While you are initially training your trail horse, Clinton recommends riding the horse outside the arena by yourself. That way it is just the two of you concentrating on the training sessions. “There are already going to be a lot of distractions for your horse when you first take him outside the arena, he doesn’t need the added distraction of worrying about another horse,” Clinton says. “When you get two or more horses on the trail, they have a tendency to want to race one another and get reactive. The more horses in the group, the more each horse’s prey animal tendencies come out. When you’re on a well-trained trail horse, this isn’t a problem, and it’s even fun to be on the trail in a big group. However, on an inexperienced horse, you’re just setting him up for disaster.”
When your horse is solid and dependable on the trail by himself, then introduce him to riding in a group. “One of the first things to do when introducing your horse to a group is to show him that you can still control his feet,” Clinton says. “He needs to understand that no matter how many other horses may be present, you are still the one he needs to listen to.”
In the training guide, “Safely Ride Your Horse in a Group,” Clinton shares Cloverleaf Mayhem, an exercise to help introduce your horse to group riding. The exercise allows you to put steady miles on your horse and get him comfortable with traffic because the other horses will be coming at him from all directions—behind him, in front of him, alongside him, etc.
Read the training article now on the Downunder Horsemanship website.
