October 2026 Issue

Pennsylvania Equine Council Newsletter • OCTOBER 2026 Power URBAN TRAIL RIDING: UNUSUAL ENCOUNTERS Submitted by Nancy Peter Trail Riding inThe Wissahickon I have been horseback riding since I was 11 years old. And for the past 40+ years, I’ve mostly ridden near my home in Northwest Philadelphia, inThe Wissahickon Park. The Wissahickon is located within Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park - one of the largest urban parks in the country. The Wissahickon is a lush, 1,800-acre gorge that crosses forests and meadows before plunging into the Wissahickon Creek. It includes over 50 miles of trails as well as “Forbidden Drive,” a wide gravel road ideal for riders and carriages. In the August issue of the Pennsylvania Equine Council’s “Horsepower,” I included some of my favorite urban trail riding tips. Back by popular demand, this article describes some of our most unusual encounters. The Wonderful World of Weather Whether you are in an urban or rural environment, footing is one of the most important considerations when trail riding. And each season in Philadelphia brings a different type of challenge. The spring and fall can be muddy and slippery, the dry summer trails can be rock-hard and unforgiving, and the winter footing is all about ice, snow, and what is under the ice and snow. Then there is precipitation: a gentle sprinkle, a torrential downpour, thunder and lightning, strong winds, and even hail. Add to the mix when the weather report leaving the barn is different than the weather while riding. The following are some of my unique weather-related urban horseback riding adventures. Rain - Years ago, my friend Lisa and I left the barn when a light rain began to fall. But by the time we arrived at the Valley Green Inn, about 45 minutes away, it was raining crazy hard and accompanied by thunder and lightning. We stood under the warming sheds for about 15 minutes but it kept raining harder and harder. So we took several deep breaths and decided to ride home in the downpour. The horses were really wonderful but it was not the most relaxing ride. When we got back to the barn, I couldn’t get my boots off because the water had created too much suction. When someone finally pulled them off, I poured 2 cups of water out of each one. Snow and Hail - I often ride with my friend Sarah and her fiery Arabian Klu. Letty (my horse) and Klu get along famously, although they look like Mutt and Jeff; Klu is small and delicate as a fawn, while my draft-cross is built like an 18-wheeler. They are both wonderful trail horses and open to any adventure. One time we rode just after a snow storm when we saw absolutely no one in the park. One of my favorite photos is attached. Another time, we left the barn under clear skies and suddenly found ourselves in a hail storm. Sarah said, “I did NOT order hail,” and the hail stopped. Evil Snowman - And this winter we were riding down the snowy Drive when we encountered a snowman in the middle of the road. A snowman! Klu and Teddy (a third horse) snorted, backed up, and said “Nope!” Sarah asked me and Letty to walk by the scary snowman, to demonstrate it was not dangerous. Letty did just that. Then Sarah asked us to ride back and get even closer. Letty went back around, looked at the snowman, and ate one of its stick arms. After that, all the horses walked by the snowman until it eventually melted into a sorrowful heap. Water Horses - The Wissahickon Creek stretches along the entire length of Forbidden Drive. In the hot Philadelphia summer, there are many places for riders to wade in and cool down. Some of the horses (like Letty) love sloshing into the creek and splashing around. Others would prefer to watch from the shore. But because the Wissahickon is an urban park, we must be mindful before taking a dip. From the spring through the fall, fishermen and women occupy the length of the creek - and no one wants their horse tangled in a fishing line. In addition, people often bring their dogs to the creek to swim, play fetch, and roll on the sandy shore. And although swimming is forbidden in Fairmount Park waterways, many children and adults swim in the creek and frequently bring lawn chairs, inner tubes, and inflatable rafts. So although wading in the creek is super fun, we always pay attention to our surroundings and proceed with caution. Funny Friends - Finally, these are two of my favorite weather-related exchanges with riding buddies. • Marti and I were riding in a gentle rain. I asked her how far she wanted to go. Marti replied, “Until I’m half as wet as I want to be.” • Andrea was concerned about riding in the strong wind. I said “I spit in the wind!” Andrea answered, “Then you must get wet.” A Bevy of Beasts (thank you, Gerald Durall) Regardless of whether you’re trail riding in the pristine Pocono Mountains or in Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Park, you encounter all sorts of animals. Our bird sightings range from bald eagles and piliated woodpeckers to belted kingfishers (my favorite bird). Reptiles include all types of turtles and even more snake species. We occasionally see frogs and toads on the trails and in and around the creek, and the fish species are numerous. But today, I am going to focus on mammals. Deer - We see white-tailed deer year-round. Some people think that the deer are less frightened of people on horseback than people not on horseback, because the 4-legged horses seem less alien. Others think the jingle-jangle of bridles, saddles, and stirrups (and chatty riders) are more frightening to the deer. Given how often the stags, does, and fawns stand still and stare at us, I believe the former. Raccoons and Opossums - Raccoons are another indigenous mammal that we see infrequently. One time Letty, Klu, Sarah and I saw three baby raccoons slowly climbing a tree, one at a time. The horses were just as interested in their progress as we were. Yet another time Letty saw an adult raccoon scurrying up a fallen log, and you would have thought she’d seen a dinosaur. She huffed and puffed like an agitated bull and would not budge. I dismounted and returned to the barn (“Live to ride another day.”). For several days afterwards, Letty would not pass that evil log without a great deal of persuasion. And I cannot omit our opossum encounter. We turned a corner to see a large opossum sitting by the edge of the trail. Sarah dismounted and used her boot to nudge the opossum back into the meadow. By the time she got back on Klu, the opossum was crawling back into the trail. This repeated itself a few times until the opossum finally remained in the tall grass and the horses decided it was safe to proceed. Cows - Although we are in the city, one of our trails passes below a cow pasture managed by Saul High School. The first time our horses saw cows meandering overhead they panicked and tried to head back to the barn. They eventually stopped being scared of the cows. We recently rode beneath the herd and one black and white cow stood staring down at us. Since Letty is a black and white paint, Sarah decided the cow was thinking, “Bessie, is that you?” Flying Squirrels - But our best wildlife adventure was when we were approached by a man clothed head to foot in camouflage colors. Once we realized that he was not a walking shrub, we saw he was carrying a small Have-a-Heart cage. I asked what was in it and he replied, “I’m releasing a flying squirrel we found in our attic. Do you want to watch?” I said “Yes!” at the same time Sarah said “No!” (remember: she rides an Arabian). Sarah finally agreed to watch as the man opened the cage and nudged the tiny creature to emerge. The flying squirrel eventually ventured out and, although it did not “fly,” it glided over to a nearby tree and vanished. There Is More Ahead! I have many more encounters to share with my equestrian readers. Upcoming topics will include “Food for the Soul,” “Letty Phone Home,” “I Love to Go A’Bushwhacking,” and “Lost in Translation.” So stay tuned for more of my urban riding adventures. Dr. Nancy Peter is a science teacher. She is also the President of the Wissahickon Valley Riding and Driving Association, and author of the 2017 book “Twenty Horses.”