# Night time Trail Rides?



## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

I have friends that like to do a moonlight lunacy ride on full moons but haven't participated myself.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Oh, you brought me back many years ago, I used to go out with the "Wednesday Night Drunks." Actually, very little drinking, just a group of us that would ride for a few hours at night. Loved it, miss it very much, living here in the city where it's not a good idea.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

I'd like to - in fact, I was thinking of posting this same question. Especially on these hot days. But I don't think I'd want to canter, or even trot much, unless I was really, really sure of the footing.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I have done night riding when the situation calls for it. Normally it's something I am doing during the later part of 100s, but I also did it last year while rehabbing my mare during hunting season.

Knowing the trail and/or having some kind of light is a big help. Your horse certainly sees much better than you do in the dark, but that doesn't keep an unexpected branch from taking out your face!

Personally, I ride with a small light on the bottom of the breastcollar, which lights the ground under the horse's feet just enough to be able to anticipate their movement (I found myself getting left behind at times when my horse would move to avoid something that I didn't see). Maybe not a problem at a walk, but def an issue at trot or canter. I also ride with a headlamp, which is normally on the red setting (which is just enough to show me a branch coming before it kills me), but its nice to have to switch to the white light if you need to read a sign or see something in more detail.

This was from our ride this weekend, at the hold before the sun would set (excuse the expression on my DH's face, apparently that granola bar wasn't very good!):


















night riding at the very end of both:


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## montes4338 (Jan 22, 2014)

I am lucky enough to have a Farm to Market road nearby, it's about 7 miles total if I go the whole way and back, but it runs from a minor farm to market highway to a gate that is locked at sundown. We enjoy going riding as the sun sets, and riding along, letting the night coolness overtake us. We can ride in the grass ditches, or on pavement, because if a car is coming, we can see it from when it turns off the thru highway almost. In fall, we can see the glow of the stadium lights from the friday night football games, and can even hear the band some nights. It's definately something I hope my daughter thinks of when she is grown.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

It's fun to ride on full moon nights but it can still get pitch black in heavily wooded areas.

Last time I went night riding was not on purpose. Hubby and I thought we'd go on a short twilight ride and got lost. We burned up the batteries in our flashlight and were stopping at all the trees trying to find the trail markers with our lighters. Ended up getting back to camp around 2:00 a.m. with very exhausted horses (we'd ridden earlier that day too).


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Forget the flashlights, and get some LED headlamps. The good ones will go 10-20 hours or more on a battery charge*, and they leave your hands free.

*Of course you have to remember to charge batteries before you go.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Working during the day made it necessary for me to ride at night and I did a lot of it over the years. A full moon made for a lovely ride and I was always riding on trails, fields that I knew. The horse knew the trails and I never went faster than a trot, never had a problem. I never took any flashlights with me but I suppose it would be a good thing.
I would hesitate to ride on unfamiliar trails though.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

This post made me think of my first horse and night riding. I lived at the edge of a city and in the fall I had to ride at night after work and it was getting dark and riding in traffic was not a great idea. I have to say here that this was in the 1950's and no reflective gear or head lamps etc. then.
We lived across the road from a cemetery and we knew the people who owned it, so I asked them if I could ride on their lanes and roadways at night and they said that was alright. I would often go over there and have a nice ride. One night at dusk when I was starting out, a neighbour called to me and asked if I ever rode in the cemetery, I told him yes and he started to laugh and explained that some nights when he was sitting in the house he would see this white blob drifting along in there about 3 feet off the ground, he didn't believe in ghosts but it sure looked like one.
My horse was a grey gelding with black legs and that was what he was seeing. Apparently some other neigbours had seen this "ghost" as well.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

My night rides are usually during hunting season. We head out before sunrise to be in position to see the elk moving at sun up. And we stay out hunting till after dark and gave to return to camp or trailer in the dark. Most LED head lamps aren't bright enough to throw light far enough to be any good. So I let the horse follow the trail and I might click on the head light if the horses stop and act like something is in front of us. ( like a moose or cow standing on trail) Some trails have reflective markers and they do show up a long ways off with even simple flashlights or headlamps.


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## brandilion (Aug 23, 2010)

Just a quick thought. Most horses need to be sensitized to flashlights and headlamps. They throw weird shadows that can really freak horses out. I'd suggest staying with a short full moon ride on a familiar trail (preferably one with sparse trees) & take chem lights (glow sticks) you can attach to your breast collar or the saddle. They don't create shadows. 
When you do jump fully in, I'd definitely recommend headlamps as opposed to flashlights. Better yet, find a headlamp with a green or red light. That will solve the shadow issue and prevent blinding also.
It's really fun. Tell us how it goes!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

I have some wonderful memories of cantering along the edge of a field on clear, moonlit nights. Sometimes the moon was so full we would cast a shadow! Did this in summer and snow alike, although it has been many years (before I had kids lol)


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I love riding at night but don't go out at night very often because my great grandmother worries when I ride at night.


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