# My Extreme Trail Ride :)



## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

Man. Back when I was in school... Id come home jump on my horse about (3pm) and wouldnt return till late (10pm).
We would ride any where and every where. Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Burger King, Ordered Pizza and picked it up on horse back. 
One weekend, me, my little sis, and a friend.... rode all the way to homosassa. Which is like a 20 mile ride. Stayed the night and rode back the next way. All down busy 4 lane hwys.


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## SMCLeenie (Mar 3, 2011)

haha that is so cool! I have never done anything like this but it sounds super fun!


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## SAsamone (Nov 5, 2009)

Wow cowgirl you have me beat! lol...I definately plan to do stuff like this more. And Leenie, you should really try it- it's alot of fun: between the looks people give you and just the experience of being with your horse and putting the words "riding with purpose" into practice, it's just a really good, natural high


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Well, that sounds like too much fun. I wish I could ride everyday but I generally end up being a "weekend warrior"!!! Going for Pizza and a Starbucks on horseback...darn...it couldn't get any better than that!!


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

It is a great thing. Of course before anyone goes to crazy... you always want to start out small with your horse if you are not sure how they will re-act. I have seen many horses get scared of their reflections in store front windows. So you always have to be careful. But its very fun. There is even a big concrete dock out to the lake about 5 miles from my house. We will ride the horses out it to the end. Go swimming. 
I no longer have time to ride like this, as much as I wish I could. Between a full time job, keeping my 3 horses exercised, and the 2-3 a month I keep in for training.... 
So.. SAsamone.... your bound to catch up and beat me


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

Cowgirl140ty said:


> Man. Back when I was in school... Id come home jump on my horse about (3pm) and wouldnt return till late (10pm).
> We would ride any where and every where. Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Burger King, Ordered Pizza and picked it up on horse back.
> One weekend, me, my little sis, and a friend.... rode all the way to homosassa. Which is like a 20 mile ride. Stayed the night and rode back the next way. All down busy 4 lane hwys.


Where are you at in florida??? I used to live in citrus spings. I would go to homosassa all the time. I actualy used to board there.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Aww that's so fun 

I rode to Taco Bell once from a show, but that was about it. It was only like, a five minute ride fromt he showgrounds at a trot lol.


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## SAsamone (Nov 5, 2009)

myhorsesonador said:


> Where are you at in florida??? I used to live in citrus spings. I would go to homosassa all the time. I actualy used to board there.


It didn't even register when she said Homosassa....I live in Charlotte County, so ya'll are further north than me in TRUE horse country, in Florida anyway lol. 

And Sorrel Horse, that's ideal! I would totally go for a bite after a show lol.


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## glitterhorse (Mar 20, 2011)

I've always wanted to do that! What's it like riding beside the highway? Scary? Do people honk and stuff? The closest places from me are 5-10 miles away..but not on busy roads. How long do you think it would take?

ALSO...
Is there anything illegal about riding a horse on or near a road cars use?


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

glitterhorse said:


> I've always wanted to do that! What's it like riding beside the highway? Scary? Do people honk and stuff? The closest places from me are 5-10 miles away..but not on busy roads. How long do you think it would take?
> 
> ALSO...
> Is there anything illegal about riding a horse on or near a road cars use?


riding along roads can be a pretty unsettling experience unless you have a really quiet horse or a really quiet road. i've had people honk, wave out the window, yell, and even had people throw stuff (high-class people there :evil: )! but most people just ignore you completely, roaring past at high speed without moving over at all.

around here, it's illegal to ride on the interstates, but nothing wrong with riding on other roads. i try to limit how much i do it simply cause it's not any fun at all.


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## SAsamone (Nov 5, 2009)

alot of people honked when we went over the overpass, which was scary (hence why we were walking the horses and not riding) but our horses didn't mind at all. It just depends on your horse. Alot of guys will be obnoxious and yell "ride it cowgirl" and stuff, but honestly, most people just smile and drive by politely.


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

Oh. People do stupid things. We have had someone go by and honk with a train horn.... scared the bajebees outta us. But the horses didnt flinch. Have had a cop pass doin probably 70, lights and sirens on... didnt phase our horses. We have even ridden in the grassy median. We ride down to the lake a lot to go swimming... and the only way to get there is a big four lane road. So our horses have seen all kinds of things.


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## Lakotababii (Nov 28, 2010)

glitterhorse said:


> I've always wanted to do that! What's it like riding beside the highway? Scary? Do people honk and stuff? The closest places from me are 5-10 miles away..but not on busy roads. How long do you think it would take?
> 
> ALSO...
> Is there anything illegal about riding a horse on or near a road cars use?


it depends on where you live, but I have never heard of a road that a horse can't ride on (minus interstates of course). Im in Illinois and they still let us ride our horses on roads  I have personally never been into town, but have ridden a good few miles on paved roads before. Its a lot of fun, but just be careful and always cautious. Around here, some people just don't care and will go flying by at 60 just willy nilly. So watch your step and make sure you always have a plan of exit in case something goes wrong. 

That said it is awesome to get out and ride on roads. People point and gawk and its kinda funny. Always make sure you have prepared your horse for honking and other things, and that they are comfortable. Try short walks first, and build your way up. its a lot of fun!!


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

We are in the suburbs, so being on or near a road at some point is almost a given.

Riding the same few trails can get boring after a while. We have done some strange things in the past to avoid the monotony.

About a mile or two from the stables (opposite direction from the trails) is a strip mall. We once rode there for Pizza. Hitching posts are a problem so I tied to a cement column near the handicap parking spaces in the parking lot. All the shop owners came out to see - there were about four of us. Getting there was interesting. We rode down a busy industrial road with tractor trailers and garbage trucks. When they hit a bump they are loud. The deli owner gave us some apples for the horses and it was a fun time.

Only problem was a drunk from the bar at the end of the shopping center. He walked out of the bar, got in his car and drove down to us. He parked, got out of the car, yelled at us for "making a mess." Then he bought smokes in the deli, got in his car and drove back to the bar. Pretty strange since the bar was only 500 ft away in the same parking lot. We ignored him.

Another time we left the trail to get some fast food. The drive through people were amused, but asked us not to come back (to the drive through). They were concerned about the Board of Health giving them trouble. Drive-thrus can also be crowded places... even if your horse is good, the other drivers may not be.


My favorite was a hot summer day on trail. I was thirsty and remembered a great bar about a mile away. Six of us exited the trail onto the streets and headed over. In the summer, the bar opens its large doors to a fenced in area on the street. The fencing made a great place to tie the horses, even though it was on the sidewalk. We were able to get a table on the inside of the fence right next to the horses. We drank beer and shared with the horses (who loved it).

The bar is adjacent to a railroad crossing. It got interesting when some trains came through. The building vibrated and the train horns were incredibly loud. One or two of the horses didn't like it, but we just put them in between the calmer horses.

On the way back to the trail we passed by some little kids with a lemonade stand. They were happy for the business but I though their eyes would bug out of their head.


It is fun to mix things up a bit instead of riding the same old trails. Do be careful of overpasses... if something goes wrong it is a long way down.


BTW - check your local/state traffic code for horse laws. Most places allow horses on just about all roads. The exception is usually "limited access" roadways such as interstates and major highways. Local roads are _generally_ OK. It is incumbent on the horse community to "ride responsibly" on roads. All it takes is a few idiots and there will be laws enacted to keep us off the roads.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Just be careful. We've had a couple folks deliberately try to get a rise out of horses. Yelling, honking their horn, or speeding up when they pass you. People can be so stupid.
We ride through town every once in a while, & there are a lot places around here that are horse friendly. They have hitching posts & water for the horses.
We rode our horses through a couple of the neighborhoods during Christmas last year to look at the lights. That was fun. Nothing like a big old inflatable Santa Claus.


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