Would love to hear from those who’ve bought a horse who’s only ever been shown (and lived a very pampered “show” life of never getting a hoof wet, minimal turnout, etc) and made it a trail horse. Successes, failures, share your story!
I’ve trained retrained three OTTBs and they all turned into successful trail horses (among other things).
None of them had done anything except race before I got them. These were horses that wouldn’t blink under track circumstances but would have a heart attack if they saw a duck fly by or squirrel dash up a tree.
I generally start by handwalking them on the trails until they feel comfortable, then ride out with a steady eddie type of horse. I have no problem with dismounting and leading a horse past something “scary”. It usually solves problems without getting them upset.
Wooded trails work better than big open fields at the beginning.
I do a lot of walking initially and when they can walk on a loose rein, introduce some trotting.
Agree with the above post. 75% of what makes a good trail horse is miles. A show horse already has the basic under saddle training and more. All it needs is exposure. Just how good of a trail horse it will make also depends on the horse’s personality and what kind of rider you are as well.
But, overall, ANY horse can be a good trail horse with enough consistant exposure to trails.
My former horse Red was an OTQH. He lived in a stall quiet a bit on the track. After he was through with his career, he was turned out in a pasture at his owner’s home deep in the woods so he was used to critters running around. Red became a good and steady trail horse. He wasn’t spooky in the least. He LOVED to be in the woods. Animals running up and down trees didn’t bother him, going through water didn’t either.
His new owner told me today they are going to event on him next year. He loves to jump the downed trees on the trail. I had to give him away because he developed anhydrosis and that is all I do is trail ride. I gave him to someone that does dressage on him so she can keep him cooler in the summer as they are always near a water hose.
He was calm, steady and just a doll. So I think it will depend on the horse’s temperament that you are considering. That will have quiet a bit to do with the success of a trail horse. My cousin had a horse years ago that was amazing in the ring - but out of the the ring she was a nervous wreak and would sweat and shake. Go figure!
Yes, NSH and it didn’t work out. She was neurotic not being confined in an arena or stall. it was really a heart breaker and she was returned after about 1.5 yrs of me trying to help her relax and enjoy it. She was so “brainwashed” she weaved, sucked air and coliced regularly.
She would go on the trails, but was nervous to the point of ulcers and would be so stressed it was not her thang. So she returned to a lesson barn after her show career was over.
It only took 3 years but my OTTB finally made it thru a complete trail ride without me getting bucked off or just getting off to walk him home, last weekend!! He had his moments but I was able to work him thru it. AND it started to rain midway thru so the footing got muddy and he’s never gone up/down steep hills. I’m so proud of him!
My Paso was sold to me after his original owner determined that he wasn’t a national level show prospect. It’s taken a while, but he is great on the trail and just loves it. I agree with the mileage and have not hesitated to get off if something really, really scared him. I got him to chase a coyote last year!
I’ve done it. It wasn’t hard. But the study in contrast was amazing. She could step on a plastic milk jug, go by the folding chairs and bizare yard art, but have a complete melt down about a small branch in the middle of the trail!
Again, depends on the horse.
My spoiled, bad manners APHA stud who was trained and shown lightly till 4, (from a breeding barn with 5 studs) was gelded at 8 years, spent a year at a training barn as a pony horse dragging halter horses around, did some roping on weekends, came home lean and happy to ‘just’ trail ride. Finally at 15 we trained him to drive and he loves it.
He still hates bugs, a leftover from stall baby days.
I will agree that the more you get the horse out, the old saying “wet saddle pads” is true.
I have to add that I have a hackney pony (rescue deal) that is wired 24/7. Many hours of ground work and long lining and he is still reactive to common sights, much more controllable but I don’t anticipate him ever being quiet.
One of my really good friends’ endurance horse is a former Top 10 Arab halter stallion. He was gelded after his show career and sold to a woman who, bottom line, really had no business owning an Arab (or a horse in general). She sunk thousands of dollars into training him, but ultimately wound up selling him to my friend for a few hundred bucks because he was “crazy”. My friend rides him bitless everywhere and has since the week she got him.
Sonny is a rockstar out on the trail though. He LOVES it outside. He really doesn’t like doing much of anything in the arena. They do some dressage and jumping lessons and he does it, but his heart isn’t in it and he can be a spooky, noodly idiot on bad days. Out on the trails though, he’s awesome. I won’t say he has zero spook, but they’re small startles and completely unlike the meltdowns he’s been known to have when asked to do something unfavorable in the arena.
I think it really just depends on the horse. Some are going to like trail riding and take to it, some just aren’t. I grew up riding Saddlebreds. The lesson horses were all former show horses. Some were okay to take out on the trails around the farm and some would just completely lose their marbles.
My husband and father in law buy QHs off the track. My husband’s grandfather did the same. Every one of those horses has turned into a reasonably decent trail horse. Some are better than others, but they all are good enough at least for a good rider. Their primary purpose is gaming events, but they also trail ride on them a fair amount.
Twice and once was successful.
I rescued a starving 5-gaited ASB who was well over 16H; thankfully his papers came with him. Sweetest most loving horse one could ask for but hyperventilated in the woods, would do whatever the horse in front of him was doing out on an open trail. Meaning if the other horse turned a circle, Big John did too. I found him a show home where he was much happier.
The second horse was registered inky blue-black Morab who was burned out from the show ring. The very first time I took her down a trail, she thought she’d gone to Heaven and never looked back. One of the greatest trail horses I ever rode, I barely had to show her anything, she just seemed to know what to do, including when it came to swimming across the river:)
I have rehabbed several horses and found that trail riding was the best therapy in the world for them.
Having a trail wise, older quiet horse as a leader helped lots. If they got panic attacks the older horse would just stop and look back as if to say, It is OK. My daughters rode the seasoned horses and I rode the green horses.
Every day I took them out and some did better than others. But after several months of trails and just easy going riding, they did OK.
I did know a 5 gaited show ASB who was terrified of the grass and the trees but went OK with the old QH in the lead. After several months became a great trail horse. As long as he was with a group he was fine. Once he was taken out by himself and had a minor melt-down. But the next day he was taken out with a group again and did fine.
I think it depends on each horse and his personality. Some take to it fine and rehab well. Others don’t. And they end back in the stable as a lesson horse or something of the sort.
JMHO
sadlmakr
I’m sure lots of people have.
I have a good friend who rides alot of endurance (XP rides) and she buys/sells horses. She got a great deal on a 4 yr old former WP and halter Arab gelding.
She’s been riding him for the last year in rides and declares him awesome!
If the horse has a good mind it’s not a big deal.
My Tb mare showed local and "A"s as a hunter. I got tired of the expenses and wanted to branch out and try other things. My mare was the epitomy of the hot TB. I wanted to trail ride, so started trail walking her(me leading her). Didn’t have a steady eddie to go out with so she just had to rely on me. One thing that really helped was to move her to a non-show barn where I had control of her feeding and turnout schedule. She started living out 24/7 with my semi-retired app gelding, had her grain cut back. I was lucky to find a really active riding club in my area and joined. It is a multi-discipline club so there are all sorts of opportunities to take clinics, go for a group trail ride, etc. I won’t say it happened overnight, but my mare is now the steady eddie everyone wants to take their greenies out with. So what do we do now? Trail ride a ton, go camping, to b&b’s at the beach and in the mountains, do some low level CT’s, team penning clinics, foxhunting(3rd flight but still why not…hehe), Christmas parades. And all this is done with my mare going in a hackamore.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/4400409157/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/4132619751/
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/4036160995/
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/3029621774/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/2965810439/
Ok, if the OP really wants to see “trail hope” for a show horse, look at
Simbalism’s pictures #751 and #774 in post #14
Is that a buoy in front of her nose - lol lol
All great pictures but these two are my favorites by far. What an accomplishment:)
I’ve seen both successes and failures with all kinds of breeds, so take it slowly and even hand walk a trail with your horse. Their senses are so overloaded out there at times, its nice to see what your horse reacts to - more to smells, sounds, or sights?
I think once you learn what the horse’s buttons are, you can start working on safe trail training and riding. A good trainer can help you trouble-shoot issues like wind, water crossings, hills, quick dismount, etc.
Have fun and good luck!
I took a upper level dressage horse (arab) and turned him into a trail/endurance horse. Took about a year, but he was wonderful on the trail with his movements! Loved them. ( I am not a dressage person), now i try to teach all my arabs some dressage.
I’ve taken two show horses, both registered Paints, and turned them into trail stars. Neither had ever been out of an arena, and they loved their new careers as trail horses. My first gelding pranced for two solid hours on his first ride, and I thought I’d killed him when I got him home because he immediately went down in his stall and didn’t move. The next day I took him out again and he never looked back…ate up the trail and seemed to enjoy every minute of it. Never pranced again, but seemed to have figured out he’d better conserve his energy!
Both became steady eddy types, and they logged hundreds of hours in the mountains.
Re: OTTBs, yes, multiple times over.
Re: Show horses - yes. Twice I had the honor of cross training very well bred dressage horses. One was years ago, a beautiful hanoverian mare that was becoming ring sour and losing work ethic (upper level dressage). Her rehab was me trail riding, jumping, and eventing her 
We both had a blast.
More recently I purchased a Dutch WB dressage mare, with very nice training under her belt. I am not a dressage expert by any stretch of the definition, she is more educated than I in that regard. Anyway, I like riding with my husband and the only way he seems to enjoy it is out on the trail so away we went - him on my eventer, and me on our new gal. We trailered all over the place, hunter paced, did some group trails, battlefield trails, and even did a mock hunt with her. I loved trotting through a field on her, as she is SUCH an active and powerful mover. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.446555515804.233723.328744655804&type=1 this is us at Gettysburg. She always seemed happier out on the trail. I’d do ring work too, but she would get fussy, tail switching, and act irritable about life - but out on the trail it was 100% ears up, relaxed, and happy.
Incidentally, all of our horses have to trail ride We don’t have an arena any longer so it’s all open field schooling and woods for now.
I retrain tb’s for show/hunt/event …but my biggest market is trail horses. My biggest group of clients are …over 50. They want somethng safe, sane, and talented.
The tb’s are only race-trained, similar to show horses in that their world lives within only those parimeters, and stalls …
When they are introduced to the trail, its a beautiful thing to watch them look, and enjoy discovering their new world.
They seem to just take it all in stride too. Ive never had any horse be difficult converting to just trails. Sure, something new? they’ll look… just give a dose of confidence and they’ll pass it by without a second look and most likely ignore it on the next ride.
Although trail riding requirese, IMO, a lot of discipline, it also requires a team effort, no passengers in this! Each time out is both learn something, if not of the trail, but of themselves. A solid team can do anything and face challenges readily.
There have been outside horses Ive trained who were difficult, but miles solved that. Lots of miles :)