1962-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1962 June Voice | Page 20

18 June , 1962

Pick Tennessees Walker For Trail Riding

( Editor ' s Note — Tiic Voice is greatly indebted to Virginia Lamb , 2901 37th Avenue , Sacramento , Calif ., for making available to us a scries of articles on " Trail Riding and the Tennessee Walking Horse ." Her articles begin herewith , and you will agree — as we do — that she is eminently qualified lo discuss this subject . BAG )
BY VIRGINIA LAMB Sacramento , Calif .
Part 1 . Selection Of A Trail Horse
There are many points to cover in this first phase of making a trail horse . One is the fact that this article is primarily to help the beginner ; a person who can perhaps ride , bin wants to delve further into adventure by trail riding . This is entirely different from riding around a circle in the show ring , leisurely cantering through the park on a Sunday afternoon or a short jaunt down the paved highway or country lane . Trail riding is a thrill beyond imagination , and made more enjoyable on the back of a superb animal , the Tennessee Walking Horse .
Remember one thing ; trail riding for fun and enjoyment and trail riding for competition are two entirely different things . The first , you set your own pace and can take time out to rest your horse and enjoy the scenery . To casually sit by a stream during the day if you wish , or stop on the crest of it hill and watch the sun set over a mountain . The competitive type of riding does not leave much time for enjoying the country you are riding through , but deals more with lime . The horse and rider that cover a long distance in the shortest length of time win . This does not mean that you cannot enjoy competition , only that it is more pleasure when you do it for fun and relaxation .
Horse More Important
The horse itself is the most important thing . Let us assume that this is your first go at a Walker and trail riding . For the beginner , start by looking for a well broke , gentle and well mannered horse . This is extremely important . It is hard to stress just how important this is , but a high strung , hard to handle animal is dangerous in trail riding and cannot be depended upon . A gelding is usually preferred as they do not come in season and cannot react as a stallion if there is a mare around .
However , mares do make fine trail animals and the sex , mare or gelding , is not important over which of the two is better suited for you . Here in California , and I know this is going to offend some friends as well as people I do not know , people are more inclined to be stallion crazy . They seem to feel that by owning a stallion they really have something .
This is not true and I do not recommend one for the trail . There are too many stallions and only a handful good enough to be a stallion and put to stud . A top notch , dependable gelding is far more valuable for riding than any stallion will ever be . Not always money-wise , but being able to trust a horse is far more important . 1 am sure any horseman will agree with this .
Horse With Age Desirable
Age is considered in the selection of a good horse , but do not be fooled into , thinking that a younger horse is always the best . Here again , the horse itself is to be considered . A horse twelve years old , if he meets all of the requirements and is sound , will be of much more value to you than a horse of three or four that only meets a few of the requirements .
A younger horse may give a few more years of service , but the experience you receive from the older horse may outweigh this , and a younger horse can be started later on . i have a gelding 13 and a mare 16 that are still going strong and probably will be for many years to come . I am not saying “ buy the older horse ,” but if he or she does meet the requirements , get a good vet lo check the horse for soundness . This should be done on the younger horse as well .
Size of the animal does not always mean a large horse is better than a small one , or vice versa , but it does sometimes mean a lot to the rider . A small person would have a very difficult lime mounting a large horse , however , there are ingenious devices for overcoming this obstacle . Remember , too , there may be many limes you will have lo dismount and lead your horse through a tight spot . These are all things to be considered and should be kept in mind when looking for a trail prospect .
Never Consider Horse Color The color of a horse should never be considered . It has never had anything to do with what the horse can do and I doubt will ever have . As an example , I had two young geldings in training as Western pleasure and trail horses . When time came to sell them , many people called to come out and look them over . Neither of these young horses were good looking or flashy or well colored , but they had a gootl way of going and could DO ! It was surprising , but most of the people were more interested in a flashy horse than what the horse could do . Again I say , do not be color-conscious . Try the horse anyway for you may be surprised .
The temperament of a horse falls in the category of the well broke , gentle horse . Stay away from a horse that has a tendency to bite or kick . These faults may be corrected by an experienced horseman , but for the beginner , do not take the chance of getting yourself hurt or injuring another horse or rider .
A retired show horse , and this does not necessarily mean an old horse , should not be considered by the beginner . While they are generally well broke and gentle , their way of training is entirely different and it takes time and patience to convert them over . The show horse has learned to depend on the rider and out on the trail a rider may have to depend on the horse , many , many times . Here again , it takes an experienced person to do the converting . Show horses can and do make fine trail horses , but not for the beginner . Select a horse trained and used for pleasure riding . You will not be disappointed .
If you don ’ t know a great deal about Walking Horses , find a reputable horseman to help you . Any true horseman would be glad to do so . There are many fine Walking Horse trainers scattered throughout the country and there is probably one dose to you who will lend you a helping hand to see that you get the right kind of Walking Horse for the purpose you have in mind .
A Good Horse Costs Money
Many people ask this question , “ What about the cost ?" That is not an easy question to answer . A well bred Walking Horse is invaluable if he has the go and staying power to make a good horse , regardless of whether it be for pleasure or show . To have a horse trained , it will average about $ 100.00 per month , including board . Do not go looking for a trained horse under $ 500.00 If you can find a good one for even that price consider yourself lucky .
( Continued on Page 19 )