Do you ride on your own? Safety

[Blanket]

My OH thinks it's completely bonkers that I ride/school with no one else around. At the time that I ride (mornings) there is seldom anyone at the yard, although my YO is usually kicking about somewhere and he thinks it's reckless.
I honestly hadn't really thought about it but it's not something that worries me.
What do you do?

 

[Jnhuk]

I would never get to ride if I did that..... if going XC schooling I take someone with me and never jump without someone being about but otherwise not a problem

 

[_Rach_]

I school by myself during the winter in the dark-with light of course. I hack on my own at weekend and can go for hours at a time for miles. It's never really bothered me. I did part company with twizzy once out hacking. I rang the yard owner and they came to rescue me from the field and my horse was caught at the local tea room :/ did take a few months for me to ride down there on my own again.

 

[Sprig]

Yes, always ride on my own. mainly hacking. I take my phone with me which has my husbands number on as ICE (in case of emergency). I also have a dog tag attached to the saddle with my phone number and address in case I part company with the horse. I also always wear high viz - will make me easier to find if I am lying in a heap somewhere! I think it is just a case of being sensible and not doing anything too risky. Also a good idea to let somebody know when to expect you back if you can.

 

[JennyNZ]

LOl - I went through this with my family several years ago when I was starting to get out on a young horse and I ride after work during the week. They wanted me to carry a cell phone (I still don't own one).

I did have to point out that there was no coverage in the area I rode at that time and the phone might not survive the fall anyway. I won that round - but agreed to phone my parents when I got home and if they didn't hear from me by 8 pm, call out the rescue squad. Not that that ever happened.

I ride on my own - always have and always will. I actually prefer training on my own and I love that time I spend just with my horses.

Accidents will happen of course, but if we thought about that too much, we'd never get out of bed.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Usually ride alone, its just not practical to have someone around all the time. Have a mobile in my pocket though.

 

[monkeybum13]

The majority of the time I ride I school/hack without anyone around, I don't jump on my own though.

 

[Nicnac]

Yes all the time - if I didn't, horse wouldn't get ridden much. Mini-me also works long hours and she's a sparrow whereas I'm an owl so she'll ride in the mornings at some ungodly hour and I'll ride around 7pm or later and finish off the yard.

We have about 20 foot between house and stables though so usually somebody at home when we ride. I'll hack alone if I have to but as I refuse to ride on the roads, it's quite remote where I box to so not ideal to be alone.

I wouldn't jump if I were on my own nowadays although I did use to.

 

[monkeymad]

I rent a small yard just for myself so am always on my own. If I am going to school round a local field with xc fences in I do phone a 'horsey' friend and tell her if she haven't heard from me by a certain time to tell her I've finished, to start to worry!! I always carry a mobile phone when hacking and to be honest don't even think about it, let alone worry - until I read a thread like this........!!

 

[Blanket]

Well, someone always knows where I am and what time I'm due back but I'm glad it's just his paranoia I actually rather like having the yard to myself.

 

[Nannon]

Nearly all the time, horses are at home and parents both work silly hours - they generally know what days ill be riding though and my phone is basically attached to my hand anyway! was only thinking this the other day, if I ever managed to hurt myself wether riding or not how long it would be before someone found me or I managed to get hold of anyone - quite scary when you start thinking about it!

 

[WellyBaggins]

I work on a small yard, in rural shropshire and am sole charge 4 days a week so yep I ride on my own, sometimes strange horses too, there is no other way

 

[Polotash]

I school on my own all the time, and hack out the older ones alone. If I'm hacking out a baby I ask my OH to walk with me, or else I ride in company.

I never jump alone...

 

[Leg_end]

School and hack on my own regularly. I have my phone on me at all times but there is nothing better than hacking alone, sorting my head out

 

[Firewell]

I'm always riding on my own, I hack, school and jump on my own and I pop the odd fence out hacking on my own as well. I also ride with company/help as well, often my mum as we like riding together as we can have a good natter. It just depends.
Tbh if we overthought how dangerous life is we wouldn't do anything.

 

[Lanky Loll]

I hack on my own quite happily carrying a mobile, and would usually do flat work but not jump at home on my own (not least because at 17hh getting on and off Loll to alter fences is a pain in the a*se).

BUT the one time I came off schooling this summer when madam got a bit of a strop on and put in a must unlike her bronk and spin taking me by surprise...
I was on my own, my OH was away, my parents (where Loll is kept) were away, my brother who has his horses on the yard as well was unaware of my folks being away so wasn't intending on coming down the yard as he was working late and I wasn't carrying my phone - all of which wizzed through my head as I flew through the air and ducked to avoid being kicked as I hit the deck IF I had been knocked out or damaged myself I could have quite easily been in the middle of the field until the next morning.
That made me stop and think a bit!

 

[wench]

If I had ever waiting until there was someone about, I would have never ridden.

 

[Jess Hoss]

I usually give my O.H a rough idea of where I am going, always have hi viz on horse & me, & always carry phone. Never had any probs !

 

[sammiea]

I have my horses on my in laws farm, they are all non horsey and they menage and stables can not be seen from the house. I try to avoid riding my boy without someone being around as he can be unpredictable and sharp but working with my family just down the road from the horses this is usually ok as I'll nab my mum to come with me and she will do waters or tidy my yard whilst i ride (she likes the horses but from a distance lol so those jobs she loves!) so combined with those days and lunging days & days off he can be worked nearly every day. All this siad i came off him one day when my brother & father in law were about but dispite me screaming no body came to see if i was ok, hence now why i actually make sure someone is with me.
My mare I will happily ride with no one else about.
I hate hacking on my own so try to avoid like the plague maybe once or twice a year!
When on a livery yard schooling never bothered me on my own as i knew someone would eventually turn up but at the farm that wouldnt happen!

 

[jess_asterix]

I ride on my own the majority of the time.

When schooling there does tend to be someone in the house, but not watching me although if I didn't reappear after a while I'm sure they would come looking.

I also hack on my own lots, if someone is at home I always tell them where I am going and I always carry my mobile with me.

I don't jump on my own, one because I can't be bothered to get off and change fences and because mom doesn't like it. I also don't go XC on my own as I like to have someone on the ground or at least on another horse just in case.

 

[Squeak]

It depends what horse I was riding... If I knew and trusted it then no problem but if there wasn't going to be anyone around until late at night I would text someone before I get on and then when I get off. If it was one of the quirky ones then no I wouldnt, far far too dangerous. I also wont hack alone... I had one horse that was a saint and I hacked him by myself when I was desperate apart from that I have sadly known some horrific accidents when people were hacking alone and unfortunately would probably have been avoided if they hadn't been alone... I am spoilt though in that I nearly always have some one to hack with.

 

[Jemima_P]

I work on a small yard, we would never ride if we had to wait for people to be with us. Luckily there is almost always someone on the yard or not far away. Saying that, the schools are quite a distance from the yard and can't be seen from there, so if something did happen I'm not sure they'd notice for quite a while anyway!

 

[Jesstickle]

I ride my 4yo on my own, hack alone early doors etc. I'd never get out otherwise.

I've been riding her alone since about the fifth time she was sat on.

In the mornings someone would find me by about ten ( I ride before seven) though or work would wonder where I was and call OH.

 

[nikkimariet]

Yep, otherwise I'd never ride!

If hacking I always take my phone and tell someone where I'm going and how long I'll be gone.

 

[ironhorse]

I have a 4yo that is kept on a training yard and they are often away or out at the times that I'm able to ride. Until recently I would leave riding him til late afternoon when I knew that the grooms would be around within the hour and be able to get help if anything happened. Now I don't worry so much if I'm schooling.
I hack him on my own, but only if there are people on the yard and they know where I'm going.
Sorry, but I think it's irresponsible to ride when you have absolutley no chance of being found quickly enough to prevent injuries becoming more serious or even fatal if something happens. I also would hate the thought of my youngster running about the countryside and possibly getting onto a main road if I got injured. If you have to ride alone, make sure someone knows where you are and what time you are likely to be finished.

 

[JenTaz]

I much prefer riding on my own, dont get me wrong enjoy hacking with others but theres nothing better than going out for a nice chilled hack just me and taz, wont do it where i am for uni as its all road work and he can be unpredictable in traffic, but will happily school and jump on my own, as its an indoor arena so he cant get out and he's pretty sane

 

[MandyMoo]

I usually school at the crack of dawn on my own before the staff get to the yard. the YO is usually knocking about somewhere though (he lives on the yard) - and I always hack on my own, its never really bothered me - I always have a phone on me though

 

[Lolo]

Hacking we always have a phone, and mum knows the vague outline of where we're going but yes, both Al and I go hacking (and riding and leading usually!) alone.

Al schools on her own, but isn't allowed to jump on her own- the paddock is a 2 minute walk from the stables and there's usually someone who can come and do poles. I think it's sensible tbh- she has to plan carefully about when she jumps them, sure, but the field is off the road and out of sight. If she fell off and was seriously injured, no one would know for a fair while.

She is lucky though, in that her jobs are all part time and she can ride during the day!

 

[MegaBeast]

Generally ride alone as work long hours so am either at the yard uper early or at stupid o'clock in the evening. Always have my phone on me though even in the arena as you never know whatr might happen and generally someone would know if I either didn't show up in work at 8:30am or didn't make it home by about 9pm!