You don't even need "real" trails. Walking around the perimeter of a beautiful grassy field would be just as useful - and enjoyable! If you don't have a field, then pretending that you're in a field while walking the edge of your ring can help achieve many of the following goals as well. 🙂
While I also use the trails to develop my trot and canter, I want to focus on just the walk for this article - and for the warm-up and cool-down portion of your rides. Many experts discuss the importance of walking before and after a riding workout/lesson. There is good reason for it, as the horse's joints, ligaments and tendons need to warm up before the real work, and what better way than through the low-impact, but highly effective walk?
But there's so much more to be gained by walking on the trails! Here are the top five reasons to add that walk before, after, or both before and after the "lesson" part of your rides:
5. Develop a great free walk
There's no better way to develop a truly "free" walk than heading on the trails and letting the excitement of open space and the great outdoors do the work for you - all without it feeling like work at all. Most horses walk better out on the trails, even when leaving the barn (!) than they do in a ring.
Then that walk that happens on the way home - that's the one that we aspire toward in the ring! Practice it out in the fields and bring that feeling to your walks later on during your ring rides.
4. Bonding time
Bonding takes time, and getting out on the trails gives you the time you need to really get to know your horse. What's he like if you go on the trails before your workout? How is he different after the workout? What does he look at? Can he leave the barn as well as he comes back to the barn? Can you join other horses, and then leave them?
A simple walk on the trail will give you adventures to go through and opportunities for improved communication. You'll learn things about your horse (and yourself) that you might not otherwise. See how this can improve your ring rides as well!
3. Practice spooking
This might sound a little funny but if your horse happens to be a little more spooky outside, use it as an opportunity! Go where you know your horse will feel most comfortable, and start there. If possible, go with a friend who has a "babysitter horse" who will help your horse be more comfortable. Work on going forward, walking (not trotting or running off), stopping and actually relaxing at the halt at random points along the trail (including on the way home).
If your horse spooks, find strategies to use to teach him that he can spook all he wants, as long as he doesn't rear/buck/bolt/spin or even stop responding to you because of a distraction. In fact, teach him all about how he can look around, see things, and still walk on the path, maintain his tempo, and be safe to ride.
When he gets better in his comfortable area, then go just a little further out and practice all over again!
2. The physical benefits
There's a lot to be said about muscle memory. The physiological improvements take time to develop but might be noticeable even after a few regular outings. The tendons and ligaments strengthen and limber up over time and combined with muscles relaxation (especially if you've figured out #3!), walking "well" will become a habit.
I learned to walk "well" when I first started to train for competitive trail. The experienced riders that I was fortunate to meet taught me so much about how great a walk can be. At first, you might have to encourage your horse to step out, but over time, he will easily pick up the pace himself.
What can a walk do for your horse (and you too, of course)? Done properly, it can be an awesome way to condition - and yes, it does condition, if you have a brisk pace and a long stride. Longer reins (as opposed to shorter reins that you'd need for trot/canter) can allow the horse freedom of movement. The variable footing and the slopes of the trail teach the horse to step carefully, maintain balance and even use the hind end!
1. The joy of it.
And this is the clincher. Never mind all the good things that happen physically, and all the fantastic training moments! It almost goes without saying that riding in the great outdoors is just a joy in itself. Your horse gets to see new sights and go places (exactly what he was bred to do). For us, the smell of the foliage, the critters scurrying about, the amazing oxygen... it all adds up to providing an experience that most of us who live in suburbia simply don't get anymore. Add to that the time spent with your favorite equine friend... and it really is what life is all about!
But it doesn't stop there!
If you do take the time to do the walk before your ride, you might be pleasantly surprised about how nicely your horse moves once you get back into the ring. And to top it off, you can then go straight into an active trot/canter warm-up, or into the workout section of your ride.
If you do the walk at the end of your ride, your horse will be nicely cooled down - pulse and respiration back to normal - and relaxed by the time you head into the barn.
It's a win-win any way you look at it!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
