Fall riding is fabulous! Fall carriage driving is fabulous! I hope all you horsey folks are getting out there and enjoying this wonderful weather.
I had serious doubts when the recent massive snowfall occurred – my horses were not impressed as they slogged through the heavy, wet mess while green leaves peaked out from under the white blanket. Being still shackled to my walker, I was unable to get outside and help them out. My husband waded through 16 inches of the white stuff to ensure all the horses had proper feed and water, although I think I heard him mutter something like, “Be glad when you can do your own horse chores again.”
But that is behind us – crunchy leaf covered trails beckon! This is a wonderful time of year to get out and enjoy riding or driving in excellent conditions – cool temperatures, little or no bugs, colourful landscapes and generally lower levels of water in water crossings.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when heading in to the backcountry trails at this time of year. You are sharing the backcountry with lots of other critters that you may or may not see but you still should be aware of them. Bears are actively seeking food to stock up for the upcoming winter, so take care that you don’t ‘sneak up’ on them feeding. Having a conversation with other riders or your horse will let the forest creatures know you are coming and prevent uninvited encounters.
Watch your footing. The fallen leaves may be covering trail hazards (sharp rocks etc.) so pay particular attention if you are travelling on trails you are not familiar with.
Be respectful of the large hoofed animals in the territory – this is the start of the rut (breeding season) for deer, moose and elk. The males are “looking for love” and you do not want to get between them and the objects of their affection. Generally, they will ignore riders/drivers, but it doesn’t hurt to give them lots of notice that you are in the area (most times you will not even see them).
One of my wilder rides was out riding in the fall by myself (not particularly a good idea) on a spirited Arabian on a lovely, wide, leaf covered trail in the backcountry. A very large moose had been taking a snooze in the shrubs next to the trail. As we approached his location, we inadvertently startled him and he jumped to his feet – my poor little Arab gelding almost jumped out of his skin, executed a rapid 180 degree turn and off we went! It took some time to get him back under control, but the shortest way home was going back past the moose nap location. We did manage to do that but there was some fancy footwork going on by one snorting gelding – the moose was nowhere to be seen.
So get on out and enjoy this fabulous weather.
