Trail Riding, Happily Ever After: Horses Happily Ever After

By Tanya Buck

Does a spooking, nervous horse make the idea of trail riding nothing more than a wishful dream? Wish you could change things easily and with no stress so your horse would become the trail pro you envision?Here is a booklet for all equestrians; beginner through advanced, English or Western that includes tips on how best to trail-train your horse and navigate the outside world with ease. Includes a list of essential items to carry with you on any ride, long or short!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tanya Buck
• Release date: Sep 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393727880

Tanya Buck

Tanya Buck has been an equine advocate and a horse trainer for over 45 years. Tanya is very active in the horse community nation-wide including giving seminars, clinics and training sessions to doing horse rescue and sanctuary work.

Book preview

Foreword

Trail Riding, Happily Ever After is written to help horseback riders gain a better understanding of how to prepare for and train their horses. Although I’ve covered most of the important things, the subject is broad in scope with an enormous amount of information to share.

Keep in mind that this information is not intended to take the place of any trainer, veterinarian or farrier, so please work with someone in each of these fields that you trust as well as riding with an experienced trail guide who can clarify any questions you may have. If you want to contact me directly, that’s good, too. Just email me at [e-mail] and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m able.

My goal for this project is to give you, my readers a gift that has value and that is helpful to all equestrians and horses.

Wishing you the best and the most enjoyment out on the trail!

Tanya

1. Get Ready!

Horseback riding on the trail—any trail, is something almost everyone does at one time in their lives. Some people feel it’s a bucket list item that is best fulfilled before they are too old to want to ride a horse alone in a wide open space. Others feel that riding trails is a calling and do not understand why anyone would choose to go around in circles in an enclosed arena. Whatever your preference, chances are, if you love horses and the great outdoors, it’s a great mode of transportation!

Trail riding is a discipline unto itself within the horse world, and one that some view as a given for all to do regardless of experience. After all, a non-horse person on a cruise ship can disembark wearing shorts and sandals and go for a trail ride as an excursion; how hard can it be? And it usually does go okay, meaning nothing awful happens to horse or rider. Plus, if anything does go south, there are experienced guides to help you or your mount if either of you are incapacitated in any way. So really, not much to worry about; just have a good time!

For the horse owner, trail riding is fun, inexpensive or free, and doesn’t involve competition unless you want to ride in events that specialize in trail activities (NATRC - www.natrc.org, ACTHA- www.actha.org etc). The trails vary in scenery and you can pick the length of your ride depending on your locale. Changing seasons and taking the same ride starting from a different trailhead can make every jaunt different, even if on a well-known path. It is the love of the