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.
If you enjoy hitting the trail, but you and your horse also thrive on competition, check out competitive trail riding. Sport basics: Competitive trail riding isn’t a race. It’s a timed, judged trail ride. Your ability to work with your horse and be a safe rider and handler are judged by a horsemanship judge, while your horse’s physical condition, soundness, and overall health are judged by a veterinarian. Competitive trail riding is a family activity open to any rider aged 10 and up and to all horse breeds. Parents who compete may ride with their competing children. Family or friends who don’t want to compete can volunteer to help at the events. Competitive trail riding builds a strong partnership between you and your horse through training, conditioning, and education. Your…
Do you and your horse enjoy rugged trail rides? Or competitions that feature “extreme” trail challenges? If so, you’ll benefit from the tips and exercises on these pages. I use them to prepare for the Appaloosa Horse Club’s Chief Joseph Trail Ride, a formidable multiple-day journey that retraces the 1877 “flight to freedom” of the Nez Perce Indians. Over the years, as the ride works its way from Oregon through Idaho and Wyoming to northern Montana, riders face the challenges of varying terrain and obstacles. Steep hills, narrow trails, water crossings, and deadfalls are all common. Using a little creativity and working mostly at home, you can ready your horse for these types of obstacles; I’ll show you how. And, even if tough trails aren’t for you, this work is…
It’s been a long time since I’ve smiled like this from the back of a horse. I’ve felt plenty of emotions during my quest for a high-point buckle from my local riding association. Frustration at my perpetual inability to pick up a right lead. Anxiety over memorizing reining patterns. Satisfaction over a decent showmanship class. But I’ve never experienced the unbridled joy that’s causing the massive ear-to-ear grin currently taking over my face. The grin is warranted; I’ve just galloped hell-for-leather—on a handy Missouri Fox Trotter gelding named Riley—through a shallow pond, sprays of water drenching me head to toe and flaxen mane whipping into my face. Living out this quintessential cowgirl tableau, it’s impossible not to smile. It’s not my first or only smile of the day. Thanks to…
