Trail

Stan Walchuk Jr, joyful horse trail riding, joy trail riding, equine trail riding, love of horse riding

Every year I receive phone calls and emails from past guests and friends recalling the moments of their trail rides. Like a record, the memories of joyful times play back again and again, buoying them through difficult and less memorable times, or reminding them that dreams are sometimes real.

Driving Trail Horse, horse drive training, horse ground driving, horse ground driving

Good habits help us take bites from the good apple of life, whereas bad habits just up and bite us. Driving your saddle horse is fun, easy to do, and useful. And like Dave says, it makes ’em a better horse every time.

best saddle trail ride, choosing saddle riding horses, horseback riding saddle, stan walchuk

When it comes to personal gear for the trail rider, there is nothing more personal than the saddle. You probably have opinions about what you like to see in a saddle, and if you have been riding for several years, your experience has likely shifted those opinions somewhat.

Stan Walchuk Jr, horse trail riding, horse trail Guiding, horse trail riding schooling

Career opportunities exist for horse guides, wranglers, and owner-operators through guest ranches, hourly trail rides, pack trip holidays, hunting guides, and outfitting. The job descriptions vary with the type of operation and so do the qualifications that these businesses look for in their staff. Everyone agreed that individuals who succeed in the areas of horse wrangling and guiding are self-motivated.

Stan Walchuk Jr, Equine Preparation trail riding, horse trail riding, Saddle Bag Trail Gear

This article is a checklist of things that one should do to get ready for trail riding. I would put “getting ready” in at least three categories: preparing ourselves, preparing our horses, and preparing our tack and gear.

Hitching a Pack Horse, trail riding tips, types of horse htitches, single diamond horse hitch

Your first horse packing trips with one or two horses can be a learning experience and, like acquiring pack gear, can be an act of progress. A sturdy riding saddle, a couple of duffel or hockey bags, and a lash rope can do the trick. The purpose of this article is to help readers become familiar with basic pack gear and hitches.

Stan Walchuk Jr, horse trail riding, make horse shoe stick horse trail, Diamond Toed horseshoe, Heeled horseshoe

As each riding season winds down I find myself reflecting on the ups and downs of the past season and make a short list of issues and concerns that need to be addressed. Each season the problem of horseshoes falling off prematurely ranks high on that list. Trail riders regularly describe their frustration with shoes that fall off after several days or even several hours of use. We can put a man on the moon but it seems that we can’t keep shoes on our trail horse’s feet!

stan walchuk, Trail Riding Horse Camping Trekking, the lone trail rider, riding horses alone

We trail riders experience the contradiction: we live in the modern world but experience the solitude and loneness of a trail ride. And this quiet time spent with ourselves in the hugeness and solitude of the outdoors affects us differently, in ways that are unique to each of us.

horse trail riding tips, horse riding near home, trail riding young horse

There is estimated to be one injury for each 2.5 hours of sport riding, including racing and cross country, and only one injury for every 100 hours of trail or pleasure riding. Let’s look at some practices that will help our relationships with our horses at home.

horse trail riding tips, young trail riding horse

Horses can be herd-bound, barn sour, pullers, hard to catch, frightened, or aggressive. This article is the first of a two part series that will look at common problems with using horses at home, including barn sour and herd-bound horses, and some ideas for safe riding near the home front.

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