Trail-riding is probably the most popular of all equestrian activities. This compilation of tips from old-time trail-riders with many decades, and thousands miles of trail riding under their belts can make your time on the trail safer and much more fun.
Before you go
• Trail riding is for horses that are physically fit, calm, and experienced enough to negotiate the trail safely.
• Resolve training and behavior problems such as bucking, bolting, and kicking before going out on the trail.
• Practice mounting and dismounting from both sides of your horse before trail-riding.
• A horse that has only been ridden lightly once a week for thirty minutes, is seldom fit for an arduous two-hour trail ride.
• Teach your horse to walk up and down hills.
• Practice several walk-halt transitions before setting out to make sure that you and your horse are in tune.
• Keep your cell phone on you, not on your horse.
• Wear a helmet.
• Your emergency kit should include a hoof-pick, first aid products and vet wrap.
• Bring an ID and emergency medical info.
•Bring a garbage bag to collect your horse’s manure.
• A small bell attached to the girth helps prevent collisions with bikers, hikers, and bears.
• A luggage ID tag on a headstall with contact information expedites locating the owner of a loose horse.
• Identify beforehand, the leader, the drag, green horses, green riders, grazing spots, rest spots, cantering and trotting areas, and kicking horses.
• Horses that kick should wear a red warning ribbon on their tail.
• In large groups the lead and drag riders can communicate by walkie-talkie.
On the trail
• Do not ride alone.
• Keep one or two horse lengths distance between horses.
• Don’t be a passenger, ride every step with your horse.
• Dismount and calm an agitated horse from the ground.
• Do not punish a horse for spooking.
• Do not ride a trail or engage in activities beyond the ability of any horse or rider in the group.
• Be friendly and courteous to hikers and bikers.
• If you hear someone coming toward you, stop and call out to make sure they are aware of your presence.
• Pair young or inexperienced horses and riders with a calm experienced horses and riders.
• Do not separate buddy horses.
• Stay together; do not go off in separate groups.
• Do not trot, gait, canter, or gallop off away from the group.
• Make sure that everyone is prepared before transitioning to a faster gait.
• Do not race.
• Do not rush up to or speed past the rider in front of you. Instead, quietly explain your intentions and calmly pass.
• Stay on the trail, do not short-cut switchbacks.
• Do not pass where the trail is narrow, dangerous, or there is a blind curve up ahead.
• Do not trot, gait, canter, or gallop on narrow trails, especially where there are blind corners.
• The leader should warn those behind about obstacles or hazards ahead. The drag rider should acknowledge that he or she has heard the warning.
• When going downhill, slow down and put extra distance between you and the horse in front of you; in case the horse stumbles or falls.
• Go uphill without stopping so that your horse doesn’t lose his momentum and cause the horses behind to lose theirs.
• Riders going downhill yield to riders traveling uphill.
• Always yield to riders with children.
• Don’t cause brush and limbs that interfere with your path to snap back and hit the person or horse behind you.
• Be on the alert when in water or sand that your horse doesn’t lie down. Be on your guard if your horse starts pawing water.
• When crossing an obstacle that a horse behind you may jump, move out of the way of the landing area.
• When crossing obstacles let your horse have the rein he needs to balance his head.
• If a horse refuses to cross an obstacle, the entire group should stop and wait while the rider dismounts and leads the horse across the obstacle and remounts.
• During breaks, do not tie horses up by their bits. Tie-up or remove the reins and tie the horses with halters and lead-ropes. Loosen the girth.
• If someone needs to dismount, EVERYONE should stop and wait until the rider has remounted and is ready to ride again.
• Everyone should remain at the watering site until each horse has had an opportunity to drink.
• To prevent runaways, ride the faster gaits as you go away from the staging area, but WALK back to the staging area.
Most of all, HAVE FUN!
By Chris Forté
More ideas to keep you safe on the trail: