“For trail riders venturing into the country less traveled, keeping a few spare pieces of string or leather in our saddlebags can be what decides if we ride or walk back to the trailhead.
MY BRIDLE BROKE WHILE I WAS TRAIL RIDING, leaving me stranded. How could I fi x it? —Sincerely, Broke Enough
Whether it’s a bridle or a cinch, broken tack is no fun and can happen to anyone. What would you do if your ride were interrupted as in this situation?
1. Keep going down the trail, your horse doesn’t need one. 2. Call the groom and have him tack up and bring the spare horse to you so that you may continue your ride.
3. Call 911 on your cell phone. 4. Fashion a new bridle out of found items in your saddlebags.
T is question was very popular at the Wilderness Skills Clinic and prompted a whole
slew of “remember whens.” Everything from incidents with broken bridles to deconstructed saddles and how these determined and resourceful riders patched together a fi x that got them home. Compare your reactions to how these experienced Back Country Horsemen responded.
1. Keep going down the trail, your horse doesn’t need one. T is is a very bad idea. Yes, we’ve all seen and were awed by the Stacy Westfall videos. Chances are you’re not Stacy Westfall and trail rides by defi nition don’t occur in an arena.
2. Call the groom and have him tack up and bring the spare horse to you so that you may continue your ride. Hmmm, OK, this may work if you’re riding to the hounds in the Cotswolds and tow your trailer with a Bentley.
3. Call 911 on your cell phone. With a lit le preparation there’s no need at all to resort to such drastic a measure. Let’s let our emergency responders stick to real emergencies.
4. Fashion a new bridle out of found items in your saddlebags. Bingo! Trail riders should be prepared and that includes keeping a few bits and pieces handy for trailside repairs. A bit of baling twine should be in every rider’s kit.
T e resounding theme is straight from the Boy Scout handbook: Be Prepared. For
trail riders venturing into the country less traveled, keeping a few spare pieces of string or leather in our saddlebags can be what decides if we ride or walk back to the trailhead. And, of course, a thorough post-ride cleaning and pre-ride checking of your tack should catch and address most of these issues before they become a problem. Just sayin’.
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