Scared of the dark

[Emarmite]

Hi,

I mean me not my horse. Does anyone else have this problem.

I have had my share horse for seven months and slowly built up my confidence hacking out on my own, however I do not get down to the yard now until 5.30 and there are no facilities on the yard except hacking.

I am frightened to ride out in the dark, not just on my own but with anyone else. I have ridden in the dark on my last horse and it was okey. We are by a river and good bridle paths that just seem so spooky in the dark.

My horse has not really been out in dark so do not know what he will be like anyway.

Any thoughts


Beverley

ps I am not frightened of the dark in general

[Tangle]

Don't blame you at all. I'm not the most confident rider anyway and don't hack out often - the thought of hacking after dark would totally terify me :o!

Looking at it objectively, wouldn't it be quite dangerous? It would be harder to spot potential dangers (real or horsie eating monster puddles:D) and it would be much harder for anyone to find you if you were to have an accident.

[bexj]

Did you know.......horses can see really well in the dark! Better than us anyway, so although you may have to be prepared for horse eating shadows, I'm sure you wouldn't find it that bad. More of a worry would be your own personal safety. If you have to ride out on your own, then make sure you have a mobile with you, and you may also want to think about carrying a personal alarm too. Get yourself decked out in some wicked high-viz stuff just in case you come across cars.

Is there any area at the yard where you can school instead - even if its the corner of a spare field?

Or, can you arrange your share that you can ride more often at weekends?

Good luck - I know it can be difficult in our English winters;)

[Dizzy]

Riding out in the dark! Please tell me you're joking.

Unless you have a floodlit school, you're completely mad, especially if you contemplate riding by a river bank.


Please promise me that you won't

[makebelieve]

You really shouldn't be riding in the dark, anyway. Unless you have some floodlights.

I have my lessons in the arena right now, however when I come back out to put the horse away, it's pitch black! I have to admit I don't enjoy walking to the furthest field from the barn with my horse.

[Scarlett 001]

Well, our fields at the stables were so dark the other night, that my friend brought in the wrong horse from the field for her lesson! She even had a flashlight but still got the wrong guy! My instructor had a chuckle about that! I went with her to find the correct horse - there was a line of horses munching dinner in the field and we flashed the light on each and we even passed right over the correct horse the first time. Finally we located him when we reviewed the line a second time! :D

[Emarmite]

Hi

Thanks for your replies. Unfortunately there is no menage facilities to use at the yard. I have sinced booked a lesson at
an indoor school 15 minutes walk away. Even though I will have to go in the dark it is not by the river and cars from the yard are about and the horses owner has promised to walk with me with her on foot.

I have bought him a reflective rug and I have reflective gear and lights so we can be seen by the cars.

A girl on our yard went out on her own last night by the river bareback, no lights, no reflective gear and no hat, think she has a death wish, although her horse is very very calm and steady.

Thanks for your replies


Beverley

[PromiseMe]

Originally posted by Dizzy
Riding out in the dark! Please tell me you're joking.

Unless you have a floodlit school, you're completely mad, especially if you contemplate riding by a river bank.


Please promise me that you won't

Exactly my thoughts...

hacking out in the dark is sooo dangerous. I hate even riding in the dark in an enclosed arena outside (i hate this cause our barn doesnt even have lights set up outside in the schooling grass/sand rings...)...let alone hacking! Oh iknow i know, we all love hacking...but what a risk! Why not visit the horse when its brighter...
I hate not being able to see.... and i dont blame you for being scared!

So where is this place that you board - does it have no sand/grass rings outside or even an indoor ring?

[carrimclaren]

Originally posted by Emarmite


A girl on our yard went out on her own last night by the river bareback, no lights, no reflective gear and no hat, think she has a death wish, although her horse is very very calm and steady.


I would assume at some point she's had a lobotomy then as this must be the most brainless thing i've heard of. No offense if she's your friend but bareback riding with no hat in the pitch black is just so dangerous :(

[Peace]

Bev - I think it's good the owner will go along on foot. I was riding over the farm the other night when Boots stepped into some fence wire lying on the ground. Luckily my instructor was on foot beside me and alerted me to the situation before it became a problem. And Boots is so calm, he stood, backed up and walked forward when asked until the two of us had him untangled.:cool: But if Cathy hadn't been alongside I probably wouldn't have noticed until he was really entangled or tripped up.

Actually, it's good luck we did ride out that night. The deer had only just broken down the fence wire - we could hear them running away through the woods at our approach - so the deer vandalism ;) might not have been discovered before horses were turned out in that field the next morning.:eek: :)