Horse The Big Pet

1. Trail riding is so much fun but for safety reasons we just can’t go out there on any old horse. It could be an awful experience, a day ruined by choosing the wrong breed for your days excursion and also dangerous. Instead choose a horse that has the qualifications for adapting to trail riding and has all the necessary traits for being a good choice. The key thing to know is that any breed can be trained for riding trails; but some horses wouldn’t be appropriate for the experience like ponies or large muscular horses.

Best choice would be A.) A horse that you are comfortable with. B.)Known for being a good trail riding horse. C.) Traits to look for: High endurance, calm disposition, stamina for the rugged country trails and a horse that you feel comfortable with. Caution: You wouldn’t want to take a horse that spooks easily or one that is difficult to handle on trails. Safety Precautions are necessary. * Choose a trusted horse, that is in good shape for trail riding.

2. Arabian. The breed originated on the Arabian peninsula in 5000 B.C. And is the oldest bred of horse. Their stamina, speed, spirit and beauty makes this breed a number 1 choice. Their intelligence and strength alone stands out and makes them a fine choice for trail riding. The Middle Eastern people (Islamics) were impressed with this breed and cherished their Arabian Horses for being the chosen horse for running races out in the hot heat of the desert and just as a fine horse because of their so many wonderful traits.
The Arabian’s endurance, speed, beauty and intelligence have captivated people for centuries. From Alexander the Greats love for the breed; to cave paintings of the Arabian horses discovered by Archaeologists.

Clearly this breed has impressed people all along. Even in movies and books we see this incredible animal as the main character. They triumph at most endurance events and their anatomy is different than other horses. 1 less rib and 2 less vertebra’s. Which produce a smoother ride and they are more sure footed, nice gait and overall incredible potential. This is a perfect horse for trail riding or any other adventure you might think to participate in. With the right training this horse can do anything and come out a winner! You can’t go wrong with the Arabian beauty on the trails.
3. KENTUCKY NATURAL GAITED HORSE
In the 1800′s in Kentucky a horse was bred for conveyance to help with work on the ranch and other traits wanted in a horse. They produced The Kentucky National Gaited Horse. Back in those days were rough times and very hard labor. Living on farms they needed a horse that had all the good qualities that were in demand for those times. From the farm work to transportation and for family fun rides on the horse. Bred for: Endurance, strength, tempered, loyalty, intelligence and for being sure footed. Whatever was needed done or to have help with they relied on their Kentucky Horse which became their perfect breed of choice.

They are known for being smooth and balanced with a beautiful gait. The rhythmic of it is outstanding in dispositional traits. Perfect for trail riding because of the calm, good natured behavior and keeping a gait for many miles. This bred is a popular trail horse and has a reputation for being loyal and good on different terrain.

4. MISSOURI FOX TROTTER. The 1900′s brought about many uses for this bred. From farm labor, to pulling the family buggy, or riding on. The horse was used for everything including for fun on trails and rough terrain. The ancestor heritage is from the: Arabian, Morgan and Tennessee Walker’s. The Missouri Fox Trotter is genetically inclined to an easy gait and a good disposition. Their fox trait makes them an excellent trail horse. Their gait makes the trail riding smooth, balanced and a comfortable ride for long periods of time atop the animal. They can endure long distances, brisk speed without getting tired; this makes them an excellent choice for trail riding.

Park Rangers use this bred in the wilderness because of their incredible endurance and they are amazing with managing rough, rocky terrain. 90% of them are registered Missouri Fox Trotters and owned by trail riders for that purpose. They are a perfect choice when it comes to safety as well. They are often called the common man’s pleasure horse because they are a good horse with excellent qualities. Furthermore, Mountaineers love this breed and anyone else that enjoys spending time riding on trails.

5. MORGAN. In the 1700′s this horse was one of the first horses bred in the United States. Later the breed would be referred to as the Morgan Horse from the earliest ownership of the breed owned by a man named Justin Morgan. The only breed that can trace its heritage to one breed. There is even a museum about the history of the Morgan horse. This breed is a lovely horse with expressive eyes, intelligence, good natured, graceful with an upright neck, compact body and strong muscles. Their stamina and athletic nature make them an excellent choice for trail riding.

They have been used for everything from ranch work, endurance riding, show rings, and back country riding. A very adaptable loving creature. Their trot makes it a smooth ride and they are very quick to learn. There were a favored breed that were used in the Civil War for their traits and disposition. Which says it all of how they were so relied on and being such a wonderful choice for even fighting in wars. They were dependable, loyal, had sense in firing ranges, adaptable to their surroundings and conditions. This would truly be a fine horse for trail riding. Check out the visual tour of the National Museum of the Morgan Horse:

“Morgan Museum Tour

6. TENNESSEE WALKER. Their inherited traits are of a fusion from six breeds for calmness, speed and form. The bred originally used in the Southern parts of the United States for carrying plantation owners around on their land. Their popularity through the years has put them on the forefront from everything from: TV shows, to riding on them in parades, show horses for rings and such. Used for their calm disposition. They are an excellent breed known for being very good trail horses. People love them for their intelligence, disposition, reliability, gait and good stamina.

Riding a Tennessee Walker gives you a feeling of riding in luxury because you don’t experience being bounced around like you might with some of the other breeds, that happen to trot along. Instead you experience a smooth gliding and graceful ride. A fun horse for trail riding.

1. If your horse’s chestnuts are rather large, as shown in the image, use a sharp, new razor blade to carefully cut off the chestnuts about 2mm above the skin. You do not want to cut too deep to prevent bleeding.
If your horse’s chestnuts are not as prominent, proceed with step 2.
2. Use a rich handcream (cocoabutter or such) and massage it into the chestnuts. Do this every day for about a week and every time you groom thereafter.
3. The chestnuts were removed, the horse looks well groomed.
After the chestnuts are softened by the rich handcream you can peel them off carefully. Maintain flat chestnuts by applying the hand cream every time you groom and peel off chestnuts, when needed.
The result will be a clean and groomed look.

Things You’ll Need:
1. Rich hand lotion
2. possibly a razor blade

Learning to ride a horse can be one of the most thrilling experiences of your life, as long as you do it safely. The payoff lies not only in the freedom of galloping across a field on the back of an animal but also in enjoying the wondrous bond between human and horse.

Choose an Instructor

1. Find a competent teacher by talking to friends who have horses, visiting boarding facilities or looking in the yellow pages under Horses, Lessons or Riding.
2. Talk to the instructor. Ask what type of lessons he or she gives. Make sure the instructor knows you are a beginner and need a well-trained horse.
3. Ask the instructor about his or her riding experience. Does the instructor have formal training? Seek out an instructor who has taught riders of all levels so that he or she can help you as you improve.
4. Discuss your goals with your teacher. Do you just want to learn to ride so that you can borrow a friend’s horse or so that you can go on a long trail ride?
5. Watch other riders taking lessons to observe your instructor’s personality. Does he or she give instructions in easy-to-understand language? Is he or she patient?

Begin Lessons

1. Start with English-style riding, which requires more balance and is a strong foundation for all varieties of riding. Once you have mastered these skills, it will be easier to learn other riding styles.
2. Stick with it. Learning to ride a horse can be slow and tedious. Often you will feel like you are making progress, and other times you will feel completely uncoordinated. Don’t give up.
3. If you are not happy with your progress, consider switching instructors. You have every right to find an instructor who meets your needs.

1. If you are a beginning rider, it might be a little more challenging to find a place to ride horses for free, especially if you live in the city. Look in your phone gbook under stables, and call to see if they need someone to help clean out the stalls. Offer to work in exchange for lessons or time to ride.
2. Leave ads on bulletin boards in boarding stables, there might be a private owner who doesn’t always have time to excersize their horse that might just need someone to ride it.
3. If you are an experienced rider, you might try placing an ad on Craigslist. Especially in the country, there are people who need someone to take the time to ride horses that might have specific habits or be a little more challenging to ride.
4. With this economy, many horse breeders and owners are having to cut back on the number of people that are hired to look after their stables. You might be a welcome relief as somone who wants to help out in exchange for free horseback riding.

How to Ride Horses for Free (go Horseback Riding for Free)