STOP marketing low-grade minimally trained horses as "trail horses"! A rant

[Scribbler]

@SonnysMom

And yet your screen name is @Blueeyedroan which sounds pretty flashy colorwise to me.

Haha. Growing up my ideal imaginary horse was a dark bay with a star. I ended up with a pinto as a kid and a Paint as an adult re-rider. I now know a lot about pinto colors and patterns and have a soft spot for horses that look like either of these two. But I certainly never sought out pinto horses. They can look rather unbalanced with irregular markings.

At one point I very much admired appaloosas though. But that was also because they were one of the few coherent breeds around when I was a teen. The local ones had some TB blood and were nice rangy slim athletic horses that people used for local jumpers.

[Blueeyedroan]

Bay roan, white blaze, 4 white socks, striped feet and 2 stunning blue eyes with black around them (no pink skin).
She was 100% purchased as a RESALE project lol. Due to her color she could have been sold about 20x over by now.
Due to her mind and abilities she’s earned a permanent home with me. From packing boyfriends, to tolerating non-equestrian friends for trail rides, to earning lease income under juniors, to 5 hour mountain treks, to XC clinics - she does it ALL and earns her keep.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

omg, I heard this all the time at a h/j barn about any horse that was too strong for most of the riders and had scary rounds. “I’d bet he’d be a great eventer.” Yeah, going cross-country, that’s what everyone wants–a horse that doesn’t listen with no brakes.

[Salty]

Not sound enough for jumping? Dressage prospect! Too crazy for any other sport? Endurance prospect! Too old and lame even for dressage? Handicapped riding prospect!

So many prospects.

[Equestrian24]

Completely agreed, and thank you for this! It’s a pet peeve for me as well, especially when people expect minimal training to be acceptable for a trail horse and their only real expectations are that the horse know “pull to stop, kick to go” and that’s about it. Many of these horses also cannot be ridden out alone, have terrible ground manners and vices under saddle, and several are even questionably sound (and I completely agree that too many people in other parts of the horse world think that any reject from their discipline or half-lame horse is an automatic “trail horse” prospect). People greatly underestimate the value of a truly well trained and finished trail horse, and what a difference it makes safety-wise especially. I really think that every horse and rider, no matter what their goals and discipline are, greatly benefit from a solid education and basic dressage foundation. It is so underrated and undervalued IMO, and too many trail and pleasure riders I know seem to believe that only matters for people who want to ride in the ring or do “fancy” stuff. Nope, it makes ALL types of riding much safer, easier, and more enjoyable!

I spent the first several years of my riding career riding “pull to stop, kick to go” horses and pretty much only knowing how to ride the same way, and taking lessons on well trained horses and learning how to utilize seat and leg cues, perform lateral movements, etc. was a real eye-opener to how little control I had previously (which is in and of itself a big safety issue IMO), how many of the issues I experienced before were caused by a lack of training of both the horse and myself, and how much nicer and more effective having a good education is for both horse and rider. Even now that most of my rides are just kicking back and having fun without any competitive goals in mind, I still would never in a million years go back to not having this foundation and education, and still utilize it every time I’m on a horse (and also still feel so much safer on a horse that has the same foundation and education, rather than one with the bare minimum level of training). Words simply cannot express how underrated and undervalued these things are IMO!

[Weezer]

I agree that a true trail horse is high value. To me a trail horse is bomb-proof, a problem-solver, can take control when the rider loses confidence or becomes disoriented. A true trail horse should be able to be sent out into the wilderness with a young child on their back, and bring that child home safely. My guy is just that. His confirmation isn’t perfect, but he won best in class the one season I showed him to prove a point about versatility. I can think of several times when he saved me when I was I over my head - twice when I think my life was actually in danger and he stepped up to protect me…priceless.

[poltroon]

A great trail horse is independent and confident and willing to go where the rider points, and listen to the rider. The horse needs brakes coming home. They should be happy to walk on the path on a long, soft rein. They have to be happy to get in a trailer. They have to tie. They have to be willing to be alone. They have to be cool about other horses getting too close, and about erratic people on the trail with dogs and bikes. And man I like a trail horse to have a nice big walk, equally big both going out and coming home.

[OzarksRider]

@poltroon

A great trail horse is independent and confident and willing to go where the rider points, and listen to the rider. The horse needs brakes coming home. They should be happy to walk on the path on a long, soft rein. They have to be happy to get in a trailer. They have to tie. They have to be willing to be alone. They have to be cool about other horses getting too close, and about erratic people on the trail with dogs and bikes. And man I like a trail horse to have a nice big walk, equally big both going out and coming home.

This is my guy!! The only thing I can add to this is that my horse is never in a hurry to come home. On the contrary, if I offer him a choice of turning for home or exploring a road less taken, he’ll choose the road less travelled every time.