# How to prepare for a horse's first trail ride?



## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

How long have you had your horse and how experienced are you?
I've had my mare for 7yrs. now and I took her out on her own for the first time when she was 4 by ourselves.......we now ride out by ourselves but I hadn't ridden in 30+ yrs. and it took me that long to gain my confidence to go out by myself.
I have ridden her in groups from 2-20 riders/horses since I've had it but being in my 40's at the time it did take a while to get my confidence good enough where I felt confortable with taking her out herself.....


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

I've had her since the start of September and I've been riding for almost eight years now. I started out with one lesson a week, moved to two and I leased a few years before I got my mare. As of right now, I ride her at least five times a week and she's been improving greatly each week.

I'm pretty confident and my trust in her is growing.. she's a relatively chill mare, despite being a Thoroughbred. The seller had told me that she's rarely spooky and so far she hasn't batted an eyelid at anything.. not even when my instructor's dog came tearing down through the arena, while we were walking, and killed a pigeon. 

I'm just wondering if getting another rider to come with me on their horse might be of benefit. She's at the bottom of the pecking order in the group of mares so I don't know if that will impact how she reacts. She seems really confident by herself but put in the pasture, she's very submissive and avoids conflict.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

*Well you are....*

ahead of me LOL I have never had lessons!!
My mare was real spooky when I first got her, anything moved and she spun/ran for the hills! Me just working with her in the round pen for a couple months benifited for both her and I with confidence in each other.

Maybe you should have one person come along for the first couple of times, it's all up to you whether you and her both trust each other. I know I rode with others for the first 3 or 4 yrs. and then I finally ventured out on my own.

Sounds like you have confidence in her and you.......




Jore said:


> I've had her since the start of September and I've been riding for almost eight years now. I started out with one lesson a week, moved to two and I leased a few years before I got my mare. As of right now, I ride her at least five times a week and she's been improving greatly each week.
> 
> I'm pretty confident and my trust in her is growing.. she's a relatively chill mare, despite being a Thoroughbred. The seller had told me that she's rarely spooky and so far she hasn't batted an eyelid at anything.. not even when my instructor's dog came tearing down through the arena, while we were walking, and killed a pigeon.
> 
> ...


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## Bellasmom (Jun 22, 2011)

I would take someone else along, "just in case". The other horse should be a calming influence (obviously, you want a seasoned trail horse for the second horse) and if something did happen, you have help at hand. At 53, I never trail ride alone just as a safety issue.


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## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

Can you ride your horse in its pasture first. It will allow you to ride your horse in the open, but its familiar and enclosed.


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## Catpeedontherug (Oct 23, 2012)

you could hand walk her into the woods...
that's worked well for me.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

Thanks everyone!

I'll see if I can ride in one of the empty pastures.. since the mares are out 24/7 and Indie is frequently picked on, so I don't want to take the risk of them running over at us. Indie is quite calm around them and avoids confrontation by just walking/trotting away, but I don't want that extra worry.

If not, I'll just lead her around the field and likely keep her in the areas where she can see the barn and pastures. I'll get my mom to venture up with me, and get her to take a few pictures even if all goes well.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I sure wouldn't ride in a pasture that has horses in it. If you can get somebody to go along on another horse, she will probably do well. I try to ride slow and easy until I get a feel for how a new horse is going to do.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

Yeah, definitely not.. my instructor wouldn't allow it to begin with probably. I'm sure most of the horses would just continue grazing, but I could imagine miss Mirabelle cantering over. 

I'll have to see if maybe I could tag along with someone.. although there's only one who rides out in the field regularly and she's not too open, so to speak.. although she's pretty nice. I'll convince somebody.. or try to.


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## Wallee (Mar 7, 2012)

If your horse Is broke to ride and you have a handle of her in the arena, it should transfer right out anywhere else. Walk your horse out there one evening, take her on a ride in the same place the next. What I would do but then again I have been trail riding alone for 8 years so I don't get worried much anymore. Just make sure you can handle your horse first.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Arena riding and riding in the open are not the same. Lots of horses look to the walls of an arena for safety. I would start by walking her out on a lead line. If that goes well, ride with another horse (and no loose horses). 

The first month we took my mare out with another horse, she didn't want to get more than 3 feet from the other horse. We had to work on opening up the distance. After that, she decided she wanted to be in front, and eventually she started opening up a gap (her legs are longer than the other horse's). We are now working on going out alone. That began with going out a few hundred yards and then back, repeated 6-12 times a ride. We've worked our way up to going out about a mile. I think she is close to going out for multiple miles, but we're working up to it gradually. I'm 54, and my bones don't heal like they used to...


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

bsms said:


> The first month we took my mare out with another horse, she didn't want to get more than 3 feet from the other horse. We had to work on opening up the distance. After that, she decided she wanted to be in front, and eventually she started opening up a gap...


Sounds just like Ellie. At first she wanted to keep her nose just about on the other horse's tail - I'd work at keeping a proper distance, but any time my attention was distracted by something for a few seconds, she'd be right back. Then she'd get ahead for a few yards, and on a winding road suddenly realize that she couldn't see her buddy and would try to turn around and go back. Now she's gotten fairly comfortable about being a good ways ahead, and even out of sight, though we're still working on the 'left behind' thing.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

When I first got my mare when she was 3, she would be so wound up if she wasn't really close to the other horse with us. It took alot of work on my part to convince her that she would be fine with me and not the other horse. We did alot of circling to slow her down and stopping and letting them get ahead of us, now she daudles along behind and I have to keep her going to just keep up LOL she is now 10 and rides out well by herself.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

bsms said:


> Arena riding and riding in the open are not the same. Lots of horses look to the walls of an arena for safety. I would start by walking her out on a lead line. If that goes well, ride with another horse (and no loose horses).


My boy had exclusively been ridden/trained on trails and was 5 the first time he stepped into an arena. Nothing on the trail scared him but that arena was one big scary area with monsters hididng in all 4 corners..


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

My mare is also a trail horse, I have taken her to indoor arenas but not often, she gets real nervous there and takes a long time for her to settle down......


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## SeemsLegit (Oct 26, 2012)

I would take someone along with you for your first time out with her, and just keep in mind that she may need some time to adjust. I don't think it's about readying her, though, because you can't exactly tell a horse "we're going on a trail now," right? She will rely on your own feelings in order to decide how she, herself, should feel, so keep that in mind--if you're nervous, she will have every reason to be, too. All I would say is to prepare yourself. Be ready for everything and anything, and though I won't say expect the worst (too much of an optimist  ) try and read the surroundings as you approach them to pick out anything that might be scary to her. Give her time to adapt, and be sure to reassure her if she does get worked up. And, if you can, return home on a positive note! You need to make sure it's a good experience for her, not a bad one! 

I'm sure you'll do great. C:


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