I ride with a thigh belt for my phone. Look on Distance Depot or other site catering to trail & endurance riders. Never let your horse carry your phone!
My coolest riding experience was when i went with a friend to her lesson. They put me on a polo pony and basically ignored us as we walked around the ring and over short obstacles, whole they worked with my friend.
That pony was incredibly well trained. I just had to look in a direction, and the horse went that way. Lean forward a bit and it went faster. Lean back and it slowed. I think it was trying to show off for me. I’ve never felt more “at one” with another animal. There’s no way I deserved to be on that horse. I even tried trotting briefly, but that was obviously going to do in my knees, so we stopped.
If I could go out in the woods with an animal like that, I’d do it, and take lots of NSAIDs. But ain’t no one going to let me go out of their sight with a horse that good.
All you old(-er than me) folks getting up in the saddle are making me smile. I was doing riding lessons for the last couple of years with my daughters, and it was fun, but we gave it up a few months ago from a combination of it’s expensive and we didn’t have the time. I’m a bit of a noob when it comes to terminology tho’ - how does ‘hunt seat’ differ from how you do dressage? We were doing a bit of dressage, a bit of (tiny!!) jumps and a bit of trail riding … but mostly just basic horse-control.
I was thinking that if I don’t get back to it in the next year or so, that might kind of be it for me. But now … well, I’m not even fifty yet, clearly no need for despair 
I love this thread 
I have a couple of suggestions for those that ride alone -
I also almost always ride alone and out of view of people who might care if I take a header. I use the Road ID wristband when I ride: Sport ID Bracelets for an Active Life | ROAD iD It has all the pertinent ID info for you on it, and the service itself keeps any important medical info like allergies to medicines etc. that the emergency folk can access. You can pick and choose how much info to provide.
They also have an app: The ROAD iD App: Download Our Run Tracker App That will notify a person or people that you choose that you are out and about, and send them an SOS signal if you STOP moving for a period of time. You can set the time, but 5-10 min is usual. When you are done and safely on the ground it will also send that notification, if you want it to. There are a ton of ways to set it up.
For riding with a phone, several companies now make breeches/riding tights with a thigh pocket. I love them. The phone is snug and secure, handy, and not getting bent in your back pocket or stabbing you in a front pocket. It’s really nice in the hot weather too when you don’t want to have to wear a layer with pockets.
Kick on! 
I took riding lessons decades ago and loved it, but it’s such an expensive activity. 
The cheapest part of owning a horse is the purchase price. I board my horse so my expenses are greater than those who keep their critters at home. I had a government job in the 90s and there was a mandatory retirement fund contribution. I had to take it when I turned 60, which is when I decided it was time to own another horse. I couldn’t afford her without it. But she is worth every penny. There are days when I don’t ride, just hang out with her. I love where I board. The barn is my social life.
Yep, I had 1 horse when I boarded. Now I have two TBs and a mini. I spent a lot more on my horses’ feet than I do on my own! But animals are my only vice. I don’t drink, smoke, travel. And I put 35% of my before-tax income into retirement savings. So I feel like I owe something back to myself.
StG
(I have absolutely no business being in this thread, as I have never been anywhere near a horse).
Two things I have with me when I run: a steel tag on my shoe laces with ID and emergency contact info engraved on it, and my Apple Watch–the model with cellular built in. It was not cheap, but it’s worth it to not have to haul my regular phone with me but still have the ability to make phone calls.
Even if I’m miles from home, I can call my wife from my wrist and have her come pick me up.
And the metal tag–at least they will be able to quickly identify the cooling corpse found at the side of the road.