Report 447: Unusual incident... a horseback rider's close encounter

I was 18 years old at the time, and riding cross-country endurance for a local ranch. I had been riding for the ranch for 4 years when this event occured. I had been out training a Black Arabian Stud that day, riding about 20 miles in the woods. It was getting dark, but the moon was full. I was riding on a wide dirt road with woods on eitherside. Just after crossing a wood bridge I was going around an "S" curve in the road when the horse started acting up. I then heard a rustling sound in the woods next to me. Next came a loud scream from the same area, I looked and saw a pair of eyes. They were greenish in color. What happened next went by very quickly. What ever it was jumped out from the woods next to me and grabbed the saddle and back of the horse. As this happened, I jumped off the saddle onto the horses neck, let go of the reins and puit my arms around the horses neck. The horse bolted and ran, I didn't slow down or look back. This thing was face to face with me. I remember the face and hands most of all. It had a HAND- not a paw.the hands were huge will hair on them and long nails. The saddle (an endurance saddle, very light weight without a horn) leather was torn and had deep scratches or gouges in it where the creature had grabbed and pulled at it. It had very human-like features but thicker and scary looking. The hair around his face and neck was very hairy and wirey looking (blackish-brown) with piercing eyes and it had teeth but missing some and all yellow. This thing was massive, standing upright but alittle crouched. I was on a horse that is 16 1/2 hands and was looking it almost straight in the face. This was not a cougar or bear.