Cedarville-I make a friend.

I ended up hitting Cedarville Sunday afternoon. I wanted to get a few things done at work and I didn’t wanna waste the whole day driving.
The goal was to just spend some time in the saddle, maybe try to get in 40 miles.
That didn’t happen.
I go to take my first break and the water bottle has fallen out.
I don’t have clue as to where. I’ve done about 10 miles already and am not backtracking it all looking for the bottle.
I make my way back to my truck, hoping I’ve got an old soda bottle I can use.
Nope. I’ve gotta stop keeping the truck so clean.
I did run into a guy that I volunteered with at the sm100, alexsis. We talked a few minutes. He gave me some pointers and advice as to training for the next sm100. He’s did it twice and finished it once. Pretty good time too. 11 hours and something.
I head back out. To hell with it. I’ll ride until I bonk of dehydration.
I ride the road down to the pond and start another loop of the brown trail.
I’ve been being careful riding all day as its a beautiful day and the parks relatively crowded.
I reach the top of the only ascent on the trail and see a horse up ahead.
I jump off the bike and wait by the side of trail, this being what courteous mtber’s do. If your not a mtber. Horses are skittish as hell around bikes. They don’t like us at all.
I get a better look, and there’s no rider on this horse.
???????????
Is he in the woods relieving himself?
I start slowly walking towards the horse. He’s about 100 feet away and watching me.
I’m expecting him at any minute to bolt away from me down the trail.
Next thing I know he’s galloping towards me.
First thing through my head is " Shit, he’s rabid an is going to attack".
I’m not exactly sure how to defend myself from a rabid horse but I am a MAN so I stand my ground.
He gets 2 feet away from me and just stops and stares at me.
Kinda reminded me of my cat. When he wants attention he’ll come and sit right next to ya and just stares at you until you pet him.
So, I petted the horse on the nose.
I think that’s proper horse petting etiquette.
Now I’m wondering what do I do? Should I try to walk him the 1/8 mile to the trail head and see if someone’s looking for him? Just ignore him and ride on? Then I start to think , what if he bucked somebody off and they’re unconscious up the trail?
I decided to keep riding the trail and watch for a downed equestrian.
I take off at a slow pace keeping my eyes open then I hear the clip-clop-clip-clop noise of the horse coming after me.
The damn things following me.
I figure all the better. If I do find the equestrian walking atleast I can give him his horse.
I go on for a mile and a half , with the horse following, I have to add in also the horse knows nothing about proper spacing etiquette. It felt and sounded like he was only 2 feet away from me sometimes. I come to an intersection, go straight and you continue with the brown/green trail loop for another 4 miles. Go right and it takes you to the trail head after 3/4 of mile. I decide to head towards the trail head.
The horse stops where he’s at and won’t follow me to the right.
Maybe he knows where he came from and it isn’t to the right?
Does he know something that I don’t?
Am I a freak’n moron for assuming that this 1000lb trail destroyer actually has brains?
As guided by the horse (yeah, I’ll follow anybody) I continue straight but now the horse just stays where he’s at. I look ahead and see a hiker walking his dog. I ride down to him and ask him if he’s seen anything. Yeah, he passed a guy a while ago walking down the green towards the trail head looking for 2 horses.
2?
By now the horse has made his way down to where me and the hiker are at. I decide to take the original right down to the trailhead and find the equestrian. The horse still won’t follow me to the right, he now latches onto the hiker and his dog.
The hiker didn’t look very happy about having a horse following him, but what was I supposed to do?
I found the equestrian 1/2 mile down.. He had found his first horse and was riding him looking for the other one (my buddy Mr. Ed. Yes I had named him by now).
I told him how to find Mr. Ed and he took off. I tried to keep up but I’d been out 2 hours now with no water and those horses can be pretty quick.
I did catch up to him finally. He did find the horse and was walking them both out.
My good deed done for the day.
I continue on with the ride.
Compared with the horse episode rest of it was uneventful.
I got about 30 miles in before the lack of water and too tight shoes took there toll and I quit.
Tomorrow I head to the lbs to look for new cycling shoes and to have them to some warranty work to my rear wheel.
Seeya