TRAIL TIPS
Trail riding seems like such a simple pleasure ....
But in order to have fun on the trail, you must be diligent at making your horse safe. There are no shortcuts in training.
Riding smart and safe is of utmost importance. If your horse is not well-schooled in basic control,
don't even think about riding in the great outdoors. Here is a checklist:
-- Does he obey "whoa" immediately and easily? This is undoubtedly the most important basic command. Simply put: if he doesn't whoa, you shouldn't go. Control is required for both your safety.
-- Safety is something a lot of people learn by accident.
-- Respect what you and your horse are capable of.
-- Green on green makes black and blue: Translation: An untrained horse with an untrained rider is asking for world of hurt. Besides the disappointment of not accomplishing your dream, you are placing yourself in great danger. First graders can't teach first graders. If you are a novice, ask a knowledgeable horseman to help you select a sound, well-trained horse to start with. Then, take riding lessons to learn the right buttons to push.
-- To efficiently handle obstacles, your horse must be schooled in fundamentals. Whether for show or pleasure, your horse should respond to your subtle leg aids. He should correctly sidepass and yield for forehand and haunch turns, no matter whether you are leading or mounted. These movements are essential to control your horse's body .... and could make a huge difference in a dangerous situation.
Your horse yielding to leg aids allows you to move close to the obstacles and maneuver within them. Teach your horse to make it easy for you to open that gate or back around that tree.
-- Ride with confidence. Wow, doesn't that sound simple! There's many a time I've asked my horse to tackle an intimidating obstacle, one that he'd never seen before. He tackles it with determination and confidence. It is because I have given him a firm foundation in fundamentals. We do our homework! Therefore, he trusts that I won't let him get hurt; I trust that he will obey me in whatever situation. End result: we both enjoy a wonderful time on the trail, confident that together, we can handle any challenge.
Gaining confidence in each other's abilities is the product of many hours. You will be rewarded for your patience and effort.Time is well-spent in teaching basics, moving on to a little more difficult obstacles/maneuvers, then on to advanced. Often we review basics to fine-tune. If you are consistent, patient and don't ask more than your horse is ready for, an unbreakable bond will be forged.
-- Your correct horsemanship is crucial. Sitting balanced in the saddle, hands and legs in proper alignment will allow your horse to feel your subtle signals. Leaning over, sitting off to the side hinders your horse's balance. As a competitor, you'll get more points when your aids to your horse are almost invisible. Think how pretty a picture that is! That is the goal to work for.
-- Realize that each and every time you are with your horse, you are either training .... or untraining. Think about that. Are you accepting unwanted behavior because you don't want to take the time to correct it? Not ending on a successful note will make the next lesson more work for you. Don't give your horse a reason to stay awake all night thinking of ways to misbehave!
-- Look ahead. Hey, somebody's has to be looking where they're going! A major fault of almost all riders is looking down at their horse's head constantly. Part of building trust is your horse knowing that you, as the master, are observing the trail ahead; evaluating the terrain that will allow you both to handle it safely. Especially in the green/novice stage, you must be attentive. As you learn how to read and rate obstacles; he learns to trust that you will help him safely get through whatever. Horsemanship-wise, riding with your eyes forward enables you to "feel" your horse. It is amazing how much you will sense when you don't ride by your eyes!
-- Trust. As in any relationship, it takes time to develop. Here's something to consider: do you trust your horse? If the answer is no, then realize it is mutual. Your horse doesn't trust you. But, by patiently creating a training program of successful steps, a partnership is established that will carry you safely through the roughest of obstacles and situations. Challenges will be confidently handled, because you believe in each other's abilities.
-- Safety is something a lot of people learn by accident.
-- Respect what you and your horse are capable of.
-- Green on green makes black and blue: Translation: An untrained horse with an untrained rider is asking for world of hurt. Besides the disappointment of not accomplishing your dream, you are placing yourself in great danger. First graders can't teach first graders. If you are a novice, ask a knowledgeable horseman to help you select a sound, well-trained horse to start with. Then, take riding lessons to learn the right buttons to push.
-- To efficiently handle obstacles, your horse must be schooled in fundamentals. Whether for show or pleasure, your horse should respond to your subtle leg aids. He should correctly sidepass and yield for forehand and haunch turns, no matter whether you are leading or mounted. These movements are essential to control your horse's body .... and could make a huge difference in a dangerous situation.
Your horse yielding to leg aids allows you to move close to the obstacles and maneuver within them. Teach your horse to make it easy for you to open that gate or back around that tree.
-- Ride with confidence. Wow, doesn't that sound simple! There's many a time I've asked my horse to tackle an intimidating obstacle, one that he'd never seen before. He tackles it with determination and confidence. It is because I have given him a firm foundation in fundamentals. We do our homework! Therefore, he trusts that I won't let him get hurt; I trust that he will obey me in whatever situation. End result: we both enjoy a wonderful time on the trail, confident that together, we can handle any challenge.
Gaining confidence in each other's abilities is the product of many hours. You will be rewarded for your patience and effort.Time is well-spent in teaching basics, moving on to a little more difficult obstacles/maneuvers, then on to advanced. Often we review basics to fine-tune. If you are consistent, patient and don't ask more than your horse is ready for, an unbreakable bond will be forged.
-- Your correct horsemanship is crucial. Sitting balanced in the saddle, hands and legs in proper alignment will allow your horse to feel your subtle signals. Leaning over, sitting off to the side hinders your horse's balance. As a competitor, you'll get more points when your aids to your horse are almost invisible. Think how pretty a picture that is! That is the goal to work for.
-- Realize that each and every time you are with your horse, you are either training .... or untraining. Think about that. Are you accepting unwanted behavior because you don't want to take the time to correct it? Not ending on a successful note will make the next lesson more work for you. Don't give your horse a reason to stay awake all night thinking of ways to misbehave!
-- Look ahead. Hey, somebody's has to be looking where they're going! A major fault of almost all riders is looking down at their horse's head constantly. Part of building trust is your horse knowing that you, as the master, are observing the trail ahead; evaluating the terrain that will allow you both to handle it safely. Especially in the green/novice stage, you must be attentive. As you learn how to read and rate obstacles; he learns to trust that you will help him safely get through whatever. Horsemanship-wise, riding with your eyes forward enables you to "feel" your horse. It is amazing how much you will sense when you don't ride by your eyes!
-- Trust. As in any relationship, it takes time to develop. Here's something to consider: do you trust your horse? If the answer is no, then realize it is mutual. Your horse doesn't trust you. But, by patiently creating a training program of successful steps, a partnership is established that will carry you safely through the roughest of obstacles and situations. Challenges will be confidently handled, because you believe in each other's abilities.
