# Barn Sour for Trail Riding



## Arrow (Jul 21, 2008)

I'd keep doing exactly what you're doing. Trail ride at least 2 or 3 times a week, and she'll get the idea soon enough that you mean it.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Trail riding is very good for a horse's mind. It gets them off the ring work and gives them something else to see. 

For a horse that is barn sour it's just a matter of training. Time and Patience. I would take her out a little further each time until she is as comfortable on the trail as she is in the ring. The thing to be careful of is not letting your horse get fast or jiggy on the way back. Once you are back put her to work so that the thought of going back is not to the comfort of the barn but harder work then being out on the trail. What I may do is to tie my horse up for an hour while still tacked (tied with a halter of course). Your horse will learn soon enough that going out is relaxing but being back at the barn is not as much fun.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

iride, thanks, that was helpful. I'll have to try that.


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## Barbarosa (May 19, 2008)

It always helps going out with another horse, preferably a older trail pony. Keep your mind on the "one rein stop" if you need it. If your mare wants to head back try riding her in small circles to the right then left or figure eights. Always stoping with her face to the trail. Dont worry about taking two steps back to take three forward. Never turn for home when it is her idea. Always try to go a few more feet down the trail and then "you" turn her for the barn letting her know it's your idea. Dont go to far at first but keep adding distance the more you ride. Remember there is no training for a trail horse like miles down the trail. But above all be safe...


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

You already got good advice from everyone...and lots of praise, too. I've found that the hardest part is about the first half mile...when you're still close enough to hear and smell 'home'.


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## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your advice and encouragement. I'll have to put it all to the test.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I rarely ride away from my home. We load up in a trailer and haul to the places I ride. My horses seem to throughly enjoy being out. In fact I could probably open the trailer and the gate and they would just hop in. Any horses left at home are the unhappy ones.

I guess my suggestion is that you might try trailering off the property and then doing your trail ride. When on the trail, Keep asking for something from your horse. A lateral or verticle give, A disengagement, any and all the things you work on in the arena. In other words, don't give your horse time to worry about where she is. Keep her mind focused on you. Before she knows it she will be a mile down the trail and enjoying the outing.


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## Amymcree (Feb 1, 2009)

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I had a question on my own.

I just adopted a QH that has done extensive trail riding. But she has not trail ridden in about a year. She has sort of just sat. I have been working with her in the ring to get her conditioning back. And I thought as a treat we would unwind and go on the trail.

She was very good going out. No spooking. Just a nice forward marching walk, ears forward etc. When I turned to head back, she started jigging and wanting to take off. After spinning around a bit, I decided I was safer on the ground. So I got off. (she stood nice and still but tense) As I walked her back, the minute she started jigging or getting pushy, I ask her to whoa, and make her stand, until she quieted. Then I would ask her to walk on. If she couldn't walk on quietly, we would repeat the whoa and stand. She settled down eventually, but was still very tense and ready to 'go'.

My question is, should I work her in hand on the trail until she gets back in the swing of things. Or should I ride. I do not like the idea of dis-mounting on trail with a horse that is misbehaving. Too much can go wrong. But I am new to riding Western and trail riding. I haven't done much riding in over a year and I don't feel that my seat is too secure right now. What do you suggest?

Amy


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

First, JubileeRose, the advice you have been given above is excellent, and I really like what Barbarosa said about miles on the trail being the best training for the horse. The more you do it, the easier it will be.

Second, Amymcree, If you need to dismount and do ground work, do it. Whatever makes you feel safe and in control is what you should do. Eventually, you won't have to get off or you'll get off much later. Either way, whatever you need to do to be safe and give the horse a job to do.
Eventually he'll learn it's a lot easier just to listen while you're in the saddle, because boy he sure has to work a lot when you get down! 

To develop a more secure seat, ride where you can, arena, round pen, ect... and ride a lot. Also practice your one rein stops until it is an automatic response for your horse. These things will give you more confidence on the trail too. Circling is also great to give a horse something else to think about instead of home. Practice all these things in a safe place until it is an automatic response. And remember to breath when things get a little tense. They can feel when we stop and it really does add to their tenseness.

Good luck.


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## Amymcree (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for the advice Walkamile. Can you give me a really good explanation of a one rein stop? I think I know what you are talking about, but I want to make sure. 

She is real good at dropping and spinning from her previous life as a team penner and reiner. Her owner passed about a year ago, and my friend has had her since, but does not trail ride. But my friend has known the mare since she was 2, so that is how I have all this information. 

I think once the kinks get out, we can have a real good time.

Amy


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Amymcree said:


> Thanks for the advice Walkamile. Can you give me a really good explanation of a one rein stop? I think I know what you are talking about, but I want to make sure.
> 
> She is real good at dropping and spinning from her previous life as a team penner and reiner. Her owner passed about a year ago, and my friend has had her since, but does not trail ride. But my friend has known the mare since she was 2, so that is how I have all this information.
> 
> ...


It also goes by the names, yielding to the bit and disengaging of the hips.
What I did was at a stand still get the horse to laterally give to the bit first. Take the rein (let's say right rein) and bring it to your thigh (you can also go to hip or pommel on the saddle) and hold until the horse puts slack in the rein. Immediately release the rein. Do the same to the other side. What you eventually want him to do is as soon as you pick up the rein and start to remove the slack, he will immediately bring his head to your knee or just in front of it. He will get extremely light where you will barely feel any resistance.

Now practice at a walk. What he will do is as he brings his head to your knee, he will also cross his right back leg over the left back leg and all forward motion is stopped. Once this is automatic with lots of practice, do it at a trot.

This has saved me with Walka many times. Once he went to bolt after something up a tree started to screech at us, and I immediately raised the rein to my leg and BAM he disengaged and stood there waiting for me to tell him what to do. It basically shuts down that flight side of the brain and allows them to think again. If he gets too fast at his walk and I feel he's going to speed up even more, I shut him down and it calms everything down for us.

Just remember, if you miss the opportunity just before a take off (bolt), don't pull the horse over, just ride it out and sit back and breath. But if you feel your horse may take off, shut him down. If you were wrong, so what, gave him and you both time to regroup.

Most Natural Horse trainers demonstrate this tech. If you get RFD TV, watch one (Clint Anderson, Chris Cox , Dennis Reis), they'll explain it so much better than I can. 

Good Luck!


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## Amymcree (Feb 1, 2009)

Thank you. This will give us something to work on at home. I am still trying to figure out all the buttons on this mare. She is extremely talented and sensitive and well trained. She really wants to work for me, now I just need to figure out how to talk to her. 

I come from the hunter/jumper world. So just figuring out how to put on a western saddle was a learning curve. :lol:

Amy


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## Tayz (Jan 24, 2009)

Wow, goodluck teaching him all that!  I hope it all works out for you...


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Walkamile has given you some great advice. A coupe of things to try.

If my horse rushes back to the trailer, I go right past the trailer and do and do a mile or two in the other direction. You may have to go past home ( Barn, Trailer what ever the horse considers home) And keep her working. Pretty soon they learn they don't get to stop when they get home.

Make the work on the trail if they try to rush. If they walk home at the proper speed, Then they get a loose rein and a relaxed walk. If they rush. You need to be asking them to work. If you get off, start lounging them in a circle around you, Lots of direction changes, Do this all the way back as you walk. I watch a lady get frustrated with a horse on spring ride. Get off and she walked the whole 3 miles back to her trailer, And her horse made a 1000 circles around her with 2000 rollback and change directions as she walked. The lady walked a straight line home, The horse never took a straight the remainder of the distance. That horse was absolutely soaked with sweat from all the work it had to do vs a nice calm walk home. If you are comfortable in the saddle. Same story. When ever they speed up or get barn sour, put them to work. Circle right, circle left, dance around this tree and that tree, sidepass, back up. Get off the trail and make them deal with all the crap off the side of the nice trail, logs, rocks, bushes. When they are on the trail and nice, relax and let them enjoy. If they get barn sour again, put them back to work.

You say your mare is well trained. So it sounds like she is just being a horse and testing you and taking advantage of what you will let her get away with. Be the Alpha and tell her, you get to relax if you behave and you get to work if you get excited.


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## Amymcree (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks for all the encouragement and advice. Yes, I believe that was a test out there. And she didn't exactly get her way. I was on a tight time schedule and couldn't go out further. But it ended well and she got the idea that she had to walk nicely next to me. 

I am going to go out today again. Although today I will have more time to work her in the arena before hand. And then use the trail as a reward after. 

My friend also suggested that maybe I needed a little stronger bit for trail. I work her in a loose ring snaffle. She suggested a smooth snaffle with a curb. My mare has a sensitive mouth and I want to be respectful of that. But at the same time, if I need a little leverage, I would like it. 

Western bits are a mystery to me. English I know. In fact I have a slew of them, but the western ones...

Amy


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

I'm not a big fan of switching bits because of a particular bad behavior. I believe it's usually a case of a bit (no pun intended) more training. However with that said, if you do change bits, do so in a safe area and work there until the horse understands the feel and is comfortable with it.

I have a few friends that use snaffle bits for arena work, and when trail riding switch to a different bit for the reason you mentioned above.
I respect their decision, they know their horse well, but this was done after a lot of training with the other bit.

I also have seen a horse with a harsher bit bolt and carry on just like one with a very mild bit, still comes down to preparing for those OMG moments. :shock:

As you know, there are no quick fixes when it comes to horse. Just a lot of practice and time with the horse. :wink:


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## Amymcree (Feb 1, 2009)

She came with the smooth snaffle curb bit. But I switched to the loose ring, because my seat was still unbalanced and I didn't want to 'hang' on her mouth while I got stronger and more fit. 

We will see how today goes. I'll still be using the loose ring. Lots to work on, but now I have a goal. 

Amy


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## Siggav (Nov 21, 2008)

When I had a horse that was barn sour like that I tended to go on rides ponying the barn sour horse. I.e I'm riding an experienced trail horse and ponying the other one. 

Just so she'd get a feel for things without having to worry about a person on her back etc.

Then again those were all Icelandic horses/ponies which are ponied a lot and live together in herds a lot of the time too, so they're used to being ponied and being in close contact with one another.


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