The thing that makes a great trail horse great is the fact that he has seen it all and done it all, so nothing seems to phase him. This all starts in training – one step at a time.
The first thing we will do is lead the horse. Lead him over and through anything you can find just get him used to the fact that he can do it. That way, later on when you are on his back he has the confidence to do it.
Some obstacles we use are: fallen logs, streams, old tires, up and down steep banks, past rustling bags and barrels…truly anything and everything we can find. Horses will naturally shy away from anything new, so starting this training on a lead rope is a great way to safely build the horse’s trust in his handler, and confidence in himself!
