Scariest Thing You've Encountered Trail Riding

[Flying_Hill]

Creepiest: When I boarded at a large barn in a very populated area there were no trails to speak of, so I decided one evening to explore the hilly, wooded, undeveloped lot near the barn. As it was getting dark I stumbled on what looked like a path and started following it up a hill. As we went, my mare started getting antsy and suddenly spun and tried to gallop back to the barn. I got her back under control and tried to head back up the hill, but she Would. Not. Go. Well, even though I now had a creepy feeling, I couldn’t let her get away with that! So, despite her thudding heart, wild eyes, jigging and snorting, I finally got her to the top of the rise where I had just enough time to take in stones and animal skulls surrounding a large dark red pentacle drawn on the ground before my mare reared straight up and ran for home.

A week or so later there was a story in the paper about a pentacle and the carcasses of sacrificed small animals found on a beach less than a mile from those woods.

[saddleup]

An emu. He didn’t really scare me once I realized what he was, but the horses all freaked out. I’m not sure why an emu was out wandering on the side of a mountain trail, but there he was.

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Actually, the following did not scare us: Wild hogs, deer, and alligators. The tree stumps that look like bears did scare warmbloods. And those scary plastic bags.:eek:

[Ruby2shoes]

When I was ten we somehow inherited an auction bound standardbred. His name was satintop which quickly morphed to “satantop”. He was a complete nut job. No one could go near him except my father. Dad had zero horse sense and no training besides the summer camps of his youth with an occasional horse ride. For whatever reason they liked each other. I think it was more of my dad didnt know enough to be afraid of satan and satan didnt know what to think about the fact that dad wasn’t afraid of him. One nice fall day my dad and his nutso steed and me with a steady Eddie pony headed out for a trail ride. About 4 miles from home we came upon a narrow path with a sheer cliff drop off on one side and thick wood on the other. I don’t remember what spooked that crazy horse or if there was any valid reason for it but next thing I knew satan was completely verticle clawing with all he had in him to get back on the trail. Dad was just clinging to the horn and I recall screaming. My pony had pushed herself against the wooded side of the trail and we watched in terror. Somehow that crazy sob made it back up and no one died that day. I never asked for the official account but I remember satan didn’t stay too much longer on our farm. One of the scariest moments of my life let alone out on a trail ride!

[Kodiak]

Wild turkeys, for one. I’ve had two literally hit my mount in the head when they burst out of the underbrush and a number of others come close. Ashes, where people built campfires right in the middle of the trail (often where fires are forbidden), are terrifying to horses. And things got a little exciting when I was riding a very green three year old in a National Forest when a (strictly not allowed) mountain bike blasted around a blind corner and rear-ended us.

[Pipkin]

Two huge wild boar!!! I was on my 13hh new forest pony - He was normally a very laid back dude, but I’ve never seen a horse so freaked out. I had no idea that they still lived wild in this country, I thought it was dogs at first, but apparently they were re-introduced to some areas shortly before that incident. :lol: Also hedge trimming tractors are an issue, there are always loads round here for some reason, and my horses are all petrified of them!

OHH and a very creepy one that happened to my sister. Hacking in the woods, horse had a nervous breakdown for no apparent reason and spun round and bolted. (again, another normally chilled out chap)

It later transpired that a dead body was discovered at that exact spot, about a week later…

[souvenir]

Some creepy looking hunters who had just shot a squirrel and they were just sitting around it, staring at it, leaning on their rifles.
I was 11 years old. We took off at a gallop after that encounter. Still was so creepy. (I need a “shiver” font!).

[yellow-horse]

Pair of deranged ostriches that got loose from their enclosure, sent their owner to the hospital and were running around in the woods, they chased us, horse was used to all kinds of things, we used to board at the end of a runway with planes taking off, rode her along the traintracks with trains going by but ostriches running loose was too much, I told her run as fast as you can and I’ll just hang on until you figure it’s ok to stop.

[EventingDreaming]

Woah! I was going to post mine that I had when i was 12 or so but you all have me beat by faaaaar!!! Mine doesn´t even seem scary anymore!

[SnicklefritzG]

I guess my experiences on the trails have been pretty tame compared with some of these. The most I ever saw on a trail was a black bear.

He wandered out of the woods, walked across the trail, looked around at the horses and then crossed to the other side. Everybody carried on like nothing had happened.

[mojo7777]

Pretty tame here too, with the occasional goose flapping out of nowhere, and an owl swooping close to our heads, but my good boy just does the four-legged spreadeagle foot plant and stays rooted to the spot. Not so with the pair of fighting cats falling suddenly out of a nearby tree or the dog attack from the rear. But after the spin, and kicking out in the case of the dog, I was able to bring him right back and go our merry way.

[chai]

My sister’s friend’s Dad parked in a car with a woman that was not his wife. Ewwww. Not one of my better rides.

[gingerbread]

a few things…riding my young Arab mare down a country road near our house, solo—and a pack of 6 roaring motorcycles appear out of nowhere to spoil the tranquility that had been established. I just did a split second dismount and turned to face them before she had the chance to freak out. Strange that they didn’t seem to get that they might be scary to a sensitive creature–guess many people have no sense of what horses are like. I have also encountered dirt bikers on the trail while solo, with better results–have asked them to stop and wait for us to pass, have carrots on hand to give the bikers to feed my mare so she thinks it’s ok and the biker has a positive learning experience…

However, it’s the wolf-sized boulders and the cows (cows?? friendly old laid back beef cows–thinks it’s the minotaur, in her book)that are scary to her beyond reasoning.

What I really really enjoy about this thread is that we and our horses are getting out there and experiencing life, and having adventures, despite the things that may come our way. Viva us trail riders!!! Having fun, conquering fear!