# Lost my Garmin yesterday



## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

We went out on a trail ride yesterday and I thought I had secured my Garmin to my saddle so that it wouldn't come off. We rode around the woods and then out down a canal. We went over a bridge and dismounted to clean the horse's hooves because it was muddy and we went over rocks. We saw some wild hogs about 125 yards away and I remember seeing the Garmin when I remounted. We continued our ride and we came back across the bridge and half way up the canal when I realized I didn't have it. I nearly had a cow. I called our friend that runs the stables in the park and God bless him, he went home, got his ATV and came out there. I sent Biscuit home with my stable mates in their trailer and got on the ATV with my friend and we went almost to the end of our ride before I found it. 

I will be getting a holster or a attaching clip to make sure I don't lose it again.


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## AllThePrettyHorses (Dec 15, 2010)

What's a Garmin, if you don't mind my asking?


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

It is my GPS my husband gave me for Christmas. I have had a blast tracking our rides for distance. The park we ride in every week you can see the trails from a Google site fairly well but the park we ride in up in Jasper, Texas we can't. There are loads of trails up there so I am excited about tracking those and when it disappeared I had a cow. LOL So glad I got it back...I have been playing with it today.


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## AllThePrettyHorses (Dec 15, 2010)

Oh cool. Well, I'm glad you got it back! Sounds expensive-not something you want to lose.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I found a GPS out on the trail one time. I still have it and use it on long rides. It's great for finding your way back to your trailer. I have a lot more confidence about not getting lost when cutting cross country now. :lol:

I should also mention that I tell my fellow riders all sorts of trivial statistics since I found my GPS. Such as, "sunrise is at 6am," "sunset is at 7 pm," "we are only traveling 2mph," "the time is now 11:31," "we've been gone 4 hours," etc! Actually, I think the clock function is what I use the most. That and tracking where we've been and our starting point. Now I don't even need to wear a watch. Haha!


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

Glad you found it, could have been a spendy ride if you hadn't :-(

I've glued industrial velcro to the back of mine and then had the matching velcro peice sewn onto my pommel bags. This way I can just stick the GPS to the bag and also easily look at it when needed.


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

I have a Lorance that is about 3 times the size of most Garmins. I'm sort of afraid to stick it or clip it to anything 'cause it's just so big and bounces so much. On my ATV I had a nice holder on the handlebars. On the horse it's either in my Camelbak or a pocket. Someplace it isn't likely to fall out of!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

TRH - what a lucky dog to have found one!!! It is pretty darn neat the things it tells you. I plotted it out on a topographical map yesterday and that was pretty darn cool.

Trails - Industrial strength? That sounds like a good idea!!! I don't ever want to lose it again and I know I am a ditzbo so Velcro could help!

SailorG I will have to check out Lorance just because I am nosy!!! I would love to learn to use it to its full capacity or to my best advantage at any rate!


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

QOS, no single person has need of all the features of modern GPSs. They just do too blasted much!

I got the Lorance because it has the biggest screen of a "portable" GPS. Or did, when I got my first one. Then I got a second one that is the same except the second one has a color screen. The first one the receiver seemed to be getting weak--didn't want to work in some areas I was exploring. I think the new one is only marginally better so it might have been mostly my imagination--and heavy tree cover mixed with steep canyons. Sigh.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Sailor - when we go up to Ebenezer in Jasper, TX I want to map the trails with different color threads or whatever you call it. We usually make 2 rides on Saturday and one on Sunday. There are tons of trails there that intersect and go off in different corners so it should be fun!


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

That's a good way to do it, QOS. I've made the mistake of doing a week long ATV ride and not changing the trail color nor patern. When I put it all on the computer I could tell where I'd gone, but not when--all the days blurred together. Changing colors makes all the difference! 

Have fun!


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

I would like to have a more simiple gps. we have one. can't remember which and it is so confusing! i would like to find one that is made for IDIOTS because apparently that is what I am!!! if anyone out there knows of a SIMPLE GPS that is not soooo expensive and does not have so many bells and whistles... let me know.

Rhonda


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

My Lorance has an "easy" mode and an "advanced" mode. I always leave it in advanced because there are a couple features there that I use a lot. I'm not sure if easy mode would give enough functionality for you, but it might be worth checking.

I doubt there's an idiot proof GPS made anymore. The durn engineers that do the programming think that every bell and whistle has to be added to every model. The biggest differnce I've found is how well I like the user interface--they all do pretty much the same stuff.

My new one is a Lorance H2O with color screen. It's pretty big, as "pocket" GPSs go, but it has a large screen the interface isn't too bad. Added benefit: it's waterproof so I don't have to worry about taking it out in lousy weather.

The other problem with GPSs, and virtually all electronics I've ever run across, is that the operator manuals are written as reference books, NOT tutorials. Even the so-called tutorials are horrible! It's like the people who write the instructions assume you already know how to use it so they make the instructions pretty miserable. Your best bet may be to find a friend who really knows how to use whatever GPS he/she has and see if they'll teach you the basics if you get one just like it. Then ALWAYS carry the manual with you in the field 'cause you never know when you might need toilet paper and that's about all most of 'em are good for. ;-)


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

This one seems fairly easy but I did look at tutorials on Youtube!!! That helps a bunch. I might also run trails in the car to test stuff out...map to work, map to mom's, map to the barn and change the trail color etc. It is easier to work with that I would think that try it out on the trail and find out that didn't work worth beans!

I have to go over to a local coffee house afterwhile to meet with a bride....I am going to map it in Green going there and map in Red leaving and go home a different route to see if that works. I'll let y'all know!


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