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Author Message
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 6:10 pm:

When you are riding ALWAYS carry your cell phone ON YOUR PERSON, as well as always wear your helmet. And, tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back.

I lost a good friend last week because she didn't have a cell phone, and she was riding alone, in rugged country on a green horse. No one knows for sure what happened; her horse came to the barn without her. She was found about half mile from home. She had a broken femur and very scuffed boots. The sheriff felt that something startled the horse ( she lived where there are a lot of mountain lions, cattle etc.) She went off hard enough that it knocked her helmet off, but head trauma isn't what killed her. Maybe the horse fell over on her; we don't know. She evidently either crawled, or hung on to the stirrup and got the horse to drag her. Either way, she tried hard to save herself but couldn't even though she got within a few hundred yards of the barn. IF she had been carrying a cell phone in a fanny pack, pocket or one of those boot clips, she could have stayed where she was and waited for help, and most likely would be alive today. PLEASE take your phone with you when you ride!
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 6:32 pm:

Oh my, Sara.

I am so sorry to hear this sad news and you have my sincere sympathy in the loss of your friend.

Thank you for sharing the story so that others may take proper precautions.
Member:
jolie

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 6:39 pm:

Sara, my deepest sympathies to you and her other friends and family. One never knows what tomorrow will bring for us. Thanks for reminding everyone about cell phones. Wish there was more we at HA could do for you.

Jolie
Member:
dres

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 6:40 pm:

Holly cow... that is horrid.. I am so sorry for your friends family and friends...I even ride with the cell phone in my backyard.. just seems smart to do so ..

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 8:49 pm:

Oh Sara! I am so sorry.

I don't always take my cell phone in the winter just to do chores but have been trying to remember to cuz with the cold weather and being alone, if something happens just throwing down hay or whatever...

I have an old belt that is the braided style with infinite adjustments. I use a digital camera case to carry my cell, and a small pocket knife. I can wear that combo with or without belt loops.

That is just for when I do anything in the yard with horses. Leaving the yard I add a fanny pack with extra reins, whistle, first aid supplies, bug spray.

(((Sara))) thanks for sharing a painful story to remind us the importance of safety.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 8:59 pm:

My condolences Sarah,
If riding alone, I would also put is a word for letting folks no where you are going when you will be back and ask they check in with you. I have lost 1 acquaintance, 1 friend, and 1 close friend to horse accidents. None of these would have been helped with a phone as their injuries were acute and severe. But I have two other friends that laid along a trail for hours longer than necessary because no one expected them back at a particular time.
DrO
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 9:22 pm:

Thank you all. I also have a friend, Dr O., whose life was saved because the friend she was riding with had a cell phone. An endurance rider, she was on a very experienced horse, ranked #5 in the nation. Marking trail after a heavy rain, the horse stepped on a loose rock and summersaulted
Rolling over my friend.

We don't often think about it, but there are a lot of risks with our sport. Often, I think, we feel we are experienced, only going a little way, our horse is trustworthy, etc. And nothing can happen.

I have gotten so, like Ann, I carry my phone even when I go out to feed and check water. Not just for my sake, but if a horse is injured or sick, I don't want to leave it to make a phone call, or two or three.
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 1, 2011 - 9:49 pm:

Thank you Sara for the safety reminder. I have gotten lax about carrying my cell. After reading your post, I slipped it in my pocket when I went out to feed in this blizzard. So sorry to hear about your friend.
Member:
canter

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 2, 2011 - 7:10 am:

I am so sorry, Sara, for the loss of your friend. We had an incident here a couple of years back. A teenager took her horse out for a summer evening ride...only the horse came back. By the time they found the young girl in the dark, she had died. From what I heard, her injuries were not immedietely fatal. If she had had a phone with her to call for help, her life may have been saved.

I think we are all guilty of being complacent around our horses at times. Sara, your message reminds us that we should always be diligent. Thank you.
Member:
briggai

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 2, 2011 - 8:33 am:

Sara,So very sorry!
My thoughts and prayers go out to you and the families!
gailb
Member:
lilo

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 2, 2011 - 12:01 pm:

Sara, My condolences to you and your friend's family. Thanks for the reminder to keep the cell phone with us at all times. I used to stick it in my saddle bag - but that is no help at all if your horse runs away or you can not get to it because you can't stand up. My favorite jacket for riding has a special pocket for a cell phone.

Unfortunately - a lot of the trails we ride on are along the creek bed, and there is no cell phone coverage. The other safety measure is to always ride with a friend. I know this is not always possible - but I try hard to "buddy" up. When that is not possible, I often ride in my own pasture, using it as an arena of sorts. At least I am within sight of my house. Even then I have my cell phone on me. I might need a better one - even from my barn and corrals it have spots where there is no reception.

So sad to hear all these stories.

Take care,
Lilo
Member:
zarr

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 2, 2011 - 8:43 pm:

Sara, so sorry for your friend and her family.I'm terrible at carrying a phone but since I'm no longer steady on my feet I try too.This is a good warning for everyone!
Member:
paardex

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 2, 2011 - 10:02 pm:

Sara, I was getting lax in carrying my phone. I was getting careless with Mickey[him being such a good old boy] but that's stupid, I will once again glue the phone to my pants. Horrible accidents happen even with experienced and careful people, you never know if precautions would have helped but taking them is the least we can do remembering friends who were unlucky.
I am so very sorry this happened
Jos
Member:
jowidner

Posted on Thursday, Feb 3, 2011 - 12:01 am:

Oh! I'm so sorry for your loss Sara. What a terrible tragedy. And a very strong reminder to always have one's cell phone at hand.

I worry about my husband a lot when he heads out solo on his bicycle. We're both pretty cautious people, and so he always carries ID and his phone. He leaves me a map of his route, the time he left home, and when he expects to be back.

Now that he has a smart phone with a GPS locator, he leaves a map up on the computer so that I can track his location along his route. This wouldn't help in remote areas without a signal, but on local rides its very comforting to me to know that I can find him as long as his phone is signaling.

Again, so sorry about your friend.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Feb 3, 2011 - 1:11 am:

Jo Ann, does your husband wear one of those ID bands on his wrist or leg? They are made especially for bicyclists. I forget what they are called. I've often thought they would be a good idea for trail riders also. EMTs are trained to look for them and they list ID plus emergency contact info.

I used to follow my husband on Lattitudes, but he has now found a program that is more accurate. Wish he was here so I could ask him the name - sorry I'm so forgetfull. As long as you have a phone with GPS you can pinpoint someone within a few feet of where they are. Again, something that can be adapted to trail riding.
Member:
jowidner

Posted on Thursday, Feb 3, 2011 - 9:48 am:

I think those are called Road ID. No, he just carries his driver's license. Probably would be a good idea to get a road ID as well. Yes, all these would be good for trail riders, hikers, cyclists, and in short, anyone out by themselves or even with others who may know who you are, but would not know all of your emergency info in case you were unable to communicate for yourself.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Feb 3, 2011 - 12:22 pm:

Yes, Road ID it is.

The tracking program we use is GPS Tracker, a free app for all smart phones and the app for the computer is Instamapper, also free. The downside is that it uses up your battery really fast; and after a couple of hours your phone will need charging again. My brother has a great GPS he uses on his snow mobile, but imo they are expensive and not worth it unless you spend a lot of time riding by yourself. I think that , like Dr. O suggested, letting someone know where you are going and approx. when you'll be back works unless you are riding in rugged terrain or long distances.

Of course, we can't be 100% safe no matter what; but then, we aren't in day to day life either. Often the most dangerous part of our day is in our cars driving to the barn (if we board) or to the feed store!
Member:
imogen

Posted on Thursday, Feb 3, 2011 - 1:32 pm:

Hi everyone. I concur with what Dr O says about always letting people know when to expect you back. I live in an area with really bad cell coverage so I don't usually bother with the phone... but I do try to be sure someone will miss me if there is a problem.
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