Why Do People Think Any Horse Can Be A Trail Horse?

[arabhorse2]

Fairweather, are you talking about horses that are only recommended for light trail riding, as opposed to endurance and competitive?

Since I do 25 miles and up, over some pretty rough terrain, I need a horse that’s completely sound in every way regardless of whether or not I want or need him/her to jump.

I see a lot of ads similar to what I think you’re referring to, where the horse is only recommended for light/weekend/husband type riding.

[mustangrider]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-title”>quote:</div><div class=“ip-ubbcode-quote-content”>Originally posted by Feenikks:

• Well well… My horse is a H/J and learned some dressage, he is competivelty conditioned for a good 25 mile trail…

But the people who know me and my horse say:
What a waste of talent, she is ‘just trail riding’ her horse… Trail riding takes skill too, it is a dicipiline and if I hear one more time that if someone sees an advertisement for a horse classified as a “trail horse” they consider it unsound for the h/j world I just might scream!

Trail riding can be brutal, I would NEVER ride my guy out there without complete soundness. And just because I choose the trails over the jumper world does not mean my horse is not sound, is sour and a good for nothing POS.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well Said! Your comment reminded me of a ride our trail club had 2 years ago. It was the annual women’s ride which I was leading and the trail led down to a pond where we stopped for lunch. The approach to the water was very tricky and none of the horses were willing to get close. Here comes this one gal on an Appendix stating “my horse is an athelete, so he can do this.” Well, after 20 minutes of trying to convince him he was an athelete and could do this, she admitted defeat. LUckily a few of us had collapsable buckets and watered that way.

Anyhow, the point is, my trail horses are atheletes in every sense of the word just like that one gal claimed. But being trail horses they must not be although they’ll still be going when her big arena horse has quit.

[gdolapp]

THe makeing of a good trail horse or endurance
horse is what the rider and the horse put into
it as a team. How much they have worked together. What has the owner exposed the horse
to. It is my belief that sacking them out and
exposing them to certain issues while they
are young helps them as they age. For instance
I got my appy at 3 1/2 green. I immediatly
started to sack him out. the old owner had said
he had been ridden on roads, on the trail,
threw fields ect. well out came the tarp
he not only walks trots over it with me or
with out me on his back I can take the tarp and completely cover him with it pick up a corner and ask him to walk out from under I took beach
balls and threw them at his legs and feet then
bounced them off his body lit fire crackers by
him played radio really loud walked him over to
my truck opened the door got in it started it
turned the radio on and beeped the horn. I took
a lunge whip tied a plastic bag to the end of it
made like it was blowing in the wind. This horse is 8 this year and I have yet to find something that he spooks at. Not only does
his trainning have a lot to do with it but
our TRUST in EACH OTHER has everything to do with it. while some say ex show horses can’t
competitive ride or trail ride it is all in what
they are expoosed to. If a show horse has done
nothing but ring work all it’s life then yaeh
chances of it not spooking on a trail are nill
to none because it hasn’t been worked with and
probably thinks that everything out there has
teeth and will eat it up. Though I don’t competive ride or show anymore I do have a horse
that I can road ride parade ride trail ride
work cattle on pole bend and barrel race
the cool part is that when I do any of the above
such as barrels my horse will drop his head
and walk right off for me. This horse has
been exposed to rough terain and has swam rivers
all I am saying is you get what you put into it