Rule #4: Stop with Care
When you stop for lunch or a short break, stop and leave as a group; otherwise, one or more horses in the group may get anxious or act up, which can lead to a problem or accident.
If your horse kicks, tie a red ribbon in his tail to alert other riders (Photo 4A). If another horse in your group sports a red ribbon, avoid crowding him, and stop your horse a safe distance away to avoid risk of injury.
Tie the horses safely. Bring along a halter and lead, or ride with the halter under or over your bridle. (Stash the lead rope in your saddlebags so it doesn't get snagged on anything while you're on the trail.)
Don't tie with reins; not only can they break (resulting in a loose horse), but also a horse's mouth can be seriously injured if he pulls back with the bit in his mouth. Tie all horses with quick-release knots that can be untied in a hurry, even if one sits back and puts pressure on the rope.
Also, leave the right amount of slack. "On large trail rides, I frequently see riders tying their horses long so the horses can eat," says Palm. "For safety reasons, always tie so your horse can't drop his nose below his knees. If you tie long, there's too much danger of him getting a leg over the rope, which can lead to an injury."
On trail breaks, allow plenty of room between horses when tying. Keep all out of kicking range from each other; they may be able to edge closer than you think if they're at the end of their lead ropes.
On the other hand, don't upset the horses by tying them where they can't see the others; as herd animals, they'll be calmer when they know their buddies are nearby.
If you're stopping for more than 10 minutes, loosen the cinches/girths to give the horses a chance to relax - and urinate, if they need to. If grass is nearby, you can let your horse graze as you hand-walk him with a halter and lead rope.
Before you mount up, tighten all cinches/girths, then check them again a few minutes later before leaving the rest stop, so you don't risk a loose saddle and a possible fall.
