10 Comments You Don’t Want to Hear from Your Trail Partner

I’ve finally settled in to my current equestrian identity: Trail Rider. Aboard my trusty steed Wally, I’ve explored all sorts of trails—from urban bridle paths to abject wilderness—with a sense of zeal and wonderment.

The one aspect of trail riding that I haven’t yet mastered is choosing an appropriate trail riding partner. While I have a couple of gal pals who are proficient riders with an innate sensibility regarding safety, there are still times when I make a mistake. I’ll encounter a casual acquaintance and accept her invitation to trail ride. Though she seems sane and rational, once the trail ride is underway she turns into a reincarnation of Annie Oakley with an apparent death wish. On those days, Wally and I consider ourselves lucky to survive unscathed.

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I’ve combined moments from those misadventures with my own brand of horse humor to create the following list. Whether you’re trail riding in town or through open country, these are statements and observations you really don’t want to hear from your companion.

10.

I hope I made you laugh, and also think wisely about your trail riding partners. If you’d like to leave a comment or share a brief story about a trail ride gone wrong, I’d love to read them.

Liked this article? Here are others you’ll love:
Let’s All Go on a Trail Ride!
10 Famous Last Words from the World of Horses
Are You Sure You Want to Trail Ride in That Halter?

10 years ago

Cindy Hale

Cindy Hale’s life with horses has been filled with variety. As a child she rode western and learned to barrel race. Then she worked as a groom for a show barn, and was taught to harness and drive Welsh ponies. But once she’d taken her first lessons aboard American Saddlebreds she was hooked on English riding. Hunters and hunt seat equitation came next, and she spent decades competing in those divisions on the West Coast. Always seeking to improve her horsemanship, she rode in clinics conducted by world-class riders like George Morris, Kathy Kusner and Anne Kursinski. During that time, her family began raising Thoroughbred and warmblood sport horses, and Cindy experienced the thrills and challenges of training and showing the homebred greenies. Now retired from active competition, she’s a popular judge at local and county-rated open and hunter/jumper shows. She rides recreationally both English and western. Her Paint gelding, Wally, lives at home with her and her non-horsey husband, Ron.

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View Comments

Lynne says:
October 16, 2014 at 4:34 pm
You sound like the kind of rider with whom I would love to trail ride. No surprises from me... I just need to find a horse!
Dee says:
October 16, 2014 at 5:22 pm
I love your humor and writing style! I miss your blog so much! Here's one I encountered..."Oh, I hope you don't mind but I always let my horse gallop back to the barn. He loves it!" Needless to say, she had to sell that horse a few months later because she could not get him to leave the barnyard!
Dee says:
October 16, 2014 at 5:47 pm
I love your humor and writing style! I miss your blog so much! Here's one I encountered..."Oh, I hope you don't mind but I always let my horse gallop back to the barn. He loves it!" Needless to say, she had to sell that horse a few months later because she could not get him to leave the barnyard!
k says:
October 16, 2014 at 5:59 pm
haha!
Carolyn says:
October 16, 2014 at 9:05 pm
I hate to admit it…but I am the crazy trail rider who swims the river and climbs the mountain and ignores the two camels in the neighbor's yard. I have ridden and driven my horses through the Taco Bell drive-thru and at the shopping mall at Christmas time. I used to drive a horse-drawn cab in rush hour traffic on Saturday nights. The one person who will go trail riding with me any time is legally blind and has brass ovaries. The only time I have been seriously injured riding I was riding at home in an arena. Some people are dangerous to ride with because they are unsafe riders in general and can't handle their horses if something unusual comes up, and you should always ride to the abilities of the least experienced rider in your group and be considerate, but if you're a good rider and you have a good horse, go for it!
Karen says:
October 17, 2014 at 3:21 am
I used to ride with someone who would blame me and my horse for his horse for spooking, rearing, dumping him then running back to the barn. Mind you, my horse never spooked, reared nor ran to the barn, although he would jump to the side while his horse did this crap. To this day, this guy is afraid to ride with me and my horse lol. I ride alone all the time, deer etc do not bother my boy.
kygal says:
October 17, 2014 at 7:51 am
my horse is usually up for anything I do my best to stay at leisure gait but not always easy cute article
PKL says:
October 17, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Oh, My!!
I have nearly everyone one of those thoughts....I just hope they are not the same ones, running in my horse's head. Then we are in BIG trouble.
Curtis says:
October 17, 2014 at 8:47 pm
If I had to ride with someone that said any of these things, I would have them drug out into the street and shot, Do your research about the trail before going and get to know it well
Galadriel says:
October 17, 2014 at 11:44 pm
hehe, I think I'm a bit more of the Annie Oakley type. I like a challenge on the trail and my horse feels my enthusiasm. Wanna come for a ride?