In every issue of Horse & Rider you'll find articles on training by the country's leading experts, the latest on equine health care from top veterinarians, trail riding tips from savvy back country riders, and much more!
The Lincoln County War of 1878 secured the region’s place in history. Smokey Bear was born, rescued, and buried here. To this mix of history, add an amazing variety of terrain, from waving grasslands at 5,000 feet elevation to mountain peaks cresting out at nearly 12,000 feet. Wrap this with pinion-juniper pines, ponderosa pines, fir, and aspen. Lace it generously with more than 100 miles of horse trails. You now have a trail rider’s Western dream destination! WHITE MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS Our first trail-riding goal was the Argentina-Bonito trailhead and horse camp that accesses the White Mountain Wilderness, a protected wilderness area in the Lincoln National Forest. This designated wilderness has preserved its unique and pristine characteristics. One hundred eighteen miles of trails await your exploration. To reach the trailhead, travel…
Atrail designed and built with an eye toward environmental and social sustainability will allow you to explore beautiful landscapes with minimal impact and without evidence of your passing. A good trail can also provide an oasis of natural serenity within the confines of a largely urban environment—picture a bridle path winding through the trees in New York City’s Central Park. Conversely, a poorly built trail, or one that wasn’t designed but simply created through unplanned user activity, can lead to a lackluster experience. It may simply be unpleasant due to bad choice of path within the landscape, or it can be downright dangerous. BUILDING SUSTAINABLE TRAILS The purpose of a sustainable trail is to provide users a way to access natural areas on a defined path that’s resistant to erosion…
If you trailer your horse to trailheads and on wonder if you should use protective gear. One could argue that no safety gear will prevent your horse from hitting steel or aluminum in an accident. You’d have to add air bags, safety adding, and slings, or perhaps yards of bubble wrap. However, protective gear can help keep your horse safe during the usual bumps and occasional kicks during transport. Here’s a rundown of five products, including what I recommend in each category. SHIPPING BOOTS/LEG WRAPS What they are: Shipping boots with hook and-loop fasteners run from knee to ground, and are easy to apply and remove. Leg wraps are elastic wraps/bandages you carefully wrap around your horse’s lower legs; these take longer to apply and require skilled application to avoid…
In addition to protective gear, your choice of trailer and attention to safety when hauling will also help keep your horse injury-free. Here are three trailering-safety tips. • Consider a rear-facing trailer. Trailer cams tell us that rear-facing trailer models tend to allow horses to better balance their weight than forward-facing trailers, especially during braking. And in the event of an accident, your horse’s strong hindquarters will absorb the shock of an impact much better than his face and head. • Consider a stock trailer. A stock trailer is also a good choice, because it allows your horse to find his own comfortable space and hauling angle. However, if you haul more than one horse, note there’s a higher risk of them injuring each other within the same compartment. •…
