Trail Riding

Audrey Pavia

Description

Experience the sheer joy of being one with your horse and one with nature.

When you're riding the trails with your horse, you enjoy a refreshing feeling of freedom, the exhilaration of exploration, and an invigorating escape from the demands of the day. You're in control--as long as you can control the 1,000-pound creature you're riding. Trail Riding: A Complete Guide takes you from the basics to more advanced trail riding skills with information on:
* How to choose a horse, including basics on conformation
* Finding the best trail-riding lessons, tack, and equipment
* Feeding, care, grooming, health care, and stable management
* Conditioning--for the horse and yourself
* Trailering to trails
* Advanced trail riding, including information on camping with your horse, how competitive trail riding is judged, and racing on the trail
* Tips on how to find the best trails, both locally and around the country


This book helps you develop the knowledge and skills that will give you a leg up every time you climb in the saddle. You and your horse will become the perfect pair for relaxing yet energizing adventures off the beaten path.
Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Part I: Getting Started.

1. Laying a Good Foundation.

2. Getting Experience in the Saddle.

3. Finding a Horse to Ride.

4. Tacking Up.

Part II: Caring for the Trail Horse.

5. Basic Care.

6. Preventative Care.

7. Health Concerns.

Part III: On the Trail.

8. Preparing Your Horse for Trail.

9. Conditioning Yourself for Trail.

10. Safety on the Trail.

11. Finding Good Trails.

12. Trailering to Trails.

Part IV: Advanced Trail Riding.

13. Camping With Your Horse.

14. Judging on the Trail.

15. Racing on the Trail.

Part V: Appendixes.

A. Glossary.

B. Resources.

C. Trail Riding Opportunities.

Illustration Credits.

Index.

Sujets

• Animal Sports
• Sports
• Equestrian
• Recreation
• Sport équestre
• Sports équestres
• Sports équestres
• Sports équestres

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 20 août 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470251973
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

T RAIL R IDING
T RAIL R IDING
A Complete Guide
Audrey Pavia
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2005 by Audrey Pavia. All rights reserved.
Howell Book House Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Pavia, Audrey.
Trail riding: a complete guide / Audrey Pavia.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-7913-4
ISBN-10: 0-7645-7913-4 (pbk.)
1. Trail riding. I. Title.
SF309.28.P38 2005
798.2 3-dc222 005003955
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Book design by Melissa Auciello-Brogan, with Beth Brooks Cover design by Wendy Mount Book production by Wiley Publishing, inc. Composition Services
To Snickers ,
for showing me how great a good trail horse can be
C ONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I Getting Started
1 Laying a Good Foundation
Horse Looks
Breeds
Equine Personalities
Teamwork
Horses Are Like Kids
2 Getting Experience in the Saddle
To Rent or Not to Rent?
Riding Basics
Taking Lessons
Watching Horses
Other Ways to Get Riding Experience
3 Finding a Horse to Ride
Using Your Arena Horse
Finding a Horse for Trail
What Makes a Good Trail Horse?
Basics of a Good Trail Horse
Costs of Horse Buying
The Buying Process
Evaluating the Horse
Conformation
Making the Purchase
The Vet Check
Finalizing the Sale
The Leasing Process
4 Tacking Up
English Saddles
Western Saddles
Endurance Saddles
Buying a Saddle
Bridles
Other Trail Tack
Miscellaneous Goodies
Caring for Your Tack
Part II Caring for the Trail Horse
5 Basic Care
Options for Housing
Feeding Your Trail Horse
Treats Galore!
Grooming
Clipping
Grooming Tools
6 Preventative Care
Finding the Right Vet
Equine Maintenance
Vaccines
Eliminating Parasites and Other Pests
Shoeing
Taking Care of Teeth
The Importance of Exercise
7 Health Concerns
Lameness
Other Issues
Call the Vet!
First Aid for Trail Horses
Part III On the Trail
8 Preparing Your Horse for Trail
Basic Training
Sensory Training
Dealing With Common Obstacles
Conditioning for Trail
Good Behavior
Warming Up and Cooling Down
Your Horse s Diet
Trailer Loading
Tack Check
9 Conditioning Yourself for Trail
Why Trail Riding Is Hard Work
Getting in Shape
Training for Trail
The Rigors of Trail Riding
Ride Day
What to Pack: A Checklist
10 Safety on the Trail
Safe Equipment
Why Wear a Helmet?
Trail Etiquette
Help Your Horse
Safety in the Wilderness
Negotiating Difficult Terrain
First-Aid Trail Kit
Have Fun!
11 Finding Good Trails
Trail Quality
Types of Trails
Trail Preservation
Responsible Riding
Trail Maps and Compasses
Organized Rides
Where to Look
12 Trailering to Trails
Anatomy of a Horse Trailer
Your Towing Vehicle
Buying a Trailer
Buying Used
Hitting the Road
Part IV Advanced Trail Riding
13 Camping With Your Horse
Getting Started
What to Bring
Setting Up Camp
The Joys of Horse Camping
14 Judging on the Trail
Competitive Trail Rides
Competitive Trail Ride Skills
Trail Trials
Trail Trial Skills
15 Racing on the Trail
Endurance
Ride-and-Tie
The Tevis Cup
Part V Appendixes
A Glossary
B Resources
Trail Riding Products
Trail Riding Organizations and Programs
Competitive Distance Riding Organizations
Books of Interest to Trail Riders
Trail Riding Magazines
C Trail Riding Opportunities
Vacation Ranches
Exotic Rides
Trail Riding Trainers
Illustration Credits
Index
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
For making this book happen: Grace Freedson, Roxane Cerda, and Lynn Northrup. For teaching me: Shannon Sand of Sand Bar Training in Wildomar, California; Sue Kellogg of Kellogg Equestrian Academy in Costa Mesa, California; Marc Hedgpeth and Lisa Smith of Equestrian Services in Lake Forest, California; and Jennifer Nice, friend and trail rider extraordinaire. For inspiration: Randy Mastronicola, Karen Keb Acevedo, Carrie Garufis, Dee Monkhouse, Stephanie Vrabel and her boy Flash, Terri Tuccillo, and the wonderful Oash. For help with the manuscript and for making me a healthy trail rider: Ann Boroch, N.D., CHt. For giving me a wonderful trail horse: Nicole Rivera. For being a haven for trail riders: the City of Norco, California; and for protecting the trails, the Norco Horsemen s Association. For all their help: Carol Ruprecht of the Ride and Tie Association, Kate Riorden of the American Endurance Ride Conference, Candace Brown of Sapelo Appaloosas, Becky Siler, Heidi Pavia-Watkins, and Rod Watkins.
I NTRODUCTION
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. Winston Churchill wrote those words in the last century, and he knew what he was talking about. Horses enchant us, move us, and heal us. We are awed by their beauty, their power, and most of all, their willingness to be our partners, no matter what we ask of them.
Never is this truer than when it comes to trail riding. Experiencing nature on the back of horse can be a spiritual experience, and when that horse is your own, the feeling is downright magical.
Trail riding has become the most popular equine activity in North America, and it s not hard to see why. With today s stressful world and overwhelming technology, people are seeking more ways to get back to our roots, which lie in nature. Horses are the perfect companions for this journey. They are our link to the Earth.
Although trail riding these days is a leisure activity, there was a time when everyone rode the trail. Before engine-driven vehicles took us to our destinations, it was the horse that carried us, taking us wherever we needed to go.
Horses dutifully carried the Europeans through the New World from the moment of Columbus s discovery. The explorers blazed trails with their hardy mounts, traveling through forests and deserts that had not seen the mark of hoof prints since the Ice Age, when horses became extinct in the Americas. Years later, the West was settled by men and women who rode horses on new trails, often to their peril. Long before this, Native Americans were experts on the trail, transporting their families and searching for game from the backs of well-trained trail horses.
In today s world, recreational trail riders carry on the time-honored tradition of traveling on horseback. And although we now have trains, planes, and automobiles to take us from place to place, no feeling is more wonderful than journeying through life on the back of a horse.
Part I
G ETTING S TARTED
Chapter 1
L AYING A G OOD F OUNDATION
The sight of riders mounted on quiet horses enjoying the beauty of nature is one that appeals to just about everyone who enjoys the outdoors. When most people see others riding along on the trail, they get the urge to do it themselves.
Just as with any sport, horseback riding takes knowledge and skill. Most people wouldn t think of putting on a pair of skis and going down a monster slope without learning how to ski first. The same is true of horseback riding. If you know what you are doing before you embark on that first ride through the