# what are some fun things to do out on trail



## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

We practice on just about any obstacle we can find.









Sometimes that means coming off and getting wet









Sometimes it means going thru tunnels









That are perched on Mountain sides


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## TrailheadSupply (Sep 6, 2012)

I just hate getting wet !!! lol


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Yep, that mare stumbled on big rock under the water and the rider slide right off.

Sometimes we squeeze through tight spaces









Sometimes we practice on rocks,









We practice crossing bridges









And we practice on boardwalks


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## Pattilou (Jul 8, 2010)

Painted horse great photo's , says it all !


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

The beauty of a trail ride, is the trail ride itself is the obstacle. There is always something along the trail for the horses to deal with. Just take the opportunities to work with your horse as you see the various challenges along the trail. Don't always take the easy way around.

It may be stepping over logs









It may be dropping off steep side hills









Or Scrambling down off ledges









A good trail horse needs to trust the rider and go where you point him. They may think they know the better way, But we as riders should have the better understanding of what the trail holds and which way we should traverse it.


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## alexis rose (Oct 1, 2012)

I love those photos! I would love to go on a trail ride with you!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Painted Horse - I always love to see your pictures!!! They are fantastic.

Trail riding is a big obstacle course - depending on where we ride we may have to turn around a small gate with a slim piece of ground to hairpin turn on so we don't fall down a drop off, a few weeks ago the horses went through a turnstile to get out of Cattail Marsh - that was fun  stepping over logs, crossing the little bridges, crossing water - all are fun to do and good training for the horses. Every area will have different challenges - get out there and just ride!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Color me jealous! The only obstacle I come across is convincing my horse that everything blocking our path doesn't require a million foot high over jump!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Sometimes you don't even need obstacles, you just need a horse who is a pill. :rofl:

Rode several miles today over fairly boring terrain and I feel like I ran a marathon! For every step we went forward, I think he did 2 or 3 sideways. It was like riding a tilt-a-whirl. Silly pony!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

We get pretty immune to some of the natural trail obsticles. Looking at the scenry and letting the horse watch his footing

















I teach my horses to HiLine and to Hobble


















Go down steep hills, Cross the river and climb the hill on the other side


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## Jim Andy (Jan 21, 2013)

I don't know about everyone else but I want to go ride with Painted Horse. I love looking at trails through your eyes. Fun Fun Fun !!!!


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## shandasue (Nov 22, 2011)

its always fun to ride to the river & swim and if ya live in the mountains its always alot cooler at the river so you can ride on days most people would consider way too hot. (i dont know if the river = coolness is just a mountain thing but i assume. hardly been outta these damned mountains)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

shandasue said:


> so you can ride on days most people would consider way too hot._Posted via Mobile Device_


I didn't know it ever got "too hot" to ride, I usually still have a jacket tied to the cantle even in July around here. We just keep going higher up the mountain as the summer temps rise. When it's 90° at home at 4400 foot elevation, It will be 65° at 9000 foot elevation.


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## runningwiththewind (Jan 26, 2013)

Painted Horse said:


> We practice on just about any obstacle we can find.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Where do you live?!?!?!? That landscape is amazing!!!! I really want to live there! Not trying to be a creeper or anything haha


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## BlooBabe (Jul 7, 2012)

So jealous of those trails! I get little state forest trails that are highly maintained with little to worry about except maybe a little bridge or a two foot drop on either side unless I find something off one of the bogs around here. Now that I've seen what's out there I'll never be able to look at my trails the same way I used to.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Runnngwithwind, I live in Utah, So all these photos are places I ride, most are within 4 hours trailer ride from my home. Utah has a large variety of terrain. The horses don't care. They are just happy to be out for an adventure. I truelly think they are as much a tourist as I am. Enjoying seeing a new trail and sampling new grass as they go.

This weeks obstacle has been deep snow and buffalo


















But it is common to have to negotiate rocks, trees, mud and rivers









Even rocky trails on steep mountain sides


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## Jolly Badger (Oct 26, 2009)

badger101 said:


> Hi i dont have a very big property to really do trails on but we are still by ourselves so im ok, but what i really want to know is what are some safe and fun things to do out on trail i have a 14 hands white quarter horse his name is badger if you go to my horses you will see him !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:lol:


Great name for a horse - my little black Tennessee Walker is also named "Badger."

You can set up little obstacles for yourself and your horse - stepping (or jumping) over logs, ducking under low branches, walking across streams or up on big flat rocks. Depending on the terrain, it's nice to have some steeper hills to navigate, so you and your horse can develop balance together. Water crossings are great - be aware of the depth and type of footing underwater so you don't find yourself stuck in a mudhole. 

I used to clear trail from horseback - using a handsaw to cut smaller low-hanging branches and then drag it while riding my horse until I could find a more open area to drop it out of the way. I don't advise trying that until you know your horse is "okay" with having something dragged beside him in a more contained setting (like an arena/pasture), but it's a useful thing for a horse to know.

Out on the trail is a good place to practice standing tied for a while, even if you're not too far from home. The place where I used to board my horse didn't have good grass pasture, so I would ride my horse out to a nice grassy meadow, dismount and let him graze for a while with just his halter on. Take a book and pack a lunch and just hang out there for a bit.

If you're forging any new trail, just be cautious if you live in an area that used to be farmland, because there may be old coils of rusted fence wire laying around.


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## Jim Andy (Jan 21, 2013)

Painted Horse once more you leave me in Aw of the trails you ride.I was wondering are most of these trails in National Parks? Also do you have bears to worry about or perhaps mountain lions?


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

75% of Utah is public land, So these trail are on Forest Service, BLM and State Trust lands for the most part. National and State parks charge fees, and they heavily regulate where or how you can camp. Often restricting horse camping. So I don't use them as much as just pulling off the road and heading up a Forest Service trail.

I do ride in Yellowstone National Park, (Usually during August) and Bryce Canyon National Park ( in May) and Zions National Park ( in November), But these are almost always day rides with camping outside the park.

National Parks don't allow any hunting, So most of the fall I avoid the parks as we seek out deer and elk.

We see the occasional black bear or cougar in Utah, Rare, but occasional.
Yellowstone and Wind Rivers have Grizzlys so we have to be a little more careful about camping in those areas

This is Utah State land, that is set aside as winter habitat for deer and elk


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## Jim Andy (Jan 21, 2013)

Thank you so much for that info. I would love nothing more than to make about a 3 month trip out there and ride all over the place . I have been out there a few times but you don't get to see very much from the cab of a truck.
I love wildlife watching as well.


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## Jensride (Feb 9, 2013)

Wow, so jealous.....I'm stuck in our little woods here in Ga. boring!!!!


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## ilovepets (Oct 29, 2012)

wow those are nice trails :shock:

_Time to travel..._


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

For those of you wanting to set up some kind of practice course, This youtube video gives a pretty good idea of what can be built in a smaller space and will give your horse broad training


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## Jim Andy (Jan 21, 2013)

Painted I'm going to say this ladie or someone cares enough about this horse to have invested some time into it.You are right you can set up a lot of things in a small amount of space.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

They are not doing anything you couldn't do with natural obstacles out on the trail. It just shows that can create a practice area in a pretty small area that would simulate a lot of what you run into on the trail


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