What Goes Into Making a Good Trail Horse?

We've all heard someone say, "That horse is bombproof"! But what exactly makes a horse "bombproof"? And is it the training, the horse or both? In my experience it's a little of both. Sure, some horses may be better built for the trail, but any horse can be a trail horse, it's just a matter of how long it teaches them to think.

Horses are prey animals, so naturally their reaction to things are much different than we're used to. They spook at trees, rocks, shadows and puddles -- we've all been there. And in training a solid trail horse, the goal isn't to "desensitize" them to every rock or shadow as that's simply impossible and not realistic. The goal is to teach them to think instead of reacting. Sure, they may see something that they view as a threat, but it's a matter of teaching them to overcome their fight or flight instinct and instead think and evaluate the situation.

When training horses, regardless of if hewill primarily be on the trail, my goal is to teach them to think. When they see an unfamiliar object, it's important to not make a big deal out of it. I'm not going to make a situation that's stressful for them, even more stressful. Then that just gives them reason to get worked up and get worried. If it's an object that we can walk over, I'll make them trot or work hard away from the object and make the nice quiet spot on the object. Another trick is if you have another horse available, use him to help you.

horses are herd animals so, if one of their buddies goes near the scary object and doesn't think much of it, that goes a long way and clearly there's nothing to be scared of. Another trick is to use the direction of "home" or their pen where their buddies are to add some extra motivation to approaching or crossing that scary object.

These are just a few ways you can teach your horse to think more and react less. Follow my Facebook or Instagram page for more training insights!