Trail Riding On Horseback

For some reason the link says that I do not have permision to view it; and it is too small to read. When I stretch it on the ipad, then it comes up larger; but to blurry to really read.
I did get the part about you "fall off of the horse" though, just not all of the rest of it. Probably just as well, and i do worry about the possibility of falling off of the horse nowdays, since my balance and muscle tone are not so good anymore.
However, I have started going to the fitness center and swimming and using the exercise machine; so maybe I will get back in shape enough to think about riding a horse again.
Meantime, I will settle for watching a video.

 

My husband and I go trail riding often. We own six horses and a burro. We have our senior citizen horses who are close to being retired and each have a young horse we are training. Mine is a BLM mustang (my burro is BLM as well). We are blessed to live on a gravel road surrounded by hundreds of acres of wooded state land and plenty of trails. The Manistee National Forest Trail runs by our property. Lots of areas here aren't horse friendly but some are.

We also frequent a horse camp just over a hour away from our home and have formed a group of regulars. We went just two weeks ago with close friends who also happen to be our youngest son's in-laws and his father in law is also our farrier. Small world here where we are from. Sadly, the wife was bucked off her 17hh horse during a freak spook and was seriously injured so we won't be going to horse camp again until next year (they close down in October anyhow).

I am no young chick at 46 and with assorted health issues like arthritis in my spine and knees and a large hemangioma on my liver (blood tumor) I have to worry about breaking so riding takes on new discomforts and risks for me but I can't stop. Trail riding and camping with horses is what puts me at peace in this chaotic world we live in. I just find new ways to ride more comfortably, like risking laughter when I hit the trails in my English saddle. The friends I meet camping with horses are the greatest! Now combine this with hunting or fishing and I'm in absolute heaven.

 

Maybe with a well mannered, gaited horse and a super comfy saddle such as a Tucker endurance, I could go on a thousand mile trek with my trusty steed. Well, I'd give it one heck of a good try anyhow. I'm more of a loner personality most times and crave being in the woods so, heck, I may just never come home if I tried it!

 

I would definitely want a gaited horse if i were going on a long trail ride, although every horse is doing a four-beat gait at a walk; which is what a person would be doing at least most of the time.
For many years, I thought that an Arabian was the only horse that was suitable to ride; but as I got older, comfort started becoming more important .
On what was mainly a whim, I went to a Peruvian Paso horse show in Western Washington, and was totally amazed watching these magnificent horses seemingly floating around the arena. The riders sat so still on the horse that they could have been driving a Cadillac around the arena, rather than riding a gracefully moving horse.
After the show, they had horses for sale, and people were allowed to ride around in the arena. Once I tried riding a Peruvian and found how comfortable they were, I knew that i had to have one !

I no longer have horses, or ride anymore, but have gone on many trail rides when I was younger, and loved being out with nature and enjoying the companionship with my horse.