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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Trail Riding Manners
We were descending switchbacks
on a timbered mountainside on the sort of day trail riders live for. The air was
crisp, perfumed with pungent pine. I was enjoying watching the dozen riders I'd
guided up the mountain, now riding ahead of me on their gaited horses. Each turn
on a switchback... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Pony A Horse
Pony boy, pony
boy. Won't you be my pony boy? Don't say no, here we go, ride across the
plains. Marry me, carry me, far away with you. Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, let's
go. Whoa, my pony boy! It's been almost 50 years since I was a toddler, when
my dad bounced me up and down on his leg --... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Introduce a Crupper
A
crupper (a strap that runs from the back of your saddle and
loops under your horse's tail) helps to hold your saddle in place on steep
downhill grades. Your horse will quickly learn to clamp his tail onto the
crupper when he heads down steep slopes; his tail contains a large bone with... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Wildlife Encounters
If you ride in the backcountry
or off the main roads you'll likely encounter wildlife, large and small. You'll
pass most critters without incident, but some encounters can pose a danger to
you and/or your horse. Small animals may spook your horse; large animals,
especially predators, can be... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Using Reflectors
If you
know you may be riding home along a road after dark, consider using reflector
bands made for bicyclists. The silver-and-orange straps have hook-and-loop
fasteners designed to go around a cyclist's limbs, but also fit nicely around a
horse's pasterns. Use them on all four legs to help... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Fly Repellants for Your Horse When Trail Riding
If you don't like to ride with a fly mask on your horse, you know how serious
and annoying a problem face and ear flies can be on trail. Sprays and wipes don't work
well to repel all flies, and they lose effectiveness quickly
when the horse sweats.
For an effective repellant mixture for... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Protecting Trails
I can close my eyes and see it, and I can
smell it, too, the pine smoke from a campfire, pungent perfume to the nostrils
of a Rocky Mountain horseman. I can feel the quickening of my horse's fluid
muscles as he perks his ears forward and whinnies to his buddies in the valley
below. I can... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Horse Camping
My daughter, Jamie, likes to camp with her horse. The
great outdoors holds many charms, and it's easy to understand why she wants to
share it with her best buddy. It sure beats bouncing around a show ring with a
herd of stressed-out geldings and their hypercompetitive riders. Western... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Tapaderos
Tapaderos stirrups help protect your feet from rain and scratching branches. They also help keep your feet dry when you ford a stream, especially if your exuberant horse makes things worse by pawing the water. More important, if you should fall, tapaderos prevent your foot from slipping all the way... | read »
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On Trail: Tips
from the pages of Trail Rider
Teach the Stand-Still
When you're ready to mount your horse on the trail, insist that he stand still until you've given him a specific "go-forward" cue. He should never walk off just because another horse in your riding group has moved ahead. Allowing even one unauthorized step likely will cause him to make other... | read »
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| Tennessee Walking Horse Breed |
| Evolution of the breed:
In the mid-1800s, a new breed of horse began to emerge from the bountiful,
bluegrass region of middle Tennessee. Bred by farmers to till the fields during
the week, these horses were also expected to provide them a comfortable ride on
weekends, and... | read |
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