MT MT - Meghan Rouns, 27, horseback riding, horse found, phone found in saddlebag, McMaster Hills Rec Area, NE of Helena, 4 Oct 2024 *Active Search*

[IceIce9]

I can't fathom not being able to swim at her age. This is horrific.

I learned to swim when I was 5. I enrolled my kids in swimming when they were toddlers, and their school had swim class as a regular rotation in PhysEd class.

I’ve always been surprised when I have met someone who doesn’t know how to swim. If I couldn’t swim I would be afraid to be near any body of water.

JMO

 

[mickey2942]

I am surprised too. There is a large community pool in Helena, MT, and two other pools here, all offer both children and adult swim classes. The cost isn't prohibitive.

Although, we don't know, maybe she hit her head on a rock, or something else. But I agree, swimming lessons are not optional. I took all of our kids to swimming classes. It is time consuming, but so important. I remember going to "Mommy and me" swimming classes. My kids were like 6 months old. Can't start too soon.

 

[cutter99]

Longtime (45 years +) horse owner here, and very active trail rider and horse camper.

There are so many things that could have gone wrong for poor Meghan, and we can theorize all we want, but we may never know what actually happened.

Based on the map from her tracking app, it would appear to me like something happened in the water and Meghan tried to regain control of the horse in the water. The horse could have been spooked, Meghan could have been thrown partially off or been just hanging on, or have hung a foot up in a stirrup and the horse struggled until Meghan came free.

My husband, my BFF and I were camping a few years ago when some fellow campers came back into the campground, with one rider off the horse soaking wet and bloodied, with the horse soaking wet as well.

We were told the horse was in the creek when it spooked, and the rider came off but her foot did not come out of the stirrup. The horse circled in a panic, all the while dragging the rider and accidentally kicking her.

Accidents on horses happen very quickly, no matter what the rider’s skill level and how broke the horse is.

One hard and fast rule I always follow is to keep my phone and tracking device on my body and not the horse, because if you become separated, you want to have the phone with you.

In this instance though, because the phone was on the horse, it might provide more information as to what happened.

As far as the horse returning back the way it came, that is not a given. Horses are flight animals, and if scared enough, a horse will flee down the easiest path to get away. If this was a place Meghan had ridden frequently before, the horse would most likely be comfortable in that general area anyway.

I wear a helmet every ride, and had one save my life 4 years ago. Even with the helmet on, I still had a concussion and brain bleed, and was Life Flighted to the nearest trauma center. Add water to a situation, and it can very easily become deadly.

I also use one of two apps I have that track my ride and alert a contact should I stop moving. My husband has been as far away as China, and been able to see exactly where I am at all times.

I am so sorry for Meghan, her husband and her family. She passed way too young.

 

[Boots38]

I learned to swim when I was 5. I enrolled my kids in swimming when they were toddlers, and their school had swim class as a regular rotation in PhysEd class.

I’ve always been surprised when I have met someone who doesn’t know how to swim. If I couldn’t swim I would be afraid to be near any body of water.

JMO

I don't believe she chose to go near the body of water, if I recall the wind spooked the horse into the water.

 

[Boots38]

I am surprised too. There is a large community pool in Helena, MT, and two other pools here, all offer both children and adult swim classes. The cost isn't prohibitive.

Although, we don't know, maybe she hit her head on a rock, or something else. But I agree, swimming lessons are not optional. I took all of our kids to swimming classes. It is time consuming, but so important. I remember going to "Mommy and me" swimming classes. My kids were like 6 months old. Can't start too soon.

Swimming lessons are optional. There is no rules or laws stating everyone must have swimming lessons. Some people have phobias of water and that's why they don't swim, it's not a choice they can't decide their phobias don't matter nor can anyone else. I'll guarantee that their are people that can't ride horses they way she did or have a fear of horses, they aren't required to take riding lessons. Everyone lives their life how they see fit. All my opinion of course. MOO. IMO.

 

[Shamrock1]

Some colleges make passing a swim test a graduation requirement, though only a handful of such colleges remains a handful today.

https://www.npr.org/2012/05/04/151965224/for-college-seniors-one-last-lap-before-graduation

 

[georgiajean]

So sorry to hear that Meghan was found but deceased. Kind of figured that was how it would end up. I am glad she was found. As a horse rider, I hope there were clues on her body as to what happened, maybe bruises on her ankle if she got hung up in a stirrup, or a hoof print bruise if stepped on. Looking at the AllTrails record of the ride, something happened. Rode horse into water to cool off, horse was reactive to something, she rode it in circles to try and refocus her horse. Or I can see the wind blowing her hat off, and she took the horse in the water to get it, riding in circles to try and grab the hat, and then falling off when the horse stumbled or spooked. So many things could have happened. And if she didn't know how to swim, a helmet would not have saved her if falling in the water is what happened. May her horse be well taken care of.

 

[Angelcat13]

Someone earlier in this thread commented that she may have willingly waded into the water and then the horse may have spooked and she came off but got hung up on something and the seemingly frantic movements caught on the AllTrails app may have been the horse panicking further as he tried to dislodge her - not intentionally, but just being terrified of what he didn’t understand was hanging on. When I first saw this picture I immediately was concerned that she may have gotten caught in the strap that is hanging loosely behind her leg. I’m not very familiar with Western tack but my daughter explained the purpose of the strap but I forget what she said it was called. So it sounds like there’s a purpose to it, but it also looked like a potential safety hazard.

 

[IceIce9]

Someone earlier in this thread commented that she may have willingly waded into the water and then the horse may have spooked and she came off but got hung up on something and the seemingly frantic movements caught on the AllTrails app may have been the horse panicking further as he tried to dislodge her - not intentionally, but just being terrified of what he didn’t understand was hanging on. When I first saw this picture I immediately was concerned that she may have gotten caught in the strap that is hanging loosely behind her leg. I’m not very familiar with Western tack but my daughter explained the purpose of the strap but I forget what she said it was called. So it sounds like there’s a purpose to it, but it also looked like a potential safety hazard.

It appears to be a flank cinch. JMO

 

[ErinC]

I can't fathom not being able to swim at her age. This is horrific.

I can't swim and I'm twice her age. Learning to swim involves some accessibility (someone willing to teach, possibly money to take lessons, an area of accessible safe water, etc) that not everyone has access to. She may simply not have had access to one or more of those things.

 

[Boots38]

DBM

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Swimming lessons are optional. There is no rules or laws stating everyone must have swimming lessons. Some people have phobias of water and that's why they don't swim, it's not a choice they can't decide their phobias don't matter nor can anyone else. I'll guarantee that their are people that can't ride horses they way she did or have a fear of horses, they aren't required to take riding lessons. Everyone lives their life how they see fit. All my opinion of course. MOO. IMO.

I'm not sure that fear of water is a reason to avoid swim lessons. It should be a parent's responsibility to teach their kids to swim, just as they teach them to walk or use a bathroom or read or ride a bike. It's a life skill. MOO.

 

[IceIce9]

I'm not sure that fear of water is a reason to avoid swim lessons. It should be a parent's responsibility to teach their kids to swim, just as they teach them to walk or use a bathroom or read or ride a bike. It's a life skill. MOO.

I’m glad that many or most schools teach swimming in PhysEd class. Certainly one of the more valuable lessons.

 

[ErinC]

I’m glad that many or most schools teach swimming in PhysEd class. Certainly one of the more valuable lessons.

Many I think do, but I wouldn't go so far as to say most. The district (entire district.) that I attended didn't actually have a swimming pool. Since that was 30 years ago, and they've installed a new building, I went and investigated to see if they've added one, and I can't find any evidence of a swimming pool in the photos or plans available online. A lot of poorer/smaller districts (and the one I attended was and is one gigantic building for grades K-12) just don't have the funds for one. Not to say schools shouldn't teach it! They absolutely should whenever they are able! But again, the access just isn't always there. If Meghan went to school in Nowheresville, MT with 20 people in her graduating class (for example) then I'd bet there's a good chance the school didn't have one.

 

[Boots38]

I'm not sure that fear of water is a reason to avoid swim lessons. It should be a parent's responsibility to teach their kids to swim, just as they teach them to walk or use a bathroom or read or ride a bike. It's a life skill. MOO.

Not necessarily. But we can agree to disagree. Some parents may force their children to try to swim without respecting their child's wishes or fear and then some parents will let their children decide. Children shouldn't be forced into doing something just because the parents will be happy. MOO

 

[georgiajean]

Someone earlier in this thread commented that she may have willingly waded into the water and then the horse may have spooked and she came off but got hung up on something and the seemingly frantic movements caught on the AllTrails app may have been the horse panicking further as he tried to dislodge her - not intentionally, but just being terrified of what he didn’t understand was hanging on. When I first saw this picture I immediately was concerned that she may have gotten caught in the strap that is hanging loosely behind her leg. I’m not very familiar with Western tack but my daughter explained the purpose of the strap but I forget what she said it was called. So it sounds like there’s a purpose to it, but it also looked like a potential safety hazard.

The rear cinch or flank cinch is meant to secure the back end of the western saddle so it doesn't pop up when a horse does athletic things. The rear cinch should fit snuggly but not tight. You bring up a very good point. If the horse had spooked and reacted, or kicked with a hind leg at something, it could get a rear hoof caught in a loose back cinch. That would account for the kind of thrashing around seen in in the map of the ride. Horses can also get hooves caught in stirrups, or bridles caught on saddle horns. Friend had a horse reach back to scratch an itch with its teeth and the horse caught the shank of its bit in the stirrup. So much can happen.

Here is an article about fitting a rear cinch: Western Back Cinches: Key Facts.
And an image from the article:

 

[georgiajean]

In case this hasn't been reported, official cause of death is accidental drowning. Missing Montana Horsewoman Found Deceased

 

[Tower]

I don't believe she chose to go near the body of water, if I recall the wind spooked the horse into the water.

I don’t believe we’ll ever know if wind played a role. We would need a witness to be sure. The gusts were particularly strong that day, so LE speculated wind played a part and it seems to be a good theory.

But I agree that I don’t think she chose to go into the water. Her family would know if it was normal for her to ride into the water, maybe she was very confident that her horse was sure-footed and had no worries. But knowing she was unable to swim would make me guess it wasn’t her choice. Just speculation, moo

 

[KentuckyFilly79]

Just going to throw this out there (and before I do I will say most times I ride, I wear a helmet, but there have been times I haven't -- I believe it is a personal choice) The possibility does exist that she could have come off the horse and hit her head for whatever reason and become unconscious. At that point, being able to swim would be null and void. I paddleboard as well and I can swim, but I very rarely paddle without my life vest. If I am alone, its on every time I'm on the board because even though, if I come off and am knocked out, being able to swim won't be able to help me at that point.

 

[LadyL]

I can't fathom not being able to swim at her age. This is horrific.

a lot of people can't swim, including me, and it has nothing to do with age
my brother can't swim but his twin, our sister is a fish - we all got the same lessons