 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Battery-Maintenance Tips
If you don't maintain the
battery in your truck and trailer, you could become stranded. Diesel trucks use
two 12-volt batteries for extra power to start a diesel engine. This also gives
you reserve power going down the road. Living-quarters trailers usually have two
deep-cell batteries that... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Treasure of the Black Hills
Here's the place
trail-riding dreams are made of: miles of meandering trails, roaming bison, and
endless horizons bordered by mountains splashed with evergreens and deciduous
trees. All of this can be yours to enjoy while riding in South Dakota's Custer
State Park.
Custer State Park is... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Reverse, Please
If your goal is to control your horse's every step -- a great goal to have before
tackling tough trails -- make sure you can go forward, reverse, and to the side. Most riders have
the go-forward cue down pat. The next step is mastering the reverse.
The backward cue is also important to... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
One Smooth Mare
We were
camped by a beautiful lake on a plateau at 9,300 feet elevation, not far from
Montana's highest peak. Fine as the trip had been, my wife, Emily, and I were
nagged by worries about our ranch, that summer's drought, the fire danger in
late August, and the restless cows we knew were... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Learn the Ropes
Most riders aren't natural rope
handlers. But if you trail ride, knowing how to handle a rope in addition to
your reins can come in quite handy. You may need to pull a log out of the way,
or pull logs to and from your camp for fire or shelter.
Becoming adept at rope handling also helps you... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Prepare for Fall Rides
Poets
tout spring, swimmers and boaters long for summer, and skiers covet the white
slopes of winter. But here in Montana, most of the horsemen I know count the
days to late September when the aspens turn golden and the first morning frost
garnishes the green mountain meadows. ... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Emerald Embrace
Clad in emerald robes and capped with ermine stoles, Oregon's
Central Cascades rise to greet horse and rider. Like many natural regions, this
area feeds one's soul with its incredible beauty and offers tantalizing visions
of trail-riding adventures into a vast expanse of wilderness. The... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Trailer-Buyers' Resource Guide
Trailer shopping?
Here's a handy resource guide to trailer manufacturers and distributors, with
live links. (For inside advice on how to select your next new trailer to
maximize safety, comfort, convenience, and economy, see "Trailer-Buying Guide,"
Special Section, The Trail Rider ,... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
If Tack Could Talk
In my upstairs office above our
riding arena, on a wooden coat rack carved to depict a rider leading pack
horses, next to a pair of hobbles purchased for me by a friend (they're too
pretty to use) hangs a very special bit.
By "special" I don't mean "rare."
Thousands of United States... | read »
|
 |
Online Exclusives:
from the pages of Trail Rider
Avoid an On-Trail Spook
Your horse sees objects far
away much better than those nearby. As a prey animal, he's programmed to scan
the horizon, searching for predators. His brain is also trained to react to
quick movements, such blowing branches and strangely moving unidentified
objects--even items that you know... | read »
|
|
|
|
