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I'm a trail rider, no more and no less than any other type of rider.

13K views 105 replies 51 participants last post by  Foxtail Ranch 
#1 ·
So the phrase "I'm just a trail rider" or "you just trail ride?" comes outta a lot of other peoples mouths.

Well, yes I "just trail ride" but you "just ride in an arena". And not that most people don't take their horses out on the "trails", but I'd like to see an "arena broke" horse do the things out on the trails that I do with mine! Not saying that a great arena horse can't excel out here either, my mare was trained for WP, halter, and reining, didn't take to it. She is a monster on the trails.

Criteria (please add to it) for why I think Trail Riding is a very difficult sport in the horse world:
1. A horse must be sane. It is very difficult to encounter all of the different elements of nature with a hot blooded horse.
2. Physically fit. You can't expect a pasture puff to haul your tail over mountains for over at least 15 to 25 miles and usually more, multiple days, across multiple terrains.
3. Broke, Broke, Broke. Taking the chance on a green horse without SOLID training 25 miles away from home is dangerous. PERIOD.
4. Athletic Willing Attitude. A lesson horse can take you through the paces, but when you need to scale a sheer hillside, jump a 3ft. log, and swim a lake AFTER riding 25 miles, you need a horse with some go, go, go.
5. Surefooted donkey horse. Sure any horse can walk a road or gallop around an arena, but can they safely wind around a steep rocky cliff and not fall over and take you with them?

A trail rider:
1. Physically fit. Most people can sit a horse in an arena and even properly jump with a bit of training. Can they ride up and down mountains, keeping their horse balanced and fit over countless miles of terrain? And still walk the next day?
2. Be Sane. Most people can direct their horse around an enclosure, but can they encounter a mountain lion and not flip their lid or let their horses do so? Keep their cool/seat when a horse bolts/shies from a snake?
3. Know first Aid. Without being feet from a stocked barn or in cell service to call for an emergency?
4. Train Said Horse Above?

I'm not bashing anyone! Trail riding is difficult and a world unto it's own.
Give it and yourselves some credit you awesome trail blazers!

Please feel free to add!!
 
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#93 · (Edited)
I don't think loose rein always equals hollow. As a matter of fact, the more I learn about riding gaited horses the more I read about how walking with impulsion is the foundation of gait training. And their head low and out in front of them actually raises their back. If you use rein pressure and the head goes up, then they are getting into a false frame and hollowing their back even if they are giving you a headset.

I ride along at a good forward walk and my reins are swinging and I don't think my mare is hollow (unless we move up in speed, then her head goes up and everything gets hollow and we are working on that). But a good walk with their head level at their withers with a spring in their step and the reins flopping, I never heard anyone say that was considered hollow.

If it is then I'm out of luck, because that's how I ride all the time! I generally only keep contact at the trot/intermediate gait and the canter.

I think it's good for horse and rider mentally to be able to ride on a loose rein. You both should be able to trust each other that much and it's good to relax sometimes. :) That doesn't mean I let them get strung out at faster gaits. I really do work on collection almost always when I ride at faster speeds. But rarely ever at the walk.

This is a really good topic and I enjoy reading everyone's opinions of collection/contact (or not) trail riding. I guess since I only trail ride, I never really thought about arena vs. trail, because for me there is only trail. So if I want to work on collection (or riding with contact) it is out on the trail. But when I'm not working on collection out on the trail, I'm on the buckle (as English riders would say). I calling riding with a loose rein and my friend calls it "throwing the reins away."
 
#94 ·
Painted Horse I could not agree with you more.

I do give my horse frequent breaks on the buckle regardless of whether we are riding in the arena our on the trails.

However since my style of riding emphasizes a strong connection of the haunches to the front through the topline and back through the mouth to the hands, I ride with soft, direct contact with a snaffle about 95% of the time.

But just to confirm that my horse is on the aids, I will once or twice during a session will ride a lengthened trot with the reins on the buckle. That will also include a couple of turns on away from the rail and a couple of voiceless, reinless halts (just seat). When she trots around with the poll level or just below the withers and turns and stops based on leg and seat alone, I know I got her.
 
#95 ·
I am really glad that my horse will work on a loose rein most of the time. She will work with contact, but she keeps a nice round back with a loose rein. If she had her head in the air and her back hollowed out, I would not be keeping the reins loose. It would make me very nervous and I would collect her up.
 
#96 ·
I can't imagine a horse being ridden with a hollow back for 8 hours straight, which is what happens to a horse than is not on the bit and not using his entire topline correctly.
Obviously my impression of "on the bit" was not correct. Not one of my horses travel with a hollow hollow back on the trail. My goal with all my horses is to have them travel balanced, using their whole body, with out rein contact. The majority of endurance and mountain horses I've been on focus on their job and need minimal rein contact.

I am focusing on my surroundings, the footing and staying balanced on my horse, not primarily how my horse is moving and responding, as you would in an arena. I expect my horse to pay attention to the surroundings, the footing, staying balanced over various obstacles, and what I'm asking them to do. There are different things for horse and rider to focus on on the trail than you would in the arena, and over a much longer time period.
 
#97 ·
I am focusing on my surroundings, the footing and staying balanced on my horse, not primarily how my horse is moving and responding, as you would in an arena. I expect my horse to pay attention to the surroundings, the footing, staying balanced over various obstacles, and what I'm asking them to do. There are different things for horse and rider to focus on on the trail than you would in the arena, and over a much longer time period.
Obviously, in the arena I am schooling the horse so my focus in on her. The footing is not an issue so I don't worry about it.

Out hacking, I still pay attention to the horse's way of going, plus also the footing, tree branches, which way the trail goes, and many other things. However, I do not neglect the basics of good riding: contact, throughness, and a horse between the aids. I see no good reason to ignore those basics. I do not let her fall in or out when going around a bend in the trail, I treat them just like I would a circle on a test. Why would I let her do it wrong? Maybe it doesn't matter to you or most trail riders, but it matters to me.

As I said before, I do give my horse her head on occasion to let her stretch out and use different muscles. I also give her her head when crossing difficult terrain or jumping obstacles, since she needs it for balance and to bascule over something.

But on the overall, I ride her not ride on her.
 
#98 ·
Great thread Flygap!!! I think I even say I "just trail ride" b/c of the seeming importance and prestige attached to "disciplines" practiced in an arena - and trial riding is treated as just "puddling". I will cease and desist saying that!!! I began just "trail riding", then along the big traill of life somewhere :D I "trail rode' w a specific purpose - to round up cattle. When I first went back to "just trial riding" again, for the longest while it seemed a "pointless" tivity. But, now I am back to normal and see it as what it is again, pure enjoyment.- :)
I think some disciplines that are confined to an arena are fascinating in-as-much as it offers an outlet for adults w money that always wanted a horse when they were younger to "buy" their way onto the "stage" they want to be on. Which is just ducky....but when they then get an attitude that no one knows their ability unless it is "measured" in a show ring....I find THAT annoying and toooo funny. There may be some truth to it even, but the fact that their "ability" is limited to the horse they purchased and its respective trainer makes the "attitude" laughable. No, they wouldn't last on a rough trail ride any longer than a random person selected off the street - but they can pretend they would, and many would believe them. It takes a lot of skill and courage to let "nothing stand in your way" on a trail. I have chickened on the trail, more than once, and taken the "scenic route" alone (without other chickens to keep me company:D) and met back up w the less faint at heart ...I have no shame in saying that. But, there is no question, the ability of a lot of "un-show ring tested" trail riders far excedes that of many, if not most, of the riders that never leave an arena.
 
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#99 ·
I own a full time show jumper, but there are definately times when i just want to be in my own owrld with my horse when i habe a weekend off, and i love to take my jumper throw a western saddle on her, take the noseband out of my briddle and just kick back to the trails.

This is a stress-reliever for both of us, and the best part about my bond with my jumper is that i can be on a trail or in a big grass field and take off at a full gallop, and just give my jumper time to be a horse!

If it werent for trail ridng my pony would get bore, and would be overstressed. As well as trail riding we always have our trsuty dog. And its great i can even get off my horse put the reins in my dogs mouth and he will lead her, and they will both just follow.

So overall I LOVE TRAIL RIDING!
 
#100 ·
Good point FlyGap! I totally agree trail riding is a challange for horse and rider and in my opinion it takes more traning for a good trail horse than a jumper! There is just so much more going on outside the arena. Do not get me wrong, I do both, show jumping and take my 17.2 warmblood in the trails and I trained her boths (arena work and trail riding) and lots of people told me that I can not take her on trails... well she is doing as well as my tuff QH and the only thing that gets in the way sometimes are those long legs :)) I am a trail guide and in the summer I am out in the trails for about 6-8 hours a day and trust me it can be hard on horse and rider and there is no "just" in trail riding!!!!
 
#102 ·
I cant agree with y'all more. Trail riding to me, is the purest form of horsemanship. As unnatural as it is for our horses to be tacked and mounted, riding on the trail seems to be less of an obtrusive act on horses natural behavior. I feel as though I am one with my horse, and we are enjoying nature together at our own pace without the spotlight or fear of improper form. There are many challenges faced on the trail that will never be seen in an arena. It is so sad when I see arena horses terrified of being in nature walking the trails, don't these horses seem so nervous?
I dont mean to knock any horse disciplines because ultimately, we're all doing it for the love of horses, but when you say that I "just trail ride, " it's sad to think that your missing out on a great opportunity to allow you and horse to just "be" together.
 
#103 ·
My mare is bossy, fast and mean. She dances around while I get on because she is so excited to go for a ride. Everyone I ride with is afraid of her and don't want their horse close to mine because they think she'll attack their precious "peanut rollers." Where I'm from "peanut rollers" refers to a QH that has been trained in WP. They have been taught to gait extremely slowly with their faces close to the ground to gain the affections of the judges. To each their own, live and let live, ect. To me, it seems that training a horse to do this is UNNATURAL. Lady and I have to constantly stop and turn in circles to let them catch up, it gets very annoying.

If I ever ride her in the arena she gives me maybe ten minutes of good behavior before she gets bored. She will begin to side pass, crow hop and give me strange ambling gaits because she wants to hit the trail, not ride in endless circles. When we get to go to different trails she is a completely different horse. Her head set is more level, she focuses more on my commands and she even gives a *sigh* as if to say, "Yeah, Sally, this is it. This is what we are supposed to do." Walking through muck up to her hocks, leaping over every little branch in the path and splashing in the lake are all things we get to do on a regular basis in the Michigan summers.

4-H showing is as close as I got to the competition circut. My mare at the time was a late twenties pure arab princess. She was very calm and collected, but the judges all wanted to see the QHs with the huge hind quarters and my flashy little arab just didn't do it for them. My parents bothe grew up as trail riders and so did I, so we didn't understand what the appeal was for people to break the bank on glam and glitz to ride in circles and have to prove yourself to a panel of strangers that you have a good chance to never see again. We cleaned up in speed and trail classes, then went home to relax and ride the trails like we always did.

So yes, I am "just a trail rider". I get to experience the pure joy of sharing a sunset from a view just on the backside of the lake that a great majority of the wold will never get to see. That expeience I share with the only other being on this planet I can spend all day with and not be tired of her. She listens to what I have to say, never judging me for what I look, sound or think like. We don't have to impress anyone and we can have a relaxing day with nature, seeing other animals in the woods that ATV'S and other instruments of travel would've scared off. We get to love what we do because we can do it without anyone else there to see.
 
#104 ·
I love trail riding! I trail ride a lot. There is a lot to see on a horses back than an inclosed arena. I love exploring new trails and trying new things. However,I also love doing arena work. When I'm out on trails I relax and let me horse look around and just enjoy ourselves but I also love to haul butt up hills and up the moutains. I live in OR so my friends and I are usually always riding up in the mountains and I have to say it is so peaceful!

"Just a trail rider"..people may say but take them on an extreme trail ride and I bet that they will never say that again. I use to think trail riding..EASY!...but it takes skill!
 
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