Training Tip: Train Your Horse on the Trail

One of the best places to train your horse is outside on the trail. While it may be a little more challenging to you to train with the added distractions of being in an uncontrolled environment, there is no denying that horses enjoy working outdoors.

Trail work is so much more interesting to your horse than ring work because he doesn’t have to stare at the same four walls every single day. When you constantly work in the arena, you run the risk of drilling on the same old thing until both you and your horse are sick of it. Ring work can quickly become monotonous, which can lead to a horse becoming bored, sour and uninterested in his work. He just doesn’t see the point in running around in circles.

In fact, when we train horses at the ranch – whether the horse is a Performance Horse, Signature Horse or Academy Horse – after his first week under saddle, we spend the majority of his training on the trail. Because the environment is new and the horse feels like he can go somewhere, it mentally and physically frees him up. You can do a lot more training on him outside of the arena without him even realizing it.