# Dangerous trails, riding on the edge



## Bitless (Jan 11, 2008)

Wish i could say yes, because im so jelous of your trails at the moment. lol ; ) they sounds like a such a good ride.

But i dont have access to any thing like that.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

Yeah, we take the nice easy rides around the nature preserve here by the house. It gives me 2,000 acres of easy riding, as long as I do not get caught, then it is a run and don't let the park ranger catch you. That is about as exciting as it gets.


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## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

There is a park 5km from me which has really rocky hills and you have to somehow find your way up... you have to weave in and out of bushes and look out for bits of wire etc that careless people leave around :roll: Its difficult to find somewhere to get up as its so steep and rocky. Its fun! I haven't done it for a while because its hard work on the horses and my mare isn't very fit right now so wouldn't be fair to expect her to do all that without working up to it.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Cool! That sounds like a lot of fun!


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## confetti (Sep 28, 2008)

All I have access to are streets and a few fields. And going in those fields is trespassing... But if I DID have access to dangerous trails, Iwouldn't even consider using them. The only horse I trail ride (Ronnie) was an arena baby, so he's still not completely comfortable on the trails. And then I'm also an arena baby, so I add to the tension. Together we'd be a wreck in a dangerous situation!


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## ducky_1785 (Feb 11, 2007)

i only wish i had that kind of land to go riding on.. most places i could float to but its still a fair drive  so jealous


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

You mean stuff like this.
Narrow with drop offs on both sides.









Rocky Trails









Steep side hills


















Quicksand









Slick Rock









And Ledges










Yeah, I kinda ride that stuff all the time.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

wow :shock:

ours are groomed with nice rolling hills :lol:


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## booner (Aug 17, 2008)

WOW Painted Horse would love some insight to that sand covered horse in the quicksand shot.Truely amazing horses to ride you all in places like that, very beautiful too.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

We were crossing a small wash ( Salt Wash) in the San Rafael Swell area of Utah. Four horses had crossed the wash, the 5th horse stepped on and his footing disappeared. The 1st four horses had pumped up the water, the sandy bottom had turned to jelly and wouldn't support the weight of the next horse. His front end dropped out of sight when he stepped onto the mud. His hind feet were still on solid ground. Of course the rider went over the head of the horse as the horse's front end dropped, and landed flat on his back in the little stream. Only about 1" deep water. The horse rolled out, but his nostrils, ears 
and eyes were all full of sandy mud. This was a November Ride, so we had to warm up and dry out the rider.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Every chance I get, I ride on trails that are potentially very dangerous. Of course I ride Mustangs so I don't worry about them keeping their footing. They are the most sure-footed horses I have ever ridden. We don't have mountains in texas but where I ride there are lots of gullys, caprocks, and steep hills down to creek beds. those are the only areas that have trees so while going down a 75 degree angle, I have to trust my horse to avoid all the boulders and brush while I avoid the trees.  LOL


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## babyruth1984 (Dec 15, 2008)

Painted Horse said:


> You mean stuff like this.
> Narrow with drop offs on both sides.
> 
> 
> ...


 


that looks like fun! Unfortantley I think I'd be a nervous wreck trying to get my horse down anything like that. I took her out on the trails for the second time this past weekend and at every water crossing she would stop and refuse to go on. Luckily I am keeping her at a boarding facility where everyone loves going riding every weekend and they're really helpful with me being a beginner.


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## zanytactics (Sep 8, 2007)

wow painted horse, I don't think I could ever ride anything like that! I like well traveled trails and no steep cliffs...my horse feel down one one time and scared the crap out of me. I'm good with easy going trails.


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## peanut (Apr 28, 2008)

WOW! my mare has trouble getting up a small hill let alone thatThats impressive.
All i have is dirt roads and dirt trails lol
extreme horse riding lol


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

Now thats my kind of trails.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

Too true, I so agree with .Delete. ... Those are deifnately my type of trails and the looks so fun!


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

wow painted horse!!!! I would never go riding with you!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet your horses are in great shape!!!!!


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't understand why someone would thru that much and risk that much.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

> I don't understand why someone would thru that much and risk that much.


It can be risky, but most of the time people who ride like that and in areas like that don't really even realize there's that much danger to it because it's just a natural place to ride. I bet the horses know every step of the way they've probably been over it so many times and everything. Yes, there's always a risk, but once you're through it it's so much more satisfying, IMHO, to look back and see something like those pictures show that to look back and see an arena or an open, bushhogged trail.


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## TralissaAndalusians (Sep 7, 2007)

*Ah, I live in Wales (UK) And where I live, there's alot of mountains and stuff, and the lanes leading to them.*​ 
*We have to travel quite far to get to good trails.*​ 
*There are 3 that are pretty much the best.*​ 
*Twmbarlan, Alterine and I gave my favourite place a name XD The Spirit Forest". Cause it's kinda like the one you see in Spirit - Stallion Of The Cimarron, when their pulling that train up that hill.*​ 
*Twmbarlan is a long trail ride up through alot of lanes, and when you get to the start of the trail, it's pretty rocky and steep.*​ 
*You have to go zig-zagging up there, and you have to open and close a few gates, because of farm's cattle and stuff. *​ 
*Then you get to a big woodland (Which was set alight a few year's back, looked like a vocanoe erupted from where I live, which with pretty frightening) I havn't been up there for a while now, but there's a ton of fern tree's and you have to always pick the right trail, which is sometimes hard because we usually always get the wrong one first time, and there's quite a few traps up there. Like, we went for a canter before, and my friend and her horse just dissapeared. They had fallen into a ditch, but luckily they were un-hurt, which was very lucky.*​ 
*Then once you find your way out of that wood, you have to jump a huge log to get out, because a tree had fallen in the way.*​ 
*And then you get onto the mountain, then you have to be carefull of the off roaders.*​ 
*There's a steep part to get up onto the tump, which I really wouldn't like to try, and a girl and her horse tried before and both fell and tumbled down the mountain, ended up having the horse put down.*​ 
*But it's a great ride, as long as you know the place.*​ 
*Then there's the alterine.*​ 
*Pretty much the shortest to get to, but it's a pretty awesome ride.*​ 
*You get onto the trail, and then it splits off into another 4, and then splits into another few trails and it's like a winding road. It's fun galloping, especially if you just let your horse go and choose it's own way (We did walk ALL trails before and quite regulary before even contemplating galloping). You have to duck alot of branches and dodge a few things, and there's alot of downhill and uphill, and huge puddles and ditches to jump. And there's literally a very steep bank on the right hand side of you going up, and a big drop, which would be pretty scary, you'd hit alot of tree's and rocks on your way down, and end up in the river.*​ 
*Then you go off into the farmers field once you get to the end, which is pretty awesome, apart from the one time when there was a scarecrow and my friends horse did a dirty stop and she went flying overhead.*​ 
*But then you go through another 4 or 5 fields, into a little cross country wood, which is pretty awesome, but scary, as it was all overgrown at the time we went through, and alot of big ditches and streams.*​ 
*And it's a fun day out, and then once your out of all the obstacles, it's a beautiful ride through all the ponds and stuff, I just love it, all the wild rabbits and everything about, mysterious looking places.*​ 
*Then there's the Spirit forest, pretty much my favourite one.*​ 
*There's alot of roadwork through the lanes, and going through the estates with all the angry chavs :lol:*​ 
*But once you get to the entrance of that trail, it's pretty awesome, there are 6 trails, each different. One's windy, one's zig zaggy, one you can only gallop up, one cross country one, and the others you can do whatever on and have a bit of everything.*​ 
*Once you get up to the top, there's a really long dirt track, that basically leads to nowhere, but is fine to gallop along. *​ 
*But, along that road, there are ALOT of turning off points.*​ 
*Some lead to dead ends, some had traps, some had just small fields and there is one that I always used to go in.*​ 
*We built a little cross country course in there, and used to do a few laps of that, and then sit and have our lunch, let the horses drink from the stream and so on.*​ 
*Me and a friend had found a steep hill in the bushes and decided to walk it with the horses, we got down to the bottom, and there was a trail leading around, we were basically on the side of a mountain. When you looked to your left, there was just a huge drop, down into a stoney fast flowing river, and there was a stream running into it from a ledge, like a mini-waterfull.*​ 
*Stunning place, and when we walked it a few times, to get to know it, we'd canter or gallop it, which was thrilling! We loved it, hehe.*​ 
*And then there were alot of different exits, one where you have to go through a field of half dead tree's which were pretty creepy, but cool looking. And there were like... Pentagrams and stuff made with log's in there.*​


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## TralissaAndalusians (Sep 7, 2007)

*There is one trail we had to try and block up ourselves, because that was pretty much the scariest day of my life.*​ 
*It was the day after my birthday, on my friends birthday. We always go for a ride with 3 other friends. Well, we picked this one trail, and it was great and awesome looking. Then we kinda lost the trail and decided to find our own way.*​ 
*Well, we got quite a way from the trail, and we all started to sink.*​ 
*Ahead of me, my friend and her horse went down.*​ 
*Basically her horse was up to it's chest in marshland. We couldn't move, we were terrified and screaming for help.*​ 
*The horses just couldn't move, and my friend horse that had gone down, had trapped my friends legs underneath it.*​ 
*Paul was riding Gypsy (One of my horses) and because she's so good, he got off her and left her to help Pat (The one that was stuck). I was trying to calm the other 2 girls down, while Paul helped Pat. *​ 
*I tried getting through with Chase, and had to jump off her, to make it easier for her to get through, and she stood with Gypsy.*​ 
*Paul had managed to help Pat, and she was up, shaken pretty badly, but ok.*​ 
*Paul came up to me and told me to grab Klara (Pat's horse) while he lead Gypsy and Chase across a river. He then told me to let go of Klara and come hold Gypsy and Chase. *​ 
*He basically saved us all that day, he kept level headed and helped everyone out of the sinking mud/marshland.*​ 
*We were all thankfull, and will never use that trail again... *​ 
*We havn't been down that way since, and we hope to god no other horse people have found it.*​ 
*We nearly ended up calling the fire brigade, it was that bad.*​ 
*Pat was ok, she did have sore legs, but she managed to ride home ok.*​ 
*So sometimes, you have to be carefull.*​ 
*Oh, and there is another wood, that you have to go through to get to a few lanes.*​ 
*When you get into there, it look's like it has been raining ash, because all the fern tree's are silvery and pinkish looking, and it's pretty eery, but awesome.*​ 
*You have to jump a few streams and log's and then you end up looking up a steep track, and you have to gallop up there, it's pretty exhausting for the horses, so they have a long rest at the top.*​


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

i think that is a big risk.


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## Picture Perfect (Oct 9, 2008)

Painted Horse said:


>


:shock:

I would pee my pants if I had to go down that hill!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Brit's right. When you ride this stuff all the time, you become comfortable. I don't really feel that I am at risk, We pick our trail through the rough stuff. We don't go straight up and down steep hills like the picture. We zig and zap to find route through. Most of the time following game trails or cow paths from grazing cattle.

Look at my friends in this picture. Do they look relaxed, enjoying the scenry? Or do they look like they are hanging onto the saddle horn?


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## Fox Hollow Deb (Jun 22, 2008)

wow! I'm scared now, I don't think I could ride some of that.
My trails are just heavily forested, with roots & rocks & snags & absolutely nothing flat or level, lots of hills. Oh and chipmunk holes too. I'm very cautious.


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## MustangMan08 (Jan 27, 2009)

man i need to take pictures on my next trail ride lol. thats what im talking about though painted horse. that looks fun


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## BarneyBabby (Nov 18, 2008)

looks like some of our trails


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## Kim (Jan 23, 2009)

Wow... im so moving to wherever it is you guys all live.... and i thought i had trails near my place!! that totally puts me to shame and i feel like a total begginer now haha!! ah well.... that is my dream tho. gotta love a bit of excitement and adventure! thats what its all about right??


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## MustangMan08 (Jan 27, 2009)

you kn ow on dangerous trails donkeys are amazing also. they are alot more sure footed than any horse and they seem to not spook as easy


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## SunshineAcres (Jan 3, 2008)

I would love to go riding on trails like that! I'll admit I'd be a bit nervous at first as I haven't done much of that steep/dangerous riding. I do as much as I can find though! We have to go out West to get anything like that! If anyone would like to invite me to come ride with them, just say the word! I'll throw my horse in the trailer and come on down!!!


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## ViEwMySpOtS09 (Apr 8, 2009)

looks like it would be a fun ride.. YOu definetly have to have some extreme faith in the horse your riding, and your horse must have faith in you to guide him/ her through it...


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