| A trail ride offers a welcome diversion from long hours | | | | into consideration were motorcycles and, as luck |
| in the enclosed environment of a riding arena. Besides | | | | would have it, that was the first vehicle the horse |
| being just plain fun and relaxing, a trail ride offers | | | | encountered. She reared and threw the hapless trainer |
| learning opportunities for both horse and rider. It is an | | | | into the middle of the road in front of oncoming traffic. |
| indispensable part of any training program. However, | | | | The trainer at least knew enough not to let go of the |
| there are a lot of things to think about before you | | | | mare's reins and was able to scramble out of the way |
| actually go on a trail ride. You need to take steps to | | | | with nothing more than his ego and backside slightly |
| ensure that both you and your horse are ready. | | | | damaged. |
| Attempting a trail ride without making proper | | | | Take your time preparing the young horse for his first |
| preparations can turn an enjoyable outing into a | | | | trail ride. In addition to the many new things a horse |
| nightmare. Taking a green horse out on the trail before | | | | can encounter on a trail ride, he needs to calmly |
| being properly desensitized to the many new stimuli he | | | | accept the rider putting on and taking off a raincoat or |
| will encounter on the trail is a recipe for disaster. | | | | slicker either standing beside him or while mounted. He |
| If you have trained your horse according to the | | | | needs to be able to stand quietly while tied to a post |
| principles of natural horsemanship, you likely have a | | | | or a tree limb. Ideally, he would also know how to |
| horse that has been exposed to many different | | | | ground-tie and be broke to hobbles. |
| situations. He should be used to encountering new | | | | If you are taking the trail ride during hunting season, it is |
| stimuli and hopefully has been ridden through pastures | | | | highly recommended that your horse be broke to the |
| with trees and brush. Your "sacking out" exercises | | | | sound of gunfire. An unexpected gunshot or volley can |
| have probably gotten him used to common | | | | cause the horse to do shy away violently or even |
| "boogeymen" out there such as flying plastic bags, | | | | buck. We will look at that topic separately in another |
| pieces of trash, birds and animals moving in the brush | | | | article. |
| to name just a few. | | | | If possible, a horse should have had the experience of |
| However, nothing can completely prepare the young | | | | crossing a stream in a controlled training situation |
| horse for what he will encounter on the trail. That's | | | | before he goes on a trail ride that will take him across |
| why it's very important for the green horse to go on | | | | a moving-water obstacle. If a horse becomes hot |
| his first trail ride with an experienced, "bombproof" | | | | during the ride, be sure to allow him to drink out of the |
| friend. Because of his "herd mentality" the green horse | | | | stream before crossing. If he starts to paw at the |
| will look to his more experienced buddy for guidance. Is | | | | water, move him away immediately. This is often the |
| that tree up ahead safe? Or should I balk or buck a | | | | prelude to the horse attempting to lie down in the |
| time or two? Chances are that if the experienced | | | | stream. Almost every rider has been on a horse that |
| horse doesn't react to it, the young one will figure out | | | | tried to lie down in a similar situation. This is, however, |
| there's nothing to be afraid of, follow suit and learn in | | | | unacceptable behavior and must be stopped at once. |
| the process. | | | | If the trail leads over hilly terrain, you might encounter a |
| Please do not ever consider taking a green horse | | | | situation in which you are dismounted and need to |
| alone on a trail ride. Have you ever seen the riderless | | | | mount your horse but cannot do so from the left side |
| saddled horse heading back to the parking lot from a | | | | because of the terrain. This is why we stress the |
| trail ride at a frightened gallop or standing on the side | | | | importance of doing everything on both sides of the |
| of the trail grazing with no other human within sight? | | | | horse during training. Just because the horse accepts |
| Don't let that be your horse! | | | | your mounting him from the left side does not |
| We know of a case in which a novice trainer took his | | | | necessarily mean that he will accept it from the right |
| 2-year old mare on her first trail ride in Belgium. The | | | | side. Before you take your horse on a trail ride in hilly |
| start of the course led along the side of a narrow | | | | terrain, make sure that you can mount him safely from |
| country lane with vehicular traffic. The trainer had | | | | both sides. If your horse was trained according to the |
| prepared the mare for encounters with cars and | | | | principles of natural horsemanship, he probably already |
| wasn't worried about the traffic. What he hadn't taken | | | | will accept mounting from both sides. |