# I've been baptized in trail riding! Heart pumping!



## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

wooo Hoooooo!!!! Sounds like y'all had a good time...some excitement, a few eye poppers but you made it back in one piece!!!! Woot!!! Trail riding is SO much fun...can't wait to go again!  Post some pictures of your trails...it would be nice to see them.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Congratulations! and welcome to the trail world where it's not unusual for an inexperienced horse to want to jump a foot wide creek or ditch like it's the Grand Canyon ;-)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I would have totally expected that, actuallhy. It is very common for a horse to jump a creek they percieve as jumpable, to avoid wetting theri precious tootsies. Next time , if you cross ahead of her, you will know to be prepared. A good way to not have to deal with this is to learn how to 'send' your horse across first, (and it helps to have either a halter and lead along under the bridle or a mecate rein).
Or, just work on getting her to cross under saddle. 

But you did very well and congrats for you!!


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## walkingwest (Aug 22, 2011)

It only gets better and better and more and more fun keep it up!!


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I had the exact same thing happen a while back. My mare jumped a creek and when she did it all I saw was her feet and belly coming at me and I thought I would be landed on, but I wasn't thank goodness! She is a good mare, lol! 

But it was my fault, I have this thing about jumping across creeks while riding- it scares me. I picture the horse slipping/sliding in in the soft mud as they land. (I saw this happen to a horse once and he was lame for a while afterwards, so that is where the problem started for me. He was the horse in front of me on a ride and we were crossing an irrigation ditch. He jumped it, slid a bit, and must have pulled something in his leg). 

So that is why I decided to lead her across and put myself in danger. Probably would have been safer if I had stayed on. But all's well that ends well.


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## corgi (Nov 3, 2009)

Glad you had fun. It's addictive isn't it? I am also glad she didn't land on you. Back in April, I did the same thing. I got off my mare to lead her across a creek with really steep banks. I never dreamed she would jump it. She did...and landed on the back of my leg. It has been more than 4 months and I still have a painful lump on the back of my leg where she landed on me. When I finally went to the doc back in June (yes, I waited that long to go), he said nothing was torn and if the lump was still there in August and was still painful, to come back. Guess I better go back. 
In the meanwhile, I have learned to do what Tinyliny suggested...and "send" the horse across first.
And good job, handling your first "spook" too.


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## GoWithTheFlow (Mar 9, 2011)

Thank God my mare is too lazy to jump anything really. haha I hate a when a horse does that though ! Freaks me out ,because a I could land on the horn . Knew a girl that did .


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

encounters with horns aren't fun.:shock: My horse started powering up an STEEP embankment once and I checked him and he bucked out twice to steady himself....well wasn't that special? :shock: I hit the horn of my Aussie saddle twice. :evil: It felt like I had been stabbed. OMG my entire stomach turned blue, black and purple and I had a HUGE EGG in my gut...I now have a little tiny lump and dimple. That was in March of LAST year! LOL horns are great to hang onto less fun to come in close contact with!!!


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