next ride season...I hope!

[Deanna German <dgerman@earthlink.net>]

> I have a 3 year old Arabian gelding (Armani) that has been in training (to be broke..the learning stage) since April of this year. ..... I am hoping that the weather will hold out for us (in Oregon ...yeah, right!) so we can go on our 1st trail ride this weekend!  Does anyone have any suggestions for doing this without a seasoned trail horse around to help?

Yes....lead the horse.

You really need to have a seasoned trail horse go with you the first few outings if you want to do it mounted. Even after you can venture out on your own, keep a halter on the horse and pack a lead rope.

Expect the unexpected. 10 yards down the trail and then turning around is a victory if your young horse starts acting nervous or unhappy. Like you said, take it slow. Why make it a miserable experience when there's always another day?


> I am going to go buy a helmet just for this occassion (thanks to all the Ridecamp posts...better to be safe than sorry!).

This might sound harsh but no apologies:

Sorry, you score no points with me. You should already have the helmet and have worn it every time you mounted this youngster.


> I am hoping to have him ready for a few LD rides next season!
>

All the power to you, (it's good to have goals to work towards) but I think you're rushing things. Very, very few horses are ready (physically or mentally) for 25 miles at age 4 even if the rules allow it.

There's a CTR ride that occurs on my home trails every fall. Me and my 4YO MIGHT be ready for the 15 mile novice next fall. (She'll be a young 5 then and familiar with the trails if things go as planned.) But I'm not going to push it. I've seen friends' normally bomb-proof horses go berserk with the excitement of the ride.

We ride 3 to 4 times a week now alternating ring and trail. You just never know what will be the training obstacle. Last month it was mud and water, but we're over that now. Who knows what the next booger will be? It might be the tunnel 2 miles from my barn; it might be the bridges...

You might be an experienced endurance or CTR rider, but I can't tell from your posts. If you are, excuse the next questions. (I consider myself to be a minimally experienced newbie with only 140 CTR miles but lots of years as a spectator.) Have you camped with your horse? Have you crewed for someone else? Have you helped out a ride? All of these things help you and your horse. That's what I'm doing while I work with my filly.

It sounds like you're dying to get going. I know, me too. But try to keep your ambitions in check and keep yourself and your horse safe and sane.

Deanna (You people who ride slippery hills in the rain are crazy — who knows? I might lose a few brain cells in the next few years and join you.)
Salina (Who were all those muddy, wet horses trotting on my trail?)
Ohio



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