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View Full Version : Horse people==any trail riders out there?


Ottakee
06-19-2008, 09:31 PM
I have been enjoying my new horse. I bought Spy in late Feb. in a BLIZZARD--well we tried him out in a blizzard and then picked him up 3 days later in the snow. He is a 15 year old 15hh Quarter Horse (possibly Arab mix) gelding.

I showed at a local fun show last week walk/trot on my instructor's horse and that was fun (placed 5th out or 6--which isn't bad considering I have never shown and had only rode that horse once before).

My real love though has been trail riding. With the price of gas we are trying to find lots of places to ride within 10 miles. Yesterday we rode around by my instructor's house. Tomorrow we will ride out behind my house.

These are easy trails--mostly level some through the woods, some open fields, a few small sand hills, etc. It is still a lot of fun though. I am still very much a newbie so we mostly walk and do a little trotting. I have started doing some loping as well. Mostly we just walk and talk and talk and walk along.

My girls (11 and 12 years old with special needs) have their own private therapy horse. BJ is 30 years "young" and 16hh. My girls are very tiny for their ages which makes him seem even bigger. Today I rode out with the girls through the trails in the woods next to where we board our horses. They are short, easy little loops next to the pastures but the girls each got to walk and trot on BJ while Spy and I followed along. My 20 year old son (also with special needs) even decided to ride a loop on BJ.

Ottakee
06-20-2008, 08:31 AM
Bumping as SOMEONE here has to trail ride. Also a question, what emergency supplies, if any, do you take with you on short local trail rides?

Journey
06-20-2008, 08:55 AM
We ride hunter/jumpers but we also take them out on trails. I'm not sure though what your question is. I read your post and if the question is in there I missed it! As for emergency supplies, we've never had a problem but I wouldn't go on a trail ride without my cell phone and maybe I'd carry some vet wrap for either ourselves or our horses. Sorry I'm not much help but if you tell me your question about tall riders (I'm 5'9" and my daughter is 5'7") maybe we can help you!

Ottakee
06-20-2008, 09:47 AM
My first post didn't have a question. Just wondering if others would share what type of trail riding they do.

In my 2nd post, I was asking about taking supplies with you on short rides (not short riders)--things like cell phone, water bottle, hoof pick, etc.--just wondering what, if anything, others took.

We are not tall at all here. I have very short legs and use a mounting block or stool to get on my 15hh horse. My girls either get a leg up (they are light enough for that) or use the stool to get on their big guy.

My 11dd wants to start jumping but her 30 year old gelding is NOT the horse for that. Also, she needs a lot more work on basic riding skills, esp. at the trot and lope before she would be ready for jumping. Not sure MOM would ever be ready for her to jump.

How do your horses do on the trails? My horse has done Little Britches Rodeo and other speed stuff before but never western pleasure type stuff. I prefer to ride him outside of an arena as in the arena he thinks SPEED while I prefer SLOW. On the trails though he is very solid. The other day I got stuck in a bush when I didn't duck low enough and got my helmet caught in the branches. He waited for me to get untangled and then slowly backed me out of the situation. He doesn't spook hardly at all and doesn't bolt so that is great.

My girls horse was a western pleasure show horse in his day. He was then abandoned in a divorce situation, left to suffer, and then was a therapeutic riding horse for 7 years. We estimate he is about 30. He came to us very underweight, with only 7 teeth, etc. He is now looking great, loping around the pasture, etc. He gets a mash 3 times a day so his weight is great now as well. He is just such a steady horse for the girls.

Journey
06-20-2008, 11:50 AM
Oh my GOSH how stupid I am! I thought your post said "any TALL riders here". Good grief....how utterly embarrassing! I'm laughing really hard right now because I'm so not with it! Sorry about that!

Ottakee
06-20-2008, 08:17 PM
Don't worry. I wish I could say I was a TALL rider but I am a short rider.

We did ride out today and had a great time. Maybe all of the other riders are out riding and not on the forums today.