Self defense on the trail

I did end up in a semi bad situation about 2 months ago when my BIL's girlfriend went nuts and decided to attack me ON MY PROPERTY. I called the cops but refused to get off my horse until they arrived (which took nearly 30 minutes). Poco (my stallion) was amazing in the situation. I shifted my weight to the outside to prevent her from pulling me over (and making the only vulnerable area on me my leg). Everytime she tried approaching me on the side Poco would swing his butt to her and threaten to kick. When she tried going around the other side he made a good attempt to bite her and kept his ears laid back the entire time. By the 2nd attempted kick she decided she had enough and started yelling at me about how my horse was dangerous... DUH! You came after me!

Luckily she left right before the cops came and it all ended well but it was nice to know that in that situation my horse actually took the initiative to defend me as well. It also made me wonder if that was something any horse would do or if it had something to do with him being a stallion "protecting his herd"?

Very helpful, thank you !

Well, I can't watch the video quite yet. However this thread has sprung the idea of self defense on me. I have no one to trail ride with. I planned on bringing a knife to clear paths on the property but not because of an attacker. I will probably invest in pepper spray now.
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Stakie, if you buy pepper spray, I would go with the type that comes out in a stream. I have quite a bit of experience with all kinds of pepper spray and the stream would be the best, especially for defense while riding. The other options are "cone", "fog", and "foam". All of those are designed for use in very close proximity and tend to get everyone and everything in the blast radius (including your horse). With stream, you can actually aim and get the majority of it on the attacker.

This is the brand that I have the most experience with and it is exceptionally effective.
Top Cop Pepper spray: Primary Users: Law Enforcement, Military, Correctional Personnel.Top Cop Pepper spray is distribbuted by security pro USA

Here is a place that describes the different dispersal methods and what they are used for.
Different Kinds of Pepper Spray

Thank you for the advice. I really don't think Ziggy would like pepper spray. Now the only thing I'm concerned a out is where to put it.
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You're welcome .

You can get leather or synthetic pouches that attach to your belt that carry the canisters. I, personally, wouldn't leave it on your saddle just in case you need it at some point when you're dis-mounted.

I plan on getting a saddle with pouches/pockets built in. So I was curious if it was good or bad to put it in there. Maybe I will invest in an over the shoulder bag. I rarely ride with pants with pockets and don't own much of anything like a purse. Maybe a backpack?

I would want it in a place that was easy to get to in a hurry, maybe a...darn, what are they called...those little bags that go around your waist and have the...OH, fanny pack! That would be a good place to carry a cell phone and/or first aid kit as well.

Do they actually sell fanny packs anymore? I thought they went out in the 90's! (LOL) I was thinking of first aid kits too but I was thinking of just hooking that to the saddle along with information on where to return the horse.

Yep, they still sell them but they aren't exactly "fashionable" anymore .

Amazon.com: fanny pack