2023 Edition: Share your trail
This is our annual thread for all things trail riding, trekking, hacking, endurance, competitive trail, horse camping, long riding, etc. No ride is too short, no trail is too groomed-all are welcome!
There’s only one rule: you are not referred to as “just” a trail rider, and your equine partner is not “just” a trail horse. This kind of riding takes too much skill, fitness, and some days, bravery, to downplay what you do! 😉
In prior years, this thread has taken us all over the world, through forests and fields, across beaches and deserts, along dirt and paved roads, and up and down mountains. So please, join and and share the view through the ears of your favorite trail horse!! If you’re so inclined, feel free to use this as a place to track your mileage, number of days ridden, average speed, whatever is interesting to you and aligned to your goals for the year.
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I managed to get in a short ride this afternoon to start the new year. It’s still oddly warm here (central Vermont) so we’ve had lots of melting, leaving us with lots of mud to trudge through.
![Sky Horse Plant Tree Road surface]()
![Dog Snow Sky Plant Working animal]()
We had almost 2 feet of snow two weeks ago, but it’s melted fast!
![Cloud Sky Plant Tree Slope]()
If you look through the ears though, you can see there is still at least some snow on the trails up on top of our local ski resort ⛷
![Plant Dog breed Working animal Felidae Carnivore]()
Total 2023 (!) miles: 2.5
There’s only one rule: you are not referred to as “just” a trail rider, and your equine partner is not “just” a trail horse. This kind of riding takes too much skill, fitness, and some days, bravery, to downplay what you do! 😉
In prior years, this thread has taken us all over the world, through forests and fields, across beaches and deserts, along dirt and paved roads, and up and down mountains. So please, join and and share the view through the ears of your favorite trail horse!! If you’re so inclined, feel free to use this as a place to track your mileage, number of days ridden, average speed, whatever is interesting to you and aligned to your goals for the year.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I managed to get in a short ride this afternoon to start the new year. It’s still oddly warm here (central Vermont) so we’ve had lots of melting, leaving us with lots of mud to trudge through.
We had almost 2 feet of snow two weeks ago, but it’s melted fast!
If you look through the ears though, you can see there is still at least some snow on the trails up on top of our local ski resort ⛷
Total 2023 (!) miles: 2.5
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I caught up with all the work I had. So Ibn and I hit the trails in the National Forest around our home. The last time I was on a horse was 7 weeks ago. That was before everything started going wrong in the farm and Mother Nature tried to kill us. But now is a new year. We had a gorgeous day. Temps in the high 50s, mostly sunny, little wind. We rode 5.4 miles (8.7 km).
![Plant Plant community Vertebrate Dog Wood]()
![Horse Plant Working animal Tree Natural landscape]()
My black horse is very silly and handsome. He is hard to train most of the time.
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Me too!!
My black horse is very silly and handsome. He is hard to train most of the time.
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838 Posts
Hmmmm. How does everybody clock how many km ( miles) they went??
My black horse is very silly and handsome. He is hard to train most of the time.
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LOL today I only rode 800 mt. How I know?? I measured the distance on Google Earth that I rode up to and it was 400 mt and I rode up and back down so 800 mt. 
so much riding 😂🤣🤣🤣
so much riding 😂🤣🤣🤣We are having oddly warm weather here in the UP also, but it takes a lot of above freezing weather to make 5 foot drifts disappear It still doesn't feel safe to ride, although the horses did venture out into the pasture on their own today and came running at dinner time, lol.
So no riding for me yet, but I AM gonna make that 1000 mile goal this year. I signed up for a different challenge today (you know me and my challenges). This one is from a different site. A place called Equistarte. I'll let you know how that goes.
@knightrider I am still working on the Pony Express, but it is taking me forever. I'll get there if I have to do it one mile at a time, lol.
It still doesn't feel safe to ride, although the horses did venture out into the pasture on their own today and came running at dinner time, lol. So no riding for me yet, but I AM gonna make that 1000 mile goal this year. I signed up for a different challenge today (you know me and my challenges). This one is from a different site. A place called Equistarte. I'll let you know how that goes.
@knightrider I am still working on the Pony Express, but it is taking me forever. I'll get there if I have to do it one mile at a time, lol.
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I trimmed hooves today, so my back refused to pick up a saddle. I long for those days when I rode bareback, but 90% of my falls were from bareback, so I quit that.
My goals for 2023 are laughable compared to you all. I just want to ride 3x per week at least 2 miles. If I can get my young horse going, I can increase that.
This week, we're under the atmospheric river again, so no riding. 😞
My goals for 2023 are laughable compared to you all. I just want to ride 3x per week at least 2 miles. If I can get my young horse going, I can increase that.
This week, we're under the atmospheric river again, so no riding. 😞
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I use a gps, or an APP called Geo Tracker. Since I'm in the USA, I track my distance in miles, then convert the distance to kilometers for the benefit of all the members who live in countries that use the metric system. There are a bunch of APPs you can install in your cell phone to help you track your ride.
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I would consider myself very fortunate if I had the opportunity to ride once a week. Because of that, I don't bother signing up for any of the virtual races. But if I did, the one that is based on the Mongolian race sounds interesting.
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There is no such thing as a laughable goal! There is no comparing your joy to someone else's "accomplishment"! I hope I might sit on my horse again this year. The joy will be infinite!
My black horse is very silly and handsome. He is hard to train most of the time.
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Hmmmm. I don't have a smartphone. Just a good old dumbphone with push buttons only to use for calling and texting. So that option wouldn't work
Maybe I will just have to remember every little place I went on my ride and measure it on Google Earth.... so painstaking though!
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We are blessed in so many ways, but 2022 had some challenges for us. In November, I stopped riding for a variety of reasons.
On New Years eve late , I went out to give hay. I put my arm around our horse's neck and gave his fuzzy ear a kiss and said hope we are all healthy & have a better year for riding in 2023!
... Towards that goal, I have setup to start working with a trainer towards the end of this month. Looking forward to that a lot!
This was last year, so can't wait to add a new pix!
Google map works great for me to track my riding mileage.
On New Years eve late , I went out to give hay. I put my arm around our horse's neck and gave his fuzzy ear a kiss and said hope we are all healthy & have a better year for riding in 2023!
... Towards that goal, I have setup to start working with a trainer towards the end of this month. Looking forward to that a lot!
This was last year, so can't wait to add a new pix!
Google map works great for me to track my riding mileage.
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^^^^^^Exactly. Your goal is for you! no competition here! We like hearing what you've done and seeing pictures- no matter what.
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Currently, I am using Equilab on my phone, which is dandy . . . except I want audio saying miles and this lady only says how many minutes I have ridden. Why would I want to know how many minutes I have ridden??? I have a watch. I can look at the Equilab and see when it turns to miles, so I can pretty much figure out how many miles on the trails I ride every day. But I do wish it would just SAY when you pass each mile.
I tried Avenza as per @weeedlady 's recommendation, but I couldn't get it to download maps. It would do some maps and not others. Probably my cheap phone, but I gave up and switched. Avenza also didn't say each mile out loud, and I really want that. When riding a spicey horse, I can't be whipping out my phone all the time.
Someone recommended an ap called Horseriding, which did say the miles, but it wouldn't work on my phone.
I loved Endomondo, but they stopped. Too bad.
For about a year or more, I used nothing, and still was able to track miles, so @younghorsetrainer , here is one way you can track your km: When driving somewhere in your vehicle, pay attention to when you have completed one or two or however many km. Then ride your horse that far, looking at your watch. If you do that about 6 times, both going out and coming home, you can figure your average speed. It's going to be inexact because Endomondo said my average was about 3.3 mph. Avenza said it was closer to 2.8. And Equilab says it is 3.1. I do believe I have slowed down some, but currently I am using 3.1 when I don't fool (or forget . . . or it doesn't work) with putting on the Equilab. Keep track of your hours, then multiply by 3.1. If you only ride 20 minutes, then use a decimal. Riding 20 minutes would be .333 of an hour, which would put you at 1.3 miles for your distance. Aci rides closer to 3.8 or even 4 miles an hour. Windy goes from 2.5 to 4 depending on her mood. Isabeau is also close to 3.6 or 3.8 for her average. So I just use 3.1 and don't worry about it. Close enough.
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@knightrider, have you tried mapmyrun? I haven't tried it on a horse yet but running along it says your distance and pace and tells you out loud you have gone one mile.
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Yay! @gottatrot ! That sounds perfect. I assume it shows you on a map where you have gone so you don't get lost? I get lost a lot.
You all inspired me to add up my rides. I rode 525.5 hours and multiply that times 3.1 is 1,629.05 miles this year. I think I am one of the few people who would like to ride LESS rather than more. It would benefit my family for me not to be so obsessed with riding. My house could be vacuumed and dusted more often and more home cooked meals. So, hopefully for me, maybe a little FEWER miles would be in order.
To be fair, I am retired and I live in Florida. That means I can ride all year round and I can ride when the rain stops or when I get home from whatever I have gone to do . . . or before I go do what I have to do.
You all inspired me to add up my rides. I rode 525.5 hours and multiply that times 3.1 is 1,629.05 miles this year. I think I am one of the few people who would like to ride LESS rather than more. It would benefit my family for me not to be so obsessed with riding. My house could be vacuumed and dusted more often and more home cooked meals. So, hopefully for me, maybe a little FEWER miles would be in order.
To be fair, I am retired and I live in Florida. That means I can ride all year round and I can ride when the rain stops or when I get home from whatever I have gone to do . . . or before I go do what I have to do.
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Yes, it shows on a map. Hmm...dusting and cleaning are overrated. Do what brings you joy.
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I'm in the camp of not recording miles. I enjoy the photos from all over that are posted here, and my contribution is a photo that I think others might like.
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We love your photos, and thank you very much for posting them!
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