Tips or advise for a new trail rider, please.

[AlexS]

I recently moved to a new barn that has miles of wonderful trails right off the property, which I’d love to enjoy.

My OTTB (other than while on the track) has only ever been arena ridden. And frankly he’s wound a little too tight on the trails. He’s very none spooky the rest of the time, but this is a new experience for him, he’s spooktastic, and on high alert. For about 95% of the ride, he’s prancing and jigging. He will walk when he’s exhausted at the end of a 3-4 hour ride, unless something sets him off again, like a blade of grass moving in the wind, then we are back to prancing.

I am riding him out with other horses, and I put myself in the middle of the pack. So if he really loses it, my friends ahead would block his path.
My friends are being very patient and not cantering the usual stretches that they would when riding without me - but if they trot up an incline, my horse has a canter on the spot moment.

Coming back from the trails, there’s sections of quiet back country roads. My friends have a great technique of making a lot of noise before approaching houses that have dogs that charge the fence. The idea is to get the dogs at the fence before they are charging when we are right along side.

I realize that all of these issues will just take time for him to build confidence and experience. But in the mean time, do you have any tips for me? While I am new to trail riding, I am not by any means a new rider. And I am very aware that my stress goes right down the reins, so I need to cool myself.

The other week, we came upon a downed tree and had to turn around and go back, which meant quite a steep uphill. They trotted it, and I believe it was my error, as I held him back as we were cantering on the spot. When I did let him go, he wasn’t terribly safe and I was holding back a very forward canter as he wanted to catch up with them, but he was being wreckless in that. It was a steep drop off the other side of the trail.

Any tips for staying safe while he gains confidence and experience would be greatly appreciated. I already know that I will let him go at the same pace as the horses ahead, should that come up again.

Edit to add, I won’t be riding him out alone until we are well over this stuff.

[Cindyg]

That’s the horse I wouldn’t trail ride.

Can you pay a professional (or just someone brave who can manage him) to take him out every day for a month and get his willies out?

[cnvh]

Have you tried hand-walking him? Think “giant dog”-- NBD, let’s just go out for a walk in the woods. Rinse and repeat. ??

[AlexS]

[QUOTE=Cindyg;7738378]
That’s the horse I wouldn’t trail ride.

Can you pay a professional (or just someone brave who can manage him) to take him out every day for a month and get his willies out?[/QUOTE]

I hear you and it’s not something I am enjoying. I feel that I am sitting on a time bomb, and that’s not fun.

However there’s some info I didn’t put in my OP, at the barn he moved from (only there a few months) he was the youngest horse there (9) and I didn’t realize that he was on senior high pro feed. That’s totally on me, I should have known that.

I did the slow switch over, so he’s been on lo pro feed for a full week now. I have not ridden him since the change over, hoping he will calm.
I’ve ridden all my life, I am 38, and bought spurs for the first time ever for this horse, as he needed more encouragement sometimes. I am really hoping it’s a feed and new experience issue.
Also other than on the track, he was always ridden in an arena, and the only horse out at the time. I feel that it adds excitement to him just being ridden with other horses.

He went from being a horse that I would put a kid on, with me leading and controlling with side walkers - to a horse that I wouldn’t let an intermediate rider ride. One of the friends that I am riding with, backed and trained her horses, who are saints - and I invited her to ride him, and her ‘no thanks’ was pretty quick. While we are not professionals, we are pretty experienced.

I don’t have the money for a trainer right now, without digging into my emergency vets bills savings, and I am not thrilled to do that,as I won’t be able to bring that back up any time soon. Christmas is coming, and I am a foster parent of 5 kids - it’s more expensive than you can imagine.

If I feel he’s too dangerous, I will just stop taking him out - but I feel that this is something that we can work through. And here’s some proof that I am not a new rider, this is me on a former dear much loved mare.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx293/thesomics/withPennycrosscountry.jpg

[AlexS]

[QUOTE=cnvh;7738414]
Have you tried hand-walking him? Think “giant dog”-- NBD, let’s just go out for a walk in the woods. Rinse and repeat. ??[/QUOTE]

Yes I can do that, but I do feel that I have more control when I am in the saddle. Even if I have a bridle on him, if he freaked he can pull away from me faster if I am on the ground, than he could unseat me.
I prefer to be on them when they are freaking out, as I feel I have more control then.

[AKB]

Lots of repetition is helpful. If he knows that you always walk when you are on the road and always trot up a certain hill, he may feel a little more comfortable. Make sure he is getting lots of turnout and lots of work. You may want to lunge him for 10 minutes of trot and canter before you get on.

Wear a good helmet and a vest when you ride, in case he dumps you. Carry a cell phone.

[brody]

Short laid back rides are likely going to help him learn faster than rides where he stresses the entire time.

[McGurk]

Going out on a long ride in a large group is a rough transition to trail riding. Trail riding safely and well requires a specific set of skills, built on a foundation, just like any other discipline. Not many riders realize that, but it’s no less true. What you’ve done here is the equivalent of taking a horse that’s never jumped and expecting them to jump around a 3’ course. You might get around, but the horse won’t learn anything positive from the experience and it won’t be fun or safe.

If you have a paddock or pasture to ride in, start there. Ride on a longer rein with less contact than you would in the ring, but still ask for and expect prompt transitions. Do a lot of figures and transitions, both on the fence and in the open.

Then ride with one or two friends. (One or two other horses is reassuring, more is stimulating and exciting.) Ride around the perimeter of a paddock or pasture in trail ride order, focusing on keeping a safe following distance. (One length for the walk, two at the trot, three at the canter.). Start out with him in the middle, then switch around to the front and back. The practice passing each other, and riding two or three abreast. Practice riding away from the group one at a time, and having him stand quietly while the other horses leave.

If you can gradually progress to doing this in larger open pastures, that’s ideal.

Do also work on shortening and lengthening stride on the flat so he can cope with hills safely without panicking. Do some riding in two point so he doesn’t associate two point with going faster; that is often the problem with charging up hills.

When are ready to take him out on the trail again, start with one or two other horses, and keep it short - start with a short hack at the walk after a school in the ring, and gradually add time and distance if he’s handling it without getting anxious.

If this is not possible for you, I only know of one safe shortcut. Have an experienced rider on a solid horse pony him on the trail (without you on him) until he’s more relaxed and confident. Even then, start out with 30 minutes and build gradually.

[sunridge1]

McGurk nailed it.

[Pocket_Pony]

Ditto what McGurk said. If you don’t feel comfortable hand walking, plan your rides carefully. Don’t trail ride him after a day off. Don’t trail ride him during or near dinner time when he’s anxious. Don’t go when the weather’s funky and a storm may be blowing in. DO trail ride him as a reward at the end of a schooling session and/or on the last day of your schooling week when he might be tired.

Start short and sweet, just a 5-10 minute cool-down ride to start. If there’s a point on the trail where he typically starts to lose it, ride short of that area and turn around and go home. Always, always, always make it about a pleasant experience for your horse, not about your agenda.

Choose your riding partners carefully. Just because someone is a friend, it doesn’t mean that you have the same riding styles or that they give a hoot about how your horse acts on the trails. I have a friend that I like hanging out with outside of riding, but in a trail situation she and I ride totally differently, so we rarely ride together.

Find someone who has a pokey, steady-eddy horse and ask if you can go out with just her. You need only one horse to go with to start - one who has BTDT and is pretty unflappable. Walk only. Just walk and talk with your friend (talking keeps you relaxed).

Good trail horses are made, just like any other type of good horse. “Trail horse” is not a default that any horse can do if/when it becomes not sound for other work. It is a discipline unto itself and requires just as much thought and consideration of putting together a program as any other type of riding.

That said, I’m off to hit the trails!:winkgrin:

[GotMyPony]

[B]

[QUOTE=AlexS;7737947]

I realize that all of these issues will just take time for him to build confidence and experience. But in the mean time, do you have any tips for me? While I am new to trail riding, I am not by any means a new rider. And I am very aware that my stress goes right down the reins, so I need to cool myself.
[/B]

Since you’re new to trail riding yourself, I would suggest that you see if any of your barn friends has a good steady-eddie that YOU can ride a few times on the trails you plan to ride your horse on so that you get to know it/them well yourself. I mean you on a steady-eddie along with one or two friends on their good horses, too. That way you are at least becoming familiar with what you’re likely to encounter out there and how an experienced horse handles it. That way when it’s time to try your trail newbie again, you will have some real-world, site-specific knowledge and confidence and that may translate right down the reins too.

Good luck and stick with it.

[AlexS]

Thank you everyone, that’s all great advise. I will work on the things you suggested, thanks for taking the time to type all that out.

GotMyPony, that’s also great advise, and I have been doing that. It helps a lot to know what to expect on the trails while on an experienced horse. There’s an adorable pony at my barn that I am small enough to ride, so I’ve been taking him out.

We don’t have an arena at my barn, and won’t until Spring. But maybe I can work on the things you suggested where the arena is going to go.

[NorthwoodsRider]

[QUOTE=AlexS;7738562]
“Have you tried hand-walking him? Think “giant dog”-- NBD, let’s just go out for a walk in the woods. Rinse and repeat. ??”

Yes I can do that, but I do feel that I have more control when I am in the saddle. Even if I have a bridle on him, if he freaked he can pull away from me faster if I am on the ground, than he could unseat me.
I prefer to be on them when they are freaking out, as I feel I have more control then.[/QUOTE]

I think you might be surprised. I did a lot of hand walking on trails with a herd bound mare who would only jig under saddle when I first started working with her. I ride alone mostly, so didn’t have any of the group issues. She gained confidence in me through the hand walking and was much calmer and trusted me not to get her into trouble when I finally took her out on the trails under saddle.

[AlexS]

[QUOTE=NorthwoodsRider;7739647]
I think you might be surprised. I did a lot of hand walking on trails with a herd bound mare who would only jig under saddle when I first started working with her. I ride alone mostly, so didn’t have any of the group issues. She gained confidence in me through the hand walking and was much calmer and trusted me not to get her into trouble when I finally took her out on the trails under saddle.[/QUOTE]

That sounds super scary LOL. Arena riding feels so much more secure to me, as he can’t go anywhere if I splat off him. But on the trails, I might never see him again.

I tend to be a little over the top about things like that. My old dog is never off leash, even though she’s always right at my side. If she’s at my side anyway, she may as well be leashed.

I will be brave, and try it just at the beginning of the trail and see how he does.

[kdow]

[QUOTE=AlexS;7739867]
That sounds super scary LOL. Arena riding feels so much more secure to me, as he can’t go anywhere if I splat off him. But on the trails, I might never see him again.

I tend to be a little over the top about things like that. My old dog is never off leash, even though she’s always right at my side. If she’s at my side anyway, she may as well be leashed.

I will be brave, and try it just at the beginning of the trail and see how he does.[/QUOTE]

I’m sure there is a good chance some of is anxiety is passing to him and compounding the problems. Where is the trail relative to the barn or other ‘safe’ places for the horse like a pasture he might run back to if he got loose? If it is a distance, can you spend some time working somewhere that isn’t enclosed like an arena but where you feel like he is less likely to completely take off or get lost if he gets loose?

[AlexS]

kdow, I am quite sure you are right. While I am not flipping out, I am on edge. It’s pretty stressful to ride out in the open with a time bomb under you. It’s not a fear of me falling off, it’s a fear that my horse is then loose and alone if it all goes to crap. I’ve told the best rider in the group many times should something happen that it’s her sole job to go after my horse (not chase obviously), whoever else is with me, can worry about me.
If I were in the arena and he was behaving this way, I wouldn’t care, as he is secure.

The trail is accessed either through a 5 min ride on the road, or walking down the side of a corn field (with permission from the farmer - he keeps the edge clear for us).

I just had an idea - maybe I should have my friend go ahead and ride from the barn onto the trail. And then I leave once she is there, and then head out to her. That way I would feel that Lucas is safe, and can practice. I’d also see if it’s the other horses or the trail that’s sending him loopy.

I’ve ridden all my life, and I will admit that if I am invited to ride another horse at the barn, then heck yes, I jump at the chance.

While typing this out - my friend is texting me. She’s going to ride Lucas for me tomorrow, and I am going to ride one of hers. I am relieved, and that’s insane, considering I spend 50% of my mortgage on my horse every month. She’s super seasoned, and a really good rider. When she rides him, I will be able to see if the issue is with him or me, and i think that will help a lot.

I am worried that I am losing my confidence. I’d hop on another horse in a heartbeat, but I am nervous about riding my own horse. This is insane.

[AKB]

Maybe it is time to re evaluate your goals and get a horse who is a better fit for you. I am old, heavy, timid, and have never been much of a rider. I have a full Irish Draught who is very happy to quietly pack me around the trails. We do lots of trail riding in Virginia and Maryland. We went to Florida for 2 weeks last winter and rode lots of lovely trails. If I didn’t have my level headed ID, I would have no business going all of the places we go. I have had a lot of fun because of him.

[McGurk]

I would not be taking this horse back out on the trail again until I had down some foundation work in a ring, and then a paddock or pasture. In rereading your posts, I see you usually ride in a ring alone. You can do a lot of work to get him used to working in a group in the ring, this is often very hard for a horse off track to adjust to, and is a big part of reclaiming an OTTB as a show or pleasure horse.

If he can’t work quietly without reacting to the other horses in the ring, it is not safe for anyone to take him out on the trail.

Some of what you are experiencing on the trail may have nothing to do with the trail and everything to do with herd behavior, working in a group and his experience on the track. I had one TB in particular who was VERY reactive to horses coming up behind him, and it took him a long time to get over that.

FWIW, I think having a friend head down to the trailhead ahead of you is a bad idea. Either he won’t be aware of the other horse, and you’ll essentially be hacking down the road by yourself, or he will be aware, and will be jigging and pulling to get to him.

[brody]

I would either go alone or with a buddy. A horse a little ahead is an invitation to disaster.

[2DogsFarm]

I was just about your age when I got my OTTB with the same issues on trails.
I had a smallish group of friends who trailrode & I’d end up riding to the trailhead with them, then when he’d start his Post Parade jigging, turn around and head back to the arena for some work.
Happily there was a large unfenced field between the trails & the barn.
So once he got the idea that acting like it was Post Time meant back to work indoors, we progressed to riding alone in the field.
There was also another rider with a bombproof horse who’d go out with just me & my TB.
That helped as when my guy spooked, the other horse was “Meh” so the spooking decreased.
It took time, and for years every Spring was a repeat: Jig, Spook & finally relax - until finally I could ride him on the buckle, alone or with others.

Good advice on here already - especially from McGurk :yes: