Out & About
rowing up in the East Bay area of California, I was able to ride from the stables to my house, which was over seven miles. We also had stables at my school, so I would ride there too. For a 10 year old to be able to use his horse for transportation was great; it was certainly better than a bicycle! That was my first experience with that sort of riding. I wouldn’t call it ‘trail riding’ per se, but it was a start. Then I met a man named Freddie Feriera who was involved in an organisation called the North American Trail Riding Conference (NATRC). We would join these trail riding competitions where you sort of had to stay in this zone for 25-50 miles. If you went too fast or too slow, you were penalised, and you were judged crossing creeks and things like that. To prepare for these competitions, Freddie would take us to the Diablo Mountains for up to two weeks at a time. He taught us everything we needed to know - how to keep the horses safe, fed properly, how to keep them from running away etc. Every five minutes he had a new trail tip for us. He was one of those guys whose passion was trail riding without a doubt. Freddie Feriera was the man who really got me interested in trail riding and I take a lot of pride in being able to share what he taught. It’s easy to see what draws people to trail riding. It’s a really romantic image - just you and your horse, out in the wilderness, in a place that you can only get to by walking. There’s just a wonderful feeling of freedom out there. Of course, you can get yourself into trouble if you focus so much on the idea of it that you forget some preparation. I did something like that just the other
G
day. I went out on a trail ride with a few friends, and I forgot to bring a saw. Not really something you’d usually think about, but it still would have been a big help. We were out there, trying to blaze trails around trees that had fallen, and all we needed was a darn saw. It would have made the ride a lot safer and a lot more fun. Basically, you need to think it through - be prepared for anything you think there’s a chance you’ll encounter. There are a few
Trail riding is a wonderful experience if you take the necessary steps, writes Pat Parelli
40
May/June 2012
TRICKS OF THE TRAIL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68