|
Do you plan to trail ride this year? Read this book first! Both beginners and advanced riders will find this book extremely useful. Topics include safety, troubleshooting, obstacles such as weather and emergencies, and dealing with the young, old and problem horse.
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS
Safety is behind everything I recommend. Trail riding is riskier than any other form of riding because we go so far from home and a minor accident can escalate into something serious if there is no help readily available. So read the book, consider my advice, adapt it for your horse and your environment and open the door to miles and miles of trails waiting to be explored. It’s really worth it.
AUTHOR’S BIO
Judi Daly has been an avid trail rider for many years, and routinely rides more than 1,000 miles on trail each year. In 1998, she was ranked in the top ten trail mile holders statewide for the Ohio Horse Council. When Judi first started trail riding, she found out the hard way that it was more than just hopping on a horse and cantering off into the sunset. She began to search for information of training her horses for the trail, but found little of help. Determined to learn as much as she could in order to trail ride successfully, she developed a program to teach her horses to be dependable and happy mounts. Her journey involved both retraining problem horses and training green horses from scratch.
In 2000 Judi developed a website devoted to the subject. She has also published articles on this topic. This book, which began as an e-book, is a compilation of information acquired through Judi’s research, practical experience, and what she has learned from other horse people on the same journey. It is her hope that others can be spared some of the struggles she experienced and be encouraged to share the joy of trail riding.
REVIEWS
“Definitely recommended by this 20-plus year trail riding veteran!” (L.C.)
“…excellent training tips (which I have not seen anywhere else—and I have read a lot)…” (S.R.)
“Thanks for a book that remains a reference and guide to safe and successful trail riding.” (R.C.)
“…you have managed to keep my interest with your honest ‘tell it all’ writing style.” (L.B.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Section I—Riding on the Trail
1 Why Trail Ride?
2 Preparing to Ride
3 Riding Alone and in Groups
4 Riding Through Obstacles
5 Riding in Traffic
6 Crossing Water
7 Riding in Summer
8 Riding in Cold Weather
9 Handling Trail Emergencies
10 Conditioning the Pleasure Horse
Section II—Training the Trail Horse
11 Starting the Young Trail Horse
12 The First Trail Rides
13 Further Training
14 Retraining the Runaway
15 Retraining the Balky or Barn Sour Horse
16 Retraining the Horse that Prances or Rears
17 Retraining the Horse that Bucks or Spooks
Conclusion
Bibliography
Other Sources of Information
About the Author
EXCERPT
Why Trail Ride?
Trail riding is the fastest growing pastime for equestrians, in part because the options for this kind of riding are so varied. Loose your imagination for a moment: Picture yourself and your horse riding quietly on your regular trail, greeting other frequent users, starting or ending your day with the joy of familiar sights, scents and sounds, watching those small changes that herald the shifting of the seasons. Now envision a long day of spectacular mountain riding with new friends, ending with laughter and companionship around a campfire under the stars. And now imagine yourself far from civilization, rounding yet another twist in a deep canyon in the Southwest’s redrock country, while hundreds of feet above you soars a glorious arch. Or maybe you would prefer the excitement and hard work of driving cattle on a working ranch. Or you want to ride on a beach, waves crashing nearby…see Patagonia via horseback…tour wine country in France…. Once you start exploring the world of trail riding, the sky is literally the limit.
THE VARIED BENEFITS
OF TRAIL RIDING
Why trail ride? Simply put, it’s fun! Riding the trails is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced society we live in, in a way that competing in horse shows doesn’t even approach. There is no better way to get to know your horse, get good exercise and commune with nature than to trail ride. It is relaxing, stress relieving, and good for the soul. So much of our lives zooms by at 110 miles per hour—a leisurely ride on the trail is about as far away from the hectic pace of society as we can get. With beautiful scenery and the perfect companion (our horse), this can be a quiet, healing time that helps prepare us to face the world again in a much better frame of mind.
There was a time when owning a horse was a symbol of freedom. It was a way we could travel great distances, visit friends and see the world, much in the same way the car allows today. The horse is still a symbol of freedom, but now it is the freedom to get away from the world as we know it. The horse is truly the symbol of escape, and the trails are the greatest places to go when escaping.
The benefits of trail riding do not stop with pure pleasure. Anyone can integrate it into their training plans regardless of which aspect of horsemanship they currently pursue. John Lyons, world-renowned horse trainer, advocates doing the bulk of training, both beginning and advanced, out on the trail.
In part this is because trail riding is great for the horse’s mental health. Boredom in the training routine can contribute to resistance and lack of impulsion, and impulsion is vital in all forms of competitive riding. Trail riding wakes most horses up and gives them an interest in the work, resulting in natural impulsion with very little effort from the rider. Just taking one day a week from your training routine to trail ride can make a world of difference with your horse. I’ve had wonderful results by working in the ring for half an hour, and when my horse does well, I reward him immediately by taking him out of the arena for a short trail ride. I know a woman who trains the opposite way. She starts with a short trail ride to warm her horse up and then returns to the arena to school her horse.
Several competitive upper level dressage riders insist trail riding is not just helpful, but essential to their training. One woman who competes her Arabian in the third level told me she wasn’t able to achieve good extension in the dressage ring until she tried to get it on the trail. Her horse is a joy to watch whether in the ring or out in the park. He has a marvelous attitude that trail riding only encourages.
A routine that is too strict, in addition to leading to boredom, can cause a horse to be nervous in new situations. On the trail a horse is exposed to many new sights and sounds, giving him a more open mind. He will be more likely to take diversity in stride and will generally be more relaxed, including when in the show ring.
Trail riding also builds stamina in both the horse and the rider. Most riders and horses become bored if working in an arena for more than an hour, yet it is easy to ride out on a trail for two to three hours. Riding for longer lengths of time conditions a horse far better than short workouts. I’ve seen show horses that seem to give their all simply to last in a twenty-minute class. On the other hand, I know trail horses that are ridden to shows, compete all day and are ridden back home without any sign of weariness.
Of course, you don’t stop training when you are trail riding, because anything you do with your horse at any time is training. Trail riding gives you a chance to educate your horse naturally. A smart rider takes advantage of the terrain to accomplish other goals in training. There is nothing like riding up and down hills to encourage balance and teach a horse to step with his hind legs well underneath. One woman “works the hills” several days before a dressage competition for this very reason.
Traveling on uneven ground teaches a horse balance as well as giving him an awareness of his surroundings. He learns to be careful where he steps. The more you trail ride, the less your horse will stumble. A horse that has been worked exclusively in an arena can become careless under all but ideal conditions.
More specific goals can be worked on, too. Collection can be worked on going away from home. Conversely, coming home is a great time to work on extension, since most horses are more enthusiastic when going back to the barn. I’ve had wonderful results from working on transitions on the trail. A mile of transitions on an interesting path isn’t at all boring for your horse compared to the equivalent in an arena. Lateral bending can be practiced on corners, around trees and bushes, and in open fields. Picking up a correct lead is very natural on a sharp bend on the trail. I find it much easier to teach the correct lead on the trail rather than in a corner of an arena. By training with specific goals in mind instead of plodding aimlessly along, you will encourage obedience, free forward movement and impulsion. You will also help your horse gain confidence, a quality valuable anywhere he might go.
THE DRAWBACKS
OF TRAIL RIDING
There are few valid reasons not to trail ride your horse. The biggest reason, by far, is the increased risk for accidents, combined with the possible difficulty in getting help. Having some knowledge of first aid or riding close to civilization can minimize the risk. Also, if the horse is a valuable show animal, a scar could mar his career or an injury ruin a show season. The owner may not want to take the unnecessary risk. In fact, though, trail riders often go for years without ever having a serious problem. It’s up to each owner to weigh the potential risks and make his or her own decision. One of the main goals of this book is to make riders aware of potential dangers and to give suggestions on how to deal with difficulties when they do occur as well as how to avoid them when possible.
Another deterrent to trail riding is a horse that misbehaves. However, few horses that can be ridden well in the safe confines of an arena are lost causes on the trail.
A horse that bucks, rears, balks and generally misbehaves at home probably will not behave any better on the trail. The problem should be solved in the arena first. At times, however, a horse may surprise you. One summer I worked with a three-year-old Arabian filly that was very uncooperative and hyper in the ring but was a dream out on the trail. From the beginning, she gave me few problems when out of the arena.
PROTECTING YOUR TRAILS
The most common obstacle to trail riding is the lack of available trails. Many people have to trailer their horses to get to good, safe trails. I pay a premium to board my horses next to a very large, extensive park system so I can have easy access to good trails. If you also are fortunate enough to have convenient access to trails, be sure not to take them for granted. Take care of them better than if they were your own, because trails can quickly become closed to horses. If you do cause any damage, offer to fix or pay for it. Always leave things exactly the way you found them. Good trails are a treasure to be cherished.
Find out if there are any active groups that promote trail riding in your area and join them. If you can, participate in their activities. Chances are very good that you will make some great friends who enjoy trail riding as much as you do.
Even if you don’t have the time to become actively involved with the group, your membership counts. These groups work to keep trails open to horses and also are involved in opening and maintaining new trails. Trail riders usually ride where they are not necessarily visible; after all, we want to get away from the world. Unfortunately, that means we aren’t noticed as much as other user groups. By uniting, we form a voice that state and local governments will listen to. I am a member of the Ohio Horse Council. We keep track of our miles, and at the end of the year, we turn in our records to the state and the local park systems, so they will know how much we actually do ride out on their trails. This way, they are more responsive to our needs.
Once you start trail riding, an exciting world opens to you—a world of new and varied opportunities, sights, sounds, experiences and friends. Enjoy your adventures!
|
