# Trail riding solo



## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I bought a 6 year old AQH/TB gelding 5 months ago and I am determined to ride him solo on trails. The barn where I keep him is in a county park which require riding along roads and crossing traffic areas to access trails. I have started riding him a little farther out each time, but something always spooks him and I am afraid to go too far out. Are there any tips to quiet him and help desensitize him to all of the "scary things" he will encounter along the way? I am a cowboy(girl) at heart and I have to be able to get lost in the woods for hours. I am bored with the arena. Thanks!!


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## CarmenL (Apr 20, 2012)

Just keep riding him out, getting a little further each time. Be useful to read the sticky on this particular forum about training trail horses. Very informative, great tips for handling spooky behavior.


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## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

Indie and I have to ride a few miles of country road (notorious for people flying by as fast as they can, as we are between two highways) to get to our trails, and it does take quite a bit of work to get to the point where you can feel safe riding the entire way. 3 years of riding the same road, and there is still some idiot in a car that will either intentionally try to hit you, honk their horn at you, or spook the horse; you MUST be prepared for that.

As for the horse spooking, put on some tennis shoes and don't be afraid to get down and walk the horse in areas that spook him, give him time to figure it out, and take control as his leader with confidence and it will let him know its okay. Do not however let him train you to get off everytime he spooks... figure out what it is exactly that spooks him (for Indie it's trash bags on the road LOL), and maybe get off ahead of time and walk him past these spooky things... then get on and ride past. This way he does not start figuring that every time he spooks= you get off and thus give him less work. Horses sure are smart about figuring those sorts of things out.
Hopefully you have plenty of shoulder space that this is possible, if not... then I'd suggest finding a different way around. There are very few situations where I will ride directly on the road because there is no space off to the side to comfortably fit the horse and I... again, idiots on the road are intentionally dangerous, or more often just ignorant of riders and our needs. 

Keep a cell phone on your person at all times, not in a saddle bag. If the horse runs off and your on the ground... you'll need the help. I'd suggest taking someone out with you for awhile too if at all possible... sometimes having a calm horse buddy will also help reassure a spooky horse until he can be weaned off on his own. 

Other than that; just keep doing what you're doing! Go a little farther each time, and keep a strong confident attitude about you and the horse will pick that up and feel more assured that his leader doesn't think anything is scary. 

Good luck, and be safe


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Just to elaborate a bit on what Tian said, you have to be the leader and confident in that role. This means, even if you are scared to death, you have to project calm to your horse. Once you start getting upset your horse will get upset. You also don't want to stare down things that make your horse jumpy. They can see where you are looking and if you stare something down they'll figure it just might be a monster and act that way.

Is there any grass in the "scary" areas? If there is, jump off before getting there(when he's still calm), finish leading him to the scary place then let him graze for a bit. They soak up the sights and sound while doing something comforting which allows them to realize the world really aint a scary place.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

you are training your horse to spook, u need to stop. YOU decide when to go back. NEVER let your horse decide. If it is dangerous dont be too proud to get off. But if you decide to do a 6 mile trail today then do the 6 mile trail. Even if you have to drag him.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Practice is the best tool to desensitize them. However if you could ride with someone on very calm horse (at least several times) that helps a lot too with overcoming the obstacles.


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## MorabMom (Mar 30, 2012)

Stay calm, shugar. Your horse reads your body language like an open book. If you're nervous, he's triple nervous. Just take a deep breath, sit back, and remind him that you'll protect him, no matter what.

My Morab is as skittish as most Arabians go. He'll spook at everything, but I always make him take another look at what the heck was so scary. It takes time, but it's well worth it. And having access to a park is a super way to desensitize both you and the horse. Show no fear, and your horse will respond.

It wouldn't hurt to carry a compass or an iPhone with Everytrail on it. What a super lil app! I have two rides under my girth and they're a hoot to watch.

You'll do well - just be prepared, and show your boy all the scary stuff.


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

You have to screw your game face on if you're going to school a horse green to trails.

No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

I keep working with my mare on the one spot that scares her. Today she got down to the bottom of scary spot OK so I made her stand at the bottom of the creek. She fussed and moved and backed and dragged me through the brush. But I kept at it correcting her and did not let her go back uphill to the "safer" spot until she stood for me for as long as I wanted.

Just gotta work the problem without emotion.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

sing. or talk. constantly.

so often when people anticipate something bad, they hold their breath, which makes them tense up. that tension goes straight to the horse, who is going to that much more reactive.

if you are singing or talking, you have to be breathing. you may feel like an idiot, but it works. i spent the first 5 miles of a recent ride singing to the very, very anxious mare i was riding. personally i like kids songs as they have simple words and repeat a lot. i suspect the people i was riding with were thoroughly sick of 'row row row your boat' for an hour, but it worked!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

phantomhorse13 said:


> sing. or talk. constantly.


So true.. I am such a talker on a horse. Off a horse I'm normal.. on a horse I will not shut up.. and it helps the horse to relax and it keeps me calm too.


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## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

It can also teach a horse to ignore your voice. I don't want my horse to ignore ANYTHING about me. 

When I first started with my current horse, he heard Christmas Carols until he could probably have sung them himself! He was my step-up from a confidence builder that I had needed after a bad wreck. Once the confidence builder became totally boring, I knew it was time for a new horse and a little bit of a challenge. I could handle him, but he was far from the deadbroke almost deadhead I was used to and I think I sang as much to give myself courage as to calm him! LOL I have to admit that it wasn't just singing. I have called him every name in the book and some of them weren't nice at all! I've also reminded him on numerous occasions that dogs have to eat too! LOL 

But once we got the hierarchy established (I lead, he follows) I shut up. Now, when I talk to him, his ears swivel back right away and I have his attention. He keeps an ear on me in the round pen... If he heard my voice all the time, I think it would just be background noise to him.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Lots of good thoughts given. I'll just add that when going out alone, learn to tell the difference between when your horse is tense/scared and when it's just being ornery (e.g. barn sour). You want to be careful pushing a truly scared horse too hard. At a certain point instinct will take over and you'll have much more of a ride than you planned for.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

It is exactly as everyone on this thread has said, but the most important one to me is DO NOT go back when the horse gets spooked. You are teaching it that whenever it wants to go home, spooking will get him his way. You need to end the ride when you decide it should be ended - preferably when he is calm and collected. And to keep your horse calm, remind him you are there - talk to him, pet his neck, sing, stop occasionally to give him some love. Go a bit farther each day, and you'll be on the trail in no time.

When we first bought our horses, two big draft crosses, they were great on the trails... As long as we were with other horses. When we tried going ourselves, we got across the street (still in barn view) and stopped. Wouldn't move for anything - not a smack in the but, not any amount of kicking, not spinning them in circles then going down the trail. We gave up and went back - a victory for the horses. But the next day, we put bridles over halters and when they stopped, we got off, clipped the lead ropes to the halters and dragged them - quite the feat, dragging two one ton horses. There was much butt smacking. But once on the trail and out of sight of the barn, they were fine. We had to walk them out there for quite a while, but it did eventually get easier until we could ride out there - but that first day, it took us nearly 45 minutes to drag them out (I will admit, there was some pulling on the reins as well, but now I wouldn't do that). 

The moral of the story: Even if you have to drag a scared, stubborn mule past his point of turning back, do it. It only gets easier after the first time.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

HagonNag said:


> *But once we got the hierarchy established (I lead, he follows) I shut up.* Now, when I talk to him, his ears swivel back right away and I have his attention. He keeps an ear on me in the round pen... If he heard my voice all the time, I think it would just be background noise to him.



I don't think anybody was advocating talking all the time, on every horse, no matter the situation (I certainly wasn't), but using it as a tool in a tense situation.

I sang to the anxious mare a lot. Dream (my mare) is generally not subjected to my singing unless I am trying to keep myself awake at 3am during a ride. :lol:


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## myQHpaul (Jun 25, 2009)

I plan on doing the same with Sonny when summer finally rolls around. Everyone at my barn is just too busy to tack up and trail ride. Right now, I am doing a ton of arena work with him de-sensitizing him to everything from feed bags to tarps, umbrellas to plastic chairs. I have a friend who hand walked him back on the trail a few weeks ago and I did the same thing this past weekend. She also rode him out with a friend of hers and told me he did well. I plan on making sure I wear a helmet, have my cell phone charged, and let someone know where I am going and when I expect to be back. That way, if anything happens and I am not back at that time, someone will know something happened.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I wasn't trying to imply that I ever turn around because my horse gets spooked. I make him go through what scares him no matter what. We do a lot of circling if he refuses something until he will walk through it. I am trying to get him used to the traffic and bikes and dogs and what not. My barn owner doesn't like me trail riding alone but I am riding in a very public county park. It's not like I'm out in the middle of nowhere.


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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

I finally broke down and got a cell phone. I retired two years ago and purposely through it in the river as I never wanted to own one again. But I broke down and got one so I could call help if I needed it while trail riding alone. Good luck, be safe and don't give up!


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

I talk to my horse all the time... Because (1) he's my buddy, (2) I just enjoy his company, (3) it has a calming effect on him and (4) if we're in a tense situation where he can't see me, I want him to know my voice.



Skyseternalangel said:


> So true.. I am such a talker on a horse. Off a horse I'm normal.. on a horse I will not shut up.. and it helps the horse to relax and it keeps me calm too.


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

It takes time to gain confidence on the trail and I have found the more time in the saddle the better. The more your horse experiences with you on the trail, the better they will become. There will always be better days than others just don't give up. Try to go a little further each day and by all means stay safe. Good luck!


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

i sing to my horse all the time, my current guy is a bit of a nervous nelly so I dont think he pays any attention. My last horse always did, long as I was singing he'd keep plodding along. If I stopped he stopped looked around or back at me for guidance. Usually a ditch bridge or other obstacle.
My new horse is super sensitive to rider ques, put too much emphasis on a note and she interpreted that as Hi Ho Silver away.... oops my bad. Gonna take some getting used to.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I have trained my horse to slow down and stop when I make a deep exale. That way it helps also to calm down myself, if anything extreme happens, because I have to breathe deeply and slowly. I use singing, on the other hand, to maintain rythm and pace, in case he is in his lazy mode.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I have taken everyones advice and my horse is doing great on trails. We have trotted, cantered, and galloped on trails. he always runs into something that he is scared of and I just let him take his time and push him forward and he walks on past it. We have had some very nice rides thank you all!!!


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

hberrie said:


> .....We have had some very nice rides thank you all!!!


That's wonderful! So glad you're having fun.... Ain't it fun watching your horse learn about things out on the trail!


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## Cadet impresso star (May 13, 2012)

well mother i say you let your daughter taker him out... its a good idea honestly haha that way you wont break as many bones when i fall of !


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Ha ha daughter so you found me on here. I will not let you take him out alone because his "being good" is too much for me to gamble with you. Love you


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Radiowaves said:


> I talk to my horse all the time... Because (1) he's my buddy, (2) I just enjoy his company, (3) it has a calming effect on him and (4) if we're in a tense situation where he can't see me, I want him to know my voice.
> 
> 
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Whoops just saw this. And me too! But even horses that aren't mine.. I swear I have entire conversations with them in different tones and sometimes in different voices. I've tried stopping.. but it's just this weird effect of me riding LOL but we never spook once so it does do some good. Just drives my trail buddies crazy


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

Skyseternalangel said:


> Whoops just saw this. And me too! But even horses that aren't mine.. I swear I have entire conversations with them in different tones and sometimes in different voices. I've tried stopping.. but it's just this weird effect of me riding LOL but we never spook once so it does do some good. Just drives my trail buddies crazy


I'm totally with you.... Another boarder at our barn talks to his horse as well. Hey, it's all about the relationship!  I used to do the same thing when I was young and used to go trail riding by myself after school.

I really think it does have a calming effect on the horses.

I honestly believe that talking to my horse helped him get calmed down quickly for a traiil ride after chasing and driving a runaway horse back into the barn area a while back.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I always talk and sometimes sing to my horse while trail riding solo with him. It helps him calming down in stressful situations and it seems to me that he enjoys hearing my voice when I ride or just handle him. Besides, I think that almost everyone at our barn does that - even when we have group trail rides, every rider is talking to their horse and it sometimes becomes hard to differentiate, when someone is speaking to a horse or to another person.


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

Saranda said:


> I always talk and sometimes sing to my horse while trail riding solo with him. It helps him calming down in stressful situations and it seems to me that he enjoys hearing my voice when I ride or just handle him. Besides, I think that almost everyone at our barn does that - even when we have group trail rides, every rider is talking to their horse and it sometimes becomes hard to differentiate, when someone is speaking to a horse or to another person.


 
I do it for another reason, as well: if there's ever a case when I need to calm my horse and he can't see me, I want him to know my voice really well. It's just a good thing to do, I think. It's all about the relationship.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

My barn buddy/barn manager told me to sing to the horses for the same reason Phantom said...when you are singing you are breathing. I rode Biscuit solo the other day (first successful totally solo ride - hauled by myself and rode alone and actually got Biscuit to GO!) and I sang to Biscuit part of the way - I made up a goofy little singsong verse like child's rhyme and away we go. Helped me - maybe not The Biscuit but as long as I am calm I am a happy camper!


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## GoldSahara (May 4, 2010)

Singing and talking to a horse is great for relaxing. I know I can practically feel the tension drain whenever I start to talk and sing while nervous. There is a different tone of voice you use when singing and talking vs. giving a command such as Woah or trot or calling their name (or at least there should be). Similar to dog training, tone of voice conveys a lot. You can be talking around a dog all day but when you focus your energy and tell them to sit, suddenly they direct total attention at you.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

Well i don't think my horse or anyone else would like my singing voice, but I do talk to him constantly. I almost feel like he knows what I'm saying. Like yesterday when I was cleaning his sheath and he raised his leg. I held onto his leg and said " I know you don't really want to kick me and I don't want to get kicked" and he put it down. It's like he understands. I know I sound crazy but when I tell him it's ok. I think he actually believes me.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

It amazes me how dead set against people are of riding alone. I can see no other way because the thought of having to coordinate times and wait for others horrifies me. I want to ride when I want to ride and I don't want to have to hang back and wait for others. I think it would be fun to go on a trail with a group , but I don't want to have to be stuck to that all the time.


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

hberrie said:


> It amazes me how dead set against people are of riding alone. I can see no other way because the thought of having to coordinate times and wait for others horrifies me. I want to ride when I want to ride and I don't want to have to hang back and wait for others. I think it would be fun to go on a trail with a group , but I don't want to have to be stuck to that all the time.


I think it just depends on whether or not a given rider has sufficient confidence in him/herself and his/her horse so as to be comfortable riding alone. When my wife is not able to go with me, I totally enjoy riding alone. When I was an early teen, I went trail riding alone many many afternoons after school as well as other times. It was tremendously enjoyable and the experience probably helped me develop confidence in my riding ability as well as my connection with my horse. And, the time in the saddle was extremely valuable as well as enjoyable. It's all about the connection/relationship with your horse and riding by yourself is conducive to being "tuned in" to each other, I think.


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## Mason72 (Jun 1, 2012)

i think riding alone builds a bond between horse and rider. it is peaceful. i like big trail rides but lone riding is really nice


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## Lunavi (Jun 5, 2012)

Awesome to hear you guys are getting out on your own well. 

When I got Nugget last year, I wanted to be able to ride alone. Our first ride out went AMAZING!....then I think he realized there's not other horses around, because on our second ride a week later, we got 50 ft out the gate and he started throwing a fit. He was backing into ditches, trying to run home, being a goof in general....but we were finishing on my terms! I finally got 10 steps in the right direction, stopped him and calmly had him walk home. The next time we got 100ft farther down the trail, and the time after that even farther. Now he's an AWESOME solo trail horse, we've had 3 solo rides this week, and he's been a good boy for every one of them 

And to agree with everyone else, I talk to my horses too, they listen  and I've never had a problem with them tuning me out when I needed them to hear me.


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

Lunavi said:


> Awesome to hear you guys are getting out on your own well.
> 
> When I got Nugget last year, I wanted to be able to ride alone. Our first ride out went AMAZING!....then I think he realized there's not other horses around, because on our second ride a week later, we got 50 ft out the gate and he started throwing a fit. He was backing into ditches, trying to run home, being a goof in general....but we were finishing on my terms! I finally got 10 steps in the right direction, stopped him and calmly had him walk home. The next time we got 100ft farther down the trail, and the time after that even farther. Now he's an AWESOME solo trail horse, we've had 3 solo rides this week, and he's been a good boy for every one of them


That's really great! I'm so glad that you were able to get things worked out with him. I think you handled it very well indeed. He just didn't understand what a good team the two of you are!


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

I saw that a few people have recommended getting off and walking your horse, in situations where he's spooky.

I'd strongly recommend AGAINST doing this, in almost all circumstances. As much as it might not feel like it, you're usually safer on your horse, in those types of situations. If your seat isn't good enough to be able to stay in the saddle while your horse gets a little spooky, then you probably shouldn't be riding out alone. You don't want to be on the ground, leading your horse, if they're acting a fool, you're likely to get hurt. I've watched a couple people insist on getting off to lead their horse across water. The horse gathers and leaps across the water and the person leading them almost has a horse on their back. Much better to just stay mounted in those situations and hang on! Not to mention, if you get off when your horse gets spooky, you're just teaching them an easy way to get you off their back. 
Of course, if your horse is having a total meltdown, and it's getting to be more than you think you can handle, don't push it. Especially when you're out on trail alone.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Singing and talking to your horse is fine. However if you're in a group I think you should tone that down. Not everyone finds the constant chatter agreeable - personally there's several people I dislike riding with because they get SO NERVOUS that it's a constant stream of chatter and conversation that it's hard to be mindful of the surroundings and enjoy the ride. Talkin can also confuse other horses, who will not be used to "your way" and they may think you're talking to it instead of your own horse.

I think that people who are nervous about riding alone should determine WHY they're scared and address that. Scared of falling? Work on your seat, your whoa, your one rein stop, etc. build up your confidence and your horses confidence.

I prefer to ride alone.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

enh817 said:


> I saw that a few people have recommended getting off and walking your horse, in situations where he's spooky.
> 
> I'd strongly recommend AGAINST doing this, in almost all circumstances. As much as it might not feel like it, you're usually safer on your horse, in those types of situations. If your seat isn't good enough to be able to stay in the saddle while your horse gets a little spooky, then you probably shouldn't be riding out alone. You don't want to be on the ground, leading your horse, if they're acting a fool, you're likely to get hurt...


I could not disagree more.

If I can choose to be on the ground or on the horse when the horse hits the fan, I'll choose the ground every time. Worst case, which has never happened to me on many walks, I can let go of the lead. If my horse then bolts into traffic, she would die and I would not die with her.

Here in southern AZ, a bolting horse can take you thru cactus or into a hidden wash. One about 50 yards from my house is 10 feet deep and hidden by vegetation until you are within a few feet of it. A bolting horse would kill herself and her rider if she went that way.

But it has never happened. It is much easier to control a nervous horse from the ground than from in the saddle. They are much less nervous once they see you, for one thing. Nor has my mare EVER tried to go over me. When she can see me, she knows where I am.

I think the key is to learn your horse well enough to know when the scary thing is getting nearer, rather than wait until your horses legs are spread out and her eyes rolling. At that point, you have lost. Even if you get the horse to 'go', it becomes such a big emotional event that my horse, at least, has just learned that it is REALLY scary.

When she is startled, she hops sideways and then stares. Those can usually be overcome with a bit of time & talk until she approaches what startled her. But if she genuinely is afraid of something ahead, there are warning signs. Learning those signs, and getting her to go far enough to be uncomfortable but not so far that she squirts liquid poop out the rear is "success".

Success doesn't mean 'make her go past the culvert'. It may mean get her closer to the culvert today than yesterday, and closer still tomorrow. It can mean 'lead her past it on the ground today', followed by lead her up to it tomorrow, and let her stand next to it for 10 minutes after that, and then ride her past it.

I don't think horses are acting scared. When my mare rolls her eyes and squirts poop, it is a real fear to her. Desensitizing is a matter of pushing the envelope, not exceeding it. Push her until she is nervous, but not until she freaks. The first teaches her you are a good leader, the second teaches her you are cruel.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

I wouldn't be taking a horse that bolts or freaks out so severe that I can't control them, out on trail. Especially alone. I don't know why you would take a horse that spooky out on a trail, by yourself. 
If your horse is too spooky for you to be able to stay on safely, out on trail, then its not ready to be going out on trail. 
I don't know anything about your skills or your horse, but I most certainly am in control, when I'm on a horse's back. And I'm not in danger of being stepped on, kicked or trampled. I'll take falling off (I know how to fall correctly) over being kicked or trampled any day of the week. I have never had a horse run off with me, and that's not for lack of experience. I've had just about everything else go wrong with horses, that can. But I have never let a horse run off with me. I have seen plenty of people get run away with, and you can see when it happens, the moment they give up and resign to the idea that the horse is not going to stop, that's when they are really in trouble. I don't believe that any horse that likes to bolt or any rider that can't stop their horse from doing so, has any business riding outside the ring, let alone out on trail by themselves. 
Any horse that I would not be able to control, while riding, is not a horse I would ever take on trail. 
If you're trail riding a horse like that, you're going to get hurt whether you are on the horse or off. 

Your mare, has maybe never tried to go over you, but that doesn't mean other horses won't. 

Plus, like I said, if you get off, every time your horse gets nervous or scared, you are not teaching them anything good. 

I didn't say any horses were 'acting' scared. "Actin' a fool" is a phrase, it doesn't literally mean acting, as in what an actor does...



Someone also suggested wearing tennis shoes, to make it easier to walk, if you want to get off your horse. That too is incredibly dangerous, but I won't get into that on this thread. 


My point to the OP, was that there have been a number of things suggested here, that I find to be quit dangerous. So I hope she considers those things with a grain of salt and doesn't take all the suggestions in this thread as gospel.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

enh817 said:


> ...but I most certainly am in control, when I'm on a horse's back. And I'm not in danger of being stepped on, kicked or trampled...But I have never let a horse run off with me...


I've never met anyone so powerful they can prevent a horse from running off if they get scared enough. I suppose I could start riding with my 44 Mag & shoot any horse that runs...but I think I'll stick with backing the horse and teaching her it isn't so scary, a little bit at a time.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

bsms said:


> I've never met anyone so powerful they can prevent a horse from running off if they get scared enough. I suppose I could start riding with my 44 Mag & shoot any horse that runs...but I think I'll stick with backing the horse and teaching her it isn't so scary, a little bit at a time.


It has very little to do with power and everything with having the experience and foresight to recognize when a dangerous situation may be about to occur, having the confidence to remain calm and the skills and knowledge to be able to put a stop to a blow-up, before it happens.
As I've already said, if you have a horse that gets so scared, it bolts and you have no control, you have ZERO business taking it out on trail. If you have a horse that has blow-ups so big, you can't safely stay on, again, you have NO business having that horse out on a trail.

I really have no desire to continue arguing around in circles with you. I get the strong feeling that you don't actually have the experience around horses that you continue to project.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

enh817 said:


> It has very little to do with power and everything with having the experience and foresight to recognize when a dangerous situation may be about to occur, having the confidence to remain calm and the skills and knowledge to be able to put a stop to a blow-up, before it happens.
> As I've already said, if you have a horse that gets so scared, it bolts and you have no control, you have ZERO business taking it out on trail. If you have a horse that has blow-ups so big, you can't safely stay on, again, you have NO business having that horse out on a trail.
> 
> I really have no desire to continue arguing around in circles with you. I get the strong feeling that you don't actually have the experience around horses that you continue to project.


And just how are people suppose to get that experience in the first place? Sounds like you were born with it, most of us have to learn through trial and error. That means ending up on the trail before we are ready for it or the horse. Next time we go out we'll be just that much better prepared.

Also, horses have minds of their own. Even a dead broke trail horse can have a blow up and/or bolt out of the blue. By your definition and that little fact I guess no one should leave the arena.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

enh817 said:


> It has very little to do with power and everything with having the experience and foresight to recognize when a dangerous situation may be about to occur, having the confidence to remain calm and the skills and knowledge to be able to put a stop to a blow-up, before it happens...
> 
> I really have no desire to continue arguing around in circles with you. I get the strong feeling that you don't actually have the experience around horses that you continue to project.


The first part is what I said in my first post on this thread.



bsms said:


> ...I think the key is to learn your horse well enough to know when the scary thing is getting nearer, rather than wait until your horses legs are spread out and her eyes rolling. At that point, you have lost. Even if you get the horse to 'go', it becomes such a big emotional event that my horse, at least, has just learned that it is REALLY scary...


As for the second: What I'm doing has worked extremely well with my mare.

And if you think it is dangerous to LEAD a horse, perhaps your experience isn't as all encompassing as you suggest. Most folks find it pretty easy to control a horse on a lead line. So easy, even bsms can do it...



enh817 said:


> ...I don't know anything about your skills or your horse, but I most certainly am in control, when I'm on a horse's back. And I'm not in danger of being stepped on, kicked or trampled. I'll take falling off (I know how to fall correctly) over being kicked or trampled any day of the week...


I don't care if you have practiced falling off...do it on the trails near me, and you will be in serious danger. The trails are often very rocky and surrounded by cactus. And while my mare isn't perfectly behaved, she has never tried to kick or trample me. 

So when she gets nervous, I'll back her up. If need be, I'll dismount and lead her. And the next time, she will be a bit more confident.

We're now hitting the trails 4 times a week. The last few times, we've made it out to the edge of public land that stretches from here to Mexico. Next week, we plan to bring water and start exploring that public land...


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

Darrin said:


> And just how are people suppose to get that experience in the first place? Sounds like you were born with it, most of us have to learn through trial and error. That means ending up on the trail before we are ready for it or the horse. Next time we go out we'll be just that much better prepared.
> 
> Also, horses have minds of their own. Even a dead broke trail horse can have a blow up and/or bolt out of the blue. By your definition and that little fact I guess no one should leave the arena.


That's not what I'm saying at all. If you don't have a whole lot of experience, you can still go on trails, but you should probably be on a pretty chill mount. You should NOT be going out on a spooky horse, if you can't handle it, in my opinion. I mean, people are free to do what they want, but I think that's just asking for trouble.

I most certainly wasn't born with horse experience. I've worked for many, many years, riding hundreds of different horses, in all kinds of different situations, to build it. That's not to say I didn't fall off or didn't get hurt along the way. I did. And from that, I have learned what type of situations I can handle and which are too much for me. I try not to put myself in situations that are too much for me to handle and I try to encourage others to do the same. 

An inexperienced rider belongs on an experienced horse, plain and simple. An inexperienced horse belongs under an experienced rider. 

Yes, a 'dead broke' horse can and will spook, sometimes. But they are not going to spook to the same degree that a green horse will. And if the horse bolts so badly, that the rider can't control it, I would not consider it a 'dead broke' horse. 

Please don't put words in my mouth.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Darrin said:


> And just how are people suppose to get that experience in the first place? Sounds like you were born with it, most of us have to learn through trial and error...


I learned it by leading my mare out. At first, she could only make it 100 yards before getting scared. But from the safety of the ground, I learned to recognize her increased tension. I also learned what does and does not work *WITH HER* to reduce tension. Spin her in a circle, disengaging her, and she gets more worked up. Back her in a straight line, and she calms. That is what works WITH HER, and I learned it by watching her from the ground. Trial and error, and trial again...like you said. :wink:

A person can ride a horse in an arena a thousand times without teaching her to handle trails. Nothing in the arena, and no sacking out, prepares her for a javelina popping out of the vegetation, or the pump turning on at the public water tank, or culverts 3 feet in diameter. It won't teach her to climb a hill, or how to pick her way down on the far side. It won't teach her to push between two thorny mesquite trees.

I wish I had been born with knowledge of how to work a horse, but I've had to learn everything from scratch. I've had help from good teachers, including horses - but that teacher includes my spooky mare, who is no longer nearly so spooky. Teaching her how to face the desert is teaching me tons about how to read a horse...and how to teach her confidence.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

bsms said:


> As for the second: What I'm doing has worked extremely well with my mare.
> 
> And if you think it is dangerous to LEAD a horse, perhaps your experience isn't as all encompassing as you suggest. Most folks find it pretty easy to control a horse on a lead line. So easy, even bsms can do it...
> 
> ...



If what you're doing works well with your mare, then by all means continue. My point was that you're giving advice based on your experience with your mare. What works with one horse will not work for all horse. You have to be careful when giving advice to someone with a horse that could be just like your mare, or completely different. Your mare may be very respectful of you, on the ground, other horses may not. 

I don't think it's dangerous to lead a horse. What I do think is dangerous is getting off to lead your horse over something that they don't want to go over, or around, or under, or whatever. I feel this way, because I've seen it happen, on numerous occasions. Where the horse won't go over a stream or a log, or whatever, and the rider gets off, to try to coax the horse over from the ground. My experience has been, that rarely ends well. 

Most of the worst injuries I have acquired and most of the awful injuries I have seen occur to others have actually happened when handling a horse on the ground, not when falling off. 
I've been kicked enough times to know I'd rather take a fall. 
Yes, I acknowledge the fact, that despite all my 'practice' falling off, I could still get seriously injured. 
BUT, my entire point was about not putting yourself and your horse in dangerous situations to begin with. 

I rarely ride out on trail alone. I love trail riding by myself, but I have just seen too many horrific things happen, to ever be comfortable with it. 
Many of the accidents that occur with horses could've easily been prevented. That's my whole point, in most of what I've typed in this thread (and elsewhere).


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Little scenario that happened today.

Took my horse out on the trail, alone. There was a new herd of cows in a nearby field. My horse hasn't been around cows before, so the sounds and smells were distracting him. He was trying very hard to be good and stay straight, but he'd hear a MOOOOOOO and scuttlebutt a few steps then get back to what he was doing. The fence that keeps the cows in is some sort of twisted wire fence - not barbed wire, but it has what looks like knots every foot or so.

I got off, walked him a bit closer to the fence, and let him look and inhale the cow smell. He snorted, stuck his head up in the air (Arabs...) but his feet stayed put. Eventually, I encouraged him to graze for a minute, and he did. Then I did some groundwork with him - forwards, backwards, disengaging the hind end, trotting in hand, and whoa. Got back on and he ignored the cows and went about his business.

This worked for *my horse*. When he is scared of something, he handles it much better if he sees me interact with it. He will calmly walk over something scary if I do it with him. I know him well enough to know when he's being "spooky" because he needs to get his ya-yas out and when he's truly nervous about something. I would rather get him through a scenario calmly than try to muscle him through it. He takes a correction pretty seriously, so I try not to overdo those.

Again...it's what works for US. I think it's important that a rider know the horse enough to be able to determine if staying on or getting off is better.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

ENH817---I looked back through the thread to try and find out what set you off on this tangent and I can't figure it out. I haven't come across anyone that says they ride bolting horses out on trail or completely lose all control. You seem so angry, who are you directing these comments at? I do agree with you about not getting off of your horse when it spooks because I definately feel like I have more control over my horse from the saddle. Perhaps that depends on the horses training though. Please tell me to which post you are responding to because from your posts you seem to be a little bit inexperienced. Anyone who has been around horses for any length of time know that they do have minds of their own and can, at times, be unpredictable despite their history or training.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

hberrie said:


> ENH817---I looked back through the thread to try and find out what set you off on this tangent and I can't figure it out. I haven't come across anyone that says they ride bolting horses out on trail or completely lose all control. You seem so angry, who are you directing these comments at? I do agree with you about not getting off of your horse when it spooks because I definately feel like I have more control over my horse from the saddle. Perhaps that depends on the horses training though. Please tell me to which post you are responding to because from your posts you seem to be a little bit inexperienced. Anyone who has been around horses for any length of time know that they do have minds of their own and can, at times, be unpredictable despite their history or training.



I am not at all angry. Was just getting a bit frustrated. I try to avoid giving training or specific riding advice over the internet, which is why I haven't really been able to give you a great answer for the questions you pose in your original pose, but I do feel the need to speak up when I see/read something that I find to be dangerous.
I was replying directly to bsms' replies to me. Bsms originally replied to my first post, which I posted in regards to someone else's advice, which I found to be somewhat unsound/unsafe. Others did not agree with me. I was just attempting to explain my reasoning and was getting a bit frustrated with people not really reading/understanding my entire message and just picking out bits and pieces to, essentially, argue about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and some hearty discussion is healthy 
Sorry for getting a bit off topic.


Believe whatever you'd like about my experience, it doesn't really bother me. For whatever it's worth, I've been around horses for 20 or so years and have a lot of trail experience, leading (and tailing) trails of both beginner riders and advanced riders, young horses and old pros. I've had all kinds of things go wrong on trails, so perhaps that's why I'm a bit more wary of safety. When you work a job, like the one I had, where liability is a huge concern, I guess it sort of gets drilled into your head. 
I certainly am nowhere near knowing everything I want/need to know about horses. There are definitely plenty of members here who have way more experience than I do. I try to learn where ever I can. But I will always speak up when I see something that I don't believe to be very safe.


I am aware that horses are unpredictable. One of the points I was trying to make was that if you are not comfortable/experienced enough as a rider to be able to handle your horse's unpredictability (some horses are definitely more predictable than others and some horses unpredictable moments are far less explosive than others), then you probably should not be riding out on trails, especially not alone. Either get more time in the saddle, riding where you and your horse are comfortable and able to maintain control, perhaps with a trainer/instructor who can help build your confidence and ability to handle your horse, or find a horse that is more appropriate for your skill level.
Trial and error learning works with many things, but I don't believe it's a smart way for riders/owners to learn how to handle their horses. At some point, that 'error' is going to result in someone getting hurt, potentially seriously so.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

eNh817--thank you for responding. I think that clears it all up and I do agree with your points. If you know a horse is prone to bolting and you can't control it that is very dangerous. Lucky for me my horse has a soft mouth and a really good "whoa" so I don't worry much about getting ran away with. he is more likely just to plant his feet or sidestep which is not all that bad unless it happens along the road with traffic. That is a different story. Love Ya.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

Good luck with your trail riding adventures! Have fun and be safe


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

I had a very good ride yesterday and I am so proud of my horse. He went everywhere I asked him to go and didn't spook at anything after we got past the road from the barn. There were alot of people playing basketball and base ball which he hates the sounds of the balls. There was even a couple of stray balloons that floated in front of us from a birthday party and he didn't even wince. I was surprised cause when I saw those balloons rolling across the ground I thought "oh s###!" But he was fine with it. I am glad because he seems to be getting more comfortable on his own. He is always a little resistant to leave his pals at the barn but once we get out there he is ok. And going back his pace is a little less reserved but he never tries to pull on the bit.


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

hberrie said:


> I had a very good ride yesterday.......


Don't you just love it when things go that way! Sounds like he's really getting comfortable with the two of you being out on the trails alone. So glad y'all had such a good time!


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Just wanted to share - I put up a challenge for Snickers and myself, and we hit the trails on solo with just a cordeo, no headstall at all. It was a good hours ride in w/t/c, and I was so proud about how Snickers behaved - his attention was 100% on my cues all the way along.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

It is very rewarding when they exceed your expectations. I fall more in love with my guy everyday. Sometimes we take a step backwards but thats ok because there are many more moments that make me proud of him.


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

radio wave-- Two termites walk into a bar and one says to the other "hey, is the bar tender here". My brother told me that one and it took me a minute to get it but I laughed all night when I thought about it.


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

hberrie said:


> radio wave-- Two termites walk into a bar and one says to the other "hey, is the bar tender here". My brother told me that one and it took me a minute to get it but I laughed all night when I thought about it.


Love it! :lol:


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