This…very true. I think many people have the attitude that any horse can do trails. Oh so not true…at least not safely and sanely. I like to think that if a horse can do trail riding safely and well that is much harder to find/produce than a horse that can go around inside an arena. It may lack the flash or pizazz to win show classes but I know plenty of show/dressage type horses that you’d be insane to take outside a groomed arena with trees, birds, wind, shadows, wild animals like deer, cars, etc…
Truly no horse is bomb proof. They are still at their core a prey animal and given a big enough stimulus will react.
I think part of the issue lies with the rider. You need to be calm and confident and your horse will mirror that. If you’re a nervous wreck how can you expect the horse to be a steady eddy?
Mine all go on the trail, also hacking along the road (with school buses and big stone trucks zooming by). They do whatever else I ask them. They’re all around good horses. Some calmer than others.
One who is so good I put my baby granddaughter on him (2 1/2). He does an exemplary job of giving her a wonderful ride. I would say this guy is as close to bomb proof as it gets.
Not long ago I had a couple ladies out to look at him. Between the two of them their nervous energy drove him nuts. My calm, wonderful, guy was jigging around, not standing for mounting and acting like a totally different horse. People like that need a horse that is practically dead.
So as with most things, the answer really is “It depends.”
But of course, they won’t consider anything over 8 years old and it must pass a PPE as 100%. :rolleyes:
It can be hard for a variety of reasons.
- A true trail horse is made - they aren’t born that way. Which means a few things - they cost money. Most people don’t want to pay that money. So few trainers with the skills to train a solid trail horse…bother.
- It takes time - you don’t just hop on a horse that’s been a failure at everything else and presto you have a trail horse.
- Buyers are silly sometimes. I have a few trail horses around my place (as I do endurance) but some… just aren’t endurance horse potential, so I slowly but surely turn them into solid trail horses and sell them off. I had a gal come out awhile back to look at at one of my seasoned trail horses… tried him out.
She passed on him because when she asked me if he could jump, I said sure - couple downed feet worth of logs on the trail he could do easy. She eagle eyed me and said no no I meant do a hunter course and pin. Uhm… trail horse? point point
No horse is bomb proof, but it is how they react. My retired Grand Prix jumper that I got as a giveaway from The Chron, is as close to bomb proof as there is. The funny thing is I got this horse from a woman who was not only a suspect in her husband’s murder, but had many reports on this board about her veracity. It turned out everything she told me was true about this wonderful horse. Too bad he’s getting too old to tackle the hills here.
On the extremely rare ocassion that he he does spook (maybe twice in eight years), he does a SLO Mo turn. I can put anyone on him and feel secure. Other horses Ive ridden spin and bolt when startled.
When I look at ads for horses and I see long shanked bits, it makes me wonder about the horse’s brakes. Think that’s reasonable?
and to the poster who found those CL ads, thanks so much. I’ve never ridden a gaited horse and I don’t know if they would jump logs and other obstacles on the trail. I know there are many people who adore gaited horses, I just have no experience with them other than seeing the bug eyed ones at the horse shows racing around the ring. I’m guessing that is not representative of the breed.
Thanks for all the comments, this is a very interesting discussion.
There are lots of cheap, grade/stock breed mix CL horses in my neck of the woods.
The problem? No one puts the time into training them and giving them experience. The HOs don’t do it. They don’t want to pay a pro to do the work. Therefore everyone thinks trail horses should be cheap.
The big exception is the HO who used his horse outdoors in a professional capacity. The horse moved cattle or belonged to an elk hunter, or was used for packing. These horses in these ads are better, the ads themselves are better-written, and the price tag is higher. The person knows the value of a horse who has done a job. Again, however, the HO did the work. I don’t think they are paying trainers.
[QUOTE=jody jaffe;7046696]
When I look at ads for horses and I see long shanked bits, it makes me wonder about the horse’s brakes. Think that’s reasonable?
and to the poster who found those CL ads, thanks so much. I’ve never ridden a gaited horse and I don’t know if they would jump logs and other obstacles on the trail. I know there are many people who adore gaited horses, I just have no experience with them other than seeing the bug eyed ones at the horse shows racing around the ring. I’m guessing that is not representative of the breed.
Thanks for all the comments, this is a very interesting discussion.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn’t be scared away from the long-shanked bits. Sometimes it means that a yahoo is riding the horse, most times it means the horse is well broke and can respond to much lighter cues.
Gaited horses can definitely jump obstacles on the trail. They won’t win you a jumping class in a rated show, but they can get the job done. Gaited horses usually have a pretty mild temperament and are absolute sweethearts. They make excellent trail mounts not just because of their gaits, but because they typically have a good mind as well.
Have you thought of looking into adopting an off-the-track Standardbred and having some additional saddle training put on the horse? I haven’t owned a STB, but I know of several people who claim they are great horses. They are very athletic, sweet, and take everything in stride. Adopting one from New Vocations would certainly be under your budget, even with another 90 days of training.
I am lucky enough to have one of these! We bought him for my husband 8 years ago. He had a bucking problem when we first bought him ( not disclosed by crazy seller). I did research on him and found out he went through many homes but was sold because of bucking. Turns out it was a simple saddle fit issue. He is very sensitive to ill fitting saddles and will become a bronc if it does not fit. My ranch saddle fits him perfectly. My husband does not ride anymore but I will not part with him. I have pulled him out of the pasture after having an extended time off and he is great. No bucking, bolting, spooking etc. I would not part with him for any amount of money. We got very lucky!
Not really.
A lot of people use the long-shanked bits because they feel that’s what you’re supposed to do with certain breeds/types of horses. This is INCREDIBLY common with gaited horses. I’ve known people who bought 2yo, barely broke TWH and stuck an 8" TWH bit on them because TWH = TWH bit, right? Or they just use what the old owner did and don’t consider if old owner was an idiot or not. Or the horse might be fine in a snaffle under a rider with half a clue but current owners are lacking that. :winkgrin:
TWH in a snaffle in the woods, North Carolina ;0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31281399@N06/6298482860/in/photostream/
We’ll get you on a racker and you’ll never stop grinning 
[QUOTE=jody jaffe;7046696]
When I look at ads for horses and I see long shanked bits, it makes me wonder about the horse’s brakes. Think that’s reasonable?
and to the poster who found those CL ads, thanks so much. I’ve never ridden a gaited horse and I don’t know if they would jump logs and other obstacles on the trail. I know there are many people who adore gaited horses, I just have no experience with them other than seeing the bug eyed ones at the horse shows racing around the ring. I’m guessing that is not representative of the breed.
Thanks for all the comments, this is a very interesting discussion.[/QUOTE]
No, don’t let long shanks scare you off not on gaited horses at least. It’s the norm for many gaited people to ride their horse in long shank “Walking Horse bits” whether the horse is 2 or 20, whether the horse needs it or not. They’ll also try to get you believing all sorts of tomfoolery like they have to wear a Walking Horse bit to gait and you have lean way back and brace yourself against the mouth to keep them in gait, usually followed with similar pearls of wisdom about long toes and weighted shoes. It’s bull hockey. Gaited horse folk didn’t get that harsh-bit-using, horse abusing drunken redneck stereotype because every one of us are exemplary horse people so when you hear/see that crap you’ve got to just take it with a grain of salt. Many a horse in a big honking shank bit will go perfectly fine in a snaffle or bitless with minimal retraining.
Gaited horses can and will jump obstacles just as well as a trotting horse, many also have a lovely canter. I’ve got a pretty good idea of the types of gaited shows you’ve seen just from your brief description and that’s not a representative of what you’ll typically see on the trail. However those bug-eyed show horses do often make lovely trail mounts with a little work and some wet saddle blankets (got a couple former show/current trail horses deluxe myself).
[QUOTE=GaitedGloryRider;7046814]
No, don’t let long shanks scare you off not on gaited horses at least. It’s the norm for many gaited people to ride their horse in long shank “Walking Horse bits” whether the horse is 2 or 20, whether the horse needs it or not. They’ll also try to get you believing all sorts of tomfoolery like they have to wear a Walking Horse bit to gait and you have lean way back and brace yourself against the mouth to keep them in gait, usually followed with similar pearls of wisdom about long toes and weighted shoes. It’s bull hockey. Gaited horse folk didn’t get that harsh-bit-using, horse abusing drunken redneck stereotype because every one of us are exemplary horse people so when you hear/see that crap you’ve got to just take it with a grain of salt. Many a horse in a big honking shank bit will go perfectly fine in a snaffle or bitless with minimal retraining.
Gaited horses can and will jump obstacles just as well as a trotting horse, many also have a lovely canter. I’ve got a pretty good idea of the types of gaited shows you’ve seen just from your brief description and that’s not a representative of what you’ll typically see on the trail. However those bug-eyed show horses do often make lovely trail mounts with a little work and some wet saddle blankets (got a couple former show/current trail horses deluxe myself).[/QUOTE]
Gotta agree on the Walkers. I have two, and they are very sensible horses, with lots of ‘go’ if you ask for it. A great combination for long trail rides. I find riding a dead-head very tiring, and tend to look for mares with a bit of ‘tude’. I can keep up with the non-gaited at a trot, their canter is very nice. Can’t say I’ve ever asked for a full out gallop, as my trails aren’t really good for that. Walkers do tend to walk out very briskly, which can be a problem when riding with non-gaited horses. My QH mare has a nice forward walk too, so it is not a problem if I’m riding with my horses only.
As for the bits…I have given up on explaining why Western/Trail riders use shanked bits on the general sections of COTH. Since it is predominately English based, they feel they have to have close contact with the horses mouth. Western/trail is just the opposite, we work off of seat, leg, and voice, ONLY using that bit if the above is ignored. That is why we ride with a draped rein. I hope I’m not insulting anyone here, but really, riding English Western or Gaited is really not that different. I don’t balance my Gaited horses off of the bit, I just lift the rein, cue her to gait, and off we go. I rarely have to even pull back to get her to stop, she works off of my voice/seat. Last week I was very glad to have that Western grazing bit in my new mares mouth. We were gaiting along quite fast on a wide grassy trail. The mare decided to go around a muddy spot (naughty!) and got a foot caught in a narrow bicycle track. She got caught up in front with both feet, fell down in front, while scrambling in the back. I just sat still, and steadied her head by firmly holding the reins. She balanced her head against the strong straight mouthpiece, and popped right back up. I had to make her stop, to check her out, she was willing to go right on gaiting. Scared the bejesus out of me, but she was unfazed. Good sensible minded.
You might want to try to get tuned into some of the local trail riding clubs, their Yahoo groups or Facebook pages. I’m a member of a very active trail club up here in Northern Virginia and it’s not uncommon for a trail horse to be sold within the club membership, or a friend of a friend, or someone in another nearby local club. They understand what it is to have a good trail horse and the seller knows they’ll likely see their horse out on the trails and be able to keep up on how it’s doing. Both our horses came from contacts who knew we were looking. My husband’s horse wasn’t even for sale – but the owner knew she wasn’t the right partner for him and let us try him out. Ten years later they are still the perfect fit. My TWH belonged to a friend of a friend and had essentially been given up on. Took me over 2 years of work but now he’s the best trail horse I’ve ever had (and my first gaited horse).
OP here is a link to your state’s Horse Council: http://www.virginiahorsecouncil.org/
All you have to do is find your county’s chapter, join and viola! Instant access to trail folks who might be able to point in the direction of trail horses for sale. Membership fees are cheap and most state’s Horseman’s Councils are the driving force behind keeping our trails open, pushing local legislation to protect our trails and getting hands-on keeping our trails clean and in good using condition. Always a great group for trail riders to support 
Maybe people don’t like to travel to find them?
http://www.kbzk.com/videoplayer/?video_id=18187&categories=9%2C244
If you are looking for gaited trail horses, check out “field trial” horses. Owners of bird dogs are into building up their dogs’ endurance and will put the dog in harness and ride their horse along the road, letting the dog pull (called “roading”) against the horse. These horses put up with dogs running around them, under their feet (complete with long leashes) out in fields. The horses tend to be shorter and smooth, as the “rider” is more interested in the dog; the horse is just an easier way to get around.
At the actual field trials (where the dogs are judged), the horses are coming and going all the time, complete with excited dogs. Sometimes the horses will be working in heavy growth and creeks most of the day, at all gaits. Sometimes a field trial horse just doesn’t work out -but they do make fine trail horses.
I got my experienced horse from a gaited horse dealer in Kentucky - many horses come to him by word of mouth or he’ll see one to buy at a ride or fair (as was mentioned by other posters). My particular horse came from an older couple who rode and camped all through the parks and mountains of Appalachia (the places were all listed), there were photos of him and other horses in camp, on the trail, being saddle horses (with bucksaws on the saddle) or fitted up as pack horses (they traded off.) I played sleuth and found the previous owner to let him know where his horse ended up, and he sent some more history and photos. This horse was not cheap, but after a brain injury because of a fall from my previous horse, I wanted “safe, experienced and trained”. The dealer I’m sure added some cost, but he screened out the knuckleheads for me, so that is a worthwhile service.
If you want a horse that’s been tabled to be trimmed, by all means, contact Montana Horses
I agree with everyone else and it does take some time to get a horse truly trail trained. My current horse came from the QH sale in Lexington, and although she didn’t have much trail experience I was willing to put the time on her. Buying a ready made trail horse rarely happens.
I have had my mare for 3 years and my new job really had me thinking about selling her, but she has carried me over hill and dale, through and over all kinds of things, rivers, bridges, mountains, rocks etc. and even when we have our differences she does a good job when it counts and I couldn’t bring myself to sell her. If I had wanted to sell her I probably would have gotten some offers from the trail club I am a part of and she would have never had any kind of internet ad.
So step one is to find a horse with a good brain that is pretty solidly built, and step two is to ride it, everywhere, alone and with company and when the going gets tough KEEP GOING!!
I see two kinds of ways people handle a difficult situation on the trail. A. they get the horse calmed down but then go back because they are worried it will happen again and think they can fix it at home in the arena (ring work helps but it is not the end all be all) B. they get the horse calmed down and ride another 5-10 miles, that horse usually is better for the rest of the ride and the for the ride after that and the ride after that etc.
The Rochester, NY, police force is reducing its mounted unit. Please contact them about purchasing one of their horses. You cannot get any more bombproof than a police horse! I would try the Chief of Police or the Deputy Chief Operations phone numbers to get more information.
I went to the Pitzer horse sale in Nebraska the end of April. I bought two horses, [edit]
Both are extremely calm. [edit] Joe, is 5 yrs old. I put him into training. He is very smart and willing. LOVES water, just a very sweet personality.
My trainer has taken him on trail rides, has to go over a bridge, ride along traffic, go thru creeks, says he is really good.
Is just a very sane horse w/a good mind.
I do plan on taking him somewhere off site for a trail ride soon, but it just keeps raining.
I think he is an awesome horse, personally.
[edit]
