I ride alone quite often, as I ride mostly during the week. I get tired of doing the safe rides, because I am alone. So today I took my gaited gelding riding on a short, but difficult ride. He plowed thru ferns with hidden logs, did a steep downhill with a blowdown in the middle of it, crossed a rocky creek to a steep uphill and didn’t spook at all the wildlife. Just chugged along like the Little Engine that Could. I don’t worry about loading or unloading, he stands quietly at the trailer, and is a willing partner no matter what gait we are doing. What is that worth to me? It is priceless.
Glad to hear you had a good, safe ride!
A good trail horse is worth worth their weight in gold and happiness!
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That is awesome. I’ve got a priceless one myself: lowers his head to plow through shrubbery, never balks at climbing around and through downed trees, would prefer to do everything at speed but will listen (if necessary!). Enjoy your rides!
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Well I suppose it depends on what sort of seasoning you use. Here in the west, we tend to go for carne asada. Best to use a younger animal as the old ones can be quite tough.
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I always tell my clients that a good, solid, sound, safe trail horse (and attractive even better) who can go safely through and about anything anywhere with anyone is as highly trained for his job as a grand prix jumper or dressage horse is for his. There are horses who can “go out on the trail” and then there are “Trail Horses”. They are not often the same. A good, solid Trail Horse can (and should) be priced accordingly. A lot of people think that because their horse washed out/failed at WYZ career that he could be a “trail horse.” Not so much folks. My last paint horse (who I lost to colic in 2004 was that “Trail Horse” and I continuously turned down good $$$ for him). My current paint horse (home bred), well, I wouldn’t trust him hooked up to a wheel hauling kids around in a circle at a county fair. In his defense, however, he was most happy showing quite successfully on the “A” circuit in the 3’6" hunters. Just had to find the job he was most suited for, lol. Too bad it wasn’t the job I had intended for him.
Out here on the west coast, a good Trail Horse is not cheap. Were I to go lo looking for another Trail Horse, my budget would be in the 5 figures.
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Worth their weight in gold.
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It is not worth it to try to find a “cheap” trail horse. I have found that lower-end sellers may tend to believe that any horse can be a trail horse. And maybe the horse has always been fine when taken out with herdmates on local trails. But in an unfamiliar situation, and when out alone, you need a horse who likes the trail and can take care of his rider.
Then there is my most handsomest fella, who will go out on trails alone, but clearly thinks trails are stupid. He does not see the point of hacking aimlessly through the countryside. If he is leading other horses, that is fine; this gives him An Important Job. But just to go out to admire the scenery and stretch one’s legs? Stoooooopid. Show him a ring, however, and he lifts his back, drops his head (incorrectly, due to poor prior training, but give the man points for trying) and is “all ears.”
This is exactly the opposite of previous horse. 
However, when I have made some silly mistake on the trail, both horses have been rock stars, previous horse (Arab) because it was within Her gracious royal powers to do so, and current fella (Morgan) because It Is Important to Keep Things in Proper Order.
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I used to own a Morgan Mare. Work horse is what they WANT to be. You could ride her everyday for 20 miles, and she would be ready for more the next day. Quick and Agile too.
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Priceless !
- difficult to find…IMHO
** I have been looking for one or two SOLID Citizens for a few years now …but since my horses have a home for life …
AND
I’ve been around the block more than once :lol:
and I’m not going to be hoodwinked :eek: into an inapproriate ‘ride’ …
I continue to look …
when it happens it happens … :yes:
Yes, “trail horse” or “pleasure horse” is a seller’s euphemism for “sorta broke but not finished in any discipline.”
My definition of trail horse is different, and pretty demanding. Must be well broke on the flat, including lateral work and shortening and lengthening at all gaits. Must go on a loose rein when asked. Must go out alone, cheerfully and forward, must go out it a group, in front, behind or in the middle, must handle all sorts of terrain and know to shorten stride downhill and lengthen uphill, must tolerate traffic, cross water, cross bridges, stand for gate opening (with a good turn on the forehand) pony another horse and be ponied, stand quietly when asked, navigate any obstacles they encounter, must stand quietly tied to the trailer, tolerate fat middle aged lady mounting from the ground, on either side and in distress…
That’s a partial list.
Good ones are made, with lots of careful, thoughtful training.
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My Shotgun is priceless to me. He’s laid back and goes the speed you ask. Loves walking along on a loose rein. He’s the type of horse that is perfect to put non-horsey people on, and he’ll take care of them. You could search for years for that type of horse, and I got lucky enough to buy him when he was 6 months old. And he’s only 7!
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beau159 you are indeed lucky! After going thru 3 unsuitable horses in a row, I feel like I hit the Jackpot with this one.
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Congratulations… Your Shotgun may have a natural talent as a trail horse but you were the one that developed his skills.
My horse was sold as a trail horse with “hundreds of trail miles” … I soon found those miles were the same ten miles of home trails over and over. The first time he saw a bicycle, he lost his mind and almost lost me. It takes many different scary things successfully overcome to make a trail horse.
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A horse who will side pass over a tricky log, will slide down a bank into a creek and dig their way up the other side carefully and safely, who knows how to negotiate a gate, who will go out alone, lead, or follow, who will stand patiently to be mounted in the middle of nowhere, who watches their feet, isn’t spooky, and has long easy gaits it can keep up for as long as you ask, who is fine with you putting on your riding mac in a windstorm?
Those horses are really hard to find because people don’t like to sell them. Those horses have hundreds of hours of real training in them, too. They aren’t deadheads either. They just know their job. I am lucky enough to have one myself, and like beau159’s Shotgun, she is both born and made.
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My horse would not likely be considered the ideal trail horse because she is a bit excitable. She will stand tied to the trailer if she has a bag of hay. She has been tied to a hi-line with no issue. She will cross water, bridges, open gates, jump over logs, traverse rocky trails, walks out, doesn’t spook at too much. I rode her in the midst of a bunch of rolling tumbleweeds once (yes she was a little excited but she made it through). In a group she likes to be in the lead (she’s an OTTB) and she sometimes jigs but I just love her. She is not afraid of antelope, elk, buffalo, deer, bicycles, motorcycles, or trains. And she is just so cute. She even posed for a picture of herself with a banana slug when I rode her near Santa Cruz. She might be too hyper for some but I think she is mostly just right for me.
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I’ll gladly take some credit ;)
but there are just those horses in the world that were “born” to be laid back and easy. There the ones that make me look good, LOL.
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I spent over a decade competing in show jumping and eventing. Due to my budget, I always ended up with hot, difficult horses that gave me a hard time. When I got into Endurance riding I spent a pretty penny purchasing my beautiful TWH mare from across the country who was making waves in the southern Endurance community. I knew I wanted a horse that was safe, experienced, and athletic.
I posted in another topic how important it is to find a solid trail horse. Trail riding is not one of those things you can necessarily get away with on green, inexperienced horse unless you have a lot of experience in training or it’s part of your career. Unlike being in a contained arena with flat, soft dirt, you are out in the middle of nowhere and need a horse you can rely on. You don’t want to be on a horse that’s going to spook at something when you are 30 miles deep in a forest.
So yes, a great, solid trail horse is priceless!
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