# Average trail ride length/distance?



## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

So I am just starting to trail ride as I have always been in the arena before. I am wondering how long everyones average trail ride lasts? When I think of going for a ride I think of being gone several hours, but it seems quite a few of the people at my barn are happy with an hour. 

Saturday I went for a ride with my boyfriend and our barn manager. We went around 10 miles in total, we just guessed by the roads we traveled. Now we didn't have an amount of time planned out or even where we would go but we were gone about two and a half hours. We didn't plan on being gone that long as none of us had water or anything but a cell phone. 

I was just surprised that when we got back people were surprised we went so far. To me it seemed like a good starting distance for my older mare who is just being brought into work. Now it was a little long for my boyfriend who hasn't ridden in a few years but the horses were fine. My ideal ride would be 4-6 hours depending on how hot it was. 

So with longer rides what do you usually bring with? Other than water for us humans, what do you bring with for the horses?


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

We start with hour rides in the beginning of the riding season until they fit up a bit and then rides can range from 1-8 hours. Anything over 6 hours tends to wear on my husband so we don't do that much. Just depends on where and who we are with. 

If its a longer ride we bring phones, water, snacks, a few first aid supplies, hoof pick and an extra lead rope just incase. Shorter rides might be water and phone. The areas where we ride usually have at least one creek or water source if not more so the horses are good.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

I bring those items if its only two minutes around the pasture. Those items are always on my saddle along with a few other items. 
What are you basing the 10 miles on ? When I started wearing a wrist GPS, I found people always over estimate the distance traveled.
Most WTC horses mosey along at a about 3.5 miles per hour thats steady not stopping. Before I got serious my typical rides were in the 8-12 mile range. Actually they still are I just do em faster.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Some of the horses get ridden year round in the arenas so they aren't completely out of shape. I have been riding my girl in the arenas for about a month now. The horses barely broke a sweat in the direct sunlight so they wern't working all to hard. 

Do they ever get hungry? When we got back mine just stood in one spot and downed hay for an hour and a half before even drinking any water. Also what kind of water sources are ok for them? We have a lot of ponds or lakes around.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Joe4d said:


> I bring those items if its only two minutes around the pasture. Those items are always on my saddle along with a few other items.
> What are you basing the 10 miles on ? When I started wearing a wrist GPS, I found people always over estimate the distance traveled.
> Most WTC horses mosey along at a about 3.5 miles per hour thats steady not stopping. Before I got serious my typical rides were in the 8-12 mile range. Actually they still are I just do em faster.


 
We didn't stop at all and did some trotting through the more open areas. Also we rode on the road for a good part of it so the road part we know pretty good but we wandered around in a nature preserve for a while taking a "shortcut" home. spent more time in the preserve then on the road as we took a bit to find our way out.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

We almost always use running creeks/rivers for their water source. Maybe someone more local would know what is safe in your area?

When we are doing the longer rides especially with a group we tend to make a couple stops and they will munch on any grass/leaves they can get their lips on when tied. And my horse tends to get a bit of my granola bar as long as there is no chocolate in it. However with only a couple hour ride we don't stop and so they don't eat until they get home.

If they went right to eating instead of drinking then they weren't worked heavy. If they are worked heavy water will almost always be their number one priority.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Hehe yeap I have a little piggy, food is always her number one priority. Ok another question, how often do you do longer trail rides? Once a week for the longer ones then maybe some short arena work or a short trail ride during the week maybe?

I figured any running water source was safe but I need to find out where those are in my area.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

We generally ride 8 miles in a local park. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. Other places we may ride more and go around 12-15 miles. Sometimes we ride two rides in a day if we are up at Ebenezer park. It just depends. our 8 mile ride takes a little more than 2 hours at a walk - we do some trotting, some cantering. Depends on the people we are with and weather conditions. Last year when it was so dry we had to be careful because of the DEEP cracks that developed...deep enough to cause our horses to trip!


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## Jolly Badger (Oct 26, 2009)

An average ride is usually about 4-6 hours. We may go 7-8 with a lunch break. I really enjoy the longer 8-12 hour trips, but most of the parks in this area just don't have enough trail to make it able to stay out that long without retracing a lot of steps.

There's one trail at a nearby park that has a 32 mile loop trail with plenty of variety, from creek/river crossings, fields, forests, rocky climbs and descents, etc. Really nice day-ride but it can get really sloppy with long sections of deep mud. I used to do that trail all the time - just pack a lunch and leave early, get back in the late afternoon. It really was a nice way to spend a day!


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## Cintillate (Jan 8, 2012)

My first group trail ride was 7 hours with 30 minute break early morning then hour break at lunch. It was my horses first time too and he was tired at the end but not exhausted. I think I was more tired then him. We brought snacks and water but we stopped at our house then went up to another farm house so we didn't have to bring food. Now do I want to do that again? Not really. I'd prefer something shorter.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

It is not good for out of shape horses or out of shape people to do extremely long rides. An 8 hour ride would kill me. I think that anything over 7 or 8 miles is something that you need to build up to. Horses that are ridden in an arena may be in excellent shape and ready to go on long rides.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

During the week I'll ride out of the barn, those are generally 45min-1 hour depending on what I do. For the weekend it depends on what we have going on for how long we ride. I wont hook up to the trailer for anything less than two hours, just not worth it and we consider that a quick ride at the local park. Longer rides are in the 4-8 hour range and are worth a couple hour drive to get to.

How far you travel is dependent on you and your horse. I ran into a couple that were telling me of the trail they love to ride and it took them 4-5 hours. That got me excited as it was a place only 20 minutes away and right in my ball park. Since it was so close I drove up there in the car to take a look at trail maps and parking situation. Their favorite trail was 1.5 miles long so a 3 mile round trip! My horses wouldn't even break a sweat going full speed in that distance.

What to take: 
-Full change of clothes, leave in your trailer/rig. Believe me there will be times you will want those to change into.
-Water, water, water and more water. Both in your saddle bags and in your rig, you'll be thirsty during and after a ride. Gatorade or such works nicely if you like that type of drink.
-Longer rides take something to snack on like trail mix, jerky, peanut butter crackers, etc. Stuff that packs a punch and travels well. Shorter rides you don't have to pack it with you but still a good idea to have it in your rig waiting for your return.
-Knife.
-Home made first aid kit. For your horses a maxi pad and tape make great bandages. Some people (men) shudder at the idea but it works. For you, bandages, motrin and aspirin. Motrin for swelling (falling off) and aspirin as a pain reliever. For both of you, neosporin or some bag balm in a zip lock baggie. Helps for those cuts.
-Fly spray for your horse, mosquito repellant for you.
-Twine or leather strips for repairs.
-Multi tool for repairs, can also double as your knife.
-Phone (keep it on your not your horse).
-I take along allergy medication, nothing ruins a ride more than a nasty sinus headache. If you are riding around the barn you already know what and when you'll be hit. Riding into strange areas at different elevations can get you hit hard.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Thank you so much for the responses. There seems to be quite a bit of a range. I like the shorter rides for during the week but on the weekends when I have an entire day I would like to go on the longer rides. I am slowly gathering stuff that I would need for a longer ride, so thank you for the suggestions of things to bring with.


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

I gauge by terrain more than miles.
A decently fit horse can w/t/c 4 miles in a hour or so, but I wouldn't expect them to climb up/down 4 miles of mountain trail so fast or easily. 
Last weekend we took our fat mare out, 4 miles of easy road with only slight incline. We walked and slow jogged and it took us an hour and a half with several stops and training exercises along the way.
It's easy to get carried away out here, just my driveway is a 1/4 of a mile. I have to take into consideration the footing, the elevation, etc. so miles don't really count to me. Average long trail ride time is 4-8 hours, 2 for exercise and training, 1 hour for fiddlin/hours around on the farm. I usually just have a granola bar, knife, and a water for the 2 hour rides. BUT, I always pack sandwiches for anything longer, nothing boosts my energy more than a good turkey sandwich with mayo and cucumber. I don't know why.


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## Jolly Badger (Oct 26, 2009)

Celeste said:


> It is not good for out of shape horses or out of shape people to do extremely long rides. An 8 hour ride would kill me. I think that anything over 7 or 8 miles is something that you need to build up to. Horses that are ridden in an arena may be in excellent shape and ready to go on long rides.


A horse accustomed to riding in an arena may be in good condition for that sort of riding, but (again) it depends on the type of trail/terrain you plan on tackling. 

I wouldn't suggest taking a horse that has only done arena work out on a trail with a lot of hills. There is much more required of a horse (and rider) in terms of balance, use of muscles and overall fitness that you just cannot duplicate in the soft, even ground of an arena. 

That's like thinking you're in shape because you walk on a treadmill at the gym, then trying to hike the whole Appalachian Trail. 

I've seen "trail" horses that have only ever done flat trails/roads, whose owners thought they were in great shape, break down when they tried to go out and do a longer ride that required them to do a lot of climbing, or scrambling through tricky footing, or crossing through deep water. The horse just wasn't in condition for that kind of work.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

We did do quite a bit of hills with uneven footing but we were taking it slow then. But the horses had barely broke a sweat so we wern't concerned with over working them. I definately take into consideration where we will be going, the temperature outside and when the last time she was worked before choosing where to go and for how long.

I think that the 2 and a half hours was perfect for my horse as she was just barely sweaty under the saddle and girth area but she was tired enough. I will probably stick to that time frame for a little while as she is still gaining muscle. She is definately a fiesty little Arab though and absolutely loves the trails and if the footing would allow she would most likely prefer to trot the entire trail.

Any more suggestions welcome, I am very new to this trail thing.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

poppy1356 said:


> Ok another question, how often do you do longer trail rides? Once a week for the longer ones then maybe some short arena work or a short trail ride during the week maybe?


Yes, our longer rides are always on the weekend - that is the only time we have time to go on those. Typically our longer rides also include quite a bit of rough terrain including steep inclines/declines. During the week we either work in the arena or go down the road that just meanders through the woods with a few rolling hills. The ones during the week usually only last an hour or so.

Never had a problem with our horses being overly tired or sore with this set-up. In fact the only time they were actually tired was on a 6 hour ride that included quite a few really steep inclines that they had to run in order to get up and the temperature climed well into the upper 90s. It had been cooler leading up to this day and it was quite a shock for humans and horses. Otherwise they handle it quite well.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Hmm, it's not uncommon for me to cover 15-20 miles in a day, but that usually isn't a leisurely trail ride at a walk. That's normally when I'm checking cattle and going everywhere at a trot/lope. If I'm just plodding along for the fun of it, I might cover 3-5 miles in a hour or so.

I usually don't take much with me. Living where I live, it's virtually impossible to get lost no matter how far you go, so GPS would be a waste of money. I sometimes take a cell phone...usually don't have service though. If I know where I'm going won't have a place for me to get a drink, I'll take a bottle of water. Everywhere I ride, I know exactly where the creeks are at and if they'll have water, I know where all the windmills are so finding water is not a problem at all. I usually do take a gun, especially in the summer time, so that I can kill any rattlers I come across or, God forbid, if my horse were to be fatally hurt and I couldn't get help for him.

As for the horse's eating, mine might get a break in the middle of the day to graze for 5 minutes or so if I have time. Normally I don't though, so I just make sure they get a good breakfast and a good dinner. Also, one thing I usually do when I finish at night is give them a few minutes in their pen/paddock before I feed them. I want them to get a good drink before they bury their face in the hay. Less chance of an impaction that way.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

FlyGap said:


> BUT, I always pack sandwiches for anything longer, nothing boosts my energy more than a good turkey sandwich with mayo and cucumber. I don't know why.


Though I love a good turkey sandwich it's peanut butter and jelly for me on the trail. I don't want anything that can spoil quickly on a hot day and meats, mayo fall into that category.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Darrin, those were some good tips...especially about the change of clothing! My hubby's horse, Sarge, went over on him in January - they landed in mud and water. My husband was totally soaked and full of mud. They were 100 miles from home. He was able to wash off in one of the other rider's LQ trailer but he was stuck in the same clothes. Thank God it wasn't cold.

You never know what will happen out on a trail and it is best to be prepared for darn near anything!!


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

QOS said:


> Darrin, those were some good tips...especially about the change of clothing! My hubby's horse, Sarge, went over on him in January - they landed in mud and water. My husband was totally soaked and full of mud. They were 100 miles from home. He was able to wash off in one of the other rider's LQ trailer but he was stuck in the same clothes. Thank God it wasn't cold.
> 
> You never know what will happen out on a trail and it is best to be prepared for darn near anything!!


I learned that one the hard way, caught a cold for my troubles too.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Well our next trail ride is scheduled for Monday and we will definately be bringing supplies with us this time. Luckily I wont be needing any spare clothes any time soon as none of us have a trailer so everything is walking from barn and I'm lucky enough to live very close to the barn, actually I could ride to my house, hehe, but I'm sure the apartment manager wouldn't see the humor in that.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Because I am riding 2 horses most of the time, and I work full time, when I trail ride one horse it is an hour. I have some pretty extreme trails as I live in an alpine region. One hill I go up & down is too steep for an average person to walk, so I figure an hour is plenty. If I have been schooling in the arena on my showhorse, he usually gets a 20 minute loop around the woods just to relax & cool off. Now if I am going to make a day of it with my husband, then we haul out to some cross country ski trails that go on for miles through the forest, hills and by lakes, that can take hours, just depends how much time we have. I am a big advocate that all horses, regardless of what discipline, should have regular out of the arena, mind clearing trail rides. For me, I have found it keeps them from getting ring sour.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Oh I wish we lived by mountains, we have some nice cliffs along the river but otherwise pretty flat :-(. I think _I _would get terribly bored working in just an arena all the time not just the horse. I would love to do h/j but with her age that is out of the question, so dressage eventually but until then we are having fun going out on trails.

She absolutely loves being out of the arena and behaves perfectly off property. This trail thing is so fun, I cannot wait for Monday.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

My wife always reminds me when I ask her to come join me for a short ride, "That I don't know what a short ride is"

Weekday evenings a ride is a couple of hours. If the horses are out of shape, We walk with some trotting, If they have been worked in the past few weeks, we up the speed and do more trotting.

I've done lots of Competitive Trail Rides were we rode 50 miles over the Sat/Sun. And I've done a few endurance rides where 50 miles in 5-6 hours was the norm. So a fit horse can cover a lot of ground in a day. I know the biologist I've talked to say it is very common for the wild Mustangs here in Utah to cover 20 miles every day as they search for food and water.









They hold a Outlaw endurance ride every fall in Southern Utah. They ride the old Outlaw trail and do 5 days of 50 miles each day for 250 miles total. If you ride the same horse for all 5 days, They call you an Outlaw, If you change horses on some days, They call you a pinkerton A throw back to the old detectives that chased the wild bunch. The point is that if the horse in in shape and you give it enough calories for energy. It can work multiple days in row . We work our horses pretty hard during the Elk hunts. But I usually give them every 3rd or 4th day off to recover.

I often ride into the mountain and remote areas of Utah and Wyoming. Since we have made the effort to get to some remote spot, we are going to ride all day. I allow the horses to graze anytime we stop. At lunch, I put on hobbles and let the freely graze while we eat lunch. It's not fair to ask the horse to travel 20 miles up and down mountains and not give them calories to do the work.

Horses hobbled at lunch









If you are going to start riding for longer distances you should learn some basics of taking your horse's biometrics. Learn how to take his Pulse and Respiration and know what are his normal vitals and when he is showing stress. Learn to check his hydration, a quick check of his capillary refill by pressing his gum tissue or a Skin Pinch, how fast does his juglar fill if you press on that. What are his gut sounds. And what are normal gut sounds. You should be able to know what state your horses is in and if he has become stressed.

I let my horses drink any chance they get. In the desert we don't always have running water. It is often water trapped in Indian Bathtubs in the rocks









I always have matches to start a fire. I keep a space blanket. Too many hikers have died from Hypothermia when a hot july afternoon turned into a violent thunderstorm and they got wet and the temps dropped. At least with a fire and reflective blanket you can stay warm. My cantle pack always has several granola bars, and hard tack candies, Things that keep forever with out spoiling and bottles of water. The farther that I will travel away from my truck, The more supplies I load into the cantle bag and the better chance I will have a jacket or slicker tied behind the cantle.

I also almost always carry a pistol. We have had to put horses down in the back country, miles from help. We hope that it rarely happens but when it does, a pistol makes rough job easier.

In the trailer I keep basic farrier tools to trim up a horse, basic horse first aid kit, to clean, numb and stitch up a cut.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Ooo those pictures are so pretty. Once my boyfriend gets a horse we will be able to trailer out to go on longer rides. She gets worked about 4-5 days a week right now but they aren't always hard rides, I'm usually sweaty way before she is. 

I will be getting a gun this summer as around here we have a huge wolf problem where there has been reports of them taking livestock. I hope to never have to put down a horse out on the trail. 

I think I will need more first aid supplies for me rather than the horse I seem to hurt myself on air. Currently icing a dislocated finger. But really I would love to eventually go on long rides. How old do you think a horse can be and still handle it? My Arab is 18 or 19 but was a broodmare for almost her entire life, she is just being trained and conditioned. She always wants to trot and never seems to tire. 

I'm sure someone at my barn can show me how to take my horses pulse and all so I will ask. Also my dad took a mountain survival class for flying and made sure we all knew what to have with incase of emergency. Waterproof matches are good too. We have a ton of those space blankets haha.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I hope you never do have to put a horse down. But if something happens, it is better to be prepared. as far as the wolves. The few I've seen in the wild, were always running away, They never seemed to have the courage to confront humans.

I have a 18 year old Arab gelding that is still the best mover of all my horses.

When I did CTR, There was an 86 year old gentleman that rode a 26 year old that competed 50 miles every two weeks and that horse was a strong competitor. But each horse is an individual. Just watch and see how your horse does, As long as it is enjoying a willing to go forward on rides, She should be fine.

The sorrel on the right is my aged gelding and the Spotted Saddlehorse on the left is a friends 20 year horse. Both were leading all riders up this mountain at a recent Back Country Horseman trail ride


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