what are some fun things to do out on trail

We get pretty immune to some of the natural trail obsticles. Looking at the scenry and letting the horse watch his footing



I teach my horses to HiLine and to Hobble




Go down steep hills, Cross the river and climb the hill on the other side

I don't know about everyone else but I want to go ride with Painted Horse. I love looking at trails through your eyes. Fun Fun Fun !!!!

Its always fun to ride to the river & swim and if ya live in the mountains its always alot cooler at the river so you can ride on days most people would consider way too hot. (i don't know if the river = coolness is just a mountain thing but I assume. Hardly been outta these damned mountains)
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I didn't know it ever got "too hot" to ride, I usually still have a jacket tied to the cantle even in July around here. We just keep going higher up the mountain as the summer temps rise. When it's 90° at home at 4400 foot elevation, It will be 65° at 9000 foot elevation.

Where do you live?!?!?!? That landscape is amazing!!!! I really want to live there! Not trying to be a creeper or anything haha

So jealous of those trails! I get little state forest trails that are highly maintained with little to worry about except maybe a little bridge or a two foot drop on either side unless I find something off one of the bogs around here. Now that I've seen what's out there I'll never be able to look at my trails the same way I used to.

Runnngwithwind, I live in Utah, So all these photos are places I ride, most are within 4 hours trailer ride from my home. Utah has a large variety of terrain. The horses don't care. They are just happy to be out for an adventure. I truelly think they are as much a tourist as I am. Enjoying seeing a new trail and sampling new grass as they go.

This weeks obstacle has been deep snow and buffalo




But it is common to have to negotiate rocks, trees, mud and rivers


Even rocky trails on steep mountain sides

Great name for a horse - my little black Tennessee Walker is also named "Badger."

You can set up little obstacles for yourself and your horse - stepping (or jumping) over logs, ducking under low branches, walking across streams or up on big flat rocks. Depending on the terrain, it's nice to have some steeper hills to navigate, so you and your horse can develop balance together. Water crossings are great - be aware of the depth and type of footing underwater so you don't find yourself stuck in a mudhole.

I used to clear trail from horseback - using a handsaw to cut smaller low-hanging branches and then drag it while riding my horse until I could find a more open area to drop it out of the way. I don't advise trying that until you know your horse is "okay" with having something dragged beside him in a more contained setting (like an arena/pasture), but it's a useful thing for a horse to know.

Out on the trail is a good place to practice standing tied for a while, even if you're not too far from home. The place where I used to board my horse didn't have good grass pasture, so I would ride my horse out to a nice grassy meadow, dismount and let him graze for a while with just his halter on. Take a book and pack a lunch and just hang out there for a bit.

If you're forging any new trail, just be cautious if you live in an area that used to be farmland, because there may be old coils of rusted fence wire laying around.

Painted Horse once more you leave me in Aw of the trails you ride.I was wondering are most of these trails in National Parks? Also do you have bears to worry about or perhaps mountain lions?

75% of Utah is public land, So these trail are on Forest Service, BLM and State Trust lands for the most part. National and State parks charge fees, and they heavily regulate where or how you can camp. Often restricting horse camping. So I don't use them as much as just pulling off the road and heading up a Forest Service trail.

I do ride in Yellowstone National Park, (Usually during August) and Bryce Canyon National Park ( in May) and Zions National Park ( in November), But these are almost always day rides with camping outside the park.

National Parks don't allow any hunting, So most of the fall I avoid the parks as we seek out deer and elk.

We see the occasional black bear or cougar in Utah, Rare, but occasional.
Yellowstone and Wind Rivers have Grizzlys so we have to be a little more careful about camping in those areas

This is Utah State land, that is set aside as winter habitat for deer and elk