Last Trail Ride For The Year

[AUEquine]

:( bummmed!!!

Yesterday was Fiddler's and My last trail ride for the year. Today officially opens hunting season (bow season). And since Fiddler lives in Redneck/Moronville I do not dare enter the trails durring hunting season. It's kinda mixed emotions, I'm a hunter so I do of course enjoy hunting season, I just wish our farm included more of it's own trails. Most of our trails are through the neighbors hunting land. And since there is aparently a 'right to hunt' dispute going on with most of it... I'm staying far far away from it!
It really bums me out though because just monday I found some awsome new trails! I finally taught Fiddler to cross the big scary ditch and beyond it is miles and miles of wide clear trails! We can walk/trot/canter up and down the power lines. I even found the back way over to the high school (not that I care about the school, but next to it is a new riding ring somone is building... yay, hope their nice and generous!).
Fiddler has just been so amazing these last few days. Ever since we came back from the show it's like he thinks he's a "big boy." Like that little kid that wants to do everything by himself! He does everything I ask, even the really scary stuff. Like yesterday when we made our way to the High School the road we took there was really rough and I could tell it hurt his feet, so I decided we were better just to walk back on the paved main road. Well this involved going through a little one lane construction area where they're building a new bridge! He didn't bat an eye! Big cranes, scary generators, crashing steel on steel, nothing phased him. Cars came flying by us(morons) and he just kept plodding along like they were nothing. When I used to lead him by the road as a yearling he'd rear up everytime a car drove by!

So sorry for the random thread, I'm just bummed by the ending of trails, and wanted to brag on how great my baby's doing! So if anyone's got their own private trails and wants a visitor, or wants to meet somewhere safe... I'm game!!!

[mandisue]

Why can't you ride on Sunday? No hunters out then, and if you're still worried you could put orange on him! I put orange reflective tape around suseys neck and tail on the first day of buck season b/c people go crazy around here....
( and we have our own land and I"m still cautious, tell you anything??? ) We were hunting in our hollow last year and i looked up to see a guy in orange with a gun standing above me on the hill, on OUR ground. Needless to say hubby chased him off while I pretended not to hear what words they were using...:eek:

[gabhainn]

Why can't you ride on Sunday? ...:eek: Um in the south hunting is a 7 day a week deal, I heard that yankees couldnt hunt on sunday;) I guess now I know its true, wow strange. I work most saturdays If I couldnt hunt on sundays I dont know when i'd go...Kevin

[AppyLady]

Sounds like Fiddler is doing great! He's turning out to be quite a trail horse. We still ride during hunting season. Care to haul to Colorado?!

[mandisue]

Um in the south hunting is a 7 day a week deal, I heard that yankees couldnt hunt on sunday;) I guess now I know its true, wow strange. I work most saturdays If I couldnt hunt on sundays I dont know when i'd go...Kevin


Darn Southerners......lol. Just Joking, my gramma comes from ALABAMA and I grew up at her house, I still slip up and say Ya'll once in a while......lol. But nopes we're not allowed Hunting on Sunday!!!

[carla]

Why can't you ride on Sunday?

Woah, this threw me off for a second, too. I thought, "waaahh??! How did I not know that??" I got a little glimmer of hope for a second, though. :o

Thanks, gabhainn, for setting us straight.

[Ranger44]

No hunting on Sunday is not a northern thing. At least here in MN we hunt on Sundays. I have a friend that used to live in PA and he mentioned that too! Is it just PA or northeast thing?

[vicklynn]

Must depend on where you live. Not north or south.

Bummer on the last ride, but remember, there is alll those rides awaiting you next yr:cowboy:

[mandisue]

Yes as unbelievable it is, must just be a pa thing, no hunting on sundays, before 530 in the morning ( or daylight either way) and none after dark!

[WashingtonBay]

I'm afraid we've been on our last trail ride of the year too... our trails close at the end of the month and I'm not sure we'll get to go between now and then.

No hunting on Sunday in PA? Wow - That sounds like a law written by wives :D We don't have that rule here, and I think there would be considerable protest from hunters if they tried.

[cloedoll]

Awe, that is a bummer. =/ However, just think how awesome it'll be when hunting season is over. ^_^ Congrats on Fiddler, he sounds like he's behaving himself perfectly. =)

[AppyLady]

I'd never heard of the no-hunting-on-Sunday thing. We don't have that rule in Colorado.

[Gypsy Rose]

Glad Fiddler's doing great!

Where I live, I have to ride in the ditch- no bow hunters there! There aren't too many that hunt in my immediate area, anyway.

Firearms season is another story. Althought the neighbors don't hunt near my house anymore, you never know what kind of crazies are running around that will shoot at anything large that moves. It's not as bad as it used to be, but just the same, I stay in the yard or arena and wear my orange. If anything, weekends are busiest for the hunters up here- we get a lot of people from the southern part of the state.

[AUEquine]

wow... I've never heard about the no hunting on sunday rule in places! Wish we could have a no hunting on Tuesday's rule or something!

Even with orange I'm not that brave! Like I said Fiddler's barn is out in the sticks... these are the type of people that hear a russle in the bushes and just shot towards it. And I'm not taking any chances!

[Equine_Woman]

I feel for you!!!!!! We are lucky and have land that isn't completely hunted to ride on. There are areas that we are supposed to stay away from but not all of it!! In fact one year I came back on one of the trails in the hunting area during Turkey season and all these things kept spooking my horse and I realized it was hunters. One was on hands and knees creeping along in the high grass. Felt pretty bad for scaring away the turkeys. . but he didn't seem angry to see me. . . Hang in there, hunting season won't last forever!

[luv2show]

Awe, that sucks!

Do you guys ride at all in the winter?

[Tatesgram]

Even with orange I'm not that brave! Like I said Fiddler's barn is out in the sticks... these are the type of people that hear a russle in the bushes and just shot towards it. And I'm not taking any chances!

Our property used to be someones hunting ground. And it took a long time, and several houses being built, for them to figure out they shouldn't be shooting everything that moves. Or for that matter, standing still. I had a tractor tire shot and one of my out buildings. Thankfully it was before I got my horses. I have persimmon trees and the deer love 'em.

We still hear shots quite regularly and I have to go check on everybody. The deer will sometimes graze in our pastures or be around the persimmon trees, so it scares me when I hear them.

[rather-b-riding]

No hunting on Sundays here in Jersey either! I still ride during the week too, Just make lots of noise and let the hunters know I'm there (also scare the deer away I guess...sorry)

[FoxFireEMT]

Um in the south hunting is a 7 day a week deal, I heard that yankees couldnt hunt on sunday;) I guess now I know its true, wow strange. I work most saturdays If I couldnt hunt on sundays I dont know when i'd go...Kevin


NO kidding! I didn't know that. I was going to say the same thing! Ahhhhh open mouth insert foot! Learn something new every day! Pssst don't tell my BF that, he'll be moving me down South! LOL.

[FoxFireEMT]

No hunting on Sunday is not a northern thing. At least here in MN we hunt on Sundays. I have a friend that used to live in PA and he mentioned that too! Is it just PA or northeast thing?


NOPE NO HUNTING IN DE EITHER ON SUNDAYS! They can only hunt 1/2 hr before sunrise and anything between 1/2 hr after sunset Monday through Saturday. We still have our Sundays & we have a lot of "unhunted" land. State Game lands are fair game~ MUST STAY OFF THOSE except 4 Sundays!

[AUEquine]

Awe, that sucks!

Do you guys ride at all in the winter?


Oh yeah, we can ride all winter long! It may snow one day durring the year and it's rarely more than a dusting! It's kinda like the summer, there's a few days it's just a bit too cold to ride, but for the most part we ride the whole time.


Good news!!! I found a place I can go do some trail riding during the winter! There's a local barn here that has a trail obstacle course! They also have arenas and cows you can practice on! I'm stoked! They'er having a big Jodi Cunningham clinic this weekend and a Ranch horse trail challenge, and they've invited me to come watch and check it out! Hope it works out!

[Country Girl 43]

Well that just bites! Sorry to hear that.
We are all gearing up for our riding season.
We hybernate in the summer and come out to play in Winter.

[Syble413]

So glad you found a place to ride! I was going to suggest riding in a state park. There is no hunting allowed at all in state parks so you & Fiddler would be safe there. :)

Another idea would be to go on an organized trail ride like a poker ride or something. There's no way a hunter can mistake a group of 50 or more horses & riders for deer....

[barngal]

I have worked since spring on new trails on our property. We don't have a lot of property but it's a nice little ride without loading and going somewhere. There is a big creek to cross, but that has not been an issue this summer. We do have hunters by permission and they are supposed to call and let us know when they will be there. So far it has worked but we are always careful and quite loud. My DH often goes riding on the ATV since we don't have another horse he can ride.

Not sure what the hunting rules are around here but the ole boys don't really care most of the time!

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

Yep, I am bummed too. We just found our trails and got to go out a few times and now the hunting season begins. I had some hope going on their for a minute about the no hunting on Sunday.:( I'll ride them in the cold tho...once the hunting season is over. As long as it is not icy.


Glad to hear that your poneh is doing so good. That 's pretty cool about all the construction work gong on and him being so good. Be careful on the roads!;)

[AUEquine]

So glad you found a place to ride! I was going to suggest riding in a state park. There is no hunting allowed at all in state parks so you & Fiddler would be safe there. :)

Another idea would be to go on an organized trail ride like a poker ride or something. There's no way a hunter can mistake a group of 50 or more horses & riders for deer....

We have a great national forest just down the road... unfortunatly national forest means hunting's allowed (and this is where the really really stupid crazy people hunt)!
We also have a state park, but they don't allow horses... total bummer!

Organized trail ride... hmmm.... sounds like we need to have another one... hint hint!!!!

[Syble413]

I'm game for another ride as long as someone else does the organizing.:cool:

That's a bummer about the state park near you. There are only a few in GA that have horse trails. We all need a safe place to ride during hunting season.......especially those of us with sorrell horses.

[lovesfortune]

I don't like riding much during hunting season either. Even if it's on our land and I am wearing orange. You just never know who is on the land next to us and what they are looking at. :( Any the hunting on Sundays thing... in WI it's a 7 day a week thing. My hubby would be pretty mad if it was a no sunday thing, but I would be happy! ;)

[zoel_222]

I ride all winter long too. We go on private land so there's no hunting allowed up there. Sometimes the owner does hunt, but his daughter rides with me so he always calls first so no one gets shot.