Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

Riding alone - Does anyone carry hand held stun guns etc.?

Endurance and Trail Riding
#1

http://www.pscsafetyproducts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21

http://www.americanselfdefenseproducts.com/stunguns.html
I always trail ride alone, often going miles into the deep woods with no one else within ear shot.

Also moving to a new barn next month which has an extensive trail system. Again, since I ride during the day, I always go out alone.

DH and my mom:) (I’m 49) always worry about running into undesirables out there.

I carry my phone, but what good does that do if you’re miles from the barn, if you even get reception. Plus carry Pepper Spray.

I volunteer for a Feral Cat organization and our Coordinator carries a stun gun when she feeds in the dangerous neighborhoods.

http://www.pscsafetyproducts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21

Just an example of a few…

Opinions? Does anyone else carry?

Thanks.

#2

God, no. :no::no::no::no::no:

If you want something to ward off wildlife, carry a hunt whip. Much safer as well as being an excellent visual deterrent for any human undesirables you might chance upon. I find it takes less that 5 minutes to train a horse to tolerate a whip snap from the saddle. It has a much MUCH longer reach than a stun gun, doesn’t have to recharge so you can use it again and again fast and furiously, and packs a wicked, nasty, painful bite. Even just cracking it can stop the most determined attacker in their tracks.

They are also designed to carry in the hand at all times while riding and to be ready to use in less than a second. You can’t do that with a gun.

The problems (legal and civil) revolving around carrying any type of gun - stun or firearm - for self defense are legion, and it isn’t something one should take lightly. You could so easily find yourself on the wrong side of the law in a blink of the eye, and said gun could be very easily disarmed from your hand and used against you.

Best rely upon a fast horse, maintaining a safe distance between you and any perceived danger, and a toss of the civil nicities if you feel yourself suddenly threatened in any way at all. Turn and gallop away like hell still remains the #1 defense.

#3

Don’t carry anything

I’m not trained well enough in any deterrent (other than kicking, biting, screaming, and running) to carry anything, and I think that for me, trail riding requires enough leaps of faith in terms of trusting my tow vehicle, my trailer, my horse, my own ability to stay on, etc. for me to skip worrying to an extreme about being attacked. If I see a lone man walking through the woods in a way that I think is suspicious (ie, he doesn’t have a dog that he clearly is taking for a nice walk, doesn’t seem to be dressed for a hike, acts like he might be trying to hide), I am wary, but knock on wood, have never had an issue. This spring, though, I am signed up for a self-defense on horseback clinic, designed exactly for women out trail-riding alone. The description says it involves learning to recognize suspicious behavior and how to learn to use your horse to help you defend yourself, etc. There will be no stun-guns, etc. involved.

#4

I carry pepper spray. I’ve only had one time where I got suspicious of someone on the trail, so I just gave him a wide berth at a canter. I’m not sure what it was about him, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I saw a safety expert on t.v. who said you should never ignore those reactions, so I didn’t.

I don’t like guns particularly, so figure I’m better off not “packing” when riding.

#5

It’s worth a search on here to read some of the other threads on self-defense. There’s been some good advice.

I highly recommend Scot Hansen’s video on self-defense for riders (focusing mostly on mounted stuff, but also what to do if you’re on the ground with your horse and are attacked).

And I wish everyone would read Gavin de Becker’s The Gift of Fear. :yes:

#6

I do carry a Dressage whip that has good distance on it…

I’ll have to check out what a hunt whip looks like.

#7

Stun guns are meant for close quarter engagements. You wouldn’t be able to use one effectively on horseback due to the lack of reach and if you have skin-to-skin contact with the person you are using it on while you are using it on them, you’ll get a nasty surprise. You’d be better off carrying a physical weapon that can inflict pain.

#8

My .02 cents.

If you live in a state that allows you to carry a handgun with or without a permit… I would say carry it. Get the permit if you have to. It’s worth it. However I am also a huge gun rights advocate and I think that if people choose to they should be able to exercise that right. My husband and I are very pro-gun right people.

Anytime either my husband or I ride, we always both have a handgun with us as well as a rifle. We both always carry pepper-spray however this doesn’t much good if the person is more than a few feet away. We aren’t so much worried about coming across people, but rather other animals. We have wild boars on our property that WILL go after horses, as well as cougars. All of our horses are gun broke and are completely comfortable being shot around and off of.

Like I said, this is just my personal view, I know that many people aren’t comfortable carrying guns, but I would feel much safer carrying a hand gun than a stun-gun.

#9

I carry this

http://www.coldsteel.com/sjambok.html

#10

Anything you want to use from horseback for self defense requires two training paths: one for the rider and one for the horse.

I’d be warry of pepper spray. An errant gust of wind can put it in the horse’s eye.

A stun gun would be less than useful; a cattle prod, on the other hand, might work out quite well.

A wooden “saber” usable as a “trunchion” would be a good choice in a lot of circumstances while mounted.

Handguns are fine, if you’re proficient and the horse is gun broke.

The horse, itself, can be a weapon. Train the horse to respond quickly to cues and you can run 1000 pounds into an assailant. Then escape. I know folks who’ve taught their horses to kick on command.

There’s no “school” answer, here, and one size won’t fit all.

G.

#11

I’d say just learn to pay attention to where you are and to what your horse is telling you. I mostly ride alone- I don’t carry anything on me (and won’t ever). However, I am much more aware of my surroundings than most women and I’m not an approachable person (sometimes that’s a good thing;) )

#12

No as in NO WAY

#13

Scary. And I don’t mean the possible threats from others. :eek:

#14

[QUOTE=BayHorseUK;4702279]
Scary. And I don’t mean the possible threats from others. :eek:[/QUOTE]

Exactly

#15

The first mistake is riding alone far into the deep woods. There is security in numbers. Cellphones,GPS and other electronics usually go kaput in the forest. I ride with others and carry a handgun. Riding in some state forests, I’ve had occasion to thank goodness my firearm was handy, due to encounters with both two and fourlegged critters.:yes:

#16

To hear some of my neighbors tell it, we live in Dodge City. No woman should dare venture out alone or she’ll be snatched off the road by the first transient worker who happens by and never heard from again.:eek:

Luckily, I didn’t know any of my neighbors for the first few years I lived out here, and so I went walking alone for miles every evening after supper with nary an incident.:slight_smile:

I bet you’ve been trail-riding alone for a long time now yourself. Has something happened that has made you question the safety of continuing to do so?

ETA: Sorry, didn’t answer your question. NO, I don’t carry a weapon. Because I’m a professional woman who has just enough time, most weeks, to do my job and ride my horse. If I were going to carry a weapon, I’d have to make time to practice practice practice to get myself proficient - and then I’d have to practice some more with my horse in the equation. I just don’t feel afraid enough to justify the sacrifice of that much riding time.

#17

Most folks are not afraid–until the wolf shows up. It doesn’t take much practice with a handgun. An initial couple of hours of competent range instruction and a 20 minute monthly review at the firing line will suffice. You don’t have to train the horse–just be prepared for the rodeo when the gun goes off!!

#18

nope. Ride a good horse and pay attention to where you are.

The only time/place we’re armed is in MT with bear spray and a bear gun, in bear territory. Nowhere else. Would be suicidal at worst, foolish at best, to think you can fire a pistol off ol’ Trigger any old time.

#19

I’ve never felt threatened by a person while riding. Choose well the places you ride. I mean don’t go riding through the woods where the bums/drugies live. I find most people who go to the trouble to exercise and get out and hike, bike or enjoy the out of doors are not scum bags. And are usually not a threat.

That said I carry a gun on wilderness trips. Not because I’m afraid of who I will run into. But rather a horse going down or as a noise maker to scare off a bear or other wild animal. It would ahve to be a really bizare event for me to even consider pulling a gun on a person. Better to just urge the horse on to leave the area. Distance is a better weapon in most cases.

And you don’t have to have a rodeo on your horse when you fire a gun. Look at all the Cowboy Action Shooters who shoot six guns off their horse back. I’m an avid hunter and often shoot my rifes around my horses. No big deal.

#20

I can honestly say the thought has never occurred to me.

Then again, I go on trail rides through some woods and along the hay fields, not…

…the projects in Detroit…?

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $29.99 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse