For avid trail riders, "the road less traveled" is usually the most appealing. It's all about discovering what lies around the next bend and getting there on the back of a good horse.
In this series, Lynn Palm shares guidelines and helpful exercises on how to increase your on-trail control and safety, whether you've been trail riding for years on a trustworthy equine partner or are just introducing a young horse to the world outside the arena.
Palm, a world champion Quarter Horse trainer who now teaches Palm Partnership Training, is a big believer in trail riding's physical and mental benefits. In fact, the majority of training with her first world champion, Lecanto Raider, took place on the trail. Here, she focuses on recommended trail-riding tack to optimize your and your horse's safety and comfort. Her equine partners are 9-year-old stallion Rugged Painted Lark (Western tack) and 5-year-old stallion Larks Painted Dinero (English tack).
Checkpoint #1: Saddle
For light training on the trail, Palm prefers a dressage saddle, but if she plans to do a great deal of cantering, she'll opt for a hunt seat saddle, which helps a rider achieve a two-point position. A two-point position, in which your legs are against your horse's sides while your seat is out of the saddle, helps you stay balanced over your horse's center of gravity, which increases your stamina at the canter.
When it comes to pleasure trail riding, especially in hilly terrain, Palm likes a Western saddle, because it has a larger seat and is more comfortable. Also, the saddle horn can help you keep your balance when going up or down hills in steep terrain.
Saddle fit/placement. Whatever your saddle choice, be sure it fits your horse. If the tree is too narrow, the saddle can slip back, putting painful pressure on his lower back and loins. Poor saddle fit can lead to a host of physical problems, including sore withers, back and loin muscles, muscle atrophy, lack of extension, uneven hoof wear, and lameness. If you doubt whether a particular saddle is a good fit for your horse, consult a saddle-fit expert.
Surprisingly, many riders unknowingly place their saddle too far forward on their horses' backs. When this happens, your horse's scapula (shoulder blade) actually hits the saddle tree as he strides out. To avoid pain, he compromises his stride; this unnatural, altered stride causes him to land harder than usual, putting more pressure on his feet, joints, and muscles.
Also, the under-panels of a too-far-forward saddle don't come in contact with your horse's back. Instead, your saddle bridges, meaning that it touches only his withers and lower back. This creates undue pressure on these areas, rather than uniformly distributing your weight.
Cinch/girth. Palm suggests using a neoprene or leather cinch or girth, which is easy to clean and disinfect-particularly important if you use your tack interchangeably on different horses. "I really like a neoprene girth, but you have to be cautious, because you can get one overly tight," she says. "On long trail rides, particularly when it's hot, I use a leather girth. I don't like to have rubber against my horse's skin, especially in tender places, such as the girth and back areas. Neoprene can irritate the skin, because it doesn't breathe."
If you ride with a back cinch or girth, you shouldn't be able to see a noticeable gap of daylight between the cinch/girth and your horse's belly. A loose back cinch is asking for an accident to happen. On the trail, a branch can get caught in it, and your horse can even hang up a back foot, which may lead to injury.
When tacking up, tighten the cinch or girth at least twice. After the first time, leave the stirrup hooked on a Western saddle horn or the English irons run up the leather. This will remind you to tighten the cinch/girth once more before mounting.
