# "A nice, relaxing, trail ride"



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

I didn't want to derail the other thread, so I'm posting this quote from it here:



Acadianartist said:


> I ride on the buckle to let him stretch out his neck, but never on a trail. I am alert and aware of how Rusty is acting, how his muscles tense up before he decides to bolt. I am always having a "conversation" with him through the reins. In other words, I will gently twitch my fingers when I feel he is not focused on me.


This is exactly how I have felt every time I've gone on a trail ride with Pony. I don't understand how people have nice relaxing trail rides where they just give the horse its head and sit up there chatting or admiring the scenery.. Is it just experience (human and horse)? When I'm on a trail ride, I'm constantly scanning, with every sense I can use, to figure out what scary thing is about to appear that would worry the horse. Because I need to be prepared in case he spooks. 

I love the idea of being out in nature, but right now I don't find it very relaxing if I'm with Pony. He's never spooked to the point of running off, he just shies at things. And not really that often. But knowing that it could happen keeps me from relaxing.

How about others? Do you guys have nice relaxing trail rides?


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ACinATX said:


> I didn't want to derail the other thread, so I'm posting this quote from it here:
> 
> 
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> ...


Good idea to start a new thread. I will add that this doesn't mean I don't relax and enjoy myself. It's hard to describe. Rusty is happy on trails. When he bolts, he quickly tires himself out so I no longer find it scary when it happens. He will canter (maybe even gallop if I let him) a few strides, maybe get across a big field, and then decide it's more effort than it's worth and slow down on his own if I haven't asked him to stop yet. We are working on me making the decisions of when he's allowed to have a little run rather than him making the decision, but I know that even if he is the one making the decision, it won't last long. He has never tried to run home, in fact, he doesn't want to go back because he likes trails so much.

Even though I don't ride on the buckle on trails, I most certainly do enjoy the scenery. He isn't spooking so I don't worry about that. I don't know why he suddenly, randomly decides to bolt. He wasn't doing it all summer, but it started again, and I think it has something to do with hunting season and/or animals being more active as they get ready for winter. It took me a long time to get to the point where I'm enjoying our trail rides and not worrying about anything. It certainly helps that on Rusty, even at a gallop, I have never felt like I might fall off. He is wide and has this back and shoulders that just holds you in. And when he bolts, he wants to take me with him rather than get me off like Kodak used to do. I guess at some point I decided that the extra energy is something I can work with since he is never like that in the ring, so I try to harness it and use it to my advantage instead of being terrified of it. I feel like I am an active rider on trails. A lot of people imagine trail riding as very relaxing, and feel they can passively sit up there and not have a care in the world. I ride actively on trails and take that as a challenge! It's an opportunity to try new things, whether it's walking through brush, water, side-passing through a narrow passage, weaving through woods. I treat it like I would a dressage session in the ring. It might not be relaxing in the way you think, but it IS fun for us, and it can actually be quite freeing to have a bit of a gallop in a field. Afterwards, his energy comes right back down and he is completely chill. That said, it happened yesterday with Bella and my daughter behind us and Bella nearly lost her mind. She had never seen Rusty run like that. Even though I stopped him fairly quickly, and he was totally fine to walk home the rest of the way, Bella (who is 4 and quite spunky) did not recover so quickly and had to be led home because she was rearing and bucking from the excitement. So I felt bad for my daughter, but Rusty and I were fine after I shut him down.

Can you and Pony ride on trails with a really chill lead horse? As long as Rusty is walking quietly, Bella just follows him with her head down. Or work on some exercises on trails so he is focused on you rather than the environment?


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## Txshecat0423 (May 27, 2020)

Skip is the most chill, relaxing ride on a trail ride. It would take way more energy than he wished to expend to spook, shy, jump around etc. He doesn’t care if he’s in front, in back, alone or with others. I can talk, listen to music, once I carried a carton of eggs at a trot for over two miles! Don’t get me wrong, I’m still aware he could act out, and I’m aware of my surroundings. BUT I’m not constantly anticipating something could set him off…in my opinion, that transfers to the horse and makes him think “She’s tense….WHAT’S OUT THERE??” 


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

ACinATX said:


> I didn't want to derail the other thread, so I'm posting this quote from it here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're joking, right? I've been riding Arabians out on the trails, mostly by myself, for 40 years. You know the reputation that Arabians have as the all-time "Masters of the Spook." I don't know at what point I mastered the art of being both relaxed and aware at the same time. It'll come. Been well balanced in (on?) the saddle helps a bunch. Quick reactions help, also. Those are the two most important things for safe riding, IMO. Enjoy the trails.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

The horse feeds off the riders confidence. Don't blame the horse when you need to look inside you for the answer. I constantly look for ways I can improve to help the horse and all rides are learning experiences for the horse. All my rides are relaxing and I ride on a loose rein. Sure there maybe a surprise every now and then but, you need to relax to help him


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## Milton'sMama (Jan 9, 2021)

I rarely ride in the ring and instead hack around the property where I board. this isn't exactly what I'd call "trail riding", but it's certainly close. My horse and I have a few different routes, though we usually go the same way almost every day and then I might throw in a "hey let's go over here, we haven't done that in a while" side excursion. We also "work" in the big field surrounding the ring (we aren't fans of the ring....boooorrrring). So, most of my schooling and asking things of him (lateral work, transitions, figures, etc) happens in the field. I try to make the rest of the parts of our ride more fun for him by not asking much of him. I do ask him to jog and lope down some of the bridle paths between the pastures, but mostly I just want him to walk along, relaxed yet obedient. He's a very "looky" horse and can definitely be a spookmeister. There are certain parts of our ride where he gets tense and I have to take hold of his mouth and put my leg on a little (I think of it as "holding his hand" during the scary parts). I mostly just ask him to listen to me instead of reacting to whatever is bothering him. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we manage to ride through the scary stuff on tip-toe, sometimes we spin around and try to get out of Dodge a few times before skittering past the monster. As soon as any tense or spooky situation is over, and I feel him relax again, the reins are loose and we are right back to moseying along. Because our route is so established, I know where he's likely to be "up" and where he's going to go back to "ho-hum" mode. 

I do scan for things that will possible set him off, but I try not to let him know this. I stay as relaxed as possible and might just check in with him to remind him that I'm on his back and he needs to listen to me (all he needs to do is flick his ear back and that's good enough). Usually as we approach something that I'm pretty sure he's going to react to, I'll just lightly take the reins in both hands (I ride with one when we're just moseying) and ask him to listen to me, drop his head, flex, maybe move laterally. Basically I just try to keep him busy and check that all of his buttons are working as we get close to a potential trouble spot. Sometimes he never even reacts to the thing I was worried about, or he reacts but not very much. Sometimes it's too much for him and we have some spinning and bolting and snorting and backing and acting like the world is about to end. And often, after I insist that he get his silly butt by whatever it is, he walks past like it's no big deal. Goofball. 

I broke my horse as a two-year-old and he's now 14. I know him inside and out and am positive I can handle anything he throws at me. He's a good soul...just a chicken about certain things. We are relaxed with each other, and that makes it easier to relax when riding out and about.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

When I first started riding Elle in 2015, I remember riding her on a couple of trails, with one or two other horses, and she was perfectly fine. The only thing she "did" was do a sort of jump-over-and-to-the-side suddenly to avoid a big mud puddle, but fair enough. The next year, I frequently hacked her alone... but just around the edge of the paddocks, always within sight of many other horses, so it didn't really count as "trail riding."

But then she was just used in arenas for several years, with very few exceptions, and there were no trails to ride on and no one to ride with. So both she and I lost our knack and our nerve for a while. I did fall off her hacking at the back of the property, two years ago, when we were solo, and she did a sudden 180 and cantered a few strides (before thankfully stopping to wait for me), so it's made me more wary.

Occasionally I feel bold and will hack out alone with total success -- but I always gauge her mood first and will cancel the mission VERY quickly if she doesn't feel relaxed -- which unfortunately happens more often than not. And that's fine. I'd rather NOT ride her out than ride her out tense. It needs to be a good experience for both of us, or else it's kind of useless and will just reinforce that it's a scary experience.

This was our first ride outside, spring of last year, after being in the indoor aaaaall winter. It was drizzly and gross, and I decided that not only should we ride up the side driveway, we should do it in a BAREBACK PAD. We even encountered a neighbour's vehicle and had a chat with her. And Elle was super calm and happy and perfect about everything. So yeah... I choose my moments. Others might "ride through" stuff but... mehhhhhhh. I'd rather get off and LEAD HER through stuff if it's going to be a struggle.









Outdoors and bareback!







www.youtube.com





There was hacking aplenty at the place we just left -- gorgeous hacking -- but they were stuffing Elle to the gills with sugary feed, I found out later, so it's not a shock to say that she was very reactive and spooky there and I didn't trust her to enjoy ourselves in those fields more than just twice the whole time.  What a shame!!


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

I have plenty of relaxing rides, if I didn't I wouldn't enjoy being on horseback.

The extent to which I ride on the buckle does depend on the location and horse but even those who need attention should still allow you to chat with friends while being aware of your surroundings.

I agree with @Txshecat0423 , the more you transmit stress, and ultra awareness the more likely the horse will think that there is something to worry about.

At the extremes:

My ride this morning wasn't on my usual horse, it was on a fit ready to hunt hot-head with zero patience at being behind the group. Half of our ride was on roads with heavy traffic, the other, fast work through fields and tracks with some jumps. At no time was he allowed to wander or stretch his neck until the end of the ride when we were on familiar ground so that he could cool down.

My usual horse can be strong but out on tracks he is allowed to stretch and relax, take in his surroundings and enjoy his outing. Generally, he isn't the spooky type and I hope that he enjoys himself as much as me.

My own horses were a mix and fell somewhere inbetween. My gelding could spook so I had to choose my location and his mood but I did trust him to relax on a long rein. One of my mares was never allowed though as she was known to rear and bolt if spooked. She was never a relaxing ride!


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## ChieTheRider (May 3, 2017)

It depends on the horse. I'm able to keep an eye on the surroundings and my horses ears while thinking about something else or admiring the scenery. Neither of mine tend to care about spooky stuff. We've had deer and things run out in front of us and my mare would plow through them if I ket her. She doesn't care. She's seen hogs before too and just stopped and let them pass. No spook. And she's half Arabian.

It also depends on your balance...some people can just naturally ride a spook and act like nothing happened. I used to get on the horses in the pitch dark on the back ten acres and send them running up to the house with me on board for feeding time. They had to run through open gates and make sharp turns. I sometimes closed my eyes to make it more interesting and test my ability to stay with the horse just through feeling. All without a helmet. While I do NOT condone this behavior since it was really unsafe I do credit my stupidity back then with building some ability to stay onboard no matter what even if I didn't see it coming.

But I've also almost come off for stupid reasons that weren't even spook or buck related, like her stopping too fast at a trot and nearly sending my unbalanced butt over her head. So it really can be situational as well. I trust my mare with my life. She'd take care of me. My gelding might just take off like an idiot if something really bad came out of those woods.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

ACinATX said:


> I don't understand how people have nice relaxing trail rides where they just give the horse its head and sit up there chatting or admiring the scenery.. Is it just experience (human and horse)?


Lots of people do this. Yes, it needs to be the right horse but lots of people do this. 

These are "the people" I sold my Shotgun to. They like to go trail riding a couple times a month as in, go with family and friends, and drink a beer while you ride. True leisure trail riding! And they don't have time to ride the horses in-between so their horses need to be able to sit for weeks at a time, then hop on and go. My Shotgun can do that so that's why I called them when I was looking for a new home for him. (And don't get me wrong, they take great, great care of their horses so I knew it would be a good home for him.) And they love him. They send me pictures and videos once in a while. Last ones were two little girls (maybe around age 8??) that were learning to ride on him and having a blast. But he's one of those true horses that you can just walk around with slack in the reins and whole time and he's just going to stay at a steady walk. And one of those true ones that can sit for months, and you hop on and go without a worry.




ACinATX said:


> When I'm on a trail ride, I'm constantly scanning, with every sense I can use, to figure out what scary thing is about to appear that would worry the horse. Because I need to be prepared in case he spooks.


Hmmmmm, and I would counter, that you might very well be creating the spook. 

Your horse can sense that you are constantly scanning up there. Thus, they are going to constantly scan and "look" for something to be scared of. Because you are.

Just a thought!!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I've seen no correlation between riding with contact or some slack and spooks. My horses spook regardless, and my rein contact won't stop them. The day after this photo was taken, we were repeating this when Bandit spooked over...what? I don't know. He leaped and spun for the corral and started in that direction. I got my reins, and turned him back within 50-60 feet. Starting like this:






If in doubt, I like a long leg, feet forward of my hip, feet deep in the stirrup. If I have some warning, I'll hold the horn with my free hand. I sometimes decide to urge Bandit on when he is feeling tense. This photo was on Mia, and using an Aussie-style saddle, but the position is the same. With this position, I'll stay on my horse regardless of how fast he spins or how quick he leaps away:






*Practice lots of transitions*, including walk to canter and canter to full stop. Practice sharp turns. A spook is nothing more than an unasked for acceleration and or sharp turn, sometimes with an immediate stop just before the sharp turn and acceleration. _Build the muscle memory and instinct when you are asking for it and it will be there when he does it without being asked!_


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

SteadyOn said:


> When I first started riding Elle in 2015, I remember riding her on a couple of trails, with one or two other horses, and she was perfectly fine. The only thing she "did" was do a sort of jump-over-and-to-the-side suddenly to avoid a big mud puddle, but fair enough. The next year, I frequently hacked her alone... but just around the edge of the paddocks, always within sight of many other horses, so it didn't really count as "trail riding."
> 
> But then she was just used in arenas for several years, with very few exceptions, and there were no trails to ride on and no one to ride with. So both she and I lost our knack and our nerve for a while. I did fall off her hacking at the back of the property, two years ago, when we were solo, and she did a sudden 180 and cantered a few strides (before thankfully stopping to wait for me), so it's made me more wary.
> 
> ...


My late Annie, an Arabian out of TX, used to jump like that because of...anything, a butterfly, a lizard, that she spotted out of the corner of her eye. It was truly amazing how quickly she could change directions. I just learned to go with the flow and laugh with her about it. When she passed away, I called the lady who sold her to me (we have remained friends) and she confessed that she hadn't been entirely honest with me when I bought Annie. Back then, the story she told me was that a woman she knew had asked her to take care of Annie while she found a new place to live. The woman was never heard from, again. And although that part of the story was true, she failed to mention that the true reason she was selling Annie was because she was tired of being dumped and having to walk back home, where she always found Annie waiting for her.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I'll add this: What made spooks so scary with Mia were A) they were true fear bolts and a true fear bolt is always scary, and B) once she spooked, she'd be on the edge of spooking for the next 20 minutes. Maybe not boiling over, but at 208 degrees and the tiniest thing could put her over the top again. We had rides where she spooked and bolted multiple times in 20 minutes - and I couldn't dismount, because that to her meant the Captain was abandoning the ship and she did NOT want me to dismount!

Her startle was also a 360-720 degree spin, which is pretty weird. So her spooks were genuinely something to be afraid of. They HURT even though I stayed on! My first Aussie saddle has a broken poley! That took some doing!

Bandit NEVER loses his mind. He never loses control of HIMSELF. He may be ignoring me, but he's always in control of himself! So his spooks aren't scary. Just something to ride out. And afterward, it takes him 30 seconds to adjust. HUGE difference between them - and part of why I adore Bandit.


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## My Salty Pony (Jan 1, 2022)

Oh goodness  if you are always on EDGE at all times on a nice relaxing trail ride I think I would just stay home and ride in a arena, lol.. A nice relaxing trail ride is suppose to be nice and relaxing.. When I trail ride I stay alert to my surroundings because theres crazy people out there, but if you stay tense all the time it feeds into your horse so he/she is going to be a bit on edge too, so every little thing will look like its going to eat him/her because you tense up at something that should be nothing.


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## Kalraii (Jul 28, 2015)

With Mocha I absolutely ride on the buckle and go full passenger mode, sometimes raised out my stirrups to talk to the person behind because she's got such a stride. When she talks though, I always give her my full focus and she definitely appreciates that. It sounds really silly writing it out, but we just have a connection that I've never had before in my life. She just knows I'm there for her and I feel so safe, which is insane considering her reputation. I bet if I asked more of her though or got heavy handed I'd get my butt handed to me. As long as I'm up for chilled rides she enjoys taking me places, her brave and adventurous self. I also ride Katie like that when its possible but she mostly wants to go together, un less we're in familiar territory. Sometimes Katie thinks she should have the last say on how to evade the packet of crisps. But first and foremost, it took getting to know both of them very well. When Mocha spooks, its usually a splat and continue. When Katie spooks it's always either a splat or a sideways jump but I always have 3-5 seconds to collect one or both reins as there's a solid chance she'll try tank off. Special note: I thread the buckle under my fingers in the "proper" English position. They can't easily be taken out my grip. I lift and grab the inside rein in a pinch and over time learned to use my leg more effectively.

Location is just as important, I'd never do that on a road. For me the second thing is the terrain and footing. And it depends on the day. Sometimes I can take Katie for a long trot and she'll calm down. Other times she's like runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. I'm slowly getting better at discerning which is which.

But maybe I've not the best person on this topic. I've had quite a few people over the years gape when I ride Katie on the buckle or without reins in the arena. I don't understand what her being a big horse has to do with it but I get more criticism for it on those grounds.

My first yard when I was hacking alone on Katie was a quiet bridleway with only lots of horse traffic which was cool. We frequently passed teams of hackers out trotting. Then we'd spend maybe a solid 30mins just browsing the bushes for yummy things, me helping by standing my stirrups and pulling down branches. Go for short canters alone and lost not one, but two, pairs of glasses because she's so tall. She was greener then and yet somehow I felt I was braver then than I am now...

Hacking Katie solo is now is either a leg work out on the way out, or flying sideways home. But we're getting there... my back is almost completely healed and I am ramping up to getting properly back in the saddle


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

bsms said:


> I'll add this: What made spooks so scary with Mia were A) they were true fear bolts and a true fear bolt is always scary, and B) once she spooked, she'd be on the edge of spooking for the next 20 minutes. Maybe not boiling over, but at 208 degrees and the tiniest thing could put her over the top again. We had rides where she spooked and bolted multiple times in 20 minutes - and I couldn't dismount, because that to her meant the Captain was abandoning the ship and she did NOT want me to dismount!
> 
> Her startle was also a 360-720 degree spin, which is pretty weird. So her spooks were genuinely something to be afraid of. They HURT even though I stayed on! My first Aussie saddle has a broken poley! That took some doing!
> 
> Bandit NEVER loses his mind. He never loses control of HIMSELF. He may be ignoring me, but he's always in control of himself! So his spooks aren't scary. Just something to ride out. And afterward, it takes him 30 seconds to adjust. HUGE difference between them - and part of why I adore Bandit.


THIS. I fully agree. On Kodak, they were true fear spooks and she wanted me off her. On Rusty, they are not true spooks, or if they are, they are over very quickly. These are bolts out of excitement. 

So if I ride with long reins, by the time I stop him, he's gotten pretty far. I ride in woods trails with low limbs that could scrape me off his back in an instant. With short reins, I can shut it down quickly, or let him run a bit, knowing that I have the reins right there when I need to stop him. If I rode on the buckle on a trail we'd be in the trees. He is just far too easily distracted. That doesn't mean neither of us relaxes, ever. Unlike with Kodak, I am quite relaxed in my body when I am out on trails. Enough to take out my camera and take a picture. But throwing away the reins is a bad idea with Rusty, not because he'll be out of control, but because he'll get distracted and decides he wants to make friends with the squirrel that just ran up the tree beside us. 

I have heard time and time again that it was my nervousness that caused Kodak's anxiety. I firmly disagree. First off, I was not nervous on her until she started dumping me. Of course, after being dumped a few times by her massive spooks, I began to grow more nervous. I'd have been stupid not to. And yes, it may have made her worse because we began feeding off each other's nervous energy, but I did not make her an anxious horse, she was like that before I got her. Other more experienced riders tried to ride her and she was just as spooky. 

Rusty is very chill. Even when he decides to have a little run, his energy comes right back down. Some days, he is practically falling asleep on the trail. So I react accordingly and don't feel nervous on him at all, not even when he bolts. But with him, you have to nip things in the bud. He can't bolt whenever he feels like it so I have to be the one making decisions on his back. Like working with a child with ADHD, I have to find ways to keep him focused on me or his brain will leave me, and his body will follow. It's better if I direct that energy and keep him focused than let things unravel and then I have to use far more energy to bring him back.

Do horses feel your energy? Sure. But it's unfair to say that the rider is always causing a horse to be anxious. Some horses are just anxious, and I know my mare Kodak certainly was, no matter how much I tried to relax and be Zen on her back. And some horses can be ridden on the buckle while others need to know you're there. I don't think that creates tension if you have soft, elastic hands -- or at least that the tension is necessarily a bad thing. Rusty needs to know I am there with him or he kind of forgets. It's hard to explain, he's a peculiar horse, but gentle, soft contact works well for us. It's more like I'm holding the hand of the ADHD kid while we cross the street because I know he might see a bug on the road and decide to follow it. Holding his hand keeps us connected so I can sense if he's about to drift off. That's what it feels like to trail ride on Rusty.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

I don't give Novia too much rein at the moment for two reasons. 1. Because she has had bucking fits in the past and I'm not 100% in trusting her just yet 2. If I give her all of the rein she will just mosey over to a patch of grass and start eating because, you know, normally I starve her. I'm still relaxed though and not worrying about spooks.
Laela is a different story. She loves to go and explore everything. If she puts her nose to the ground, it's because she wants to smell the ground. I think that she is part blood hound. She's never failed to take me home, to the trailer, or back to camp if I get lost. I am pretty relaxed on her as well and not worrying about spooks.

I spent my childhood riding mostly bareback. That probably goes a long way for balance and unexpected movements. I've also spent the last 35 years walking about a moving train. That has probably helped me have good balance as well, even for the years that I wasn't riding.

Sometimes I'm a rider and sometimes I'm just a passenger. It just depends on how I feel and what I want to do that day. I almost always am relaxed and enjoying the ride, the scenery, and the company if I have any.


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## snowberry (Nov 2, 2021)

On trails my horse spooks more and argues a lot more when I have too much contact. We work better on a trail when I'm giving him responsibility to take care of us. Sure I direct the ride, which direction, no don't go up this hill, etc. But I trust him not to kill us. He has had some big spooks when we first started riding together and he never reared or bucked. He just cowers down and bounces to the side snorting. Which I laugh off because this type of spooking doesnt throw me. I think that alone has really helped him not be so scared, because when he gets scared it isnt scary to me. I wont say he wont EVER hurt me someday, anyones horse can have a freak accident, but I can't control the what ifs and history tells me I shouldn't be worried.

BUT this is so personal to each rider and the horse. Everyone and every horse has a different personality. Some horses hate trails, because it's not structured and scary. Some horses, like mine, like trails but hate arenas.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I find it irksome when people say , "You have to relax". you cannot force or demand relaxation!

Relaxation on a horse is a biproduct of other things, like confidence, knowledge and having other things to occupy your mind with. For people who have 'busy' minds, this can be hard to do. And, yes, it does impact the horse if you are anxious, but again, you cannot force yourself to be relaxed.

You can help yourself a bit, though. For example, I often use the self-talk mantra "This is so boring" to kind of get myself to see it all as mundane. I also will pat the horse's neck at random, sing or laugh, sometimes pick up one rein , or both randomly, turn and walk the horse in a small circle or other sort of random and directionless activities. They distract my mind and make picking up the reins not a distinct signal to the horse that his rider is getting ready for something bad.

another thing that can help the nervous rider is to start the trail ride, right off the bat, with a long trot out. Once your horse is winded , you will feel he is more relaxed and you will too 

you cannot demand relaxation.


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## Txshecat0423 (May 27, 2020)

You can help it along with a shot of alcohol though   


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Acadianartist said:


> I have heard time and time again that it was my nervousness that caused Kodak's anxiety. I firmly disagree.


Totally agree. Mia's hardest spooks came when I was totally relaxed and confident. About half of Bandit's have been that way.

On the flip side, I had some PTSD after 7 years on Mia. Bandit has gotten me past that...but for the first few years, there were times I felt so tense on him I thought I might puke - and he didn't care. Once a migrating swarm of bees flew just over us. I'm afraid of bees. Thousands of them. I laid flat on his neck trying to keep my face out of them. Bandit moved calmly along: "_No predators here, bees! Nothing but me and my harmless human, smoothly getting out of your way. Nothing to get excited about._"

Rein length: Bandit was used for relay racing. They usually used him on the last leg. They said if he could SEE the horse ahead of him, he would BEAT the horse ahead of him. And if he gets excited about speed, then yeah...best keep some tension on the rein or he'll once again be off to the races! But it doesn't affect IF he spooks. And my idea of slack reins involves less slack than what many call slack:






But many of these things are very individual. One horse needs lots of slack and another can't handle any. I like my feet deep in the stirrups. Others hate that. Bandit often gives warning and never loses his mind. Mia gave none and her brains would squirt out her ears!

I can only share what has worked for me. Others will have to decide if they get similar results - or if they prefer to do the opposite. That is why I try to share details. Then others can decide if they think my experience has any relevance to them. Or not. And "not" is fine by me. We all have to decide for ourselves.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I've shared this many times in the past but it helped me a lot and was very helpful on Mia. With her (and now Bandit), if I give my horse_ some _of the decision making, my horse will take steps to keep from getting too excited. To include "asking" me for ideas. Sometimes something just strikes out of the blue. But the truth is I sometimes increase their tension to the breaking point by not honoring their concerns. That is just me. Don't know if anyone else does that.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Txshecat0423 said:


> You can help it along with a shot of alcohol though
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


True that! my riding buddy used to trailer us out somewhere and we had mimosas before mounting! yum. But I am an alchoholic, so must steer clear of that.


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

It definitely depends strongly on the horse, and the interaction. When Jasper and I were first going out alone together I felt like 3/4 of my attention always had to be on him to make sure he wasn't just doing whatever he wanted - making turns, taking shortcuts, going faster, trying to eat. Now it's more like 1/4, but I would also say that "relaxing and taking in the scenery" (as we ride alone) overlaps strongly with "checking out the surroundings for anything weird or scary". I don't think he can ride purely on the buckle as he's used to having some contact. Steele, as far as I know, can rein true Western on the buckle, but he's also a bit more apt to be like ATTENTION. THERE IS A THING. RIGHT THERE. WHAT IS THAT THING while Jasper is like I have a job to do, I'm too busy for That Thing, here's some ear language to let you know there's a Thing. But my trainer can ride Steele and trust that when she has to look back to make sure guests are okay that he'll keep going and not stall or turn or get uptight. Some horses, I think, were born with their ears pointing straight up and never come back down, some are basically sofas that eat, and most are in the middle and it depends on what and how they're taught and how their human is. 

However, look at it this way: a car backfiring, a bicyclist zooming up with no warning, an off-leash dog, a turkey, a weird thing off in the distance that might be a monster or a trash can, they can all be pretty scary even when we and the horse are relaxed. After all, when we're relaxed, we're not necessarily looking for and not prepped for "danger", so it can be that much more startling.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

redbadger said:


> some are basically sofas that eat,


Wow you have perfectly described my Pony LOL.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

I agree that spooking (and falling) is definitely not always a self-fulfilling prophecy. I've only fallen off Elle twice in seven years. Both times were preceded by me thinking "Why on EARTH am I always so nervous when I ride, especially on this horse? Elle almost NEVER spooks, ever, and when she does I always sit it fine..." Sigh!

I guess if you ride anything long enough, you'll probably fall off eventually.


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

bsms said:


> I'll add this: What made spooks so scary with Mia were A) they were true fear bolts and a true fear bolt is always scary, and B) once she spooked, she'd be on the edge of spooking for the next 20 minutes. Maybe not boiling over, but at 208 degrees and the tiniest thing could put her over the top again. We had rides where she spooked and bolted multiple times in 20 minutes - and I couldn't dismount, because that to her meant the Captain was abandoning the ship and she did NOT want me to dismount!
> 
> Her startle was also a 360-720 degree spin, which is pretty weird. So her spooks were genuinely something to be afraid of. They HURT even though I stayed on! My first Aussie saddle has a broken poley! That took some doing!
> 
> Bandit NEVER loses his mind. He never loses control of HIMSELF. He may be ignoring me, but he's always in control of himself! So his spooks aren't scary. Just something to ride out. And afterward, it takes him 30 seconds to adjust. HUGE difference between them - and part of why I adore Bandit.


That might be a mare thing because Annie would always be on guard, looking for something, anything. You would think she would've been spook proof since she was looking for it. But no. It always surprised her. Several times I wondered if it was possible to have her eyesight tested. Never got around to it before she passed away. I never pulled on the reins, or squeezed with my legs, afraid if I did it would make her more nervous. I always joked with her, "Annie, you're going to dump me one of these days." She was already 14 years old when I bought her. Perhaps that was too late to change anything. But I suspect that Annie was Annie. She was who she was and there was no more to it.


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## Morgan.taylor (Sep 1, 2020)

I find it depends a lot on the horse and rider combo.
My 4yr old buckskin I trust and do tend to just hang out on trail, my niece though has to be more alert as she is still apt to test her awareness. I even just ponied my 6 yr old off of her and didn’t think twice about it.
My new red mare is good on trail also but i stay more alert as she hasn’t had as much experience and will spook sideways pretty cattily.
Both of the above girls I have taken on 2+ hour rides just walking along with my friends not really being overly alert. I’m always listening for off road vehicles or watching for loose dogs/bicycles though.

I had a red dun mare though that I never ever relaxed on. She was the type that would flip a switch, not a run away but just unpredictable.


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## AliceCT (8 mo ago)

CT was never relaxed during a trail ride. She wanted it to be a trail _run_ and contact was needed to keep her from galloping the entire way. She didn't spook very often though. The only time I really remember her spooking I was bareback and she did a 180 degree turn. I stayed on, mostly because of her. That was the one thing I really trusted about CT. She was very athletic and even when she spooked she kept her rider balanced on her back. She was a barrel racer and just knew how to move to keep herself under me. I think I'm a balanced rider, but I really don't know how much of that was her taking care of me. I was never super relaxed riding her on trails, but I wasn't really worried about falling off either. I was more worried about suddenly galloping through unknown territory.

OTOH, Max and I have the agreement that I'm the only one who gets to spook on our rides, haha. Not to say he never gets worried, but tbh I'm more worried about the flying insects, cows, deer, and turkeys than he is. Rides with him are pretty relaxed. Even after a month break he was really chill yesterday when I took him for a trail ride. He's still a little dumb and I wouldn't put it past him to run me into a tree branch on accident, but I understand how someone could have a relaxing trail ride on him and I think by 10 he'll be a bombproof superstar. I'm only vigilant with him because he's young. I know some day I will fall off of him, but it hasn't happened yet and I hope to postpone it for as long as possible.


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## DollyandAya (4 mo ago)

I usually keep my mare on a shorter rein (but not quite in contact) heading away from home, as she can be a bit fiesty, but on the way back I'll ride on the buckle. She's dumped me twice spooking and once bucking (that was due to colic, though), but she doesn't spook as much as she used to. I like to keep an eye out near dams though, because ducks are the worst horse spookers. 
One interesting thing I've found with her is that she automatically relaxes when I take my feet out of the stirrups. I don't know why that is - maybe because I only do that when I'm comfortable and relaxed, so she associates that with relaxation? I don't know.


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## RMH (Jul 26, 2016)

Trail riding is my favorite activity and very relaxing for me and I think for my horse but some people are trail riders and some are not. Same with horses. I know a number of people who are accomplished riders in the ring in various disciplines who won't trail ride or are nervous wrecks when they do. My daughter is a barrel racer and a much better rider than I'll ever be but she gets anxious on trail rides even though her horse is well behaved. My own horse is very forward, Ridden by himself he'll keep any pace I ask him for. In a group no matter where we start out, we'll end up at the front. If there is another forward horse in the group then we're off to the races. The first couple years with this horse I just hung on for the ride which I can't say was terribly relaxing but in the 10 years I've had him I've found him to be unflappable so I've gotten used to his forward but very controllable energy. In the past we had a QH gelding who while he wasn't spooky we described him as looky, always highly aware of his surroundings, which didn't make for a relaxing trail ride. We also have an Appaloosa mare who loves trail riding. Her issue is that she plods along and falls behind then will trot to catch up with the group. Once you get used to that she's not a bad ride. My advice is give it more time, maybe it will become relaxing. Perhaps you or your horse just aren't trail riders and you'll excel in another discipline.


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

@bsms--it's so true that when I'm relaxed with a loose rein is usually the time my horses might get tense about something and when I'm tense they ignore it and keep walking along like nothing's wrong. So why do people say the opposite?? Guess it just depends on the horse.

I mostly trail ride with a loose rein and if I feel them get tense then I take up the slack. I don't like constant contact or riding a horse that needs it. That said, my paso likes to walk really fast so I have to pick up the reins now and then and he will slow down for awhile at least--lol!


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

pasomountain said:


> @bsms--it's so true that when I'm relaxed with a loose rein is usually the time my horses might get tense about something and when I'm tense they ignore it and keep walking along like nothing's wrong. So why do people say the opposite?? Guess it just depends on the horse.
> 
> I mostly trail ride with a loose rein and if I feel them get tense then I take up the slack. I don't like constant contact or riding a horse that needs it. That said, my paso likes to walk really fast so I have to pick up the reins now and then and he will slow down for awhile at least--lol!


Interesting because everyone, except my wife and I, rides gaited horses in my area. They ride mostly, TWH, MFT, gaited mules and some Paso Finos. When they are gaiting, they always pick up the reins, always. I hear them say that riding a gaited horse is counterintuitive because to make them gait one has to draw the reins and lean back. And that is what I see them do.


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## Harktak (Mar 12, 2021)

Yes I do have super relaxing trail rides. That doesn't mean that I forget that I am on a living prey animal in the woods. I think with experience, confidence and trust in your horse you get to a balance that you can relax while also being alert of your surroundings and be ready. I am not meaning to be ready as in legs gripped to sides, hands in fists gripping the reins and on the verge of a panic attack. I have heard to keep your legs on each side and your mind in the middle.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

I love mine time in the saddle and 98% of it is pasture, creek bottoms and trail with cattle work included. To me it gives me a break from everything in life. We jump deer, turkey, birds and small animals all the time. When we do pen work or obstacles I can tell Ki would rather be somewhere else, mainly out in the open. She will give a little jump sometimes or an occasional spin around but, I just turn her back into it and let her look at it with a few steps toward it so she knows she is the alpha over what she's seeing. Then it's back to our walkabout.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I have found (just my personal experience) that a lot of people who have mainly ridden in an arena are intimidated by riding the trails. I abhor arena riding. The mindless circles even with exercises. My horse is a sensitive reactive horse and I still love trail riding. I can be engaged with my mare and still enjoy the outdoors and talk to my friends - and I do ride on the buckle at times. Horses ridden only in arenas can be overstimulated by the trail or woods, it takes time to get them used to the outdoors. Just like it takes time for the rider to get used to having a horse that is looking and watching their surroundings


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

bsms said:


> On the flip side, I had some PTSD after 7 years on Mia. Bandit has gotten me past that...but for the first few years, there were times I felt so tense on him I thought I might puke - and he didn't care. Once a migrating swarm of bees flew just over us. I'm afraid of bees. Thousands of them. I laid flat on his neck trying to keep my face out of them. Bandit moved calmly along: "_No predators here, bees! Nothing but me and my harmless human, smoothly getting out of your way. Nothing to get excited about._"


Yep, Rusty is to my Kodak what Bandit is to your Mia. I have often laid down on his neck when we are going through very thick brush and he always calmly walks through. I can almost feel his thoughtfulness "oh, the human is relying on me to get us through here safely now, I can do this". 

When I first got on Rusty outside the ring, I was a nervous wreck because of the multiple falls I had from Kodak's massive spooks. If a tense rider could have made a tense horse, that would have been the time. Instead, when he had his first "spook", I laughed out loud. I knew pretty quickly that this horse would keep me safe. For the first time in my adult life, I felt like I was 13 again. Completely comfortable and fearless. Like I was melting in his back. 

I do not ride on the buckle because he is easily distracted and bolts out of excitement, not fear. So he needs an active rider on trails. Occasionally, I can relax more, when he is in a particularly lazy mood (July was like that), but I can't fall asleep at the wheel. Those are the parameters of our partnership and it works well for us. I don't know enough nor do I have enough experience to say that this is the only way or the best way, but I also don't think you can ever be completely tuned out while you're riding a horse on a trail no matter how safe that horse might be.


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

Do you trail ride with other people that have relaxed trail horses? 

I have had relaxing multiple hour rides on my pony that just rocket launched me across our own pasture yesterday. He is happier on trails admittedly if he gets to gait over walking. The first part of a trail he either needs to gait or i have to hold him back a bit until he gets the ants out of his pants. But he's generally just excited and not bolty. He loves going. I imagine ill either always need a support horse when i go though, it does wonders to chill him out. And frankly i dont want to ride alone in the woods. He's even managed to not spook at sudden deer that i spooked at and we have fast cantered with another horse as well and I've felt quite confident on him and relaxed on trail rides.


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## pasomountain (Dec 19, 2018)

@charrorider--What I meant was I'm taking up slack instead of being loose--maybe I didn't say it right. Also I ride in a mechanical hack so just picking up the reins a bit slows him down. It's different when asking him to gait--more pronounced.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

RMH said:


> Trail riding is my favorite activity and very relaxing for me and I think for my horse but some people are trail riders and some are not. Same with horses. I know a number of people who are accomplished riders in the ring in various disciplines who won't trail ride or are nervous wrecks when they do.


I WANT to trail ride. It's a big part of why I bought my trailer and truck in the first place. I want us to go out and be outdoors on trails and have a nice relaxed time. I guess we just need to take baby steps. When I bought Pony, he was actually doing trail rides, but even then he was spooky. He was actually a lot spookier when I got him than he is now.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

When I started SOLO trail rides with Bandit, we were doing...10 minute trail rides. Worked up from there.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

For me, it depends entirely on the horse. And honestly, the first 20 or so years of horse ownership, I was kind of like ignorance is bliss. I had really good horses that really never dumped me or spooked big, so I went around riding on the buckle totally oblivious. Among my friends, I had a reputation for "throwing my reins away" as one friend always told me. I obviously had a hold of them, but rode totally loose as I trusted my horses and was pretty much fearless on the trail. I just had so much fun that I didn't even think about being scared. I probably even though I was a decent rider. 

THEN, I got my first young horse. A horse I raised from a foal actually. And while he was calm 99% of the time, he could spook and spin right out from under me. It didn't take long, only one or two times of getting dumped on a hard packed gravel road that I developed anxiety riding him. I would have mental break downs of crying and anxiety nearly every ride. Riding him wasn't fun anymore. It didn't matter if my reins were loose or with contact, the spooks would happen out of the blue. I finally rehomed him because it was either that or give up on riding. The guy that got him loved him.

It took probably two years to get over that anxiety, even with my steady horse. Even now, certain things will set me off with worry, like loose dogs. 

But once I get out of the neighborhood and into the woods, I am back to riding "on the buckle" in a relaxed, happy manner. The horse I have now will usually signal if she's getting worried about something. So I can take up contact then. But otherwise she's pretty perfect for me. I really think it's all about having the right horse that you feel safe on. Some riders are fearless and can ride anything. But I'm not one of those people, unfortunately.


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

If I ride accompanied, it's always my wife. I don't ride with anyone else because everyone rides gaited horses, which we do not. When I take a horse on his first solo ride, I rarely deviate from what the horse has done before and is accustomed to. We ride from 1.5-3.0 hrs. on trails he's been on before. I have to add one more thing that I've gotten the horse used to before the first solo ride; he is already accustomed to leading, being out in front.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ACinATX said:


> I WANT to trail ride. It's a big part of why I bought my trailer and truck in the first place. I want us to go out and be outdoors on trails and have a nice relaxed time. I guess we just need to take baby steps. When I bought Pony, he was actually doing trail rides, but even then he was spooky. He was actually a lot spookier when I got him than he is now.


I think that another part of this is that when you do it over and over again, eventually you sort of go on auto-pilot. So when I say that I am actively riding Rusty all the time, that doesn't meant that I am always thinking about it if that makes sense. Kind of like how after a while you don't have to think about where to put your feet around a horse not to get stepped on you know? You develop a bit of a sixth sense about it. Riding Rusty on trails is like that. The "conversation" we have through the reins is hardly even conscious for me. It's just constant little adjustments - a slight shift in a leg, a slight twitch of a finger - that I don't really have to think about. It becomes automatic, like everything about riding. When you post, you don't have to think about it anymore right? Your body just goes into the motion as soon as your horse trots. It's the same for me with trail riding now. Does that make sense?


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## Luna’s rider (Jan 23, 2021)

Milton'sMama said:


> I rarely ride in the ring and instead hack around the property where I board. this isn't exactly what I'd call "trail riding", but it's certainly close. My horse and I have a few different routes, though we usually go the same way almost every day and then I might throw in a "hey let's go over here, we haven't done that in a while" side excursion. We also "work" in the big field surrounding the ring (we aren't fans of the ring....boooorrrring). So, most of my schooling and asking things of him (lateral work, transitions, figures, etc) happens in the field. I try to make the rest of the parts of our ride more fun for him by not asking much of him. I do ask him to jog and lope down some of the bridle paths between the pastures, but mostly I just want him to walk along, relaxed yet obedient. He's a very "looky" horse and can definitely be a spookmeister. There are certain parts of our ride where he gets tense and I have to take hold of his mouth and put my leg on a little (I think of it as "holding his hand" during the scary parts). I mostly just ask him to listen to me instead of reacting to whatever is bothering him. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes we manage to ride through the scary stuff on tip-toe, sometimes we spin around and try to get out of Dodge a few times before skittering past the monster. As soon as any tense or spooky situation is over, and I feel him relax again, the reins are loose and we are right back to moseying along. Because our route is so established, I know where he's likely to be "up" and where he's going to go back to "ho-hum" mode.
> 
> I do scan for things that will possible set him off, but I try not to let him know this. I stay as relaxed as possible and might just check in with him to remind him that I'm on his back and he needs to listen to me (all he needs to do is flick his ear back and that's good enough). Usually as we approach something that I'm pretty sure he's going to react to, I'll just lightly take the reins in both hands (I ride with one when we're just moseying) and ask him to listen to me, drop his head, flex, maybe move laterally. Basically I just try to keep him busy and check that all of his buttons are working as we get close to a potential trouble spot. Sometimes he never even reacts to the thing I was worried about, or he reacts but not very much. Sometimes it's too much for him and we have some spinning and bolting and snorting and backing and acting like the world is about to end. And often, after I insist that he get his silly butt by whatever it is, he walks past like it's no big deal. Goofball.
> 
> I broke my horse as a two-year-old and he's now 14. I know him inside and out and am positive I can handle anything he throws at me. He's a good soul...just a chicken about certain things. We are relaxed with each other, and that makes it easier to relax when riding out and about.


My, I wish I had your confidence, and competence.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

Something I didn't say before is I look at every ride as a learning experience both for the horse and me. I evaluate the horse on a ride and what was weak on this ride will be something I concentrate on next ride to help her improve. If she has a certain place that she acted uncomfortable I'll go back there and walk her into it from several angles until she relaxes then we go on with our ride like nothing happened. I had a place in a funnel down of trees that a rider with me fell off. She didn't like going back there so everytime we rode in that field I would bring her back to it at different angles. Soon it was no big deal. Same for me if she acted confused when I ask her to perform a maneuver ,say a side pass. I'll do it next ride and make sure my cues are sharp and clear and do it a few times till she completely understands what I'm asking. There is always a weak spot in every ride look for it and improve on it next ride. Don't stay at it until it is a nag and when she does it right stop and give her a short rest as a release and to let them soak (think) about what they did right.


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## Milton'sMama (Jan 9, 2021)

Luna’s rider said:


> My, I wish I had your confidence, and competence.


Aw, thanks for that. I'm not perfect, and despite riding and training horses for 34 years, I'm still learning about them and from them. That's one of the coolest things about horses...the learning never stops.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I have been riding since I was a little girl. That would be almost 50 years ago. I have been thrown, fallen off fair and square, bolted off with, and pretty much had happen anything a horse can offer to do. I have not always felt confident.

You are not guaranteed to be safe on a horse. Ride because it is your passion.
But you can do things to be sure that you are as safe as you can be.

1. Ride a well mannered horse
2.Try to fake confidence. When you are tense, the horse feels that and assumes that there is something wrong.
3. Relax but be alert.
4. Sing. Your horse will not care how bad your singing is. He feel like you are confident if you are singing.
5. Wear a helmet.
6. Wear a helmet.
7. Always wear a helmet.
8. *Ride. A lot*. I keep an excel spreadsheet of all my trail rides. I clock the distance with a Garmin Instinct watch. So far this year, I have ridden 574 miles. I love riding. I hope to ride as long as I can. If you can find a riding buddy that will agree to agree to keep the horse to a walk on the trail, you will build up confidence. I love to go fast some. I hate to ride with someone who constantly takes off at a pace that rattles my teeth. That does not build your confidence. Once you have the walk down pat, trot just a little. Only add the canter when you are ready. And be sure that the footing is good.

Does this means that I never fall off? No. I fell off last week. Even at 65, I wasn't all that injured.

Note: Note: my 574 miles was done in small rides. Most are close to 3 miles. And I ride two horses.
Lots of short, successful rides teaches a horse more than long, tiring rides with long breaks in between.

If anyone wants a blank copy of the spreadsheet that I use, send me a private message with your email address. Someone gave me the original one I used and I have changed it over the years to suit my needs. (You have to have Microsoft Excel for it to work)


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

Celeste said:


> 4. Sing. Your horse will not care how bad your singing is. He feel like you are confident if you are singing.


Maybe it was the choice of song, but there was one time Raya was tempted to buck me off: I had baby shark stuck in my head (thanks kiddos!) and was singing until my pony told me in no uncertain terms that it was time to stop. 🤣

To be fair, I can't really blame her!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

@SwissMiss Baby Shark might be over the line. Lol.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

We tried for one of those (a relaxing trail ride) on Monday. Daughter's horse was just looking for a reason to spook and daughter mentioned it right before the mare jumped, twisted and bolted into the woods. The cause? Cows. Because she hasn't lived with, and worked on, cattle all her life. But this time there were cows where there haven't been.

My horse tensed up and kept looking around to see what caused the commotion. 

If we had kicked them into a trot as soon as daughter sensed her mare's anxiety, we could have trotted until she decided it wasn't worth it. Cowboys often leave the corrals at a trot to dissuade nonsense on cool, crisp, breezy mornings.

We finished riding but it wasn't relaxing. Both were pretty silly after that. As were the cows. They followed as far as they could bucking and pushing each other around.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I have heard people say "Oh, you just trail ride. You are not a real rider."

It is a skill that must be learned for both horse and rider. I have taken dressage lessons, jumping lessons, and western pleasure lessons. This was all in an arena. In those sessions, I never fell off.

Trail riding is a bit more difficult to me. I have fallen off many times in my lifetime as a trail rider. Horses may spook, bolt, do a sudden turn, rear, etc. But they usually get it. I did get dumped just a week ago by a well seasoned trail riding horse. He got spooked and I wasn't paying attention. I am glad that I drink milk and take vitamin D because nothing broke. 

I may take that back. That dressage teacher could cause more pain in a 1 hour lesson that I ever got from any normal riding. 

But it is a discipline in itself. Don't be too angry with the horse if he is not an expert. They have to learn. You have to learn. I learn something every time I ride. I have just as much fun at my age as I did as a teenager. I love to get out in nature with my horse. By the way, I have ridden the horse that dumped me twice since I fell off. He was great.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Singing...I tried singing when I got nervous on Mia. It taught her singing meant_ I __was_ nervous, so she should be too! I've taken to riding with an mp3 player. I cut off the wire to the right ear so only listen to it with my left ear. I need one ear open to hear what Bandit might hear. I find it helps me with boredom and also helps _me _relax. 

But I haven't really seen any sign Bandit cares if I am stressed or not. He's just an independent cuss who doesn't worry (care?) much about my opinion. That has some disadvantages, but on the whole I like it.


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## elGatGordo (4 mo ago)

My wife and I ride together. One of our favorite trails is a suburban river trail. The horses have learned to be complacent about bicycles, dogs, and baby strollers. My wife's mare was astounded the first time a baby actually moved! Some days her mare will shy at something she has passed a hundred times without incident. Other days she is as relaxed as can be. While Kathy has had one serious accident (wear helmets!!), that was due to her horse somersaulting after stepping into a hole at speed. Never an accident from a spook.

I no longer have a horse but we still ride together, I on my bike.


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## Milton'sMama (Jan 9, 2021)

Celeste said:


> I have heard people say "Oh, you just trail ride. You are not a real rider."


Isn't that strange? Trail riding is the "real" riding to me. It takes a lot more confidence for both the horse and the rider to ride outside of a ring. I remember when I started riding and taking lessons as a kid, we weren't allowed to go trail riding until we'd proven ourselves in the ring, then in the field, then down the driveway, and finally off the farm.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I have found that the more often I take a horse out on trail and the longer we go, the more relaxed we both are. I don't start off with a 25 mile ride but you know, 2 miles, then 3 then 5, then 6, then 8, then 10 and so on. Pretty soon, I'm not counting miles anymore and then it's, "Oh wow! We left at 9 this morning and it's what time now? 2? Shoot, no wonder I'm starving! Shall we break for lunch?" and then we're doing a weekend camping trip. 

Due to some injuries I'll be back at the ride around the pasture next spring and hope I can do the whole thing. Hope that by the end of summer I can go on a real trail ride. I miss it. There's nothing better than riding through the woods and smelling the trees, listening to the birds and just soaking it all in. Oh yeah, and smelling the horses. That especially. 😄


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

charrorider said:


> Interesting because everyone, except my wife and I, rides gaited horses in my area. They ride mostly, TWH, MFT, gaited mules and some Paso Finos. When they are gaiting, they always pick up the reins, always. I hear them say that riding a gaited horse is counterintuitive because to make them gait one has to draw the reins and lean back. And that is what I see them do.


I ride gaited, use to ride arabs. I see people leaning back and sometimes the horse looks like its moving hollowed out. To me I don't think this is a healthy form. I don't lean back. Some gaited horses need a light collection before asking them to move forward. You kind of round them up a little but not like a hunt seat position if that makes any sense. But my answer would be lots of wet saddle pads, miles and miles. All horses vary but you'll get more relaxed while still being alert. Maybe a shot might help...lol


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## charrorider (Sep 23, 2012)

goneriding said:


> I ride gaited, use to ride arabs. I see people leaning back and sometimes the horse looks like its moving hollowed out. To me I don't think this is a healthy form. I don't lean back. Some gaited horses need a light collection before asking them to move forward. You kind of round them up a little but not like a hunt seat position if that makes any sense. But my answer would be lots of wet saddle pads, miles and miles. All horses vary but you'll get more relaxed while still being alert. Maybe a shot might help...lol


I don't take one side of the discussion or the other. I was only relaying what has been told to me by people who ride gaited horses. In their defense, I will say that the riders of whom I speak are riders who have been riding gaited breeds for years and have thousands of miles, individually and collectively. I'll stick to my Arabians.


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