Are you ready to head out on your next trail riding adventure? Well, the West Coast is the place to ride! This month’s issue of Trail Riding Monthly has everything you need to plan for the trip of a lifetime. From riding the Oregon coast to cantering the California beaches, you’ll be chomping at the bit to get in the saddle and head out West!
Learn More: Handle Trail Riding Emergencies
In this edition of Trail Riding Monthly you’ll receive the following:
Tune Up a Trail-Balker
Riding the Oregon Coast
Canter the California Coast
Brought to you by Adequan.
Learn More: Horse&Rider OnDemand
Emergency Prep
You can decrease the chance you’ll have a trail emergency by being well prepared for your ride. Here are key preparation steps to take before you leave the barn and as you set out on your trail adventure.
Train your horse. Several months before your trip, train your horse to build his trust in you, so he’ll remain calm and trusting in challenging situations. Work on his ground manners. Teach him to stand tied. Train him to calmly pony another horse and be ponied from another horse. Practice trailer loading in varied conditions so you can get him to a vet quickly. (For training help, go to HorseandRider.com.)
Schedule a veterinary exam. Make sure your horse is healthy and able to tackle your planned trails, and ask your vet for any medications you might need to help relieve pain until you can get help.
Condition your horse. Prepare him for the type of trail riding you plan to do. (For a conditioning routine, go to HorseandRider.com.) If you’ll be riding in high altitudes, give him at least 24 hours to adjust once you arrive at your base camp.
[READ ABOUT: Trail Ride Conditioning]
Plan to ride with others. On long rides over rugged terrain or on overnight adventures, ride with at least one other person. It’s always safer to ride with someone, especially if you’re on a green or unknown horse or in new terrain.
Select the right riding buddy. Find a trail-riding buddy who’s knowledgeable and seasoned and has a calm, trail-savvy mount. If you can, ride regularly with this team to ensure that the horses are compatible in terms of personality and speed. On challenging trails, such as extreme desert or mountain terrain, consider
hiring a guide—either a professional guide or a local horseman who’s familiar with the trails and conditions.
Ride
Here I’ll tell you what to do to prepare for an emergency before you leave on a ride, including what to pack in your saddlebag and on your person. Then I’ll share what to do in a crisis. Next, I’ll give you guidelines to handle six emergency situations until you can get your horse to a vet. I’ll also give you an emergency toolkit, and tell you what to do if your horse is stuck in a perilous situation or suffers a catastrophic injury. (Note: In any equine emergency, call a veterinarian as soon as you have service, and follow his or her instructions.)
