Thursday, July 30, 2009

How to make a horse to gallop on a trail ride?

the trail rides that i go on, im only ten, the horses just follow each other. how do i get it to canter instead of just walking.?
Answers:
Hopefully, the horse is trained NOT to let you canter off in a group trail ride.
For the safety of the group and for you. Stay with the group.
After having a couple of years of riding lessons then you are apt to do more adventurous things with the horse.
Hay, people. don't tell the 10 year old how to make the horse do this, wait for the instructor to do this.
Well, usually the horses are just trained to follow along and go back to eat more hay. Sometimes if you get them out in the open, like in a field or on a beach, you can get the guide to let you run them, but most places don't want you to do that so they don't tire out.
If you are allowed, you'd probably just have to give a few extra kicks or use the end of the reins for a little slap on the haunch.
Have fun!
***Rob is right, which is why I said he should get the okay from the guide. It depends on the rider's ability, of course.
Rob, your horse is beautiful. **
hahah well, if you're right behind another horse, you don't want to canter, you'll run into the end of another horse!
and if you don't know how to make the horse canter, maybe you shouldn't be cantering.
=/
sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.
good luck.
Lean forward over the cantle, squeeze your thighs on the horse's sides, and dig your heels into the sides. Make sure you relax your grip on the reins so the horse can extend it's head.
First of all, you probably haven't been taking lessons long and you are pretty young, and a horse is big and strong. I wouldn't be cantering on trails just yet. Ask your instructor about it. Maybe you can do some small trots on level ground instead.
Galloping on a trail is very dangerous if you aren't strong enough/don't know how to stop the horse. Always ask your instructor before you increase the gait. Be cautious and watchful - but have a lot of fun!
More than likely you won't canter on a trail ride. Even if you are a experienced rider. Its a trail ride, its meant for relaxation. Not a race.
Riding in a group is never a good place to gallop. The horses can react to each other and some may end up out of control. If you go ahead and canter, make sure that you are all on the same terms that if one or another horse becomes alittle strong, you will all pull up together to maintain control.
Small segments of canter is ok, but be real careful in the group setting. You may want to canter only in the ring, then out in the field on your own first before trying it in a group setting.
Sounds like you are on a guided trail ride. I've been a trail ride guide for a few years at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.and I can tell you all about it. First of all cantering isn't gonna happen. You can ask them in advance if you can trot. Most guides will let you...after all, you are there to have fun. Of course you arn't going to trot all the time because the horses get tired and after your ride they probably have to go out another four times. So don't be kicking and slapping the poor horse. That would be cruel.(Not that that is what you do) The correct way is a squeeze of the legs and maybe clucking. Remember, we are guests on their backs and we can ask, but a grumpy dude ranch horse might just put you in your place. So be careful. Remember to give the horse a carrot after the ride and pet him/her. They get so little appreciation sometimes. Don't forget to tip your guide;)
Just kick him, and kiss. I'm sure he'll go :P
You do not need to be cantering on the trail- what you NEED is lessons ! Cantering or galloping is something that needs to be left to the racetrack, where the horses are bred and prepared for this. You might be able to TROT a little, but you sound a lot like the children I used to teach-the only reason you want to do this is because you think that it's "cool". Let me tell you that it's NOT. Falling off because you are scared and can't stop the horse is definitely NOT cool- you will almost certainly wind up in the emergency room if you do this, not to mention that your parents probably won't let you near another horse for a long time. My guess is that the first time you actually feel the horse do anything other than walk, you will do what most children your age do- you will scream. The guides who are leading your trail rides know this, and that's why you are riding a quiet horse that will follow the horse in front of him. Trail horses in a public string MUST be trained to do just that, for everyone's safety- and attempting to make such a horse canter or gallop puts not only your safety at risk, it puts everyone else who is with you in danger as well. It's also VERY RUDE to take off at a canter when everyone else is walking- because everyone else's horse will want to do the same thing, and horses who are racing each other in a group can be very difficult to control, and some of them will also do things like try to kick or bite each other as they run. Some may buck- running is an activity that makes a horse feel good, and they often show it by bucking and trying to throw whoever is on their back. As a beginner rider, your goal should be learning how to ride safely at a walk with a group on the outdoor trails. Cantering and galloping will come much later, after you have had lots of lessons and can handle the basics of riding safely.
One other thing- when you ride, you MUST always have and wear a safety helmet ! Even if you ride in a Western saddle ( and the saddles at most rental stables are usually Western) you still need head protection. You also need to wear proper shoes or boots with a heel of at least 2 inches, EVERY TIME YOU RIDE, as well as long pants or jeans. Riding in shorts or a bathing suit not only looks sloppy, it can be dangerous if you ride through areas containing thorns or brush.
I know that you want to go faster on the trail, sweetie- but if you really want to try riding at a faster pace, you need to get your parents to sign you up for riding lessons so you can learn to do this safely. Running a horse can be very dangerous if you don't know how to ride- and the fact that you have asked this question tells me that you are a beginner with no experience to speak of. You are also a little young to be posting questions on this column- YA's minimum age is 13, sweetie. Do your parents know you are using the computer this way? I hope this helps you, and I hope that you can take lessons somewhere !! You will love it, I can tell you that. Good luck.
If you don't know how to do this in an arena, certainly do not attempt to do it on a trail ride!

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