I have taken “on trial” a sweet paint gelding age 5. Woman who had him is going through rough divorce, her kids rode him bareback with a snaffle, but not a whole lot that I can tell. I think he was mostly a pet. He’s submissive to my aged mare and two mini mares (!). He’s green. He’s polite for handling, feet etc. Mouthy but that’s decreasing, I don’t do treats, I’m sure those kids did. What do you think my chances are for turning this guy into a nice quiet trail horse? (My aged mare is retired now due to chronic lameness/old racetrack injury.) I used to have a great trail horse, got HIM when he was 5 and green, but invested lots of dressage lessons over 18 years…then he colicked, I miss him bad. I could ride with neighbors, they have quiet trail horses. Advice?
Well, you won’t know until you try! You know little about him, and we know only what you have posted…but I guess I would ask, why do you think he would NOT make a good trail horse?
If it were me, I’d of course first get him going under saddle in an arena, find the buttons, etc, and get him fit. If he has decent brakes and steering and attitude, he is ready to try on the trails! If not, you’ll identify what he needs by way of learning and experience.
Mine, as it happens, went out on trails at age 2 for the first time (before I bought them, and at a level appropriate for their tender age, just for the exposure). I took both on easy trail rides at 3 and worked up from there. At ages 7 and 5- both have been on all-weekend rides, camping out, and also all day cattle work. The 7 yo- my grandmother could ride on any trail, and she’s been dead nearly 30 years. The 5 yo still can have some green moments, but nothing alarming!
thanks
Thanks for your reply. You’re right, won’t know till we try. I really love his personality, so I’m hopeful.
No reason why not!
I’ve restarted several OTTBs and they’ve all turned into great trail horses. None of them had ever seen anything like the great outdoors before!
If he’s good in hand, you can also try introducing him to trails by hand walking him. I generally do that with a new/green horse. They seem to gain more confidence more quickly if I’m there to show them the way.
Also, if you have friend with a steady Eddy, that can help too.
Agree with the previous poster that you should get him going in an enclosed space first so you can be sure that steering and brakes are installed!
thanks Bogie
Yes, I have been thinking of the many hours of ring work that I invested in my other horse…
I acquired a pretty green 7 year old gelding this spring. He’d basically been started at 4 and turned back out and then a very young trainer put about 30 days on him before I bought him. He’s great on trails - much better than he is in the arena actually.
Travis is braver than brave and very very calm on the trails. He steers, he stops, he backs, he’ll take the lead. I’d take him anywhere at a walk or even a trot. In the arena, he’s a worrier - he hates being wrong and tends to get anxious whenever we start working on something new. He goes w/t/c, whoa, backs and usually gets the right lead, but we’re just starting on things like leg yields, side passing, turning on the haunches, etc. They’ll all be useful on the trail eventually (he’s destined to be a super trail horse) and for now give us something to work on in our weekly arena sessions with a trainer.
As long as you’ve got brakes and steering I’d take him out with some experienced horses and see what happens. Just be sure you have a helmet. And start with shorter/easier rides, so you can set both of you up for success.
If he seems pretty sane, I’d say you have a good shot!
I started my youngster (3 year old Arab) on the trails in stages:
-
Handwalking him
-
Ponying him behind my older guy
-
Riding behind my older guy (“steadie eddie” type on the trails)
-
Taking him out for short trips by himself near home
-
Trailering out for rides by himself and with strange horses
It took me about 4-5 months to work up to riding him by himself on the trails. You could probably go faster, but I was starting in the winter and wasn’t in any rush. Plus, it had been years since I’d been on a greenie, so I think I had more confidence issues to work through than he did! We did quite a bit of ring work in between, so I was comfortable that he had brakes, steering, etc.
My guy’s now almost four and a half, and he’s terrific on the trails. Take your time and see what you’ve got!
All it usually takes to make a good trail horse is miles on the trail…usually following another calm/quiet/experienced horse.
Thank you for the great advice. Yes, I am religious about the helmet. He’s such a sweet animal that I want to make this a pleasant and fun experience for him.
[QUOTE=HPFarmette;5027829]
Yes, I have been thinking of the many hours of ring work that I invested in my other horse…[/QUOTE]
I start trail riding them as soon as possible – as soon as i have basic controls. I spend the first couple of weeks just walking. They generally enjoy it and it’s relaxing for both of us. I also introduce my dogs into the mix early on so they can get used to dogs crashing about in the woods.
Good luck!
Uh, none of my first three horses were what you could call trail horses when I got them: an ex-barrel racer who was mostly arena ridden by her previous owner, an ex-lesson horse who’d been packing beginners around an indoor for years, and a greenbroke 4 year old who didnt know water came in anything but buckets when I bought her. All three became trail horses by me riding them out on trails. Alone, for the most part.
One of my current horses was a trail horse before I got her, and she took the most work undoing all the bad things her previous owner had done to her. She is still spookier than my current gelding who is a close runner up to the old lesson horse for Best Trail Horse Ever. Current gelding was only about 6 when I got him. His former owner wanted him for a parade horse, and before that somebody evidently put a lot of work into his training but I have no idea if he was ever trail ridden. He loves it.
Sounds just like my horse when I got him… he had just turned 4 and was very lightly started; the first dealer who had him “broke” him (i.e. a cowboy rode him once or twice), then the second dealer that I bought him from brought him to a clinic and got brakes installed, and other than that, just rode him on trail a few times with a bunch of other horses. When I rode him the first time, he didn’t even know how to trot yet with a rider, but he was brave and calm and willing over rocks, through water, through ditches, and with deer and dogs bursting out of the bushes at him.
He can do a lot more now, but he’s still awesome on the trail. I take him out alone most of the time, and he goes over/through anything…
go for it , long rein him to death so he understands basic commands , focsed and forwards so he this isnt lunging
find a dressage trainer or driver trianer , take your time and dont rush him
as hes already been ridden bareback then all you need to do is bring him forwards with added saddle and teach him basic foundations of lengthening and shortening his strides using the half halt stride in ever transitions
so the hrose is working from butt to poll to a relaxed yaw
keep the work varied and dont nag him, can got out with older pony as a confidence giver as in someone esle rides the older one rather than you lead him as this will gain his confidence quicker, and then you can change places from being at the rear to the front , and gradually let him take the lead of the ride and only use the older horse/rider when hes not sure of something
changing places keeps his mind active and he will learn to ignore tons of everyday things from there as learnig to take the lead its then a more simple cross over of going alone
unless of course you have the expreince of out and about as in striaght off
once you have mastered him in a school or an areana,
look here at helpful links pages
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178116
the key is- be consistent, be confindent in everything you do from handling to riding, have a good rountine and stick by it, as this will help improve boundaries, have decent tack that fits him and you
and take you time- dont rush him
