10 Tips for Trail and Pleasure Rides
To ride is not to sit on a horse and grin like an idiot - I mean, yeah that happens, but it's not the whole story. Horseback riding is a sport that can appeal to a wide range of people and that has been a long standing part of American culture.
You may not get to ride all the time, but hopefully you get the chance on a vacation to go for a trail ride.
Below are a few tips to help you have a comfortable and safe trail ride (Western Saddle perspective):
1. Have a soft hand with the reins, hold with enough grip to send signals, but not enough to cause undue pressure and unwanted responses. Don't forget that your hands are holding a line that goes into the horses mouth, that when you move your hands you are putting pressure on lips, tongue, cheeks, roof of mouth and neck. So be gentle, firm and clear in your signals.
2. Keep you back straight, but not too straight and not hollowed out. Your hips rocked under, your core engaged, but not too tight. Relax at the same time as doing this.
3. Don't hold the horn - it is soooo tempting, but don't do it, if you need to hold on, grab the cantle.
Holding the horn puts you out of balance and is a really easy way to topple forward.
4. Look where you're going. ALWAYS. Have a plan for where your next turn will be, what path you will take and how you will tell your horse this information.
5. Pay attention to your horse, as well as be attuned to other horses around you. Watch your horses ears, feel your horses posture and movements, watch the expressions and positions of nearby horses. Remember you are riding on the back of a 1200lb flight animal, if spooked your horse may react much more abruptly than you believe possible, so always be aware of your surroundings for anything that might cause a reaction in your mount.
6. You don't have to go fast. There is no rule anywhere that says to have a fun ride you have to race through it, if you are not comfortable at more than a walk, then stay at a walk. Being safe and responsible will be far more pleasant than being reckless and ending your ride in an injury.
7. Use your legs, while your reins direct the nose of the horse, your legs direct the body. Each horse is a little different on how they response to pressure, some take very little and others take a great deal.
Your thighs help you stay in place, your calves help you communicate and your heels in a down position keep it all collected in your posture. If you cannot sit comfortably in the saddle with your heels down, you may need to adjust your stirrups. Stirrup length is like the distance between seat and peddle in a car, you have to have the right distance or you wont be able to control anything.
8. Give everyone space. You are responsible for your horse, you need to keep them at an appropriate distance from the other members of your riding party. Tailgating with horses is no less dangerous than doing so in a car. Horses don't always like each other, can be cranky on a given day, or just a little spooky for reasons that seem random to you. Make it easier on both of you by keeping your distance, so no one gets kicked, bit, or bucked off.
9. Remember these are highly intelligent animals that have their own set of natural inclinations, be courteous to them and kind. Things that could startle any horse are, deer jumping out of trees, snakes, rustling or flapping of jackets/bags/etc, cars driving by, dogs getting too close, other horses or people coming up on them quickly. Even the hardiest and calmest of horses can be sent into a panic by these kinds of things, and when they get startled you'll be taken for a ride you might not have bargained for.
10. Don't be scared, don't be foolish and don't think you know it all. You may have ridden a trail before or borrowed a horse for the day when you were a kid, but unless you ride on a regular basis with an instructor handy, it is very likely you do not all that you need to to stay safe. Your safety is also the safety of all of those around you, so be courteous by maintaining humility when given instructions, maintaining your calm when you find your horse not doing what you think you were asking, and don't be scared. Yes they are big, yes it is really far to the ground, yes you probably don't know what you're doing, yes you don't know them, yes you don't know where the trail goes - but trust that the guides and the horses, have all got your back and that you will be ok, so relax and enjoy your ride!
See there are lots of things to think about while riding- and this is just the list for things like trail riding, where your horse has been pre-selected for you, does trails all day and is already ready for your ride when you arrive. When it is your own horse on your own time, or a lesson that you are attending there are several additional steps and safety measures to consider.
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