Even though it’s still winter there is a lot you can do to prepare you and your horse for an amazing summer of trail rides! If you start now, you and your horse will be able to enjoy yourselves much more!

If your horse has little or no experience on the trails now is a great time to start prepping him for that. You can begin by establishing a good connection on the ground, using groundwork, making sure your horse respects and trusts you. You can also do some desensitizing to help prepare your horse for what he may see on the trails including dogs, bikes, etc…

Hand walking your horse around your property or your boarding barn is a great way to help transition your horse from the arena to the outside world. Once your horse is comfortable hand walking you can start riding him around your property or boarding barn.

Ask a friend to go with you and start exploring a little beyond your property or boarding barn if it is safe and allowed. Your horse will feel more comfortable if he has a calm horse buddy coming along with him.

If there is any doubt your horse is not trailer ready, that is an excellent thing to start working on now! You can work on trailering for just a little bit every day and gradually move on to short trailer rides. You’ll be able to enjoy your trail ride much more if you know that trailering will not be a problem!

Be sure to start conditioning your horse before riding any major trails. Like us humans, horses can get out of shape without consistent healthy exercise. If your horse has a had a couple of months or even several weeks off, be sure to start reconditioning him gently and correctly and then when summer is here he will be in tip-top shape for trail riding. Conditioning your horse is super important because you will avoid possible injuries or overtiring your horse while out on a trail.

Summer may be a few months away still, but if you start prepping now you can enjoy trail riding season to its fullest!

(free photo from Canva - https://www.canva.com/ )

~ Saddle Up