Arabians or Others for Trail Riding

Absolutely. Everything depends on the individual!

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This is something my current mare would do LOL

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Ohhhhh, Texarkana. How easily thou doth call the OP away from the light. :slight_smile:

OP, all breeds are equal but some breeds (cough, Arab) are more equal than others, to quote George Orwell in Animal Farm. :slight_smile:

But, my Arab outwalked most other horses. She was not remotely crazy; she just loved the trail and liked to flow regally right along; she owned every trail she set foot on. If I were planning to regularly go out with a big group, I would want to know that I wouldn’t always be holding back my horse. I guess I would find a group with alot of Arabs, which maybe you have. Or I’d accept that I would get wherever we were going before the pack of quarter horses got there.

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:interrobang::question::question::question::hushed:
I’m on my 3rd Walker & pls explain?
If anything, I’m skinnier now than when I inherited #1 from DH.
With the exception of my 2nd TWH, they do trot as well as gait. #2 was hardwired to gait, never trotted, even in pasture.
But his gait felt like getting a backrub, so…
He was also sure-footed enough to keep up with (& not outpace) a group of 7 riding mules on the very vertical trails of Brown Cty.
#1 Eventing with DH


#2 @ Brown Cty (treeless saddle)

#3 last August on trails with my Driving Club.
He could have cared less about the carriages

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Consider a mule. There are gaited mules. But for sure footed, mules are the best --check out the videos on line and of course the Grand Canyon mule ride --haven’t had a rider/mule accident in over 100 years .

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Im joking around. They are fattening because there’s no posting and riding is so effortless vs a trotter.

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I hadn’t thought about that. They require special saddles though, don’t they?

My top 3 picks would be Morgan, Arab or Saddlebred

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My arabs are super well minded and usually the quietest critters on the trail. I bred Russian/polish lined horses. There are some more modern lines that I have not enjoyed as much. But every animal is an individual and some rescues have not had a good experience getting and staying under saddle.

You have to evaluate each horse individually and decide if they will work for you.

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I just listed my favorite breeds for trail- obviously individuals would need to evaluate
Although, strictly speaking for my own personal horses, I would take a unsuited trail Arab and train it before I’d take a perfectly suited stock breed lol

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In my trail rider experience my best mounts were an Uruguayan Criollo and an Haflinger. Sure footed, level headed, very versatile horses. My actual appendix is not bad but not as sure footed and a bit hot expecially when in company, lots of stamina anyway!

When we did our pack trips with @OnAMission the two Arabs I rode were my favorites. They are so catty in their ability to navigate things easily.

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One of these days I’m going to make it out there to ride with her!

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First look for a horse you enjoy being with, doing and going places first, one that makes you smile big.
What color/breed and other will sort itself out.

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@sorrelfilly721 --some mules do need a specific mule saddle, others use horse saddles. Be aware mules live a lot longer than horses so u might have a good mule for 30-40 years.

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That’s the challenge. I bought a yearling from a wild herd here who are known for their great minds and surefootedness. I ADORED her. She brought me more joy than any horse I ever owned. About five months ago she turned 2 1/2 and very suddenly stopped eating and had liquid poo. She spent 10 days at the vet hospital and they were unable to determine what killed her other than an inflamed colon. I should have done a necropsy, but had already spent so much on the hospital stay, I didn’t. Now I’m afraid to get another one from that herd and have the same thing happen. Many many horses have lived on this property for over 50 years and never had an issue. Many of them have lived into their late 30’s. It broke my heart.

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Sounds like you would do well with a mustang.

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Nope.
Rode all 3 in my Stubben A/P.
Now use my semi-custom Stubben Maestoso (pictured on #3)

ETA:
Oops.
Replied to the wrong post :disappointed:

So sorry, that is heartbreaking.:tired_face:

She and Feronia were a good trail combo, but Feronia had to trot to catch up a lot. (Note Feronia was slow for a Morgan.)