I've lived in NM most of my life--along with rattlers!
Where I grew up, down south, they were around most if not all of the year; up here, where there is a REAL winter, we see them only about 7-8 months of the year.
As said--learn to pay attention to where you are walking; notice what's going on on the ground! There is seldom any such thing as 'tall grass' here(!), but when there is, MOW it! Be especially careful in the cooler mornings and evenings; it gets hot enough that they aren't 'usually' out and about during the heat of the day.
I have had several VERY close calls; have literally 'ridden up on'-and once, right OVER, a rattlesnake, horseback...! (The 'over' was in the Davis Mountains of west Texas, actually...). Since living here, while riding one of my Paint geldings, I had to 'screech' to a halt; while at a brisk trot, I heard that sucker rattle; stopped and BACKED just in time, as he struck at my horse's front leg...got a few more grey hairs THAT day!
Luckily, there don't seem to be a LOT of rattlesnakes up here; however, I had TWO of the little horses get bitten in the first 4 years here-both on the west side, next to the neighbor's acreage--I suspect they had a snake den over there...the first time, the pony mare was actually turned out in their 'pasture'-on their invitation--had to stick a piece of hose up her nostril so she could breath, but she recovered just fine. The other was my first little stallion, in a run on our west side, NEXT to the aforementioned acreage. I saw the two blood spots immediately, called the vet, he got antivenin, and recovered VERY quickly, w/ minimum swelling(this was years back, and antivenin was not NEARLY as costly as today!!) BOTH incidents happened in late Sept., when the snakes are just about to go inactive; they are said to be the most 'irritable' then, so it is a time to be especially vigilant and cautious!
I was driving in my arena one day; happened to glance down to see a small prairie rattler curled up in the shade of the pipe 'framework' of the arena fence...DANG, like to made my heart stop, as I'd trotted by within about three feet away, SEVERAL times already! Drove right back to the barn, stashed horse, got shovel, dispatched snake...a good longhandled shovel is a good snake killing tool, BTW. I've killed my share with one...I don't bother other snakes; have had some BIG bullsnakes here off and on over the years, but I do kill a rattlesnake, for the future safety of my animals and myself.
Thank goodness, the rattlesnake is about the only venomous snake that is found in this part of the country!
Margo