Ride with proper equipment. Carry things you might need on the trail.

First and foremost when you’re trail riding with a group, you must have good, safe, equipment and tack up your horse so the equipment stays on him! You can’t imagine how many times, I’ve seen a saddle come off a horse on a trail ride. Or a bridle come off. It seems crazy but someone will borrow a horse, borrow some equipment and think they’ve got everything they need to pull off a wilderness trail ride.

Make certain your cinch is hooked securely to both sides of your saddle. Make sure the saddle fits the horse and he’s comfortable with it for a long distance. The saddle pads must be flat and under the saddle all the way around.

When you first saddle your horse for a long ride, don’t pull the cinch up as tight and hard as you can get it. Let him get used to the idea. Keep him comfortable and he’ll be happy and like you for it! Tighten it some, before you get on, lead him around a bit and tighten it slowly to where you know it needs to be. If you stop along the trail, check your cinch to make sure he’s ok. Loosen it if you’re having lunch and give him a break. Just be sure to tighten it before you leave the rest area.

Your bridle must fit your horse, and all the buckles and straps should be fully hooked with no long straps hanging out or down or around your horse. Things get caught in the trees and brush and the less chance you have of this happening, the more enjoyable your ride will be.

I prefer a leather rein for trail riding, one that doesn’t hook to the bridle with a metal buckle in any way. Someone once gave me reins that attached to the bit with a buckle. That buckle hung up on something on my stirrup when my horse turned her head around for a pat. I changed back to my good old leather reins.

Good saddle bags are almost a necessity for a long ride. You can tie them securely to the saddle so they don’t come loose if you have a wreck. I had a saddle horn bag for my sandwich and water bottle and larger saddle bags behind the saddle for an extra lead rope, extra rein, any equipment I thought might come in useful.

In your group, a saw is a great thing to have for a mountain trail ride. There’s always a tree down across the trail somewhere and maybe no way around it. If some people in the group carry ropes, it can be extremely handy to have extras. Make sure you have basic first aid items with someone in the group. Each person doesn’t need a first aid kit, just make sure there’s one in the group.

Be sure you have a warm coat behind the saddle. For serious trail riding, have long straps on your saddle to hold items securely. Tie coats and extra clothing down so it’s very tight to your saddle. You don’t want something coming loose in the middle of the ride, to hang up on brush or to slap against the side of your horse.

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