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The Performance Demands of Backcountry Riding by Robert Eversole As a trail rider you are a high performance rider, and your horse or mule is your high performance partner. By “high performance” I’m not only referring to the various extreme trail riding events we often see. Even away from …
Learn How to Build and Train this Challenging Obstacle by Mark Bolender More and more trail challenges include a small 42 inch box that requires the horse to step up onto it and turn around. When you see an experienced horse negotiate the obstacle it looks very simple. This obstacle …
The ABCs of Campfires, Camp Stoves and Dutch Oven Cooking by Robert Eversole An oft-quoted saying of Napoleon Bonaparte was that “An army marches on its stomach.” This bit of wisdom is also relevant to horse riders and campers. After all, a great camp dinner is a beautiful flourish …
Begin on the Ground to Safely Jump from the Saddle by Mark Bolender Recently, while riding near Mount St. Helens in WA State, the trail came up to a washout. In order to continue on without a lengthy back track, I needed to get my horse to jump up …
Preparing Your Dog to Be a Valued Riding Partner by Robert Eversole Roy Rogers had Bullet, Big Jake had Dog… I have Abby. Not only are dogs faithful companions to movie cowboys and me, they’re also favorite pals for many other equestrians. With 70 million dogs in America, chances …
Prepare Your Horse to Cross Frozen Puddles by Mark Bolender When trail riding in the winter, early spring, and/or late fall, you can expect to find frozen puddles. The crackling sound of breaking ice often catches horses by surprise, putting the rider at risk of being dismounted when it …
The Roles of Nature Versus Nurture When Buying a Trail Horse by Robert Eversole What defines a *good* trail horse? Is any horse suitable to carry you into the wilderness? Plato and Descartes might have suggested that a horse is born with all of the innate abilities required to …
How to Master a Challenging Obstacle by Mark Bolender An extreme trail obstacle that most horses hate is the squirting water box. This is a standard water box, but floating on top of the water is a 4’ x 8’ piece of plywood that has holes drilled into it. …
Training an OTTB for the Sport of Mountain Trail by Mark Bolender Off the Track Thoroughbreds (OTTB) are retired race horses that have been given a new purpose in life. Recently, I had the good fortune to train one named Dakota for mountain trail riding. As it turns out, …
Best Gifts for the Trail Rider by Robert Eversole It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. If you’re like me and have procrastinated on gifts for those special trail riders in your life, here are some thoughtful items that they would love to find under …