# Introducing to new horses on a trail ride



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I don't let horses meet each other under saddle. 

You are correct that there would be a risk of overly exuberant greetings. And someone could get hurt, even unintentionally.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

So do you do it from the ground at the beginning, or do you just keep your distance the whole ride?


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

No introductions from the ground or under saddle. 

If Pony is prone to kicking other horses put a red ribbon in his tail so that riders know to keep a respectful distance.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

He used to kick, but he hasn't done it in years. I remember this summer watching him in a lesson with a true beginner on him and a true beginner riding the pony behind him. The kid on the second pony let her pony ride right up to Pony's butt, I mean literally I think his nose was physically on Pony's butt, and Pony was just like, "OK, OK, I am a good Pony and I will not do anything." 

Having said that, I might tie the ribbon anyways, just because it would hopefully lead to other people keeping their distance. I have enough things to think about on a trail ride without worrying about the horse behind me being on my butt.

He used to bite the horse in front of him, too. I was so green, I had no idea how to stop him. I just remember he'd kind of scooch closer and closer, and then his ears would start focusing ("target acquired!") and then his short little neck would suddenly telescope out and he'd bite them ("target destroyed!"). We worked on that for a while, and I don't think he'd try that now, but if he even thought about it you can bet he'd regret it. When I'm riding him, he doesn't even get to pin his ears at other horses.


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## knightrider (Jun 27, 2014)

boots said:


> I don't let horses meet each other under saddle.
> 
> You are correct that there would be a risk of overly exuberant greetings. And someone could get hurt, even unintentionally.


This. I don't let them get together. Enjoy the ride. Keep your distance. I've even known them to spin around and suddenly kick without warning when people let them get together.


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

Yeah no greetings. I would just put a ribbon just in case as well, over time i think you can get a better idea of what your horse will do. It was recommended to me when I went out to do small groups at first.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I ride in groups when gathering cattle or moving cattle. We don't ride close to each other, though. 15-20 feet is close enough for us to talk about something, when talking is necessary. 

Horses don't seem to have the need to smell each other in order to be part of a herd. Ours do not get introductions.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

I don't ever go _out of my way_ to introduce horses - I expect them to be civil in human company regardless. I love that when I ride Katie (and in the past) she just knows she's "working" and has to look after her human. She's still quite opinionated at times though. Mocha also gives me the same vibe, in fact she's even more professional than Katie. Both are 👿Field Demons👿 but under saddle when we have come across new horses or ride with horses that are dominant/submissive they just ignore them and get on with it. They just _know_. 

- In-hand I allow sniff introductions over a solid barrier/fence. Open introductions are always dicey. I am confident in my own horse/s its the other horse I'm unsure of. It especially depends on their owner/handler as well as in... are they competent handlers or flakes that get pushed around? That makes a difference. It's just too dangerous to do out in the open with two excitable horses and ropes involved.

- I don't mind a quick sniff under saddle but I don't go out of my way, its more just in passing

- I make an effort to not ride up others bottoms or bump them and ask they do the same. Katie is also dominant, when passing others she will occasionally, not often, begin to move sideways, posture and make faces and probably would escalate. Not sure, I always spank her the moment I feel her shift and urge her on. She's such a hypocrite because she loves sniffing others bums but doesn't allow them a sniff. Just the other week in our group ride I was rear and we were all trotting. The one in front would canter and catch up behind. My friend didn't even try stop her mare, she just let her canter almost inside poor Katie's colon before transitioning down. We aren't talking close behind us, we're talking head on rump! The rage I tell you. Katie did give her warnings but everything happened so fast and she kicked out/bucked so high without even breaking stride. The mare backed off and kept her distance for the rest of the ride. I was too slow to discipline it and even if I was fast enough I'm not sure I would, I think it was reasonable. She gave warning and only did just enough to get the mare to back off before continuing on no-fuss. Not like some that go out of their way to assert themselves. My friend is a better rider than me, more than competent and it was an active decision to let her mare decide when to stop rather than cue her correctly in a timely manner. And therein lies your problem: other riders, not ness other horses. I would tie a ribbon on Katie's tail more for her comfort than anything. She doesn't mind horses behind or even touching during narrow sections, she's just a lady and doesn't like pigheads getting all up in there unnecessarily. But still a hypocrite  I think you should as well just for peace of mind. Don't worry about being judged just be safe.

- I don't let horses be face to face or turn them in such a way their noses touch. At least horses that I don't know. 

When any horse I've ridden, and I've ridden a fair amount of horses not just new to me but also new in some of the groups, I was taught to not let the horse/s focus on each other. Even letting them graze is preferable to them trying to do politics with us aboard. 

As usual my sleepy brain just rambles. ... sry!


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

When you are riding Pony you are the one in charge and should be sure that he listens to you about other horses. I do not let my horses greet or socialize when riding in a group, This is not the time for horses to establish their pecking order.
I would suggest keeping a close eye on the horses around you, do not crowd the horse in front and hopefully the rider behind you will do the same.
I have ridden through trails single file and the horse ahead is looking back and threatening us. The rider did NOTHING to address this so I kept back and first chance moved away from this horse. It did kick at someone, this is the riders fault for not seeing what could happen and stop it.
I have been on a ride with a green 3 yr old and other riders come galloping up behind and crowd us, I asked them to keep a little distance as the horse is green, lady says don't worry if he gets kicked maybe he will learn to stay back. I replied perhaps it won't be the horse that gets kicked and swung out of line to let them go ahead. My horse behaved well but i did not want to subject her to bad trail manners.
I have ridden beside someone talking and their horse is looking and laying back it's ears at us. I would never tolerate this behavior but the rider was unaware of what was going on. I moved my horse a little ahead so I was opposite the other horse's head and finally when the other horse made a snap at mine I punched it good right in the mouth. The other rider was a bit upset but I am not going to let this go uncorrected. We parted ways after that and as far as I was concerned a good thing.

The best I can suggest is be aware of the other horses around you and what they are doing and also watch your horse for unacceptable behavior and stop it before it becomes an issue.

After all this I will say I hope you have a good day and Pony and you enjoy the ride.

Now I am old and cranky and only ride with people who I know and trust and we do have good rides together. I would ride alone rather than ride with a bunch of ill behaved horses and riders.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Yes riding out alone is one of my goals. At the old place, it was like 100 acres and we used to ride out alone. I'd ride him bareback out the back and through a little forest back there. He wasn't overly fond of it, but he did it. The new place, we've been there 2.5 years now and there's just small pastures. So it's hard to know if he'd still be OK with going out just the two of us. I don't know if they can regress like that? But for now it will be a group, to ease back into it. I was hoping to get out on trails while my daughter was still out of school, so it could just be the four of us (me+Pony and her+Moonshine). Moonshine is super on trails. But that didn't happen. I still haven't trailered them anywhere. But I'm almost ready. Things move slowly around here LOL.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

JCnGrace said:


> No introductions from the ground or under saddle.
> 
> If Pony is prone to kicking other horses put a red ribbon in his tail so that riders know to keep a respectful distance.


Ditto this ^^^^^ and the other comments in line with this. 

Pony used to kick so that means he may still kick out on the trail, in a new environment where he is unsure of himself. Kicking horses need red ribbons tied in their tails. Better safe than sorry.

Rusty wore a ribbon every time I took him out with horses he wasn’t familiar with. I kept him at a distance from horses he did know and their riders knew his propensity for kicking so they stayed a decent distance away.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Another reason to not let horses check each other out is biosecurity.

A lot of illnesses are passed by mouth or via the nostrils. The rhino viruses, vesicular stomatitis, etc. Not worth the risk.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

boots said:


> Another reason to not let horses check each other out is biosecurity.
> 
> A lot of illnesses are passed by mouth or via the nostrils. The rhino viruses, vesicular stomatitis, etc. Not worth the risk.


That's a great point. I can't believe I hadn't thought about that.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Really useful advice! Was also thinking about this because our neighbor has horses and has talked about going on a trail ride with us, but our horses haven't met and she has mares that get pretty worked up when in heat. So thanks for asking the question!

I would add that my observations when new horses meet each other is that the least dramatic meetings happen without the horses ever coming into contact with each other. When I brought Kodak home and put her in with Harley after a few days of being in a separate paddock, they just grazed side by side for days. They would sneak looks at each other, but never face each other in a dominant way. It went very smoothly and there was never a conflict. So while not all horses are like this (when Rusty came, Harley proceeded to take a chunk out of his withers every chance he got), it seems like this is the best way for horses to be introduced calmly. In other words, while it looks like they are not getting to know each other, they are still becoming familiar with each others' presence, smells, and general vibe without ever touching.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

@Acadianartist depending how close your neighbor horses are to you (I know you live rural your horses most likely do know their neighbors as the sense of smell and hearing are strong in these animals.

Quite a few years back, I remember my beloved Duke (RIP) looking toward the neighbor’s farm, 1/4 mile down the road) and having an absolute whinnying fit. Duke was my strong alpha and a very sensitive horse.

I called that neighbor the next day and darned if he hadn‘t had one of his horses down from serious colic. The horse pulled thru but it wouldn’t have if nobody had been home.

Duke never “met” the horse but he still knew her and was smart/intuitive enough to know she was in trouble.

That doesn’t mean your horses will all like each other upon physical meeting, it just means that, yes, they are very aware of who their neighbors are. Their senses are much stronger than ours and their “fight or flight” instincts have to keep them that way


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## rambo99 (Nov 29, 2016)

Absolutely no introduction it's called pay attention to me. When we ride with horses our horses have never been around. They just go down trail as always, they know there not allowed to sniff noses with other horses.

Ice has only ever kicked at another horse once while trail riding. He got his butt whipped and good I don't tolerate that behavior. He will ride anywhere in a group of horses no issue. He knows to mind his own business. keep your head straight an look down the trail. Never mind what the horse next to you is doing. 

Our horses are really good in group trail rides. When they are under saddle or haltered with lead rope there on our time an not free to do as they please. That means no eating grass an standstill when asked.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I am going to echo what most people have said - I trail ride a lot at local state parks. We get riders from all over at these parks. No one lets their horse "meet" another horse on the trail or at the trailers. I ride with new people fairly often (I belong to a saddle club) and everyone is aware of their own responsibility to keep their horses at a safe distance from other horses. That being said accidents happen. We got kicked by a horse we ride with every week just this month. She was in heat and my horse was crowding her horse (my fault as well) and Snips kicked Tillie in the chest. No one got hurt but it was a good reminder to keep our distance.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm glad it was finally mentioned about transferring illness between animals is as simple as touching nose, eating grass where another mouth recently was, drinking from a communal water bucket....
You need to pro-actively protect you and yours...
So Pony "use-to" kick....
You don't know the other horses either, so....the risk is just as great you could take a vicious kick from a unknown animal.
Not everyone "marks" their animal either by a red ribbon in the tail...so take warning.

You also mention Pony was ridden up on by another pony from the farm....
Ummmm........
Pony _knows_ those others...he has lived with them, sees them and interacts with them for 2.5 years now...
That other animal is_ not _a stranger...and he tolerated the touch and invasion of his space but tolerating and encouraging are very different in my mind.

To go ride with a group of unknown horses and riders, habits of those included and the welfare of those animals of who is vaccinated, with what, when are all unknowns to you = risk to Pony and you to bring home what you not want in your barn.
If you trailer out to a trail, tie to the side of your trailer and allow no physical contact with any animals, period.
No one shares a hay-net, no one shares a water bucket but your own...no brushes or sweat-scrapers either.
Not only do kicks take place but so can nasty bites....yea, no.
You do not allow unknowns to ride your trailer either and those who do _must_ meet your level of care of vaccinations and worm protocol cause you invite into your clean, safe sanctuary a host of uh-oh otherwise.
Don't forget it isn't just be horse but by tack being slid on a saddle rack, bridle hung and touching yours that creepy's can invade your animals...._the risks are real._
I would also strongly suggest you carefully pick a spot in a group of riders where you can get out of harms way in a hurry cause when you put together any of unknown traits and personalities things escalate darn fast catching the unwary blind and all suffer the consequence.
🐴.... _jmo..._


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

If I may add a question to ACinATX's query. 
Apart from being aware of my horse's bubble, keeping my own distance, and the red ribbon on the tail: when my guy pins his ears I have been putting my leg on and using my (nasty) voice. If I have the opportunity to ride him into rough terrain I will do so also (depends on timing). What else can I do? He doesn't appear to do more than posture with his ears, but use my stick if he threatens to do more than that?


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I can tell you that Pony used to do that. I would just poke him with my finger on his neck and say "quit it" in a sharp but not loud voice, and soon enough he did. We rode frequently in group lessons so it may have helped him to pick it up quicker. If you only ride with others every so often I would think it would be harder for the horse to learn.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

ACinATX said:


> I'm afraid if I let him go over and sniff noses with the strange horse, that they might get into it. But riding in a group with horses he's never really been introduced doesn't seem very smart either.
> 
> What do you guys do?


I don't ever let my horses sniff noses with other strange horses, whether we are at a barrel race, show, trail ride, etc. I also keep my distance OUT of kicking range of any other horse. It's just plain smart to do all the time.

Plus, sniffing noses and sharing water buckets is a great way to share respiratory diseases ...... no thank you.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I think it'\s been covered about not sharing water pails/troughs and I always take my own water and hay etc with me as I don't want to share these things and I think the horses are more likely to drink if it's their own water from home.


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## gottaquarter (Jun 8, 2012)

I own two, a mare and a gelding. The gelding is made for trails you could say…..he loves being out and about and seeing new scenery. This horse could go up to any horse over a fence and not only be polite but try out a little neck nuzzle to see if it could be a playmate, he just isn’t phased by any horse new or old to him. Cut to my mare, she isn’t alpha-marish but definitely speaks with her ears about meeting anyone; she prefers to do whatever she has to do in her own space and although I don’t think she’d kick anyone she might threaten to if anyone behind her were to ride up on her……the ears would definitely be talking. The mare I used to own was quite alpha in herd dynamics, and she did kick out once on a trail ride when the following horse got a little too close and wouldn’t stay spaced. I never thought of her as a 100% kicker but I would put a ribbon on her tail, it made me quite nervous for the person whoever was riding behind me, if they crowded her or came up on her to pass quickly. As far as meet and greet, no way with either mare, always a dramatic reaction even to fellow pasture mates fenced across the driveway if given a chance. But bottom line, when I have ridden with people on unfamiliar horses, even to me, its not a practice I follow, to introduce horses……I just don’t think it’s necessary.


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## McPeppy (Dec 28, 2020)

ACinATX said:


> If you were going to go on a trail ride with people that you knew, but the horses were unknown to you and your horse, how much if any introduction would you give them? Pony can be a butt with new horses. He is also pretty dominant and needs new horses to understand that, although sidenote he's wonderful with foals (I remember how he let the foal at our barn chew all over his face and didn't ever reprimand him in the slightest).
> 
> I'm afraid if I let him go over and sniff noses with the strange horse, that they might get into it. But riding in a group with horses he's never really been introduced doesn't seem very smart either.
> 
> What do you guys do?


Just get on and ride off. Don't stand around in a bunch, to allow for any fights to start.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

I've never understood the red ribbon in the tail. Any horse can take exception to another horse and decide to kick. A mare I had never kicked at another horse in the first seven years I owned her, but the very day I said "she never kicks," she kicked out at another horse.

I believe that no one should feel free to ride their horse into the kicking range of another horse. You do so at your own risk. Basic horse safety 101 is to leave a horse length between you and the horse in front. 

The front rider does not have responsibility for the horse behind, it is the rider coming up from behind who needs to stay back and safe. 

People often get broken legs from riding up close behind other horses and getting kicked. That is what you risk by riding close, red ribbon or no red ribbon. 

I could see putting a red ribbon on a horse that chases and kicks others, but if you can't control that behavior, the horse is not safe to be ridden with others.


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