Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse Show 21
Some Do ' s And Don ' ts About Trail Riding
BY VIRGINIA LAMB Last Of A Series
Now that the basic fundamentals for training your horse for the trail have been fairly well covered , a few do ' s and don ’ ts should be pointed out . as well as the dangers ! Many very wonderful letters have been received from people who have purchased Walking Horses for just the purpose of putting on the trail , but found out they didn ’ t know how to train them for such . Questions have come up , which I have tried to answer , and hope they have helped .
Isn ’ t Tying The Reins Dangerous ?
One question , but not from a beginner , was this ; " Isn ’ t tying the reins dangerous and couldn ' t they drag a person ?" My answer is " yes .” Any time a beginner tries to do something they know nothing about , without proper help , it is dangerous , regardless of what it is they are trying to accomplish . There is always the danger of something going wrong , but if a person has a guiding hand , they will stand a much better chance .
This lied rein business is something that should have been clarified from the start . First of all , let me say that as a trainer , I do not use tied reins except in rare cases . However , it is more for the benefit of the rider in learning to keep the reins at a longer length and to use only one hand , usually the left one . Also , if a horse has a tendency to try to pull his head down , the reins will not go beyond the knot or rivet in the riders ' hand , thus preventing loss of rein . The reins should not be used in this way continually , but only to help the horse until he is on his way and to help the rider get adjusted to using one hand only in reining the horse .
Il is not at all necessary to use the tied reins , but is up to the individual .
Danger Is Still There Now then , regardless of whether the reins are tied or not , there is always danger of the rider being thrown and dragged . The most experienced riders and trainers have been thrown , but , very few have been dragged . Most young , inexperienced people do not want to let go of the reins for fear of losing tbe horse .
This is the wrong attitude for several reasons . Let me say first , NEVER , NEVER , hang onto those reins ! Let them go ! The horse will probably not go very far without you and he can be caught again . If you try to hold onto the reins to keep from losing the horse you can pull the horse over on you and be badly injured or perhaps killed , or you cotdd cause serious damage to the horse .
A horse will not fall on the rider if he can help it . A good rider knows this and this is the reason he is not dragged by the reins . Good riders also know that by letting go , they will fall free and clear from the horse . This eliminates a great deal of danger to both the horse and rider .
Feeding And Caring For Horse Different ?
Other questions have come up regarding the do ’ s and don ' ts in feeding and caring for the trail horse . It there a difference ? No ! You should take care of the trail horse just the same as you would any other horse . Each horse is an individual and should be fed according to his capacity . Do not overfeed him . This will do no good and will only hurt the horse .
Do not put the horse up hot or wet and do not let him drink any water until he has cooled off . Do not feed any grain during this period . Do sponge the trail horse off or hose him down with warm water . It is an excellent idea to hose the legs off and then rub with a good liniment . Check each hoof carefully and be sure to keep them cleaned out . It is good to check them over before as well as after a ride .
Don ’ t force die horse into an unexpected situation without giving him time to find out he is not going to be hurt from it . As an example , if he is suddenly confronted by a cow , if he has never seen one , he will be apt to want to take the long way around . If you force him to ride up to the cow , you may find yourself riding a tornado . Stop the horse and talk quitely to him . He will usually calm clown and gradually get used to this strange smell and sight . This holds true of anything that is DIFFERENT in the daily pattern of the horse .
Always be sure to keep your riding equipment in good repair and clean . Use a good saddle soap on all parts to keep the leather soft and pliable . Stiff leather will rub the horse and cause raw spots , besides being uncomfortable to the rider . It is good , in cold weather , to warm the bit before placing in the mouth of the horse . This can be done by putting in warm water or holding in your hands for a few minutes .
What Is The Right Age ?
How old should a horse be and how much advance training should he have before trail riding efforts are begun ? This is not an easy question to answer ! It takes the average horse approximately six months to become well broke and to become set in his gaits . A Western horse is usually not started until the age of two and onehalf to three years , due to the heavier saddle , but the Walker is generally started at about 20 months and started English .
By the time he is two and a half , he is ready for the heavier saddle . His back has become toughened up so that it should not hurt him . At least a year of good solid training should be behind a good trail horse for the beginner and that would place the age of the horse about three . A horse from four to six years is usually what a person will purchase for various reasons .
They are at that time , extremely well broke and have been faced with many hazards during their training , are more dependable and settled than a colt , and can still learn quite readily . They are more developed , and in general , a good age . They have usually reached their full grow th so that you know the exact size of your mount . An older horse may take a little longer to convert , but is definitely not to be overlooked .
A younger person is more apt to want a young horse because they feel a colt is what they need . They do not realize the dangers that lie in owning a colt as they are not dependable , and if the person does not have a lot of experience behind him , he will wind up being hurt . This is one reason w ' hy I urge a person , young or old , to choose an older , better broke , more dependable horse , at least until the rider becomes more experienced and capable of handling a younger animal .