Trail pony?!?

Question

my pony has never been on a trail ride, that i know of ... nd i would really like to get a trail liscense and go on some trails!!! what can i do to get ziggy used to trails nd to make him as confident as can be on them!

Answer 1

you have to get a trail license to ride on trails? I must admit, I've never heard of that before.

I've never had to do anything special to get my horses to trail ride, but I suppose if a person just does shows in a ring...anything outside the ring might have a different outlook to a horse...I'd say just be confident and cautious.

Answer 2

ok well i have been on a lot of trail rides, and i ride 3 times a week sometimes more and entre comps so on. Now trail rides are great, but where do you live? You could go to the colosest trail ride place, and ask if you can bring your horse there(some people let you)?!

To get your horse used to trails, you could ride your horse in a bushy part of your paddock and put lots of twigs leafs branches on the ground so on. Because on trail rides there is alot of trees,leafs ect. He needs to be good with cars aswell, you could even walk him out on the roads when you have the time to get him use to the cars. hope i have helped a bit GOOD LUCK! xo

Answer 3

Put chairs, plastic bags, logs, or other things that your horse might find on the trail into your usual riding area. See how your horse reacts, and get him used to these things. Put brightly-colored, weighted-down towels or brightly-colored fake flowers in the arena and walk your horse around them. If you have anywhere to ride or walk around outside your arena or just around the outside of your stables.

When you and your horse feel ready to go out on the trails, try to bring a friend with an experienced, calm trail horse. If your horse sees that the other horse is relaxed, it will help your Ziggy calm down as well. Go on the same trail many times while your horse gets used to trail riding. Don't worry, relax, it'll all be fine.

Most importantly, if YOU feel confident and relaxed, your horse will be more likely to feel confident and relaxed. If you're jittery and nervous on his first trail ride, he'll definately pick up on it!

Answer 4

First, take rides around your barn, outside of the arenas. If you have pastures, go for a little ride in and around an empty one to get him used to going for walks outside the arena. If he isn't used to seeing little animals, introduce him to a barn cat, or if you have a dog, let him get  a good look.

Where I live I always see an ad for this guy who does a bombproofing clinic where horses see tarps and walk over them, giant beach balls, umbrellas, cones, flowers, walking over stuff and different non-everyday things. If you can, get a tarp and some other "extremely threatening" objects like plastic bags or whatever and walk your pony around them, then ride close to them and over the tarp. anything that gets him used to doing things when you tell him to and to trust that whatever you tell him to do will not hurt him.

For your first trail ride, make sure to go with really quiet, exprienced horses. If he gets dangerously nervous, get off and turn around. If he's been to alot of shows and seen different things at your barn, he should be pretty good.

Answer 5

Wow, don't know where you live but they require you to have a license to ride on trails?  Or is that just some out of area lingo I am unfamiliar with?  But to answer your question, I assume you ride comfortably in an arena?  Try just walking out around the arena, around the grounds where you keep your horse.  Place things (chairs, flags, anything) out of their ordinary place and see how your horse responds, this should be a good indicator of how he will handle the trail.  Practice your lateral movements and collection and rate.  Be sure you have a good stop.  Make sure he will stand quietly while you mount and if you choose to stand a while.  Go short distances at first so he is reminded that he always gets to come home.

good luck

Answer 6

Well first of all practice short walks by trees and logs and maybe dirt roads. As long as your confident Ziggy will be too.

:)

Answer 7

Get Ziggy to become confident in you on him, by riding a lot with him in the arena and developing a good relationship. Then do the exercises using all the different items as mentioned by others. You might consider following this with the ponying technique, where he just goes along on the trails attached to another experienced horse without you as a rider. Then, advance to him with you riding on him. Look up"ponying a horse", online.

Answer 8

Try some exercises in your normal riding area. E.g. make "scary" looking obstacles (logs, strange jumps and walls). Maybe ride in open areas and also anywhere with trees and cover. Get him used to strange noises like birds, trees and bushes rustling, rubbish flying (you never know), cars and anything else that you might run into in your local area. But always take care on the trail.