Tips for making "The Switch"?

[Luckgirl913]

I’m in my 40s and started riding 2 years ago, focusing exclusively on dressage. I own a lovely, 17.2hh Belgian draft/warmblood cross and would love to start exploring the world of trail riding. She has only ever been ridden in arenas and although she’s pretty sensible I’m a little nervous about just taking off on a trail.
Im considering looking for a trainer to place her with for a month or so who could put as many trail miles on her as possible and expose her to cars, water, guns, dogs, etc.

Is there any advice you would give?

[Bogie]

Sending your horse to a trainer is an excellent idea, especially if YOU feel nervous.

If you want to start on your own, here’s what I do when restarting OTTBs on the trails:

• Go with a friend, preferably a “steady eddy” trail horse that has a been there/done that attitude.
• Make the first rides short, easy and successful! Praise your horse extensively for his efforts.
• If necessary, get off and lead your horse. I’ve had some horses that were quite nervous and I started by just leading them on the trails. There was one horse that we restarted that got very nervous and I ended up ponying him from another horse (while he was ridden). That umbilical cord made him feel more secure.
• If possible, stay on wooded trails initially. Wide open fields can get a horse more jazzed up.
• Just walk until your horse is feeling comfortable.
• After your horse feels comfortable following another, ask him to lead. If he gets nervous or upset, play “leap frog” with the other horse(s) by changing places in line frequently.

Good luck and have fun!

[2DogsFarm]

:yes: Everything Bogie says.

I had an OTTB who thought of trails as the Worlds Longest Post Parade - he’d jig the whole way out & I usually ended up taking him back before we went very far.
I tried stronger bits & he’d just lug harder.
What helped was going out with a friend whose horse was SteadyEddy & when my horse spooked, other would go “Meh. that’s nothing” & we’d be able to go a bit farther.
It worked better to go with just one other rider rather than a group - maybe my guy viewed many other horses as a racetrack “field”?
What-Evs.
Eventually I could take him out alone, although the first ride of the season could be short & “exciting”, by Fall he was on the buckle.
Remember:
You telegraph your feeling to the horse - so if you are nervous she will pick up on that.
Get comfortable yourself with trailriding - maybe you can borrow an experienced horse? - then when you aren’t overfaced by being outside an arena, get started with your mare.

Happy (Future) Trails!

[clanter]

we took one mare whose whole life was being shown in Class A show’s western pleasure divisions… she was hesitant at first about the new environment but learned very quickly by watching the other horses. Her first P&R on a competitive trail ride was interesting as the saddle was removed to help her cool she proudly squared up, head up ears forward…hey look at me. Every one of the other riders just were astonished… what is she doing was their question… oh she thinks this is a line up and she is being judged on how she looks

It took her a few rides to understand we wanted her to relax, drop her head, control her breathing and by the end of the season she was the one to beat.

I would like to say “we trained her” but she taught herself by watching the other horses.

She went from a nationally ranked/regional champion show horse going around in circles to a national champ trail horse doing fifty mile rides without us doing much at all

[whichchick]

A trainer sounds like a great idea if you’re nervous about doing it yourself and when your horse gets the go-ahead from the trainer, scheduling some outings with a trusted buddy should be the next step… either with the trainer and one of their horses or with a horse buddy who has a calm and reliable trail horse and a good working knowledge of the trail system you will be exploring.

Especially as a beginner, know where you are going before you go there. Either get good advice from a friend, get some hiking/trail maps if the land is multi-user, or scout on foot if you must. It is miserable, and I do mean absolutely miserable, to discover that “Roaring Run Trail” starts out OK but turns into creek bed (rounded slippery rocks and LOTS of them) and your mare goes to her knees (at a very slow walk) twice in that distance but you’re kind of stuck because it’s in the state forest and there are no connectors – the only way out is through – and it didn’t look nearly that bad on the map. You will feel SO BAD. That was in 2007 and yes, the mare and I survived, but it was horrific.

It’s important, especially if you’ll be going out on your own, that your horse get some experience being “the first horse” and not just the “follow along” horse. The “leapfrog” game is very useful for getting a horse used to being in front, little by little and also schooling good trail manners.

In addition, if it’s possible in your situation, try to get as much “outside time” as you can manage for your horse, hopefully in a larger pasture with some terrain features (hills, a creek, some mud, just a little variety) and the potential for exposure to wildlife such as might be found in your area. You don’t want (for example) the very first whitetail your horse ever sees to be exploding out of the underbrush to your left. I mean, it can still happen that way, but… it would help if she’s seen some deer before.

And a safety consideration – carry ID on you, have a small dog-tag style ID affixed to your horse’s tack. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing. Also, assuming you’ll have cell coverage, make sure your horse is OK with cell phones going off while you’re on her.

Trail work is not like arena work, but it is doable. It’s a different kind of hard.

[Palm_Beach]

I’d also recommend working with a trainer, but don’t just send the horse off - go with it. That way you learn to train the horse, and you don’t undo what the trainer does when the horse returns.

BEFORE ever going out on a trail, a horse needs to be taught Go and Stop, stand still, needs to move the shoulders and hips, needs to be able to take some sideways steps, and back up. The horse needs to be desensitized to as many things as possible including cars, bicycles, plastic bags, balloons, moving objects, tarps, etc.

OP, you have a big horse and you just started riding a couple years ago. The worst thing you can do is to start with your goal - meaning head out on the trail to “train” your horse. Do the above stuff at home, so when you do hit the trail, you have a horse that is under control and won’t freak out if you encounter deer, dogs, plastic bags, mountain bikes, etc.

[irish_horse]

All of the above is great advice. I would also add that if you’ve done some desensitizing in the arena and you are comfortable on the ground with your horse, and she has good ground manners, taking her on a hike on a safe trail system with a buddy horse is also a good way to introduce horses to the trail world. We have a local arena that also has a small trail loop behind it, which is a great resource.

[clanter]

@Luckgirl913

expose her to cars, water, guns, dogs, etc.

ridden a few thousand miles on trails and never ever run across a gun, yet

[AKB]

My friend has a Belgian warmblood who is a packer on the trail. He is brave and happy to not have to do dressage that day. My friend did her first trail rides following me on my wonderful Irish Draught. Then, she realized that her horse was fearless. Have a trainer give him a couple of rides while you ride along on a packer. Then, you ride while the trainer leads on the packer. Do water, traffic, bridges, trains and everything else while you are with a packer.

[Palm_Beach]

In redneck country, we target shoot a couple times a week. So the horses are pretty much desensitized to gunfire on a daily basis…I’ve encountered hunters a couple times in the woods. The ones up in deer stands can startle a horse since they are not usually looking for people to be up in trees.

[whichchick]

Chiming in on guns: small arms and deer rifle fire in the distance are regular experiences here in Greater Rednecklandia. The horses get used to it. Archery (deer) and spring gobbler seasons are way more fun because head-to-toe camo hunters weird the horses out. They are not-at-all sure about the whole body camo thing. I don’t even want to TRY getting 'em near someone in a gilly suit.

[saddleup]

My best trail horses have been show horses who took it on as a side job. When I first ventured out on the trails I rode with a friend who had a 17 hh. Oldenburg gelding who had never been outside of an arena, same as my guys. They all took to it quickly, and were amazing trail horses. But they were broke, broke, broke…and obedient…plus had great temperaments so fed off each others’ sensible vibes. They continued to show, but going on the trails was their reward for all that arena work. I always say as important as what horse you ride is with whom you ride. Pick your riding friends carefully, and go with seasoned horses who won’t overreact to the new things they see.

[Garnet_Z]

Sending the horse to a trainer is a great idea - that’s what I would do if I had a horse who had never been out on trails.

I’m in northeastern Alberta, and guns are something my horse had to get used to. People target shoot in the woods around here, or go hunting. I wear a bright safety vest when riding because of that.

I recently had to get my horse used to trail riding. He was a trail horse many years ago, but then I got him and he was mostly an arena horse and then he was off work for many months due to a soundness issue. He was snorty and hyper-alert when ridden alone at first (but he has improved nicely), and he is wonderful when ridden with other horses who are very used to all sorts of “weird” things (dirt bikes, ATVs, wildlife, etc). Riding along with calm horses can make a huge difference for a horse that’s new at trail riding or is a little nervous. Mine went quietly past a loud post-hole pounder in action I think would normally bother him when we were with some very bomb-proof horses. I’m also glad that his first encounter with a snowmobile was when we were with other calm horses. I let him turn around and look at the snowmobile, and he saw that the other horses didn’t react so he didn’t react either (other than looking at it).

It’s necessary for me to ride on roads unless I want to only ride in a round pen (boring)…the road I ride on all the time is very low-traffic and is primarily just people accessing the horse properties. The other road is one I only ride on with other people as it has a bit more traffic. I wasn’t sure how much experience my horse had being ridden in traffic, so before riding my horse where we would encounter vehicles, I walked my horse on the low-traffic road and had my husband drive back and forth. I had him drive normally at first, then with the window open with loud music blasting. My horse was fine. I also tried beeping the car horn at my horse when he was in the paddock and that didn’t bother him. That helped ease my worries about what would happen if someone beeped at us.

[Luckgirl913]

There is so much great advice here!! Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. Wish us luck!

[AshleyandAnnabel]

I personally feel that some horses transition great or are born for the trail while others aren’t destined to tackle the great outdoors. It’s normal however, for green or inexperienced horses to display some green behaviors that can hopefully be worked through.

I knew my former show jumping and eventing mare would transition well into endurance and trail riding because hacking on the trails was a part of our conditioning in those sports and she enjoyed it. However, I did own an OTTB who jigged the whole time, lathered himself in a sweat, and has put me in some dangerous situations (like spooking at a quad, flipping over in the street with me on top, and my foot getting caught in the stirrup). Those horses to me aren’t worth it.

If I were buying a new horse it would depend on the breed, temperament, and experience of the horse before I attempted to take it out on trail. I think going with a friend or two is always the best place to start as horses tend to feel more comfortable with other horses. Find a relatively quiet and open area to trail ride in without a lot of foot traffic. Then gradually work your way up to busier and more difficult trails over time as you and your horse get comfortable.

Because you already have dressage skills I don’t think you need a trainer. I think a “mentor” is a better word to use. Look for groups on FB in your area and see if there is an experienced trail rider and trail horse that can take you along for some rides.

[Suspiria]

@Bogie

Sending your horse to a trainer is an excellent idea, especially if YOU feel nervous.

If you want to start on your own, here’s what I do when restarting OTTBs on the trails:

• Go with a friend, preferably a “steady eddy” trail horse that has a been there/done that attitude.
• Make the first rides short, easy and successful! Praise your horse extensively for his efforts.
• If necessary, get off and lead your horse. I’ve had some horses that were quite nervous and I started by just leading them on the trails. There was one horse that we restarted that got very nervous and I ended up ponying him from another horse (while he was ridden). That umbilical cord made him feel more secure.
• If possible, stay on wooded trails initially. Wide open fields can get a horse more jazzed up.
• Just walk until your horse is feeling comfortable.
• After your horse feels comfortable following another, ask him to lead. If he gets nervous or upset, play “leap frog” with the other horse(s) by changing places in line frequently.

Good luck and have fun!

This is all great stuff!! The “get off and walk” thing has been an especial Godsend to me this last year–i have one nervous nellie and we always hand-walk for 10 or 20 minutes before i ever get on. I also get off and on randomly during the rides so that she knows that whole process is no big deal.

[Mukluk]

I introduced my OTTB to trail riding and she did very well. Really helped to have a companion horse at first but now she goes out on her own all the time. An experienced trail rider to introduce your horse to trail riding would be nice- ideally it would be great if you could go along on some of the rides on a steady trail horse to get yourself used to trails and observe what your horse is learning- and rationale of what the trainer is doing. Best of luck. Trail riding is so fun and so good for their minds (and our minds as well)!

[normandy_shores]

Smart move to send the horse to a trainer!

When I start horses on the trail (currently have a 3 year old I broke and put on trail duty right away), I always take them with a steady lead horse. I find they follow along and follow the experienced Horse’s lead. And while short and sweet and successful is a good strategy, there’s also the option of pointing them up a mountain and letting them be too tired to be excited

Our first trail ride was straight up the side of a mountain. By the time we levelled out she was dead quiet and happy to just mosey along behind. Granted, I’m not sure how much fuss she had in her!

i also found that by going out with a confident buddy, they quickly become willing to take over and lead for parts of the way as their confidence builds. When they’re confident enough that they’re doing that regularly and for long periods, I start taking them on short solo hacks on a familiar trail. As they have successful outings on the familiar trail their confidence builds and we can start to test it. I’m also always willing to get off and lead if something scary comes up, but I’m riding a pony, not 17+ hands!

[silverdog]

Your horse is going to thank you. I have a 10 year old Trakehner/TB cross that has done H/J, dressage and eventing and last year had a freak accident in the pasture that required a year off - most of the time out in a large pasture. Miraculously he seems sound, his feet are in good shape and he is happy. He will require a lengthy period of legging up before we can even have any idea what he will be able to do. So now I just walk - 1+hours on the trail everyday. When he was younger he was kind of spooky. Now he motors along and while he pays attention to the wildlife he doesn’t really care anymore. He will plow through fairly thick brush without a seconds thought. I think this is his calling. I am looking forward to going to some endurance rides and going camping with him. First endurance event we do we will probably walk the 15 mile intro ride while my friend does the 100miler!! He is not your ideal endurance specimen - way too big but if he can stay sound I just do not see why he can’t manage some slower 50 milers in the future. Just keeping it interesting for him.