# big trailride sliced down to 1 mile.. bummer!



## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

Last Saturday, hubby and I had plans to meet up with several other couples who were taking their wagons on a great trail/road ride we had planned. The ride was for us all to meet up at the "Cottenwood Patch" in the Cohutta Mountains in N. Georgia. We would all go on the "Big Frog Loop" which is a road ride in the Wilderness area of Cohutta. 

Hubby and I were really looking forward to this ride, it is about 20 miles and there would be about 5 wagons and a couple of other horse riders. We had just had the horses re-shod on Thursday, before the ride on Saturday. Hubby's horse is a little silly sometimes.. he spooks at odd things, and is extremely possessive of his "girlfriend" my mare. We usually ride just the 2 of us, so we were looking forward to a lot of things for hubbys horse to have to get used to.

We met and saddled up, were riding out by 9:15. As I was riding on the gravel road I noticed that about every 3-5 steps my mare would limp. I didn't think that much of it because there were big gravel on this part of the road which is fairly often traveled by vehicles. (the main loop is not traveld by car/truck much). When we got to the river bridge which asks horse riders to dismount and walk across the bridge (it is slippery on the down hill slope). I had gone about 1/2 mile from the trailer when we got to the bridge.

I dismounted and picked up my mares foot looking for gravel... as soon as I picked up her foot I found my problem.. NO SHOE!! somehow she had lost it. I had checked her feet the night before, but had left the two horses in a lot attached to the barn and didn't check her feet that morning before we drove 30-35 miles to get to the Cottenwood Patch.

errrrrrrr.. gnashing of teeth!!!! hubby and I had to turn around and go home.. the trails up there are rocky and would tear her feet up if I tried to go on the trail... I definately KNEW I could not go on a 20 miles gravel/dirt road. 

lesson learned----always check for shoes even if they were on there the night before. Don't wait and drive 30++ miles before checking for shoes!!!

We are "assuming" that hubbys gelding who is possessive and herds her around some(like a stallion) probably herded her in the lot and she stepped on the front shoe with a back foot. She is a SSH and overstepes by about 10 inches in a normal walk. She lets him herd her but she will fight back some. I am going to blame it on hubbys gelding anyway.. makes me feel somewhat better.. 

I hope this Saturday we have a better ride!!!

Rhonda


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Dang Rhonda - that bites. I feel for you. We drove a hundred miles one day to ride and my horse turned up lame...not can't walk or he will die lame but lame all the same and we were on trails that were sandy but FULL of tree roots. He seemed fine loading him but when he hit the roots - ugh. Lame. Turns out he had an abscess coming on. 

Sounds like it would have been a fun ride. Girl, get you some Easyboot Gloves and throw those puppies in the trailer. My EBG have saved 2 rides where we were 100 miles away - once for hubby's horse and once for my cousin's hubby's horse.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

That sucks! Sorry you missed out on what you had planned-it sounded like fun.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Hey RhondaLynn.....we ride out of the cotton patch quite often and you're right, those gravel roads are rough on a horses feet.

We went your way last weekend and rode dry creek on Sunday.

I was telling AnnitaAnne how those mountain roads are.....and half the adventure is just getting there....

Did y'all go in through hwy2 at Cisco?


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi gunslinger.. yes, we turned in at Cisco, hwy 2... it is an adventure just to get to any trailhead in Cohutta.. but that makes it all the better!! 
This Saturday, we will go to Dry Creek because it is only 25 minutes from the house and fairly level roads so no pulling up a steep hill. sucking gas like lemonaid!!
Next time you come this direction let me know and we will try and ride together.
have you ridden Sumac creek trail??? You turn at the ranger station (Hwy 2 going toward Cottenwood patch). It has become one of my favorite trails!!! trails thru the woods, creeks to eat beside, old roadbeds to gait on.. my favorite!!!!

Rhonda


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Oh bummer!! 
DH and I went camping for over a week once, had a new set of shoes on my old boy, rode for two days and off one went. He was terribly lazy and drug his feet.
We went down to a local watering hole and got a number for a guy, two hours later and we were set. Learned my lesson.

Good to have one on standby if possible, especially for a group that large.
I don't travel with mine any longer, but when we did I had some numbers handy, and hollered to see who was available.

Hope the next one goes without a hitch!


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

RhondaLynn said:


> Hi gunslinger.. yes, we turned in at Cisco, hwy 2... it is an adventure just to get to any trailhead in Cohutta.. but that makes it all the better!!
> This Saturday, we will go to Dry Creek because it is only 25 minutes from the house and fairly level roads so no pulling up a steep hill. sucking gas like lemonaid!!
> Next time you come this direction let me know and we will try and ride together.
> have you ridden Sumac creek trail??? You turn at the ranger station (Hwy 2 going toward Cottenwood patch). It has become one of my favorite trails!!! trails thru the woods, creeks to eat beside, old roadbeds to gait on.. my favorite!!!!
> ...


Yes, We rode Sumac creek twice this year, once in June and again Nov 25th.

If you go on north on 411 to Ladd Springs road I think it's a little easier to get to the cotton patch....they've had a detour with a bridge out but Ladd Springs dead ends right there at the bridge...

Have you ridden Sylco Creek? That's my personal favorite....my next door neighbor likes Iron Mountain.

If you take the road that goes east from the cotton patch that dead ends at the Rice camp trail head. Rice camp is another really nice trail until it turns towards the Jacks river....there's lots of blow downs from the tornados.....we've rode Hickory Valley that runs along the top of the ridge to Cohutta mountain.

We ride often in that area......and would love to join you...

I'm hoping to meet up with AnnitaAnne Sunday and ride Chickamauga battlefield but I'm not sure the weather is going to cooperate.

She's over near Tallegedaga AL and I think Dry Creek would be close for her.

Thinking about going to Cloudland Canyon tomorrow but not set in stone.......what day are ya'll riding dry creek?

Are you using a 4x4 to trailer into the Cohutta's? AnnitaAnne has a 2x4, not sure she'd make it without trouble....


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

I have ridden Rice Camp, but it was years ago before the big blow down.. is it cleared enough for a horse to get through?? Hubby and I tried to ride it about 1 1/2 years ago and could not go more than a mile or maybe two before it was blocked.
It has been a couple of years since I have ridden Iron Mountain, I like it fine but if you come to the river and it is UP.. then you are screwed!! we crossed it once when it was up some and I swore never again cross that river when it was swift/high.
we are riding Dry Creek tomorrow, (Saturday) we would not have time on Sunday with church so we don't ride then.
You said Sylco creek?? I don't know that one.. We have parked at Sylco campground and ridden up toward Big Creek Campground, but it is a road ride, so that is one we do when the yellowjackets are bad. it is a good ride. but tell me what Sylco creek ride is???
rhonda


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

I just saw your last question.. I use to drive a 2x pulling a stock trailer and the only time I had trouble was when we turned at the cottenwood patch going toward rice camp..that first little pull right there is tuff!! especially if it is wet and slick.
last year we were going to ride Sumac Creek and there were hunters in there so we went on toward Lake Conasauga (we park at a parking lot and ride part of Caunasauge River Trail) we came to a steep part and had to use the 4wheel drive.. thank goodness for it!!!
Rhonda


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

There's a couple of good trails right there at Sylco Campground. The Sylco Creek trail is about a half a mile north of the campground and you can park a trailer there. Also there's a forest service gated road there. It's a 14 mile loop.....About a mile north of the gate the trail splits.....if you turn right and go east the trail goes up hogback ridge.....pretty steep climb....then it turns NE and comes out on a gravel road......take that north a couple of miles and that road dead ends.......the trail turns back west there and at the bottom of the mountian you'll ride along Parksview lake......were it turns back south again and crosses Sylco creek probably a dozen or more times and winds up back at the trail head...... 

Rice Camp trail is clear and passable but it's still an ugly mess...we stopped just before the steep down hill down to the river as my wife's horse Jack is green......Had she been on Sonny Boy we would have went down to the river.

Days are really short right now....talk about Iron Mountian, the first time we rode it we crossed the river and got a mile or so from the trail head.....had a huge tree down across the trail that we couldn't get across.....turned around and was going to take the Conasauga river trail back out to the road....but It had a tree down that we couldn't get past.....so....back across the river and over Iron Mountain.....pulled in right at dark....

By the way....there was a forest fire just north of the river......no problem but the Conasauga river trail that turns north has been closed the last few months. We rode Iron Mountain 3 times this year.

If you don't have it....pick up the National Geo tails illustrated Map #781, Hiwassie and Ocoee Rivers.....has most of the horse trails marked and rated on it....I've got all the USGS 1:24000 topo maps of the Southern Cherokee and quite a few in the Chattahoochie in N. GA.....

There's also quite a few trails Just North of Benton TN off Hwy 411 at Gee Creek State Park and Star Mountain.

We got stuck going up that mountain to Rice Camp....seems they put about 6 inches of fresh gravel on it that day......that's why we now have the F-350 4X4.....

I love riding up there in the Cohutta's...


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

What no duct tape in your trailer?

If I don't have an easyboot. I'd either take a rasp and trimp him so he didn't have long hoof walls to chip off and wrap the hoof in duct tape to give him some padding under the sole.

I've made my way off many a mountain with just duct tape on a hoof.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Found with walkers that the shoer can't leave any shoe sticking out behind the hoof. If they do the show will often be ripped off when they step on it with their hind foot. I would talk to your shoer about that. Clips also help keep those shoes on.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

prime case for hoof boots, I dont use them all the time, generally horses are at least front shod, but they do make good spare tires to keep a trip from being ruined


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi Painted Horse.. I do have duct tape and did think of it.. but this was a 20 mile road ride with lots of gravel.. It didn't want to get half way around the loop and go UH OH! I had rather keep hoof on her hoof.. she doesn't have the best hoofs anyway. 

I do plan to look into a boot but would need one that is a little forgiving on size.. from freshly shod to grown out a little.. any suggestions on which one?? Plus.. if I lose a front shoe do I need to put boots on BOTH front feet? does it unbalance them to have a shoe one one foot and a boot on the other???

Rhonda


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

We brought many a horse off of 10-12 miles of rocky mountains with just duct tape. I will say that sometimes after crossing 4 or 5 rivers we sometimes have had to reapply the duct tape. But you can give a horse some comfort even on rough terrain if you don't have a replacement shoe or a boot.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I've rode Iron mountain barefooted.....but the dang chert road with the gravel in it really made Miss Lacy uncomfortable.....I got off and walked her down the road........much tougher on the road than on the trail IMO.


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi gunslinger.. I agree with you.. those chert/small gravel that they have in Cohutta doesn't compare to the rocks on the trail. (at least here)

Painted horese-I think duct tape is wonderful and would have used it in a New York minute if I was in the middle of my ride. but since I was in the first 1/2 mile from the truck... the smartest/safest thing for me was exactly what I did.. go back to the truck. Please don't think I am trying to be rude to your suggestion, I love to read of your rides and see your photos... !!!! Just in this particular situation I did what was best for my mare with not such good hoofs.

Hope everyone has a wonderful trailride filled holiday!!

Rhonda


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