Hi - I am posting for a friend who basically needs a healthy dose of confidence. I was wondering if anyone could recommend someone to work with my friend and her horse on trail riding. The horse is new to it and the rider is a bit timid. Really just need a bit of time out on the trails - she rides dressage. She keeps her horses at home and usually works in a ring, or trailers for lessons. There isn’t anyone around her place to trail ride with. She is north of Pittsburgh. Her dressage trainer isnt wild about trail riding.:no: I’m too far away to ride with her on a regular basis.
North of Pittsburgh as in which county?
If she is in Butler, Lawrence, Mercer, or even Venango counties, she might want to consider trailering to these folks and putting 30 days on herself and her horse.
http://www.kcstreiningcenter.com/
They are basically reiners but, as noted on their web page, do everything. I have heard good things about them but don’t know them personally.
I have been away from that area for quite a few years and honestly don’t know anyone that would take her under their wing on the trails.
If she is that timid in the woods, she really needs some professional help as her lack of confidence will transfer to the horse who might otherwise think it’s died and gone to heaven once it hits the trails:)
Trail riding really isn’t quite a simple as many folks think it is. A LOT goes into training a horse & rider to keep them safe in such varied terrain and circumstances.
A good sound & solid trail horse is the polar opposite of a winning show horse - it didn’t get that way by accident and the rider needs to know how to keep the horse that way:)
Yes, give us a more specific locations. There are a lot of trail riders/endurance riders in that neck of the woods who I’m sure I could contact to get some ideas.
–Patti
Patty Minter, owner/trainer at Patusan Farm in Clarksburg, would be a great resource for her. The farm borders excellent trails and Patty is out on them almost every day with horses in training or students. Totally steady schoolies for some confident rides… or your friend could haul her own horse in to ride… or have Patty ride her horse while she rides a schoolie, etc.
Thanks
some good ideas that I will pass along.
yes I agree - a good trail horse is hard to come by. she tried to ride her horse outside of the ring and pasture - the horse was a good boy, but wasnt used to having brush hit his legs so he was pretty jumpy. things like that - water - logs - etc.
she lives in beaver county.
thanks again!
