With trail riding the love of our lives, I winced when I went to the barn one sunny morning in early May and saw our tack covered with a generous coating of dust. Life had been overly hectic recently, finding a new best friend for Ace and getting my daughter through graduation then into college.

Pulling off the saddle cover, reality hit me. We hadn’t ridden our horses since New Year’s Day. “Horses are for riding,” I reminded myself aloud as the winter’s dust rose and met the light from the window.

Then my thoughts turned to our trip Out West last summer. What a relaxing adventure Vanessa and I had with Thunder and Beene. Upon returning, we retired our two veterans of competition to their pasture, and set our sights on BeBop and Kahn as our most promising mounts.

These two were among the geldings we acquired as “weaners” nearly seven years ago to be our next trail partners. Our objective was to bring them to a level of trail confidence that would enable them to take us all over the United States. We long to ride again through the Wildcat Hills in Nebraska’s Panhandle, down the rocky trail to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, and beyond. How time flies.

I walked to the pasture and saw our two greenies. There they were, the dapple gray and the chestnut, out standing in their field, shoeless and round from eating timothy tops. I could tell that trailering and trail riding were the furthest things from their little minds.

I walked to the house to discuss the situation with Vanessa. Ironically, there we were, two horsemen at the end of winter, outstanding in our fields, getting round from a life of desk sitting, pizza, and computers. You could tell that for several months trail riding had been the furthest thing from our minds, too.

A Bumpy Road
It was time for all four of us to get on the stick, start riding regularly, and get in better physical condition. The rewards of distant travel and mountain vistas, and the personal satisfaction after a long trail ride awaited us. It was time to seize the moment and set achievable goals with our horses.

We set a plan in motion. We scheduled the farrier, groomed the boys, cleaned and packed our tack, changed the oil in the truck, and prepared the trailer for travel. Then we cleared the decks of appointments. On Memorial Day weekend, we packed up the boys and headed for a five-day trip to the Otter Creek Trail System in the Tug Hill Region of upstate New York. It’s a great training area that offers a safe place to hone our trail skills.

The trip didn’t go smoothly. Our need for reeducating our boys on travel and trail skills became apparent when Khan refused to load. His partner, BeBop, stood quietly in the trailer as Khan tested our resolve. Eventually, he jumped in for the trip there, but it took us 45 minutes to convince him to load for the trip back. We were perplexed; he used to load with no problem. 

On the trail, things were just as rocky. The horses were lazy, spooky, and unwilling to move along. Vanessa and I quickly tired over this test of wills. We didn’t ride familiar trails, and we didn’t ride every day. We headed home a bit disappointed at our progress.

Trials & Triumphs 
Undaunted, we planned another training trip to Otter Creek for the week following the Independence Day Weekend. Events seemed to flow like old times. This time, Khan followed BeBop right into the trailer. We were off to a good start.

It was great to be back. To ease our way into the day, Vanessa suggested that we begin by walking the horses in hand. It seemed to relax all of us. Down the trail, we mounted up and walked for a while. Slowly, I began to relax and regain my seat. I could tell BeBop was relaxing, too. Vanessa and Khan were also moving along effortlessly. At day’s end, we were sore and stiff, but happy with our progress.

The next day, the boys’ legs looked solid, so we decided to ride seven miles out to Buck’s Bar for lunch. We rode on new trails with different footing. The sandy, hard-packed roads were nice to move out on. Khan and Vanessa led.

Soon, we were in the forest, and Khan started to see things. During an extended trot on a sandy one-track, Kahn suddenly shied. With Vanessa hanging on, he headed off trail — full trot — into a wild blueberry patch. BeBop saw nothing. Seeing opportunity, he trotted into the lead without missing a stride. Khan saw the error of his ways and came right back on trail; we continued along at a trot.

Summer storms had left muddy areas and timber across the trail system. Again trotting through the forest, we encountered a series of mud patches. BeBop, in the lead, suddenly decided that one muddy area was a gaping black hole into infinity. He refused to cross even the splotch’s drying skirt until Khan came right around and proved to his partner that it was safe to cross. We continued without missing a step.

When it came time to cross Otter Creek, it was high and rushing from the recent rain. Between the sound and swift flow, BeBop wanted no part of it. He refused to even approach the shore. Vanessa and Khan were in stop mode behind us. I dismounted and walked my boy to the water. He drank. I mounted up and urged him on. He walked right into the rocky-bottomed stream.

Midstream, BeBop seemed to become disoriented by the swiftly running water. He was inclined to follow the flow, so I gave him a nudge to remind him to keep his eye on the prize: the trail on the north shore. Khan followed without hesitation. Both horses hopped up the far bank, ignoring the rocks. We were back on solid trail.

The cheeseburger and Genny Cream Ale I had at Buck’s hit the spot after a tough morning of trail training. Vanessa was happy with her BLT and our progress with the boys.

On the ride back to camp, we trotted briskly along the trail through wood and glade. It was satisfying and, thankfully, uneventful. It was like riding in the old days with Thunder and Beene. We were starting to see the fruits of our labor. A rewarding season awaited all four of us.

Teamwork Works
In life, it’s often better to team up to learn. Pursuing a goal by yourself can hinder your success, and can even lead to a long, lonely journey. Like BeBop and Khan trotting down the trail, each of us can learn from and build upon our partner’s experiences and strengths.

Setting small, realistic goals is a strategy for success that will build confidence between you and your horse. Riding together on the trail can help you achieve those goals by accelerating your learning. Both you and your horse are not only rewarded with improved skills and increased trail savvy, but also a fulfilling sense of personal accomplishment.

Fetch your mount, get a friend, and go on a trail ride. There's still a lot to learn.