big cat sighting while horse riding

[Summer1113]

My sister is writing this on my account:

My big cat encounter took place on a dirt road where I often ride my horses. The road is in a rural area surrounded by bush for kilometres. The area is very quiet and isn’t driven on often, apart from the few rare motorbikes and four wheel drivers. I had been riding my horse in a group, with two other riders but I had decided to ride ahead as my horse enjoys a long canter. I was very far away by the time I rode to the top of a hill. The road in front of me began to slope down, and about 25 to 50 metres down the road I saw a strange figure emerge from the bush. The roads are surrounded by pretty thick bush that grows close to the edge of the road. The creature emerged from the side of the road and sat similar to how a squirrel would. It seemed to be rubbing its face with its front feet. It noticed my horse and I and started to slowly creep towards us for a few steps. It was hunched low like a panther ready to pounce, but it suddenly bolted off to the other side of the road and disappeared into the bush. It’s body was thin, similar to a small monkey and it was a very dark colour. It had extremely long legs and a long tail that was straight up in the air as it ran. It was around the size of a large dog, but its legs looked as if they could be close to a human’s arm in length. It’s run resembled both a cat and a monkey and it’s strides were extremely long and quick. It crossed the road in two strides. Before it ran across the road, my horse began to freak out, and he started to spin around and snort. I quickly turned my horse and cantered away to find the others, but they were too far away. I couldn’t find them, so I rode fast past the area I saw it and back home. When they finally got home, I told them what I saw and my auntie, who I rode with, said she saw something very similar and she seemed worried. She said it was lurking around her dam on her property.