Www.Phubby.com armband for smart phones and you don’t have to pull it out of the armband to use it. We sell them at The Galloping Grape… WateryGlen I had my worse wreck on a “routine” ride not even two blocks from my house. Shattered my collar bone in three places. I’m so glad I had my phone on me because I couldn’t even walk, the pain was unbearable.
Www.Phubby.com armband for smart phones and you don’t have to pull it out of the armband to use it. We sell them at The Galloping Grape… WateryGlen I had my worse wreck on a “routine” ride not even two blocks from my house. Shattered my collar bone in three places. I’m so glad I had my phone on me because I couldn’t even walk, the pain was unbearable.
Hey, my phone went dead (because I am a bit of an idiot) on our ride yesterday, and I sure did miss my trail tracker. We took a trail we hadn’t ridden before, somehow got turned around, I let my mare, Jet, lead us out, except she led us further in! I love my trail tracker (and I will prioritize that extra battery now!).
A phone ALWAYS comes with us, but is unused unless the “routine” (is there such a thing with horses? I think not) ride becomes not so routine. It’s not like we’re out there checking facebook, LOL. BFF and I are very very experienced and our horses are trail pros. Didn’t stop her horse from stumbling behind and while trying to save himself, she hit a tree with her face. She ended up with a concussion and a bloody lip and a bruised wrist for her troubles (would have been dead without helmet) and we DIDN’T have a phone on us that day, or a GPS in a featureless landscape and we got lost in the dark before we finally found the trailer. Had her injuries been more severe, I would have had to leave her and go banging on doors, because at least homes were accessible once you found the property edges. We never made that mistake again.
I personally do not do smartphones, but my flip-phone is always velcroed to my leg. When I need to carry something larger for GPS purposes (yes, there are places that you NEED this), it will be tucked into vest/jacket in winter or jury-rigged to the leg band in summer.
I would advise against putting phones in your pocket (oh so many I have seen fall out) or on your back. You’d be surprised how much damage a small hard object can do to spine, pelvis, tailbone – and one never lands at an angle you’d expect, it’s amazing how things can twist in a fall.
Stay safe out there – I love trails and I often ride alone, but I do my best to take reasonable measure to reduce risk. You can’t prevent everything, but at least, if you can squeak out a bit of service, you can access emergency help.
I hear ya…
I understand what ya’ll are saying about the emergency carrying. But the lack of reception is an issue here. Also none of my personal “crash & burns” woulda been helped by a phone presence. For those of you out yonder in Montana have different issues than those of us trailriding in northern Virginia too of course. It’s pretty civilized. I’m just seeing a lot of phone addicted people on horses texting at a stop or taking pics & sending while riding. I’m just whining about the immediacy needs not the emergency needs. Does anyone think it gives you a false sense of security though carrying one? As I get older; I’m thinking even a false sense is a good thing!! :winkgrin: And I ride without my glasses; I’d have to carry them to see the thing too! :lol: And when we all go out together in a group ride?!! Does everyone have to carry theirs? Goodness!!
Belt clip
I not only wouldn’t recommend riding with your phone clipped on your waist, I’d recommend against it. About 30 years ago when a pager was the current ‘phone’, I forgot to remove it before mounting. Well it was a very bad week after that.
It seems like whenever you do get thrown, you seem to land on your lower back/butt as you rotate over the side. The pager was right there to catch me. Bruised the kidney and passed blood for a week. Never hung anything on my belt when riding again.
Clips aren’t the best either because they come loose with pony gyrations like a good buck, and if what follows is you getting bucked off, that’s when you want your phone near at hand, not 15 feet away in the bushes.
Try this new invention, the GoVelope, I was an early tester: www.gogogiddy.com
Two things I really love about it: it doesn’t bounce, even in a big sit trot, and I don’t have to take my normal bulky iPhone protective case off to have it fit into this carrier.
Prior to getting this Govelope, I zipped my naked iPhone into my shirt pocket at the hip, where it bounced enough to annoy me. Worse, leaving the protective case in the truck left me with a slippery phone, which of course dropped once or twice, getting sand in the ports. :eek:
Oh, and it’s more or less waterproof ("weatherproof’). Okay, three things I love.
used to carry mine in a pocket- till the day it fell out on a gallop! With the find my iphone app and my case I did get it back unharmed but it was scary
I used to keep mine in a smaller “fanny pack” so to speak that was meant for runners. I was riding along one day and when my horse started bucking my phone got smushed between my saddle horn and I. … (I ended up breaking my ankle and a phone would have been useful, thankfully a guy driving by stopped and helped me)
I’m still looking for a good solution to carry my phone and have it not get in the way. I like to go riding alone and always have my phone but I’d rather when I get bucked off that my phone survives and is attached to me. (Sadly if my phone was on the horse I would have been better off. 
)
I was at Dover Saddlery the other day and they now have a new cell phone holder that goes around the top of your calf and fits my giant smartphone with its otterbox - YAY!
Equissentials will put a smartphone sized thigh pocket on the thigh of your riding pants if you request it.
I ride in half chaps and just shove the phone down on the outside of my right leg. It doesn’t move much and I think it would be pretty safe in most falls. Easy access if it’s needed too. My case right now is a ziploc baggie but I have a Lifeproof on the way :).
Better SAFE than SORRY
[QUOTE=wateryglen;7097670]
I understand what ya’ll are saying about the emergency carrying. But the lack of reception is an issue here. [/QUOTE]
Did you know, that even though you do not have reception, that often cell phone can still ping towers (takes less connection than texts or calls) which can allow emergency workers to find you? Much of my riding takes place out in remote hills with very little, to no reception. Yet I carry my phone. It is a SIMPLE safety measure to take. I ride alone - out on thousands of acres of private property (ie, no one is going to come walking by) - if something does happen - I rather have a phone on me.
Same here - in fact I have not fallen off a horse in well over 15 years (which means that my mare I broke myself 4 years ago has never had a rider fall from her). Doesn’t mean that something couldn’t happen tomorrow. [edited to add - actually that is not true. I took a nasty spill when a horse fell back when I was 13. I was able to walk a ways and ask for help - before I lost consciousness due to a serious TBI. If I had a cell phone back then, I could have immediately called 911 - instead of having to find some people - who then had to find a phone]
Absolutely NOT. Do you really think someone goes "hey - this seems dangerous and risky, and I could break my neck, but its cool, I have a cell phone to call 911! I have heard the same argument against helmets - and I think that is horse pocky. If I am taking extra safety measures (properly trained horse, well maintained tack, helmet, cell phone) its not because I think its cool to go out and take GREATER risks - its is because I want to be SAFE as possible - while out enjoying my horse and the countryside.
And for me, safety isn’t really about myself. Its about my loved ones. I NEVER want something to happen, and have my family wondering “what if she had a helmet on - maybe she wouldn’t be dead / coma / disabled” and I also never want them to be asking “what if she had a phone with her - perhaps then her life could have been saved.” I take that simple step (strapping a phone to my leg) to eliminate that “what if”.
And sometimes I DO pull it out and use it - to snap a picture like THIS, or like THIS. I see no issue with taking a quick break to snap some photos. Used to do it with a regular camera before cell phones, but I don’t text or chat while riding.
I second the advice of not wearing the phone in a position that will hurt you should you fall on it. A friend got bucked off and landed on the bum cheek with her chapstick in the pocket. She whimpered about the pain all the way home.
Kerrits makes a lot of breeches with a pocket. Wind River Horse has a bunch of them: www.facebook.com/windriverhorse
In cooler weather, I carry my Galaxy in a pocket that zips (Horseware fleece jacket). In hot weather, clipped to my pants for a long time but recently got a leg carrier that straps around my calf. So far it stays in there. BTW I fully admit to scheduling an appt. with a client for business while trail riding. Not a bad way to work ;)!
[QUOTE=wateryglen;7088099]
Honestly, why do you need to carry one in the first place? Don’t you wanna be outa touch for a bit while you’re enjoying a trail ride? Who’s so important that they have to be in 24/7 contact with the world unless you’re “on call” or have to be reachable for some looming emergency!!! REALLY!!? In our area half the trail riding areas are outa cell range so why bother? To me…time spent on horses should be relaxing and “away from it all”. And the excuse that you carry one for emergencies is valid maybe some of the time. But a routine trailride?!! Nope, seems silly to me. You should be paying atttention to what’s going on around you. Like texting while drriving. It’s a no-no. I wanna get away and NOT be reachable when I’m riding. It’s why it’s called recreation. There is NOTHING that’s so important it can’t wait an hour or 2. Sadly the culture now is the expectation that you can be available all the time. Everyone thinks they are indispensable or important. And ya’ll are addicted to your phones. Can’t bear to part with them. Soapbox over. 
[/QUOTE]
WHY do I carry my cell while riding?!
because my office is (well used to be) on horseback!!!
no better place to do bidniz either, lol.
I wear an armband but I strap it to my ankle.
I mute my phone and turn off the vibrate mode too. When I’m riding, I don’t want to be bothered, but I don’t want to be without it just in case either.
