FALCON CREEK FARM NEWSLETTER

(July 2003)

TRAIL RIDING PREPARATION

We’ve all seen the photos in travel magazines and brochures for Western dude ranches: the happy tourists on horses riding nose-to-tail through beautiful scenery. And most of us have probably been on these trail rides, where we’re just passengers on horses who know the trail so well that they practically fall asleep while climbing through scenic forests or wandering across wind-swept beaches.

Trail riding on your own horse, especially if he’s not used to going out on the trail, is a completely different story! In fact, trail riding can be the most dangerous thing you do on your horse. Your horse may be calm and reliable in the arena or around the barn, but he could turn into a 1,000-lb scared bunny rabbit when he gets out on the open road. And when that happens, you don’t want to be a passenger – you want to be a rider.

So it’s important to prepare yourself and your horse before you hit the trail. You want your horse to listen to you, and not just when things are going fine. In that split second before your horse bolts when he sees (or thinks he sees) a horse-eating monster, you want to get his attention and reassure him that you’re there to take care of him. Here are a few exercises you can practice in the safety of the arena that will help you handle those unexpected thrills out on the trail.

The first thing your horse needs to learn is that you will protect him from the monsters. So you’ll want to set up “monsters” in the arena and practice getting past them safely. Basically this is “sacking out” your horse –desensitizing him to the kinds of flapping, flying, noisy objects you’re bound to encounter out on the trail.

Start with a plastic bag. With your horse in his halter and lead rope, hold the bag out to him and see how he reacts. You’ll need to have patience and go slowly – it won’t do any good to try to push him to accept these distractions. You want him to learn that although they may seem scary at first, they won’t harm him. So start with holding the bag several feet away from him and approach him slowly. Then touch him with the bag and withdraw it before he gets too scared. Keep doing this until he relaxes and accepts it. Then gradually increase the contact: rub the bag along his body and try to find out where he’s particularly sensitive. Most horses will be at least a little nervous as you approach the top of their heads. Again, go slowly until your horse realizes that the bag won’t hurt him.

Your goal should be to be able to crinkle and flap the bag all over your horse without him reacting at all. This may take a while! You may have to spend 10 or 15 minutes each day for several days working with your horse – short sessions are better than marathons. Eventually he’ll get bored with the bag, and that’s what you want. You want him to get soooo bored that he won’t react at all when you’re out on the trail one windy day and one of those pesky bags comes flying over his head!

Another bag technique is to tie one (or several) to the arena fence and practice riding by it. Don’t do this until you’ve worked with your horse on the ground and you’re sure he’s desensitized! If your horse doesn’t want to walk past the bag, take him up as close as he will go, and as soon as he starts to get nervous, circle away. Continue this approach and retreat until you can walk right by the bag without any problem.

Once your horse has mastered this trick, you can start thinking of creative ways to prepare him for trail obstacles. Can he walk across a tarp? (Be sure to weight it down with rocks or cavaletti.) Can he walk across a piece of plywood? How does he react when an umbrella is opened next to him? What about bicycles and ATVs? If you’re planning on riding on a popular hiking trail, you’ll probably encounter some of them! What happens when you try to put on your raincoat when you’re in the saddle?

You can borrow some ideas from Western trail classes and play some games on horseback with your riding buddies. Set up an obstacle course with a plywood and cavaletti “bridge,” a clothesline with towels flapping in the wind, a gate to open and close from the saddle, a bunch of rails tossed out on the ground with shiny things lying here and there (soda cans are good), low jumps with pine branches propped up in front. But remember: don’t push your horse to approach or go over anything until he’s ready. It’s not a contest of wills; it’s all about building your horse’s trust in you as his trail guide. Go slowly and be patient.

Another useful thing to know about your horse before you set out on the trail is that he’ll stop when you tell him to stop. If you get him to respond to the lightest “stop” cue in the arena, chances are he’ll stop on the trail even when he’s scared (but you’ll probably have to use a more forceful cue). Practice using your stop cues, from the lightest to the strongest.

Pick up a relaxed walk and relax your body so you’re moving in rhythm with your horse. Then, as Pat Parelli says, “stop riding”: roll back on your seat bones, tighten your backbone, and lower your eyes. Your goal is to get your horse to stop with only these cues – but he probably won’t the first time you try! If he doesn’t stop, add the voice cue: “whooooaaa” in a low, strong, lazy voice. If he still doesn’t stop, add the hands: bring the reins toward your hips. A gentle rocking motion with the reins – first left, then right – is usually more effective than a hard pull with both hands at once. Of course, these increasingly strong cues have to be given within seconds of each other – your horse needs to make the connection between them. Your horse needs to know that if “A” happens and he doesn’t stop, then “B” will happen, and if that doesn’t work, then “C” will happen. That’s one of the ways he learns how to trust you: you don’t give him cues that you don’t expect him to listen to!

It’s also useful to know an emergency stop, especially if you think there’s any chance of your horse bolting. The most effective way to slow a horse down is to disengage his hindquarters (which is where all his speed comes from). His hindquarters are disengaged when his inside hind leg comes up under him and crosses over his outside hind leg. Try this first from the ground with a halter and lead rope. Face your horses’ near (left) side slightly behind the withers. Gently pull the lead rope toward you as you walk toward his hindquarters. You want his left rear leg to reach under his body and cross in front of his right rear leg. Try this on both sides, and then try it from the saddle at a walk. You’ll see that as you turn, he has to slow down. Practice making the turn and then stopping. But don’t jerk him into the turn; if you do this on the trail at a gallop, you can throw him off balance and cause a major accident. Once you master this stop from the walk, try it from the trot and then the canter/lope. Again, if you do this to the point where it becomes automatic for both you and your horse, you’ll have a better chance of making it work on the trail when you really need it.

Working on these exercises in the arena will build up both your horses’ confidence and your own. Even if you’ve owned your horse for years, you’ll probably learn a lot about each other. And you’ll be better prepared for the wide-open spaces, so you can enjoy your time out on the trail. And remember: always wear a helmet! No matter how well prepared you are, a horse is always a horse!

Article contributed by guest author Erica Whitcombe. Thanks Erica!!!

Happy Riding!!!

Comments and feedback are always welcome!

Leslie @

Falcon Creek Farm

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