Show Horse to Trail Riding Horse
Your show horse’s experience and conditioning are suited to making him a trail riding horse. Here’s how to make a smooth transition.
Horseback Trail Riding Training
Learn how to cross a creek, open a trail gate, perform the emergency stop, despook your trail horse, and banish undesirable behavior. Top trainers and clinicians share their best trail-horse training techniques.
Master Trail-Riding Obstacles
Use this approach-and-retreat method to train at home or to get your horse over an obstacle on the trail.
Riding Alone on the Trail
Teach your trail horse to step out confidently on his own, trusting you to be his herd leader.
Choose the Right Reins
Learn how choose the right reins, and use them safely on the trail, with top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight. Bonus: Riding-glove tips for safety and control.
Avoid 7 Desert Dangers
Winter is a great time to hit desert trails — but be cautious. Here, Arizona journalist Jule Drown gives you the rundown on seven dangers lurking on desert trails: trailering challenges; cactus spines; heat stroke; dehydration; venomous snakes; scorpions;
Forging a New Trail
When an injury retired Peponitas Top Gunner from the show pen, he seamlessly transitioned into competitive trail riding.
Hit the Competitive Trail!
Saddle up for a North American Trail Ride Conference event designed to promote horsemanship and horse care.
Bend at the Walk
Use this exercise from top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson to teach your horse to bend through his entire body and become softer in his mouth.
Vet Prep
Prepare your horse for the veterinarian with these strategies from noted clinician Julie Goodnight.
Lead-Rope Lesson
Teach your horse to be calm, focused, responsive, and obedient with these ground-work exercises from top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson.
Earn Your Horse’s Respect
“To earn your horse’s respect and trust, you need to make him comfortable for doing the right thing and uncomfortable for doing the wrong thing,” says top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson. Read on for training tips.
Beach Horseback Riding Tips
Learn how to ride safely on the beach with endurance champion Lari Shea, owner of California’s Ricochet Ridge Ranch.
Trailer-In Camping Guide
Time to plan this season’s equine adventures! Here, we give you tips on camping with a living-quarters trailer. Then we give you a rundown on trailer-in campgrounds that offer hookups, amenities, community, and more!
Canter into Bliss
Saddle up — and roll out your mats — for Julie Goodnight’s yoga and riding retreat set in the rustic elegance of Colorado’s C Lazy U Ranch.
Fix Your Horse’s Foot Fidgets
Does your horse fidget when you pick up his feet? Teach him to stand still with these tips from top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson.
Get the Right Gait
Learn how to get the right trail gait for safety and control with top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight.
3-Step Balking Fix
Train your horse to cross any obstacle with this three-step fix from top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight.
Stop a Grass Grabber
If your horse is busy eyeing his next meal rather than paying attention to you, gain control with Clinton Anderson’s three-step technique.
On-Trail Confidence Boost
Have you ever lost your nerve when your trail horse has balked? Here, top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight gives you her three-step confidence boost.
The Language of Equus
We take you to an Anna Twinney horsemanship clinic at Wyoming’s Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch. Find out how Twinney’s method can help you build a trust-based relationship with your equine friend.
Helicopter Exercise
Teach your horse to accept movement and noise above him with this exercise from top clinician Clinton Anderson.
Roundtable: Gaited-Horse Clinicians
Read on for what six top gaited-horse clinicians have learned from training smooth-gaited horses.
Top-10 Trail-Horse Skills
Ten essential skills will lead you down the path of trail riding relaxation.
Break the Pace
Does your gaited horse pace instead of offering his trademark smooth gait? Here, gaited-horse breeder Dan Aadland sheds light on this vexing training problem, giving you both the cause and correction.
