Conference noted::equitation

    
    I think of riding alone, like skiing alone, a thing not to be done.
    It's not only the wackos, but what if something happens, like you get
    thrown of the horse gets injured out on a trail? No one is there to
    help you or go get help.
    
    Mary
    

	If you plan on riding alone (which sometimes is nice to go off
	just you and your horse, especially if you've had a tough
	day), I would make sure that someone knows where you are planning
	to go and what time you expect to be back.  That way, if something
	happened, people would know where to look for you.

	At my barn in the States, we would never leave the property without
	telling someone where we were going.  These days, it's better to
	be safe than sorry!

	Here in Germany, I always see people riding alone in the fields 
	near my house - there are horses everywhere, and the crime rate
	isn't close to what it is in the States - I feel much safer living
	here.  I've never gone out on a trail ride alone here, but if I did 
	I would make sure someone knew where I was going and when I expected
	to return - just like when you were a teenager living at home!

	Janet

    I am into endurance as well, and I ride alone frequently, for basically
    the same reason as you....my mare is much quicker than most horses,
    even at a walk, and in order to condition her properly I need to go at
    my own pace, and for further distances than most of my nearby riding
    'partners' like to go. I have never run into a 'wacko', in fact I
    suspect there is far more danger from them in the city and shopping
    malls than the woods. I do carry a small spray bottle of pepper guard
    attached to one of the dee-rings on my saddle, just in case. 
    
    As far as getting injured while alone, well it can happen. I did have a
    fall once a few years ago, my mare slipped on a hidden spot of spring
    ice and went down onto her left side...and it happened so suddenly I never
     had a chance of bailing out. It tore ligaments in my left knee and 
    badly sprained my left shoulder. I was about 5 miles from home. My mare 
    was totally unhurt, I climbed back on and rode the rest of the way home.  No
    permanent damage done. The areas I ride in are not so remote that I
    could not get to a house and ask for help in a reasonably short
    distance, if neccessary. The time of my fall I could have, but I was
    concerned about getting the horse home more than my knee (which really
    did not hurt badly until the next day, as it was). I also carry a pack
    with me on longer rides, with a few first aid items...bandages/small
    scissors/hoof pick, etc. and am planning on also getting a loud whistle.
    I also NEVER go without telling someone where I will be, how long I
    expect to be gone, and do NOT change those plans. If Im home alone and
    decide to go out, I tell my neighbors, who also ride and do the same
    at times. A little common sense goes a long way, and riding alone is
    like any other sport, with risks involved.  I probably would not do so
    with a spooky or green horse, but my mare is as bomb-proof as they
    come, will freeze and stand motionless on command, and is as
    sure-footed as a billy goat...I have enormous confidence in her. The
    only time I wont go in the woods alone is hunting season, for the
    obvious safety reason, and even when I stay on the roads I have a loud
    sleigh bell attached to my saddle, a blaze hunting jacket and helmet
    cover, and stay near areas I know to be posted against hunting. For the
    most part though, I tolerate sticking to ring work for the duration.
       

There are times when I do feel I need to ride alone. I've been trying to
"unlearn" Rocky of his herd-bound tendencies on the trail, and the only
way he is going to learn to be courageous and brave at new experiences and
places is to go out on his own without the security of his pals.

Having said that, from a safety point of view, I never take Rocky far from
home on his own and on longer rides always ride with others. 

A good idea is to make sure you've got a card somewhere on you (mine is
in the lining of my helmet) with your name, address (or at least address
where your horse is kept), contact telephone number, etc. in case of
accident, etc. In thinking about this, it would probably also be a good
idea to have some sort of info card like this actually attached to the 
saddle somewhere, in case your horse gallops off into the sunset and
doesn't know his way home!

Fortunately the only time I got thrown hard enough to "lose" my horse,
we were only a few fields away from home.  

Ellen

    .4 reminded me of i.d...I do also carry identification, in the pack 
    attached to my saddle and in my own back pocket, in case of horse/rider
    seperation. 
    
    You don't need to be worried about the horse getting lost should you
    fall and he bolts, unless you have trailered to an unfamiliar area
    (which I would *not* do alone), your horse invariably knows his way 
    home. I put the id in the horse's pack in case someone tries to catch
    her thinking they are being helpful, which they are, the last thing I
    want is her running down roads loose! 
    
      

    Riding alone is sooo lonely! Why don't we plan a pleasure
    trail ride next year and we can finally all meet. Wouldn't
    that be fun? We could plan it in the southwestern NH, or 
    western Ma area, which would get a great number of us.
    Was this ever done in the notesfile before?
    
    Anyways, I always leave a note, or tell somebody where I am
    going and my ETA. My husband wants me to carry a small gun
    but I am afraid as clumsy as I am that I would shoot myself!
    
    I always ask my non-horsey husband to check for bad signs, like
    a horse that is tacked up in the yard with no rider, the sound
    of horses screaming, etc...
    
    My saddle has my name on it and I also carry my license on me.
    
    Alot depends on the horse too, they should be bomb-proof and 
    dependable. I can take my stallion anywhere alone and I feel
    safe on him. My mare on the other hand is a different story,
    when she is not busy bucking and rearing, she is spinning to
    go home.
    
    Tina

    As far as personal safety, I always wear a hard hat.  My saddle has a
    name plate on it and currently the area I ride now and where I'll be
    moving to in the future there are many people near by who are the
    horsey type and would really wonder if they saw a horse tacked up alone!
    I always try to either tell someone or leave signs at the barn
    that I'm out.  I like the ideas of good ID on the person and horse.
    
    I guess my concerns arise from all the media covering the escaped
    cop killers, the missing children and a few other cases where
    isloated woodsy areas are the scenes of crime.  I've thought about 
    a small gun, but I think if I ever had to use it - it would be used
    on me first, besides they are illegal ;^).  I like the idea of
    a loud wistle (opps, no dictionary) and the peppermace.  I also
    thought if I asked her to, my mare would probably run someone over...
    buying me a few seconds to escape.  I am also considering getting
    a large German Shephard who would be trained in protection.  Anyone
    have experiences w/ riding and dogs?
    
    I would love to host a ride when I finally move to Douglas (so soon
    I can taste it).  The state forest has miles and miles of trails
    everywhere.  And the main trails are frequented by hikers, bikers and
    riders.
    
    But the media sometimes can really get under my skin with all this
    horrible crime..... 
     
   Michele
    	

    I do have a German Shepard, not protection trained, but protective
    instinctively none the less....Id say it's probably not a good breed
    for riding with though. Mine LOVES to herd my horses, it's a real pain!
    That's not to say one couldn't be trained to behave appropriately, of
    course. It would take a lot of training though, with a loose dog you'd
    risk offending land owners, the dog chasing wild animal smells, and
    danger if you do any riding on roads where cars are a threat. 
    
    I also wonder if it would really be neccessary ? If you are mounted on
    a horse, the chance of someone actually sneaking up close enough to 
    grab you are slim, you and/or the horse would here them coming, and
    a horse can easily outrun a human, especially on unsure footing like
    loose rocks, etc. I doubt you'd be in any danger from anyone unless
    they had a gun, in which case a big dog isnt going to make the least
    bit of difference. I carry the pepper guard because it has a pretty
    good spray range (I dont remember exactly what it is), so an attacker
    can be sprayed before they are close enough to the horse to grab you if
    you are cornered or injured and cant' run, and also for instances of
    attack by loose dogs, etc. Id be terrified riding with a loaded
    gun..what if you fall and the darn thing goes off accidently?
    
    

    
    I have a clipboard, pencil and paper hanging in the barn.
    If I or someone else goes out trail riding alone, the mandatory
    rule is to leave a note, including what time you left, direction
    and approx return time.
    
    

I think I agree that being on a horse probably does lend some
safety (from personal attack), especially if your horse is 
easily revved-up! (Gee, I'd feel safer if I rode with a whip
in my boot, too) On the other hand, I would feel pretty
vulnerable alone on the trail if my horse and I separated.
Carrying the pepper spray in a pocket would at least afford 
some personal protection in that case.  

One of my trail riding friends who does go out alone told me that 
when she comes upon people in the woods, she tells them that her 
horse doesn't like people.  It just so happens that her horse CAN
tolerate people on bikes, etc, but is more likely to 'act up' in
the presence of people on foot (on trails only).  Cindi also said
that even if her horse didn't act up, she'd goad him into some
silliness, to keep people away.  I suppose I'd do that if I was
concerned about a particular person, but I also might just take
off.

I'd like to keep trail riding during hunting season (which just
started here in Massachusetts) but I'm not sure I own enough orange 
clothing!
--carrie

    Since I just ride on the dairy farm where my Susie boards, I don't have
    much worry about crazies or wild animals, etc.  I usually have a
    brigade of Sheepdogs, Setters, Bloodhounds, a French Bulldog,
    Coonhound, Stockdogs, and a Dalmation following me around.  We make
    quite a group!  They would not, however, get help for me if I got hurt,
    and if Susie and I got separated, she'd just go back to her field to
    graze.  Nobody would see her.  The idea of a loud whistle never occured
    to me.  So far we've only had one wreck.  I only got the wind knocked
    out of me, and Suz just got a little cut.  If it were worse, I would
    have laid there indefinitely.  Not much fun when you can't breathe! 
    I'm going to get one tonight.  There are some deer hunters out there
    that I never considered, either.  Hopefully Suz won't mind wearing a
    sleigh bell.

    When I ride alone or walk alone I have my dog with me.She's a 
    great barker but thats about it. I always carry a handgun when
    walking or riding. I live in a really remote section of central
    N.H. but up the road is a correctional prison,so I take no chances
    and carry a semi-auto .308. I have owned handguns for over 20 years
    and have taken many gun safety courses. With all the sh*t going on this
    world today it sounds sad to have to carry a handgun on a pleasure 
    ride/walk but the gun does you no good hanging in the closet!!
    
     Not to mention everytime I have gone into the woods I see many
    Coyoties and several black bear tracks,so it aint just Man I'm 
    worrying about.  Tina have Keith take you out behind the barn and 
    teach you how to aim that shotin iron!!!
    
                            JIMBO

    re: .7
    
    How fitting that I suggested a trail ride, and you may plan
    one when you move to Douglas which is my last name! tee hee hee
    
    re: .7
    
    I took the gun safety course which the Police offered, and guns
    are not "illegal" to carry. You DO NOT need a permit if the gun
    is in your house only. And you DO NOT need a permit if the gun
    is out of the house and is NOT loaded. But you DO need a permit 
    to "carry a loaded weapon". It is part of the constitution, the
    right to bear arms.
    
    RE: 12
    
    Don't you worry Jimbo, I can shoot circles around you any day!
    I can load my 38 Rueger blindfolded. I've shot 38's, 45's, 357's
    M-16's shotguns and rifles. But I still think when riding a horse
    that I would find a way to shoot my own leg off....
    
    t
     
                                                                     

Actually, horses are certainly a powerful deterrent to would-be wierdos!
Where Rocky used to live, in Finchampstead (Berkshire) for a few weeks last 
year there was a notorious incident of a man exposing himself to lone female 
walkers and bikers on one of the paths. 

One day (just before I was told of this man's existence) Rocky saw a donkey
alongside this path where the flasher had been seen and thus threw a
panic stricken fit all the way down the path. At the start of the path I
did notice a face popping out at the other end of the path but didn't think 
much of it until later when I was told this man was known to come out of the 
woods at the end of the path. Later that day I was approached by some people
in the area and asked if I'd seen him as he'd "flashed" a few people that
afternoon.

He must have seen Rocky's antics jumping up and down and trying to rear and
decided it was far safer to leave us a wide berth!! 

>>    I took the gun safety course which the Police offered, and guns
>>    are not "illegal" to carry. You DO NOT need a permit if the gun
>>    is in your house only. And you DO NOT need a permit if the gun
>>    is out of the house and is NOT loaded. But you DO need a permit 
>>    to "carry a loaded weapon". It is part of the constitution, the
>>    right to bear arms.
    
Heck of a rat hole but these laws all vary by state and city.

People moving from say Texas to Massachusetts have gotten themselves
into a heck of alot of trouble in MA.  (Usually doing something incredibly
stupid.)

The prison breaks in MA the last couple of days makes everyone alittle
worried but I'd bet any of us are a million times more likely to
have a traditional riding accident than be attacked by a stranger.

Bill

    I agree with Bill. I also believe that fear of coyotes and black bears
    is unwarranted. I too live in a remote area, and we have them near us.
    I see them occasionally, or rather their tail ends as they rush to get
    the heck away from us.  I have been told, and tend to agree with, that
    the only wild animal that is a danger to a horse is a moose in rutting
    season (late fall, hunting season). Coyotes and black bears are shy
    animals, and not at all easy to even get a decent look at. In fact, the
    only wild animal I have seen that did not run off was a deer...it came
    bounding across a dirt road in front of us, stopped dead and stared at
    us for a few minutes, the slowly sauntered off sniffing the ground. It
    was about 25' away, I was thrilled to get such a good look, my mare was
    extremely curious and I had to hold her back from approaching it! T'was
    cool! :-)
    
    
    
    
    

    Having lived in the "boonies" on both coasts(NH and WA states) for many 
    years now, I agree that fear of wild life is no cause to carry a gun. 
    Even in Africa with all it's large predators, there's a saying that
    with a little knowledge one can walk across the whole of Africa without
    needing a gun...at least for the animals.
    
    I've had many encounters with wild animals like coyotes and black bears. 
    As Linda said, mostly such critters take off at a run when they see/hear 
    you coming. Once in a while, a coyote will stick around out of
    curiousity and watch you for a few minutes but generally they're gone 
    the minute they know you're there. The black bears just amble off.
    
    While coyotes do occassionally kill pets(cats and small dogs) and 
    small livestock like sheep or even young calves, coyotes prey mostly on 
    small rodents like field mice, rabbits, moles etc.Believe it or not, 
    they supplement their diet with any fruit or veg that are in season. The 
    ones that live around us (in WA) eat raspberries, black berries, plums, 
    apples, tomatoes, etc ...Whatever happens to come their way...
    
    John

    Don't forget that any rabid animal will NOT run away from you.
    It could even attack.  It only takes a scratch to you or your
    horse - to contract this dreaded disease.
    
    We live in a very remote area of New Hampshire and I always have
    and always will carry a gun.  Whether it's just out to play in the
    yard (with the horses) or working in the garden.  I don't openly
    display it, it's not there as a conversation piece.  It's only for
    protection of life and property (ie: me & my horse).
    
    My horse has been trained around all our firearms.  He may flinch
    but won't freak out.  There has been more than one occasion when I
    honestly thought I was going to have to use my gun.  I am very glad
    that I didn't.  Every situation that can be handled with out use
    of a firearm should be.  If I had to use it I know I could.  You would
    too if your husband was retired from the State Police.  :-)
    
    It's one thing to know you can handle a weapon... but what will your
    horse do?  If you get thrown you have increased your risk of what ever
    it was that you were protecting yourself from.
    
    I am fortunate that I have friends that are trainers and members of the
    mounted patrol (from the state where he used to work, not NH).  And
    have made sure that both Pronto and I are as prepared as we can be.
    
    Sad - these times we live in...
    
    

    Well, I guess I have a story to tell.  And it's not about wild
    animals.  It's about my own horse, that I love, and trusted.  Well
    guess what????  While riding out on a new trail...pasture area, real
    big and beautiful... my horse decided to rear straight up on me
    and he lost control, and landed full body on mine.  Thank GOD
    my finance was with me.  Normally I always ride a lone...feeling
    good...etc.  
    
    I am recovering from a broken pelvis, etc, but the moral of the
    story, is... I believe everyone should ride with a partner, no
    matter what!!  You never know what will happen out there on the
    trails.   You never know what could spook your horse, for whatever.
    I thought I was so safe.    Hey,.... you just never know.  I was
    lucky this time I had someone with me.  
    
    Think about it....
    Jane

    re:.18
    
    The Norwegian Fjord Club puts on a Fjord bomb proofing clinic each July 4th 
    weekend in Vermont.  Horse and rider are introduced to new experiences
    to help build confidance and trust in both.  Some of the activities
    we did included handling flags, playing catch with a big ball, jump
    roping (This was real fun....we demo it every year at the Equine Expo), 
    jumping over fire and firing a gun.
    
    Well we did everything well, including jumping over fire, but the gun
    firing.....my horse stood rock still and I had the nutty.  ;^)  oh
    well....there is always next year.... 

    re: firearms.

    I didn't say one shouldn't carry a gun if it makes you
    feel safer or even for the fun of it.

    (shooting's fun, Il'l admit it).

    I just thought the conversation was getting alittle paranoid.

    Bill
    

    re: riding with dogs....
    
    both my german shepard and my friends german shepard mix ride with us. 
    The only problem I have with this is when we have todo some street
    riding, the dogs like to ride beside their horses which makes them an
    easy target for cars.  
    
    RE:  riding in Dogulas.
    
    I've done a ride in the Douglas and it's a great place to ride, and if
    I'm still here next year, I'd love to do a group ride.
    
    Caryl

    I always ride alone, my horses are at my house and there is simply no
    one around to ride with. I ride both horses almost every morning and
    there's  usually no one home, they are not easy quiet horses either and
    I've been off many times.  Some people get really upset and tell me how
    stupid that is, but the way I look at it I have only two choices, ride
    alone or don't ever ride at all. Some times I think people lose out on 
    life by letting their fears stop them from enjoying it, if I die young
    from getting hurt on a horse, thank god I didn't die old regretting all
    the things I was afraid to do.
    
    I also get really upset when people try to put fear into my kids about
    walking down the street alone (I live in a very woodsy area). I've seen 
    so many kids crippled by the fear from well meaning parents and
    neighbors that they lack any confidence and would be helpless victims if
    anything did happen, certainly not bold adventurers like my kids are. 
    There was a flasher in my driveway in the woods a couple years back,
    they handled it so well I thank god I build their confidence, not their
    fears!
    
    (off my soapbox now, ;-]
    
    Sharon

    re: pepper spray...in Massachusetts you must have an FID card to cary
    pepper spray (or gas, whatever it's called)  I have some and my son who
    in his second year of criminal justice informed me of that last
    night...I think it's time to get a card.
    
    I've never been afraid of anyone when out riding, alone or with
    someone, but I am nervous about my "insane" neighbor (read the
    neighbor notes).  He is desperately trying to stop us from buying
    additional land, of course he can't as long as we are within the zone
    laws (which we are).  He's been harrassing us for 16 months, and I now
    carry pepper spray whenever I'm out in the yard.....Don't know what
    he'll do now that he's lost the WAR!!!
    
    I guess the moral of the story is, it's not only strangers who can be
    crazy..
    
    

    
    A couple of years ago I was out on a trail ride with a friend and it
    was after we had hurricane Bob so there was alot of tree damage and
    stuff in the woods.
    
    While going over a log, which had become inhabited by bees that I did
    not know about, Joe stepped on the nest and the bees went nuts. I
    didn't realize they were bees, he just started bucking and spinning and
    going nuts. I saw the bees, as there were about 10-20 of them on my
    leg stinging me, so, we ran like crazy.
    
    If I had not been with Carolyn to get me back to the barn via routes
    she knew, I could have been in trouble, especially if I was allergic,
    which I am not, luckily.
    
    Poor Joe and I had welts all over us from bee stings.
    
    From that experience, I wouldn't go alone.
    
    Mary
    

    I haven't ridden alone on the trails in years and years.  When I
    boarded my horse in Haverhill Ma we had beautiful trails around
    Winnekinni Castle and Kenoza Lake.  They were full of people jogging,
    walking dogs, fishing and lots of activity.  Too many strange people on
    those trails and then a young boy was lured away from the pond and into
    the woods and murdered in 1992.  I was also flashed 3 times while out
    riding.  Those wierdos that just get out of their car and stand around
    naked when you walk by (twice it was the same guy and he did get caught
    by the police).  I wasn't alone when I saw the flashers because I
    probably would have had a heart attack.
    
    Karen

    
    Re: "I wasn't alone when I saw the flashers because I
        probably would have had a heart attack."
    
    Why? It seems to me that one of the best reactions a woman could have
    to flashers would be to laugh, point and say "Is *that* what you're so 
    proud of?" and then laugh even harder!

    Why not just ignore them?
    
    They don't get the reaction they're looking for (the shock,
    embarassment, etc.), you don't take any risks by throwing insults at
    them, and it's the best out of an unexpected situation.  Go back to a
    place with a phone, call the police, tell them there was a flasher at
    [name of spot] and be done with it.
    
    
    kim

    re: .27  
    
    John you are so RIGHT!  Ignoreing them lets them know they
    got to you.  But Laughing?  It's the next best thing to getting
    them arrested.  I know - I laughed at one (not trail riding but on
    the subway) and you never saw any guy change his mind about what
    he was doing!
    
    Take it from a guy - if 'he' knows it would humiliate another guy
    you gotta know if will.  :-)

    While it may be humiliating to the guy to laugh at him, it also may
    not be particularly safe for the woman....although on horseback your
    chances of getting away are darn good. Still, if the guy is sick enough
    to be exposing himself, what else is he capable of? If I were in a
    group and on horseback I may be inclined to take John's advise, but
    alone, or on foot, Id have to be more likely to play it safe, and go
    to the nearest phone and call the police. 
    
    Karen, Im glad to hear you *didn't* ride alone in that area of
    Haverhill, with all the trouble there these days Im not sure I'd go
    out there with armed guards, and I ride alone frequently!
    

That's true I have heard some police statistics that say that many of these 
"flashers" start out exposing themselves and as that gets old, they move on 
to sexual assault.  So it's good if you can report it and the police can get 
them before this happens.  I agree ignore them, don't antagonize them.

I prefer not to ride alone even when just at the barn, I would rather someone 
else was within calling distance if anything happened.

Dawn

>>    life by letting their fears stop them from enjoying it, if I die young
>>    from getting hurt on a horse, thank god I didn't die old regretting all
>>    the things I was afraid to do.
    

    The one thing your not thinking of, which is something most of
    us don't think of is being so seriously injured that you
    become a quad- or papaplegic (sorry about the spelling) at a young age.

    Bill

    >The one thing your not thinking of, which is something most of
    >us don't think of is being so seriously injured that you
    >become a quad- or papaplegic (sorry about the spelling) at a young age.
    
    If we did think of that, we never do anything...which was Sharon's point
    in the first place...Fear is what keeps people from doing things,
    enjoying life, etc.
    
    For example, Jan's father wouldn't let her ride while she was in
    college. Why? *He* was afraid that she would fall, break her right arm
    and miss a semester of school! (25 years later, she still hasn't broken
    any bones, much less her writing arm!)
    
    If I worried about possibly getting paralyzed(it's easier to spell) in
    an accident, I'd never ride, drive a car, etc.... I might not even dare
    to cross the street for fear of being knocked down by a car/truck!
    
    Anyway, that discussion isn't really about whether to ride alone or not
    but more about whether or not to ride. If I fall from a horse and break
    my back and get paralyzed, does it matter whether I'm alone or not?
    The ambulance will be a *long* time coming either way. 

    I gotta agree with John on this one, too. Lets not let paranoia set in
    here. You are no more likely to fall from a horse and break a leg or
    even get killed alone on a trail than you are doing circles around a 
    ring, jumping, or even just handling a horse around the barn. They are
    large, powerful animals, every healthy one of them, and could kill you
    easily if they set their mind to it, or accidently if you happen to be
    in the wrong place at the wrong time.  If you cannot accept that fact
    and still enjoy your hobby, you probably should find a different
    lifestyle. Use your common sense, wear a helmet whenever mounted,
    never forget the strength of your horse, and get on with enjoying 
    yourself!
     

    The police did say that no reaction was the best course of action for
    the flasher.  But I don't think that most flashers hang out on very
    isolated dirt roads that we rode on, it can't be to exciting to have to
    wait hours to flash someone!  
    
    I always rode alone as a youth because I had to ride several miles to
    my friends house to "go riding". I always really liked riding by
    myself on the trails.  Of course there are people that have
    to ride alone because they don't have anyone to ride with.  
    
    ** By the way, the flasher did get caught because he flashed the Chief
    of Police's daughter on her pony! **
    
    Karen
      

    True, not everyone would want to provoke any flasher
    by laughing.  If you see laughing as provokation - then by all means
    don't do it.  Hopefully by the time you get to a phone - the lunatic
    is still around where you saw him so the police can get him.
    
    Laughing was a reaction of mine.  Not a predetermined response by any
    means!  I was so shocked I just burst out laughing.  When I did get
    to talk with the police they figured that it worked so it was 'right'
    for this situation.  Not saying it would be for all situations.
    
    Fear of flashers hasn't really been on my mind when I ride alone...
    Until now, thank you fellow noters  :-)    It's the 2 legged "animals"
    that I worry about (not the 4 legged ones).  Guess I never thought
    about the 2 legged ones being half undressed.  Even the thought makes
    me laugh a little...  Probably just my reactions to 'stress' - 
    
    Hmmm, maybe I've been in software support to long...  ;-}

This is going to sound a little extreme but, I live in a fairly rural section
of central Massachusetts - 80,000 acres of MDC watershed and state forests. The
riding can't get much better - but I don't know anyone yet to go riding with yet.

So I ride alone alot. When at home - I bring my cordless phone out to the ring
where I can crawl to it if I fall off and get hurt (obviously loss of 
conciousness would be a problem ;-) When on the trails - I bring a portable 
cellular, throw it in my packpack (I use it my car and other places too - 
just as a safety thing). Anyway it's really light and makes me feel better :-)


I'd rather be riding with others though, that is the safest and most fun...