club, who had just moved into this area. I was more than willing to show them all the neat trails. One overbearing jackass male made the entire ride miserable for not just me, but every one. Finally going up a steep hill where his horse stopped to blow, my mare passed him and never looked back, Apparently she had enough too. He was behind me bitching the whole way home. I was smiling the whole way home. His horse was fine with it, it was HIS ego that was all bruised.
Never rode with them again, even tho the semi-leader of the group contacted me to apologize for Jackass Male, and asked if we would show him more trails. I said only if they left him at home. Apparently he goes on every ride because I’ve not heard back from them, Thankfully. They have recently done enough damage in their area to get several trails closed to horses, and a whole area owned by a water company 1200 acres, off limits to horses.
Give an Jackass a horse, and they just get to spread their idiocy faster than if they had to walk.
Ha lawndart! Bet I know which club it is! Was it (removed name to protect club) Trail Riders?
No! You don’t know the horror your post gave me, you mean there is more than ONE!?! I will PM you the name, because they know where I live, and for all I know, they read COTH.
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Oh holy crap! There is more than one?
Circle T in PA?
She said it wasn’t them in PA. Maybe I should remove their name.
Ah, missed that. Although the ones I’ve ridden with from them certainly fit the description
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If your friend does second-guess herself, and does not sell this guy, then she MUST, at LEAST, put him with a trainer while she goes on her trips. This horse sounds like he needs a firm hand and the teenager isn’t using one of those. Then she’ll not be “starting over” every time she comes back from her trips.
But it really sounds like she needs a more trustworthy guy.
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We’ve been on a couple of big trail rides with PWHAT in Middle TN years past and those were very well managed rides. They always had a trail boss and his assistant, a drag rider, and you followed their directions or you left the caravan.
The most disciplined trail rides I’ve ever been on were the hunts with our local hunt clubs. They were also the fastest!!! 
We’ve had a couple of local riding clubs come and go and most had a drinking problem. Not on did they drink a lot they had a littering problem with the empty cans and bottles and other assorted trash. Never did much with them.
Be careful who your ride with. If you ride with people who do dumb stuff or who are over-horsed or under skilled then it’s likely you’ll find yourself in the OPs position, eventually.
G.
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Tabula Rashah- Have you ever done the Bill Mills Ride out of Fair Hill? I have a horror story from that ride as well!
