It’s
a tremendous responsibility being a horse owner. Like
most of you, I got a horse to have fun. The
relationship and trust that we have built up over the
years have made trail riding even more enjoyable. I
bought my first horse with the romantic idea of going
fishing in the mountains, just me and my horse. I
trail ride with all kinds of people who have different
skills and abilities. We all share the love of
horsemanship and the outdoors. However, we don't all
share the same concepts about appropriate
"manners" on the trail. This is not intended
to be a "don't do this, don't do that"
essay. We want to help make trail riding safe and
enjoyable for all of us.
Trail
etiquette is one of those things that’s like a
"lost art", common sense stuff that a lot of
people haven’t been exposed to. When riding on
trails in the National Forests, Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), or other wilderness areas it’s
important to consider your impact on the people you
are riding with, the horses, others you may come in
contact with, and the land itself.
It
depends on where you are riding as to who or what
you’ll encounter. In wilderness areas, you’ll
probably come across hikers, horses, llamas, mules and
other pack stock. In many other areas you’ll also
encounter bicycles and motorcycles. There are some
simple "rules of the road" that apply to
trail use and right of way. As a general rule, horses
have the right of way over other trail users. As horse
owners, it’s our responsibility to use this
principle wisely and to our advantage. You should be
considerate of children on horseback too. Kids may not
have the skills to maneuver their horse out of the way
like us "experienced" adults.
Rules
of the Trail
When
meeting or passing other horses, hikers, bicycles, or
motorcycles on the trail know who has the right of
way. Hikers have the right of way over everything
except horses. All trail users are supposed to yield
to the horse. Ask the other trail users to make their
presence known to the horse by talking to let the
horse know that they are "humans" as opposed
to "trail goblins". In some instances, even
though you have the right of way you may be better
positioned to yield to another trail user -- be
considerate. Basically, whoever can get off the trail
easiest should do so. Common sense and courtesy are
much more important than who has the right of way.
When
you meet a hiker or bicyclist, let them know that they
should go off the trail on the downhill side.
Let them know that horses are creatures of flight and
are likely to move away from pressure or something
that "spooked" them. Then, if the horse gets
"spooked" they will go uphill instead of
downhill -- this is VERY important. You can
usually hear or see a motorcycle coming before it gets
to you, it might be easier for you to move off the
trail if its more convenient. It's OK to ask a
motorcycle rider to shut down their engine. Most of
them will comply if you ask nicely.
You
may run into difficulty when negotiating the trail
with another group of horses. As a rule, you should
use the right hand trail in a divided trail system.
And, the loaded pack string always has the right of
way. Horses going downhill should yield to horses
going uphill if possible, this is especially important
if you meet a loaded pack string. If you
meet a hiker, other horses, or pack string in an area
that has no way to turn around, you may have to do
some negotiating. We have had to back up our horses
hundreds of feet in order to let a pack string go by.
You sure better have this skill if you're headed up
into the high country or you may not come back with a
horse. In some cases, you may actually have to get off
your horse.
Be
sure to let the others that you are riding with know
what you are doing. If you are in the lead, it’s
your responsibility to tell the others when you’re
stopping, when there’s a hiker, a mountain bike,
etc. Develop a system, even something as simple as
yelling "HIKER" or "BIKE" to let
the others know what’s coming up.
And
remember, not everyone likes horses. Some hikers will
not yield the right of way to a horse, even though
this is one of the "rules of the trail".
Don’t make a court case out of it. If you have room
to move and its safe, do it -- use common sense not
your testosterone. Don’t preach the rules of the
trail to other trail users. Ask nicely and you’ll
probably get cooperation.
Prepare
your horse for the trail at home
Too
many people are riding horses that aren’t ready to
be on the trail (this goes for both the people and
horses). Unless your horse has the proper foundation,
you’re asking for trouble if you take them into an
environment that is not very forgiving. This isn’t
fair to the horse or the people you ride with. The
trails we ride on in the Pacific Northwest can be
steep and mountainous. Some trails have vertical drops
of 300-500 feet off the side. We trust our horses with
our lives on these trails.
Don't
bring you horse on a trail ride unless it is
physically fit, calm, and experienced for the
situation you are heading into. If your friends are
going for a 25-mile ride and your horse has been in a
stall for 3 months – Don’t go. If you are working
through some issues with your horse regarding its
attitude and you can’t trust him - Don’t go. And
if you’ve never been up in the high country with
your horse leading a pack string - don’t learn how
to do it on the way up.
You
should be saddled and ready to ride at your appointed
ride time. Be considerate, don't make others wait on
you. Habitually late people tend to take shortcuts to
compensate for their lack of time management. One
thing that we see this a lot in our area is people who
tack up at home and then trailer their horse with
everything on and ready to go. Don’t tie your horse
in the trailer with the saddle on. Why? It takes just
as much time to do at home as it does at the trail
head and it’s much safer for the horse to travel
without the saddle on in the trailer.
Your
horse should be able to stand quietly on its own. Many
people overlook this important component of the
training foundation. Horses that only stand in the
crossties to be groomed or saddled never learn the
patience involved in becoming a good trail horse.
Fortunately, this is easy to teach. Your horse needs
to be able to stand quietly a number of ways; tied to
a hitching post, tied from above, tied to a tree, etc.
If you are going overnight, then you need to train
your horse to stand quietly for 8-10 hours. Ideally,
your horse should be trained to hobbles too.
Practice
mounting your horse from both sides. It's almost
impossible to mount from the downhill side on a
hillside trail. If you can’t turn your horse around,
you’ll have problems if you can’t mount from both
sides of the horse. The place to learn this is at
home.
The
place to try out your new gear is at home in a
controlled environment. Try out your new breast collar
or rear cinch before you get to the trail. Don’t
practice or experiment with new things on the trail.
Although, we do enjoy watching a horse buck off a
rider that does this to them. Don't be cheap
entertainment for the rest of us -- work this out
ahead of time.
Make
sure the brakes work on your horse. You probably would
never consider getting into a car that had no brakes,
but some people will get on a horse that they can't
control. This is just plain stupid! Know how to stop
your horse in an emergency situation. Preferably with
a single rein stop.
Don’t
bring a mare in heat, a stallion or an unbroken colt
on a trail ride with others. If you choose to have the
stallion, don’t endanger the rest of us by bringing
him along. If your mare is in heat, then keep her at
home away from the rest of us – even if she is your
ONLY horse. You need to be considerate of others, just
because you can control your stallion or mare
doesn’t mean that others have control of their horse
around them.
Get
your horse used to things you may encounter on the
trail or wilderness area before you get there. Expose
your horse to backpackers, llamas, mountain bikes,
pack goats, unfolding maps, etc. This may save a
"horse wreck" and the impact it can cause.
If you live in a rainy area like we do, get your horse
used to rain jackets, ponchos, and plastic tarps. Just
because you don’t use one of these doesn’t mean
that your riding partner won’t pull one out and use
it.
Check
out the area your going to ride in before you go.
Actually look at the map before you get there. Some of
the trails in our area are closed to stock use in the
winter. Horses can do a lot of damage to a trail
during the wet winter months in Washington. If it's
closed, don't ride there. In addition, it's always
best to carry a compass and a map of the area.
Be
prepared for an emergency. We have our saddlebags
filled with a first aid kit (for horse and rider),
emergency food & water, rain gear, compass, maps,
hoof pick, duct tape, flashlight, knife, and cell
phone. We have used every one of these things at some
time.
Trail
Etiquette & Common Sense on the Trail
Wear
a helmet when trail riding. This is especially
important for children. It's important for our kids to
see their role models wearing helmets, this reinforces
the belief that helmets are OK. Helmets should meet
all ASTM and SEI safety standards. Bicycle and
motorcycle helmets are not appropriate for horseback
riding. Think about wearing a helmet the same way you
think about using seat belts in your car. You don't
anticipate a crash but when you really need the
protection that it offers -- if you aren't wearing
one, you can't "magically" put it on.
Having seen traumatic head injuries with bicycle
riders, I tend to think of helmets as an absolute
necessity on a trail ride. Like insurance, it's a
personal choice -- you should only protect what you
think is valuable enough safeguard.
If
you have a horse that has a history of kicking at
other horses, put a red ribbon in their tail. This
signifies that your horse may kick. Let others know
why the ribbon is in their tail. If your horse
is "green broke" you should tie a green
ribbon in their tail. A stallion should have a
yellow ribbon tied in their tail. When riding a young
horse, we almost always put a ribbon in their tail. We
don’t know what they're going to do, so we're not
going to give them the benefit of the doubt. We use
survey tape; it’s cheap and easy to tie. If you do
have a horse that you know does kick, it's your
responsibility to know how to take away the
hindquarters to avoid a kicking situation. If you can
anticipate the kick and get the horses to disengage
and step under themselves in the rear, you can keep
out of trouble. This is easy to do; you just need to
be able to recognize the warning signs with your
horse.
When
moving down the trail, try to keep 1-2 horse lengths
between you and the horse in front of you. It is your
responsibility to be the leader. When your horse is
going nose to tail with the horse in front of you,
they are following a different leader – the horse in
front of them. It’s hard for the horse to stay back;
they naturally want to closely follow the horse in
front. Remember, don’t be a passenger – be in
control. If the horse in front is a kicker this can be
a problem. If the rider in front stops quickly or
needs to maneuver on the trail, it won’t be possible
with you right on their rear. This is the most
considerate thing that you can do for your horse and
the rider in front of you.
In
some wilderness areas there are rules about the number
of animals/riders that can be in an area at any given
time. There is the" heartbeat rule" –
count up the number of living animals (things with a
heartbeat) and that total number can’t exceed the
number of heartbeats designated for the maximum in a
group for the area. 12 heartbeats are a common maximum
amount. This could be 6 riders and 6 horses, 1 rider
and 11 horses, or 2 riders, 2 llamas and 8 horses –
you get the idea. Check this out for the area you are
going to before you get there. In addition, take only
the minimum number of animals necessary.
Don’t
pony horses when you’re with a group unless you are
packing. The extra excitement may be more than the
group can handle. Unless you are a very experienced
horseman, you're probably heading towards a
"horse wreck".
Be
considerate of the horse. It’s physically harder on
the horse to go downhill than it is for them to go
uphill. Don’t trot or canter your horse down hills
unless absolutely necessary. You can keep the weight
off the forehand of the horse. This reduces the chance
for injury or stress (impact) related problems. Do
this in consideration of the horse. We want our horses
to last a long time; we have spent hundreds of hours
with them. We see this as an investment in a long-term
relationship. When trotting on the trail, post or rise
with the trot. Whether you are riding in an english or
western saddle you can and should post. Posting is not
just something that you do in an arena. Although you
probably aren’t riding in circles, you need to ease
the impact on the horse’s back. Every so often you
should switch diagonals to give the horse a rest.
When
crossing logs, deep mud, or any difficult rough
terrain, give the horse a loose rein. Make sure that
the horse has full use of their head. Horses need to
use their heads to balance themselves. If you are
holding on to the reins with a "death grip"
your horse may not have the ability to recover from a
stumble or fall and this may make a bad situation even
worse.
When
you stop for a break on the trail, loosen the girth a
hole or two to give the horse a break too. They worked
hard and deserve the consideration. And don’t tie
your horse with the reins if there is a bit in the
horse’s mouth. The only time that you can tie a
horse with a bit in their mouth is if you are using
mecate reins. Be sure to tie your horse well off the
trail so that others can get around you.
Wait
for others before proceeding too far. If you stop to
water your horses, wait until all of the horses have a
drink before taking off. The same thing goes when
crossing bridges and other difficult obstacles. If
someone has trouble with their horse, wait for them.
Call ahead for others to wait. Trail riding is not a
race. Be considerate of others in your group, they may
need your help. Some impatient (poorly trained) horses
are dangerous when left behind.
Stay
with the group you are riding with. If you plan on
leaving the group, let someone know. There's nothing
more frustrating than back tracking and searching for
someone who didn't have the courtesy to let you know
that they were going to stop or take a different
trail.
Ask
permission to ride across private property. If there's
a "no trespassing" sign or a fence, there's
probably a good reason. Most ranchers are pretty good
about allowing horsemen to ride across their property.
The time to find out if it's OK to ride on someone's
property is before you meet them when their angry. If
you come across a gate and you open it, you darned
well better close it. This is the fastest way I know
of to anger a farmer or rancher. Private property
owners can be our best friends if we treat their
property with respect. Don't ruin it for the rest of
us.
When
going out on a trail that is unfamiliar, we mark the
trail with ribbon or survey flagging so that we can
find our way back out if necessary. On the way back,
we pick up the ribbon and pack it out. Having been
lost in the backcountry before, I can’t tell you how
many times this has saved me from an emergency call on
the cell phone. I have a few goals in my life; one of
them is that I don’t want to read my name in the
local newspaper as having been "found" by
the search and rescue team!
If
you ride during hunting season be sure to wear bright
colors. Don't be a target! Believe it or not, horses
really do look like elk or deer to some of these
hunters from the city. Acclimate your horse to the
sound of gunfire. We use fireworks in the controlled
environment of our arena to work this out with the
horse.
Don't
let your horse run uphill or downhill unless you ask
them to. Remember that you're the leader. Horses
naturally tend to run up hill because it's easier.
When going downhill, their momentum can get them
"heavy" on their forehand and they’ll tend
to trot or canter to catch up to the rest of their
body. Teach the horse to walk up and down hills. This
is very important.
Maintain
control of your horse. Don’t let them go
"visit" other horses on their own. They have
a job to do, and it’s to safely get you to your
destination. Keep the horse focused on this job. We
are very strict about the behavior that we will
tolerate while trail riding. We won’t let our horses
visit other horses, they can’t eat unless we release
them, and we ask them to walk down the trail at the
speed we dictate.
Don’t
trot or canter off without telling people that are
with you what you plan on doing. You don’t know if
everyone is ready to go. Some may be off their horses,
eating lunch on the trail etc. It’s common courtesy
when riding with a group to keep the others apprised
of your intentions – especially if you are in the
lead. If you are passing another rider, tell the
person where you are and which side you will be
passing on.
LEAVE
YOUR DOG AT HOME! You don’t know how the other
horses will react. We were out riding at night with a
group of about 20 people and a dog got under one of
the horses. That horse started to buck and the rider
got hit in the stomach with the saddle horn. The rider
had to get off; she was hurt and was shaken up so much
that she couldn’t get back on. If you do have to
bring your dog along, make sure that you have it on a
leash.
When
crossing deep water, watch your horse to make sure
that they don’t try to lie down with you in the
saddle. If your horse starts pawing at the water,
there’s a good chance that they’re thinking about
laying down. Many horses like to lie down in water
after a hot day of trail riding, it’s refreshing! I
don’t blame them. Be aware and don’t let this
happen. If you are using a "tie down" or
standing martingale and your horse slips and falls in
the water, he may drown because his head is
restricted. We don't ever recommend using tie downs
and this is just another reason to add to the long
list of why you shouldn't...
If
nature calls and your horse has to pass some manure,
make the horse walk while they are doing going.
Believe it or not, this is actually a bad habit that
can get you into trouble. You don’t want your horse
to get into the habit of stopping when they have a job
to do. On the contrary, if your horse has to urinate
while you are in the saddle, let them stop and sit up
off their back so that it’s more comfortable for
them. Urinating under saddle can be a difficult thing
for some horses to do, make it easy for them and
reward for doing it. We try to train our horses to
urinate on command. Believe it or not it can be done
relatively easily. All we do is whistle while the
horse is going. After a while they associate the
whistling with another duty and the rest is
history….
When
you stop on the trail, turn off your horse. By this we
mean, get him to lower his head out of the
"adrenaline zone". This gets the horse into
a feel good zone where they would be naturally when
they are grazing or in a submissive posture. This is a
something that we teach our horses during their early
training that pays off big in the "real
world". It's great to have a horse that will
stand quietly when you ask.
Leave
No Trace. You have probably heard this
before. The idea is to leave the land in the same
condition as you found it. Ideally, you shouldn't be
able to tell that you and your horse have been on the
trail. The Backcountry horsemen of California have
developed an excellent web site devoted to the leave
no trace philosophy at: http://www.bchc.com/BCHEA6.htm
Stay
on the trail -- don’t cut trails. Horses can do a
lot of damage to the land in a short amount of time.
If you cut a trail and someone else follows your
trail, pretty soon it's not a trail -- it's a road.
This scars up the land, ruins the trail and gets the
land management bureaucrats mad. We as horseman have
to do our part to keep the land in good condition.
This includes puddles. If you notice, the area around
mud puddles or water crossings always seem to be much
bigger than the rest of the trail. That's because of
people who can't get their horse through the puddle
and go sideways, around it, and over it. Your horse
should walk right through the middle of the puddle if
you ask.
If
there is a bridge over a stream or river, use it.
Don't go through running water unless absolutely
necessary. We have salmon and fish spawning in the
streams in our area. One horse can decimate a spawning
bed by walking through the water.
The
US Forest Service has rules about what to do with a
horse or pack animal that dies or must be destroyed on
the trail. It is the owner’s responsibility to
remove the carcass. If you thought dealing with your
horse’s bad habits was difficult, try removing a
dead horse 25 miles into a wilderness area. We
haven’t had to do this with one of our own horses,
but we have run across people in the wilderness that
have had to destroy an animal and then deal with the
body. It’s not a pretty site (the Forest Service
actually has a brochure on how to do this). We’re
telling you this because we don’t want anyone to
take a horse into an environment that they aren’t
able to deal with -- it’s not fair to the horse.
Work out any issues before you get into something
that’s over your head, the trail is no place to
practice.
After
the trail ride
When
you get to your destination or back to your trailer,
take care of your horse first. The horse did most of
the work! Make sure you loosen the girth, clean the
feet and offer the horse water. Then remove the saddle
and brush them out. After you've tended to their needs
then you can go get your soda.
Take
your manure, garbage, and hay with you. Don't leave
this garbage at the trailhead, leave it cleaner than
you found it. Volunteer to help with trail cleanup and
maintenance. In the Pacific Northwest we have the
BackCountry Horsemen of Washington. This is a national
organization with groups around the country. There is
probably a chapter in your area. Their web address is http://www.bchw.org/
The Back Country Horsemen participate in trail
advocacy, maintenance, and working with government
entities to keep the trail systems accessible to the
horseman.
Report
any trail problems to the appropriate authorities.
Don't assume that they already know about downed
trees, washed out bridges, or any other bad spots that
need attention.
Now
go have your cold beverage and talk about your
adventure with your friends.
