# Riding at night



## prairiewindlady (Sep 20, 2011)

I always viewed riding at night as somewhat taboo. I don't know anyone who does it, so I didn't do it. Unfortunately, I am typically only able to ride very early in the morning or later in the evening and with the onset of DST and the days growing shorter, it is usually dark then. About a month ago I started going on short rides in my neighbor's field right around dusk...eventually building up to riding out farther and staying out later. Most recently I have completed several longer rides in complete darkness. Call me crazy, but it allows me more time in the saddle and it's even fun!

With hunting season now in full swing, I have been sticking close to our country roads and generally staying out of the woods/fields. I usually take 3-4 "emergency" glowsticks, ($3.44 ea in the Sporting Goods section at Walmart), a headlamp ($5 at Walmart) and a reflective vest. Horze.com also has a ton of reflective gear at great prices - including a reflective breast collar, tail/leg wraps, etc. The glowsticks have both a steady glow and flashing mode, they emit a good glare and I usually hang them around mine and my horse's neck. I take my saddlebags as well, and throw in an extra jacket, emergency blanket, pocket knife, baling twine, extra glowstick, flashlight, etc.

I admit, I won't take just any horse out at night and my new gelding has been getting neglected a little, since I don't have as many daylight hrs to ride. Instead I take my pony, whom I have a really strong bond with. After all, I don't want to chance falling off and my horse disappearing into the darkness! Riding at night is a whole different ball game, particularly for your horse. Although I am able to see a fair amount with the headlamp, I have gathered that my horse can't see nearly as much. While I am able to spot wildlife from a fair ways off (due to their eyes reflecting back at me), it seems he cannot see them until we are close (and sometimes not at all). My pony is great in that he still freeze or start (but not spook) when deer go crashing into the woods. He does seem to have some trouble discerning depth....I am trying to teach him voice commands such as "step up" and "step down" in order to aid him when we encounter rough ground. I'm fortunate that my pony is very intelligent and tends to stop, look, and feel things out rather than just blindly leaping over every shadow he sees. There are also the headlights from oncoming traffic...my pony isn't bothered by them but I can imagine that some horses might be have a problem when essentially blinded by their brightness. 

My only real complaint is that for some reason, people seemed less inclined to slow down/move over at night. I KNOW they can see me, they just don't seem to feel the need to yield. That being said, there is less traffic and at night I am generally able to ride a bit farther off the shoulder, since I don't really have to worry about someone coming out of their house and yelling at me to get out off their property (for real I had someone cuss me out and threaten to call the cops once when I was literally not more than 18 inches off the pavement). 

Anyway, sorry for the book here Has anyone else done any night riding? I'd love to hear your take on it!


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## callidorre (Dec 7, 2011)

I go on a few moonlight rides (around full moon) each year. The horses I usually ride with, and my horse, are very chill and relaxed with the nightime riding. I actually don't really ever see any wildlife at night, aside from lovely spider webs stretched across in the woods that we end up walking through. And all of our riding that isn't on the road going out and back, is in a State Forest. I try not to use my flashlight unless I absolutely need to (mainly use it in the first section we go through, that is wooded and before the moon really rises), since I'm not sure if the light coming across in front of my horse like that will affect his ability to see. My horse seems to do really well with seeing his footing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## leapoffaithfarm (Jun 26, 2009)

one of my favorite things to do is ride by the full moon.... it is so peaceful and quiet. my son and i will also ride on the moonless nights and just get out in the open and look at the stars.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

When I lived in PA I used to take moonlight rides several times each year during the summer. I avoided riding along roads because drivers just don't seem to pay attention to horses since they don't expect to see them - same as the danger that motorcyclists face.

I'm careful about the route I take and rely on my horse more then I do in daylight since horses have much greater night vision then we do. On the way back, I usually let my horse take the lead but I still maintain the ultimate control especially the speed.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

personally if you have permission to be in the woods & fields I would hang out some glow sticks & some reflective wear and go through the woods & fields before I'd ride any distance along a road at night.

most hunting is done by dusk, and a majority of wildlife will not be spooked by a human on horseback so if you see a hunter just nod or wave and keep on going


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## prairiewindlady (Sep 20, 2011)

tim62988 said:


> personally if you have permission to be in the woods & fields I would hang out some glow sticks & some reflective wear and go through the woods & fields before I'd ride any distance along a road at night.
> 
> most hunting is done by dusk, and a majority of wildlife will not be spooked by a human on horseback so if you see a hunter just nod or wave and keep on going


Unfortunately this is not really possible where I am...the only trails are at least 3 miles away (down the busiest rd in the area). There are a couple properties I will cut across but I have to go along the road to get to/from them. :-|


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## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

I can't say I love riding in the dark, but at this time of year I have no choice during the week. I just take things a little slower and my rides are always planned out. I usually tell someone what my plan is so if something happens, they have an idea where I am.


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

Your headlamp may be affecting your horses night vision. Not sure how bright/far it goes. It has something to do with the contrast, but I believe that depends on the brightness of the head light. 

They mention something here about it
Riding Your Horse at Night


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## prairiewindlady (Sep 20, 2011)

Drifting said:


> Your headlamp may be affecting your horses night vision. Not sure how bright/far it goes. It has something to do with the contrast, but I believe that depends on the brightness of the head light.
> 
> They mention something here about it
> Riding Your Horse at Night


Hmmm. It's not that bright...I mostly wear it so that folks can see me. I guess next time I could try switching it on low/night vision mode.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Each fall as hunting season arrives, I find myself out riding in the dark. I often get up early and ride my horses to the area we want to hunt. This is all done in the dark so that we can be in position at sunrise. Same can be said for evening, We hunt until dark and then ride back to camp in the dark.

On several occassion we have harvest game animals just before dark, By time we get them cut up and loaded on the horses, We are traveling back to camp in complete darkness. Hunting seasons are prescribed by the state department of wildlife, So I have no choice about full moons, overcast night. Some years there is a bright moon and stars, some years it's black as ink.

I wrote a short story once about my ride up a canyon in the pre-dawn darkness. Kinda of a Mr. Toads Wild Ride. Sparks coming off the horses shoes as they struck rocks, tree branches hitting me on cold skin on my face, eery ice cicles hanging off dripping ledges and of course the horses stopping dead when they came face to face with some black objects that moved. Which I later figured out to be some black angus cattle.

I've been surprised just how well the horses can see and find their way. Onbe fall a friends son shot a moose just before sunset. We rode up the canyon and butchered the moose. By time we got it cut up and loaded on the horses, it was several hours after dark. We had loaded the moose on the two horses my friend and his son had rode up the canyon, So they had to hike out. I rode my horse and lead the other two horses that were packing the meat. It was a very overcast night. Extremely black in the forest with no moon or stars. I couldn't see a thing, And if I turned my light on, I couldn't really tell what was trail and what was just wandering through the forest. 

I finally turned off the light and let the horses just head for the trailer. Periodically I would hear their hoof beats going across small wooden foot bridges over boggy areas in the trail, or see the square cut ends of dead falls that the Forest Service had cut out to clear the trail. That was the only way that I knew we were still on the trail. It was about 5 miles back to camp and it took about an hour in the darkness, But the horses did just great with out me directing them at all. They could see the trail in the dark, that I could not see even with my headlamp.

Trail like this just disappear in the darkness. It is really difficult to tell if you are on a trail or just wandering through the forest.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

While I don't do much training at night, riding at night is a necessary part of a 100 (at least at the speeds I do 100s!).

I like to be able to see the trail--after a horrible experience of being out on trail with no lights and a bunch of glowsticks that failed as trail markers, I don't go out without illumination. Dream sports lights on her breastcollar and I use a headlamp on the red setting. The white lights being below and behind her head (and shining down at the ground) don't mess with her night vision and the red light is enough to warn me of branches to duck, etc.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Ah, I look forward to when my time is my own and I can enjoy the night again. It's so peaceful at night.


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

During my time with search and rescue we rode quite a bit at night with few problems. We had headlamps but tended not to use unless necessary to avoid ruining the horses night vision. I found that it's really us that want the reassurance of the light not the beasts. 

I did a quick piece on night riding a while back. You can find it here.
See better on the trail at night


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

we do night riding here sometimes, we usually take flashlights with us in case we do get caught out in the dark. We have to ride on the side of the road for 1 1/2 miles to get to trails or fields. The only time we turn our flashlights on are if we see a vehicle coming so they know where we are and they always slow down and we get as far over as possible. We don't leave the flashlights on because horses do have great night vision and I think it hinders them when it's on.....


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## Barrelhorseluver (Oct 31, 2012)

Never ride at night unless ur set up for it or absotutly have to!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

My horses ride in the dark fairly frequently and I use a headlamp on the front of my helmet and a red one on the back of it. It doesn't seem to hinder them and I don't want to get unseated by an errant tree limb in the total darkness as previously mentioned by Phantom. I have tiny highly visible LED lights on their crown piece of their bridle which velcro on and off. I also have reflective bands for their legs if needed and reflective vest for myself. I really enjoy riding during a light snowfall. The falling snowflakes glimmering in the low light are amazing.


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## prairiewindlady (Sep 20, 2011)

Phantom I really like your setup! I think I might use some of your ideas to alter my stuff


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

prairiewindlady said:


> Phantom I really like your setup! I think I might use some of your ideas to alter my stuff


The other thing that works well on your breastcollar is a headlamp! You can either attach one to each side or just use one attached to the ring in the center (just make sure its pointing down and forward and secured.. I have seen some people on the side of the trail readjusting because the light bounced around and wound up pointing upwards.. great for scary campfire stories, but not so much riding. :lol:


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Barrelhorseluver said:


> Never ride at night unless ur set up for it or absotutly have to!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


What's your definition of setup for it? All I need is a saddled up horse to ride at night. I've never even had a flashlight in my saddle bags for the just in case situation though it's not a bad idea to have one.

I love night riding and do it whenever I can.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Guess I now have a new thing to work on with Mia next summer...

A couple of years ago, I read a history of a cavalry unit during the Civil War. They often saddled up and moved out at 1 AM, and they sure didn't have a lot of flashlights. Or streetlights. And they didn't wait for the moon...

Of course, I'd bet when you have 700 horses all going the same way, the horses feel pretty calm about it.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

We rode in the dark for quite a few years in the UK when my husband & I were both working and needed to keep our horses hunting fit - something you just cant do in a menage day in day out. We had all sorts of reflective gear, stirrup lights and flashlights and never had a single accident or anything to cause concern. In the UK you can buy lights that strap onto your leg or ankle
We did ride on the roads a lot of the time but avoided those that didnt have good wide verges as relying on traffic avoiding you in daylight is enough of a hazard so in the dark is not a risk I would have wanted to take
The risks of being spooked on trails here by wildlife that is more nocturnal is higher than in daylight but if you talk a lot like we do then that tends deter them from leaping out in front of you


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I've never felt that my horses were worried about riding in the dark. Its more my fears. I dislike getting slapped across the face by twigs and small branches. I can usually see the shadows of the larger branches coming at me. But the small ones sneek up on you.

I don't know what animals I am encountering in the darkness. As I said, I've frequently come across large black blobs and until they moo you don't know if it's a bear, moose or cow in front of you on the trail. I've heard cougars scream in the darkness. You know they are close, But can't see them. Where most cattle will herd away from a horse and rider. Buffalo don't and will actively charge a horse. Too many things I worry about.

The horses just plod along, and don't seem too worried about most of this. Branches sliding by their sides, don't bother them. They seem to be able to tell cattle from bears, probably they are smelling. Horses have more Rods in the eyes, So they have better night vision than we do, They give up the range of colors we see because we have more cones and fewer rods.

My rides are never on the road, So no worries about reflective gear or passing cars. Biggest concerns are safe footing for the horse and getting brushed off by a low branch.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I ride in the dark all the time in the summer. I generally don't in the winter so much just because it's cold and I'm a weenie, but in the summer, I'll often be out on a horse well past midnight.

I generally don't wear any reflectors or lights because I live out in the boonies and ride across pastures in the dark. Not much chance of getting hit by a car out here LOL.

In the summer, when the moon is out, we'll even hitch a team and go for long drives in the dark (I ride beside the wagon because I like riding more than driving), but we don't have problems with it. Once I get back to civilization where there is traffic, there is also streetlights so I am easily seen.


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