DOING IT ALL

You can do it all: show your horse competitively and go on exciting trail rides with him. Riding on the trail promotes balance for your show horse—figuratively and literally. Visiting new and natural scenes with your horse can provide a mental break and give him a way for him to stay in excellent shape. If you have an expensive show horse, you may think the trail is off limits and be reluctant to try—the terrain varies and you can’t control the environment. Something might happen to spook or injure him. You might also feel that you can’t work riding on trails into your busy competition schedule. While these are valid concerns, think about what your horse might be missing in education and in conditioning if you don’t leave the arena. Working only in the arena can also cause burnout. Your horse is a living being. When he can experience open space, he experiences life in a different way. To keep your show horse ready for competition and to have time for the trail, trail ride during the off-season and right after a big show when your horse is ready for a change in routine. Keep training him on the trail by ensuring that he’s paying attention to your cues. When it’s close to show time, work more in the arena, and allow your horse to cool down with a quick ride around a field. When our horses have built muscle on the trail, we notice that their length of stride is longer. They extend their gaits easily, and we can feel their improved range of motion—all great for the show pen. This happens because they have to reach under themselves to travel up and down hills. If you only work in the arena, you have to train hard to get the same results that come naturally on the trail.