# Snakes on a Trail



## CatrinaB87 (Dec 29, 2008)

So this weekend while stopping by my SO's mother's house, I had the opportunity to save a life (I'm a fan of live and let live) from some scared and misinformed people. This guy was hanging out in their yard, probably eating the nice fat toads they had hopping around.









He is a harmless black snake, with his biggest defense being a leaky bile out of his rear (gag) I scooped him up and brought him to the woods to carry on keeping the mouse population at bay.

But that got me thinking about trail riding, and how some horses have a complete FREAKOUT when they see a snake, or a shadow that looks like a snake, or think about the snake that was there six months ago. I ride with a friend who can't stand to see snakes in a picture, and God forbid he should see one on a trail (and this is a grown man lol)

How do your horses do when the slithery guys cross your paths? 
How do _you_ do when it happens?
What are some ways that you try and desensitize your horse to them (if you do at all)
Have you had any scary/close call situations involving snakes on a trail?
How do you deal with snakes at the barn, poisonous or otherwise?

I'm interested to hear in your experiences!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

yeh I hate people that kill every one they can. Then cry about mice in the feed rooms or house.


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## CatrinaB87 (Dec 29, 2008)

Joe4d said:


> yeh I hate people that kill every one they can. Then cry about mice in the feed rooms or house.


I'm a firm believer that if you keep a tidy barn, you wont have mice, and subsequently wont have snakes that feed on mice! Keep your feed in sealed, air tight METAL containers (those little ******s will chew through plastic), keep feed buckets cleaned out, and sweep up all that loose hay!


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## Jolly Badger (Oct 26, 2009)

It bugs me when people want to kill every snake they see. Black snakes are the best thing to have in a barn/farm when it comes to mouse control. . .much more efficient than our lazy, useless barn cat, anyway.:lol:

I've never had a horse that was spooky about snakes, BUT I also live in a part of the country where we don't have a lot of venomous or aggressive-type species. Most of the snakes we do see just want to get out of the way ASAP when a horse approaches.

Timber rattlesnakes are starting to make a comeback in some areas, and they were reintroduced in Brown County State Park (Indiana) several years ago so we've seen them while trail riding there a few times. 

I'm not bothered by the fact they're there. . .part of being out in the woods is accepting that there are other things out there, and those things hunt and eat and you need to be aware of what can and cannot hurt you. Seems that a lot of people want to "get out in nature" but then they want to kill every "unpleasant" animal they come in contact with. Only thing I worry about in Brown County is that people do tend to be kind of stupid about wild animals, and it's only a matter of time before someone's dog or kid gets bitten by one of the rattlesnakes.

My SO has lived in the southeaster/southern states and said the horses down there were much more wary of snakes. Not sure if those of you who live in those states notice this as well?


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I kill rattlesnakes near my house. Others I let live. A long time ago, hiking in the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson, I heard a rattle. Couldn't figure out where it was coming from, until I looked down. I had a foot on either side of a rattlesnake. I jumped, landed about 20 feet away...and figured I owed rattlesnakes a little something. Being bitten by a rattlesnake off-trail in the days when there were no cell phones would have been pretty serious! Wouldn't be exactly fun now, come to think of it.

My horses don't freak at the sight of a snake, but they have no desire to investigate them either. I did run up a big vet bill a couple of years ago after my Border Collie decided to check one out...


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

bsms said:


> I kill rattlesnakes near my house. Others I let live. A long time ago, hiking in the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson, I heard a rattle. Couldn't figure out where it was coming from, until I looked down. I had a foot on either side of a rattlesnake. I jumped, landed about 20 feet away...and figured I owed rattlesnakes a little something. Being bitten by a rattlesnake off-trail in the days when there were no cell phones would have been pretty serious! Wouldn't be exactly fun now, come to think of it.
> 
> My horses don't freak at the sight of a snake, but they have no desire to investigate them either. I did run up a big vet bill a couple of years ago after my Border Collie decided to check one out...


Same here BSMS. It's it's in the yard or near by, and it's poisonous, it's history.

If it's in the forest, or wilderness area, and I can get around it, then I will.

Snakes gotta have a place to live too.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

You train your horse to be afraid of snakes and look for them on the trail. I know this because I did that with my buckskin. I'm terrified of snakes, and after a bad experience with a rattler (bless the little guy that he didn't bite me or my horse), I started looking for them everywhere and hence trained my horse do the same.
Rationally, I know that they usually want to get away from me as much as I want to get away from them. So I try to remember that when I come up on them.
My other horse, never has had a bad experience with them and will walk right over a snake unless I tell her not too. Same with the baby.


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## morganarab94 (May 16, 2013)

I'm not a fan of snakes, but I don't really mind them either, unless they're rattlesnakes or copperheads (which we have a lot of in my area) then they're history. But black snakes don't bother me to bad. 
As far as the horses go, my old horse (he's mid/late 20s)just walks on by them. All of the trail horses I've been with did not get bothered by a snake, so far that is.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

Niblles has walked right over black snakes on the trail. I'm not sure if she hasn't seen them or just isn't afraid of them. I would kill a Copperhead or Rattlesnakenear the barn or house, but others are welcome. I am afraid of my dogs when they go on the trail with us - they seem toferret out everything, and I am afrai they will get bitten. I got a scare the other day when one of the dogs found something right by the barn. All I saw was a dark, heavy bodied snake, so I assumed it was poisonous. On closer inspectyion, it was a harmless Hog - nosed snake, but for a minute of two I was pretty worried!


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## MillieSantana (Feb 17, 2013)

I love boss and other harmless snakes, but would/dangerous snakes,I have no intention of going near them enough to kill them. How do you go about training a horse to watch for snakes? I have seen one out on the trail this season,a big fat copper head Charles up under a tree. We had a little baby Ray snake by the barn that was immediately killed because it looked like a CH, poor thing. I've heard that if you surround your barn with lime or mothballs, snakes wool stay away.my mom is OCD, and as a result, we have a super clean been, and not mice.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't know if training is the appropriate term. When I would come up on a snake, I used to freak and prepare for her to spook. As a result that's what she would do. I don't do it as much now because I'm conscious of it. My reaction basically taught her how to respond to snakes.


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## CatrinaB87 (Dec 29, 2008)

I used to ride a gelding that was in his late 20s/early30s (nobody could ever pinpoint his age, just that he'd "been around forever. johnny used to ride old skip when HE was a boy, now his girls are riding him!") Who was a been there, done that kind of guy. The only time that horse EVER spooked was when there was a snake, or a tree root that looked like a snake, or a shadow that might have resembled a snake at some point. I'm wondering if at some point in his long life he had a run-in with an aggressive snake or stepped on one and it retaliated. I have seen other horses shy at snakes too, but I wonder if it was because it was a snake, or because it was a sudden and unexpected movement.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

I love snakes, and I'm thrilled if I ever see any on trails. I've never encountered anything large or venomous, but I have been known to make my horse follow little snakes so I can get a better look!  There's also a big corn snake that wanders around in between the tack lockers who I occasionally see when I open mine. He's my buddy! 

Also, snakes are venomous, not poisonous. Sorry being a reptile person, people using the terms incorrectly is a pet peeve of mine! I also get very upset when I see/hear of people killing non venomous snakes in general, or venomous ones when they are not causing any danger. As a teenager we had a huge scare once when my dad and I walked up to our dog playing with something in the backyard only to find out that it was a coiled up baby rattlesnake! My dad (who is petrified of snakes) stomped on the poor little guy right as he was looking to strike at our dog, and that is really the only time that I have found it appropriate to kill one of the little fellows :-(


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Here in Tennessee it's illegal to kill a snake, but I doubt you'd find a DA that would prosecute someone for it.

venomous, or poisonous, the context is clear....kind of like marksmen peeved over the term clip being used for magazine.

We all know what it means....


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

I had a four foot black rat snake behind my barn the other day when I rode out, I just changed directions and went around the other way. The only time my horses have ever freaked out over a snake, it was a copperhead at dusk crawling across the path to my arena, and as I was on foot, I'm glad the horse warned me. We have a rat snake that winters in out garage every year. I never see him, but he always leaves his skin for me *shudders*. They don't bother me when they are outside or around the barn, but to know one was in my garage all winter, and I likely walked all around his hiding place, it just gives me the creeps. The last skin we found was around 6 feet and it wasn't complete.


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## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

I also kill venomous snakes in my yard. I leave the black rat snakes alone. I have arat snakes that likes to stay in my well house. I try to have an agreement with it, it stays on the wall and I won't bother it. I did see a rattlesnake in there last year, didn't nake me happy.


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## CatrinaB87 (Dec 29, 2008)

For all of you that kill the venomous ones, have you thought about contacting your local animal control and see if they have a relocation program?


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

They might have one, but most of the time, the snake will be long gone before someone responds. Around here, sometimes it takes AC days to respond to a call. When there are small children in the area that could potentially get bit, I don't have an issue with killing a venomous snake. Otherwise, I leave well enough alone. A friend of mine had a little boy she knows get bit by a rattler a couple weeks ago, and he was in the hospital until just a couple days ago, and it was touch and go for a while. Would I risk my kids safety to let a snake live in peace? Nope. Even if I have nothing personal against the snake.


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

I leave snakes alone and offer a free snake removal service to my friends on Facebook so they don't end up killing the confused black snake that got lost in their basement.

I've seen a venomous snake on a trail once and just let it be. It's there for a reason and I'm in its territory. It's not like they don't let me know they are there.

We have a big ol' rat snake that lives on our property. We mess with him sometimes but we enjoy his company and service.

I saw him last week and he told me exactly what I could do in my spare time:








_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

CatrinaB87 said:


> For all of you that kill the venomous ones, have you thought about contacting your local animal control and see if they have a relocation program?


Nope. I've already spent $2000 trying to keep my Border Collie alive. And the snake I see near the house now might well be impossible to find when someone from the county had time to come out. This is rattlesnake country. The last one I killed was almost 5 feet long. I'm not going to take a chance on being bitten when I go out in the evening to check the horses - or take a chance on my grandkids being bitten. When I see a rattlesnake near the house, it dies - before it can hide.

We did our own personal removal service for a Gila Monster that liked our front porch. It was the only one I've seen in the wild.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

CatrinaB87 said:


> For all of you that kill the venomous ones, have you thought about contacting your local animal control and see if they have a relocation program?


I do think that it is a wonderful idea in most circumstances. However, we have animals out and about in my parents' backyard. I know to avoid a venomous snake if it happens to slither off before animal control gets there, but I don't want the cats or dogs happening upon it. Were it not for them I would not care if there were venomous snakes right up to my front door, but as much as I love snakes I can't risk them. Like the incident with the rattlesnake, my dog's life was at risk and it was no time to be picking up the phone.


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

I freak out more than my horses when I see a snake. I leave them alone, because the Live and Let Live rule, but they scare the bejesus out of me. My baby Rikki stepped on one went I took him on his first trail ride. I felt sorry for the snake, and Rikki looked at it like "Is that a hose?"


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I am in the "leave snakes alone unless they are in the yard" camp. My DH has even intentionally brought home king snakes he found and turned them loose in the yard. People say they eat rattlesnakes. On the rare occasion that a venomous snake is in the yard, either my DH or my son kills it. I mostly point and give instructions. 

As far as out on the trail, my horses smell them and hesitate. They won't walk over one. The most dangerous snake encounter I had was due to the horse over reacting to it. I was cantering up a hill on a dirt road. At the top of the hill, we almost ran over a rattlesnake. He coiled up and went to rattling. Then danger came when my horse did a 180 turn and galloped as fast as she could. She went off the road, jumped ditches, downed trees, and other things. She was totally out of control. That was many years ago. Obviously, this horse was not ready to take on trails. Somehow I didn't get hurt.


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## totalfreedom (Nov 23, 2009)

I leave snakes alone. I like em. There's a dry mountain that's maybe a couple hundred yards from my place and it has rattlers on it. For the most part stay on that mountain until the creeks dry up or if it's a dry year they'll be found down off the mountain on people's properties. We've had em out here a few times, but I've never seen a large one on the property.

I was out for a ride a few weeks ago on that mountain and I thought it was still a little early for them to be out, but I came across a pretty decent sized one. I wasn't even looking for them just wandering around up the mountain and it was basking in the sun on a rock and it saw us and began rattling.

I gathered up my dog and left. What I am concerned about most is the dog getting into em.

And speaking of poisinous snakes, what does everyone carry in case of someone or an animal being bitten.


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

I know a guy that gave his Rotti benadryl after it was bitten by a water moccasin when he was cleaning up following a hurricane. He said his dog' s head swelled up huge but the dog lived. Don't know myself but I try to be sure and keep some around the house just in case. It's an antihistamine so figure it'd be better than nothing in an emergency?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Foxtail Ranch (Mar 10, 2012)

I heard somewhere that the vibrations caused by the horses hooves striking the ground drives snakes away. I don't know if that's true but I haven't seen any in 2 years of trail riding. 

We do have rattlesnakes here and have killed two up by the house. None near the barn. I have also seen two when I was running but they seemed as scared of me as I was of them. 

We just moved to lower ground near a table rock so we may be seeing more, faster moving rattlers now. But I like snakes and know they have benefits. I just brought a Bull Snake home from school to my property. I turned her loose in some giant rocks in the SW corner. She eats rattlers and mice and is a good addition to our ranch!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Kamakazi (Jun 10, 2013)

I actually just came across a snake for the first time with my 7 year old today. I saw it before he did and I wasn't sure how he was going to react. When he saw it he jumped a little bit (grabbed his footing is more like it) and snorted at it. After he saw what it was he started walking again. 

Where I live we don't have any poisonous snakes. Just little gardener snakes. I leave them be, they don't hurt anything.


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## CCBella (Jul 6, 2010)

We have several venomous snakes in my area of Australia with Tiger snakes and Dugites being most common. Ive run into them several times on horse back with mixed reactions. My old TB reared (first and only time ever) when we came across a big 2 metre tiger snake. I try to desensitise my horses by dragging ropes etc around as I've run into 16 venomous snakes and one python in one week during spring on the trails I use


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

totalfreedom said:


> And speaking of poisinous snakes, what does everyone carry in case of someone or an animal being bitten.


I've read and it's been suggested to me to carry a length of hose when trail riding here in rattlesnake country. The point is, in case your horse decides to investigate and gets bit in the face or neck, the hose will help in opening the airway if it becomes swollen. 

I actually found a video of a horse that was bitten in the face here in AZ. It's not really graphic, but does show that it is very possible.
YouTube


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## soffechino123 (Jun 11, 2013)

The reason why horses freak out at the sight of snakes is because of two reasons 1) They are a prey animal 2) The legs of a horse are the most vital thing on them, without the legs they cant run and there fore cant escape.

What would be the best thing to do with a horse that spooks is first become the leader then have maybe a plastic bag and just let them get used to it and maybe put one of the holes around there legs and have them stand there. This is what I have done with the horse that I work with. Then you slowly introduce them to lets say a rubber snake. This will help you and your horse out on the trails BIG TIME! Because we have a good amount of snakes here the horses have gotten used to them. I hope this helps you and your horse.


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